Why was WWE SmackDown pretaped this week?

By Abhijit Singh

Abhijit has been telling sports stories through his words at Khel Now since 2024. He covers Pro wrestling, MMA, Boxing & Formula 1.

Published at :October 31, 2024 at 4:35 PM

Modified at :October 31, 2024 at 4:58 PM

Why was WWE SmackDown pretaped this week?

(Courtesy : WWE)

The 11/01 episode of WWE SmackDown is the Crown Jewel 2024 Go-home show!

This week’s show of Friday Night SmackDown is the final show of the Blue brand before the Crown Jewel 2204 PLE in Saudi Arabia. The 11/01 episode of the Blue brand was pre-taped after the 10/25 edition went off air.

Fans can expect a night of increasing tensions, established rivalries, and dramatic declarations since the arrival of Jey Uso into the fray. The SmackDown show will feature storylines that will culminate at the Saudi event this week.

The promotion pre-taped the November 02, 2024 episode of SmackDown immediately following the October 25th edition of SmackDown in Brooklyn, New York last week.

This week’s show of the Blue brand features some of the segments including the reunion of the OG Bloodline as well as a tag team match between the team of Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton against the team of WWE Heavyweight Champion Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser.

Also Read: WWE SmackDown (November 01, 2024): Match card, news, timings & telecast details

WWE pre-taped 11/01 SmackDown due to Crown Jewel 2024

The November 01, 2024 episode of SmackDown was pre-taped in Brooklyn, New York last week due to the WWE’s upcoming PLE in Saudi Arabia on November 02.

Due to the Crown Jewel 2024 PLE, many WWE stars will travel to Saudi Arabia on Friday. As a result, the promotion pre-taped this week’s episode at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center right after the 10/25 episode went off air.

Crown Jewel 2024 is set for November 2 at the Mohammed Abdo Arena in Saudi Arabia. Both the men’s and women’s champions from WWE will compete for the inaugural Crown Jewel title, which will be defended annually at this event and will not appear in WWE’s regular programming.

Also Read: WWE SmackDown (November 01, 2024): Results & spoilers

WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes will face WWE Heavyweight Champion Gunther, while WWE Women’s Champion Nia Jax will take on WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan.

The victor of each ‘Champion vs. Champion’ match at Crown Jewel 2024 will receive the inaugural Crown Jewel title belt in addition to their existing championship belts. These belts will not be featured in regular WWE programs and will only be featured each year at the Saudi PLE.

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Abhijit Singh

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.