Lineup for WWE SmackDown Tonight (July 17, 2026) ft. CM Punk appears; Acting GM Adam Pearce to address fans & more

SmackDown before SNME sets the tone for MSG.

WWE will travel to the iconic Madison Square Garden this Saturday to deliver the third Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2026. The July 18 edition of SNME will air live from 8 PM ET from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The show will set the stage for SummerSlam as multiple stars set to compete at the PLE will be in attendance at MSG. Before SNME, WWE will deliver the go-home show of SmackDown tonight, and here is a detailed lineup for the show.

What’s in store for tonight’s SmackDown?

The July 17 edition of Friday Night SmackDown will air live from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York. Multiple top names, including Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, CM Punk, Gunther, and Trick Williams, are listed as featured superstars for the show.

Notably, last week’s show ended with GM Nick Alis announcing a tag team match where CM Punk and Cody Rhodes team up to take on Gunther and Sami Zayn. However, Gunther’s attack on Aldis immediately after the announcement left fans with more questions than answers, adding intrigue to what could unfold on this week’s episode.

In the digital media exclusive clip, fans also found out that after Cody Rhodes came to Aldis’ rescue, he challenged Gunther for a match, but the Ring General walked away, not even responding to the challenge.

Raw General Manager Adam Pearce will once again take over the duties for SmackDown as the acting General Manager this week after the brutal attack on GM Aldis last week.

Acting GM Pearce has announced that he has a lot to address on the July 17 show, and he will do just that on the broadcast tonight. On the other hand, Undisputed Champion CM Punk is also scheduled for an appearance tonight, as per his schedule.

• Acting GM Adam Pearce to address last week’s show & more
• Undisputed Champion CM Punk to appear
• SNME build
• Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, CM Punk, Gunther & Trick Williams are listed as featured superstars

Returns expected on tonight’s show

Last week’s WWE SmackDown featured the return of Baron Corbin, who returned during the non-title match between Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes, attacking both men and ending the match in a disqualification.

The return came after rumors and reports suggested his return to the promotion. Fans are now waiting to listen to what Corbin has to say after the attack in his return.

On the other hand, after her appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York, many fans are now speculating about WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley’s return.

Rhea has been absent from in-ring action since Clash in Italy, where she sustained a knee injury. Fans are now hoping for her return ahead of SummerSlam to set up a major title match.

Start time for tonight’s SmackDown in Albany

• United States, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico: 08 PM ET, 07 PM CT & 05 PM PT (Friday)
• Canada: 08 PM ET (Friday)
• United Kingdom & Ireland: 1 AM BST (Saturday)
• India: 5:30 AM IST (Saturday)
• Bangladesh: 06 AM BST (Saturday)
• Saudi Arabia: 03 AM AST (Saturday)
• Australia: 10 AM AEST / 11 AM AEDT (Saturday)
• France: 01 AM CEST (Saturday)
• Brazil: 09 PM BRT (Friday)
• Mexico: 06 PM CST (Friday)
• Singapore: 08 AM SGT (Saturday)
• China: 08 AM CST (Saturday)
• Nigeria: 01 AM WAT (Saturday)
• South Africa: 02 AM SAST (Saturday)
• Germany: 01 AM CET (Saturday)

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