Lineup for WWE SmackDown Tonight (May 22, 2026) ft. Shinsuke Nakamura vs Talla Tonga; SNME build & more
(Courtesy : WWE)
A busy schedule for May continues on SmackDown.
Last week’s Friday Night SmackDown emanated from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, featuring the fallout from Backlash 2026. As anticipated, WWE announced new matches for the May 23 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The build towards the upcoming PLE, Clash in Italy, also continued with WWE announcing a title match for the show. The match was confirmed after Gunther defeated Royce Keys to secure the number one contender spot for the Undisputed title.
Looking ahead to tonight’s show ahead of the May 23
What’s in store for tonight’s SmackDown?
The May 22 edition of WWE SmackDown will air live from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The show will serve as the go-home edition of the May 23 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
With SNME just one night away and Clash in Italy looming on May 31, the stakes could not be higher, and WWE fans are anticipating an action-packed show.
- Gunther & Cody Rhodes to appear
- Talla Tonga vs Shinsuke Nakamura
- SNME go-home show build
Returns expected on tonight’s show
Tonight’s show is anticipated to feature the return of WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley, who was absent last week and will likely appear tonight ahead of the six-woman tag team match at SNME, where she will team up with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss to take on Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin.
On the other hand, the heavily teased debut of Blake Monroe, which the reports have hinted at, is expected in the final weeks of May. Notably, Monroe already took part in a dark match last week, and reports have confirmed that she will be traveling with the crew tonight.
Start time for tonight’s SmackDown in Lexington
- 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)
When and where will the May 22, 2026, edition of WWE SmackDown take place?
The May 22 edition of WWE SmackDown will emanate live from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky.
Where can fans tune in to catch all the action live?
Fans in the United States can tune into the USA Network, while international fans (excluding select markets) can tune into Netflix to catch all the action live.
When and where will Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV take place?
Saturday Night’s Main Event XLIV is set to emanate live from the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 8 PM ET, streaming exclusively on Peacock in the US and YouTube internationally.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.