Survivor Series aftermath; John Cena's final opponent & other storylines to watch on WWE SmackDown tonight (December 5, 2025)

Tonight’s SmackDown will emanate from Austin.

Tonight’s Friday Night SmackDown is set to emanate live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The show will serve as the fallout show for the 2025 edition of Survivor Series.

Multiple WWE stars, including Cody Rhodes, Tiffany Stratton, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, Drew McIntyre, and Sami Zayn, among others, are being advertised for the show. The tournament to decide John Cena’s final opponent will unfold on the show, along with the aftermath from the PLE.

Ahead of tonight’s show in Austin, Texas, here are the top four storylines to watch out for on tonight’s WWE SmackDown.

4. Who will step up against Jade Cargill?

During last week’s show, Jade Cargill crashed Chelsea Green’s US title celebration as she took issue with Green calling herself the greatest women’s champion. Cargill then reiterated she had an issue with anyone running their mouth, and if anyone else had a problem, they were welcome to step up.

The lack of talent in the women’s division is hurting Cargill’s title reign, and the destruction without cause might not help her connect with the audience, especially if she has no real contenders to face. After the PLE, WWE might decide to spice things up and create some intriguing storylines with the Champion.

Also Read: WWE SmackDown after Survivor Series 2025 Preview: Match card, news, timings & telecast details

3. Drew McIntyre vs Cody Rhodes once again

With the win in the men’s WarGames match over Cody Rhodes & Co., Drew McIntyre is likely going to call for a rematch. He has already made it clear that things between the two are not over until he says so. Additionally, WWE had to rush the match between the two due to Jacob Fatu’s injury, and after Survivor Series, they might decide to run it back with Drew calling out Cody tonight.

On the other hand, Jacob Fatu is also reportedly set to return soon to WWE Television, and the Samoan Werewolf could reveal who attacked him backstage, creating an intriguing storyline for fans on the Blue brand.

2. Survivor Series aftermath

The 39th Survivor Series emanated on November 29, 2025, at Petco Park in San Diego, California. The final PLE of 2025 delivered some interesting new storylines, as well as putting the spotlight on multiple stars, signaling a major push for them moving ahead. Bron Breakker has already been rewarded a title shot against CM Punk, after pinning him in the WarGames match.

Despite the loss, Nia Jax and Lash Legend delivered an impressive and dominant performance. While the Women’s Tag Title scene is already messy with multiple teams, either Jax or Legend, especially with the current push for Lash, could challenge Women’s Champion Jade Cargill instead of focusing on the tag titles now, as they both have the skill and power to match and potentially overcome her in the ring.

Also Read: Randy Orton returns; Gunther wins & other possible spoilers for WWE SmackDown after Survivor Series 2025

1. John Cena’s final opponent

As the clock ticks down on the 17-time WWE World Champion John Cena‘s retirement match, the search for his final opponent has almost reached its conclusion. After winning their respective semi-final matches on this week’s Raw, LA Knight and Gunther have secured their spot in the finals.

Knight and Gunther are now set to clash in the finals tonight. The winner of the match is then set to appear on the SNME go-home show of Raw next week before battling Cena in his final ever WWE match.

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