WWE SmackDown Tonight: Rhea Ripley returns; Nick Aldis' in-ring debut & other possible spoilers before Saturday Night's Main Event
(Courtesy : WWE.com)
WWE SmackDown will take place in Albany, New York, tonight.
WWE SmackDown will roll through the MVP Arena in Albany, New York, for the July 17 edition of the show on the USA Network.
It will be the go-home episode for the upcoming WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event taking place in Madison Square Garden. With an exciting show ahead, here are five potential spoilers for SmackDown tonight.
5. Danhausen announces his new allies
Danhausen will battle JD McDonagh in a No Disqualification match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Realizing that McDonagh’s Judgment Day allies are likely to interfere, Danhausen could introduce Iyo Sky and Sol Ruca as his own backup force on SmackDown, who have had their own tensions with the stable in recent memory.
Also Read: WWE SmackDown (July 17, 2026): Preview, start time & where to watch
4. Fatal Influence attacks the tag team champions
Paige and Brie Bell will defend their WWE Women’s Tag Team titles against Fatal Influence members, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reed, at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Just one night before their title match, the champions could be attacked by the challengers under Jacy Jayne’s command, weakening them heading into their clash.
3. Rhea Ripley returns
WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley has been absent from WWE for the last two months due to a knee injury. The current WWE Women’s Champion was spotted in New York City for the Fanatics Fest recently.
Therefore, there’s a possibility that Mami travels to Albany and finally returns to SmackDown tonight before SummerSlam.
2. Tensions between Cody Rhodes & CM Punk
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk will have to team up to battle Gunther and Sami Zayn at Saturday Night’s Main Event before locking horns at SummerSlam.
Heading into their tag match, tensions could boil over and lead to both Rhodes and Punk coming to blows, putting their tag team bout in jeopardy of losing.
1. Adam Pearce announces a huge SummerSlam match
Adam Pearce will be filling in for Nick Aldis tonight as the acting SmackDown GM after Aldis was viciously assaulted by Gunther last week on SmackDown.
The RAW GM could throw a major curveball by announcing a SummerSlam match between Aldis and Gunther and revealing that Aldis would be returning to address the same next week.
When and where will WWE SmackDown take place this week?
The upcoming July 17, 2026, edition of Raw will air live from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York.
When and where will SummerSlam 2026 take place?
The 39th edition will air as a two-night spectacle on Saturday, August 1, and Sunday, August 2, 2026, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
When and where will the upcoming edition of SNME take place?
The 45th edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event will take place on July 18 at the iconic Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York.
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Nik O Conner is a long-time fan of professional wrestling. After dropping his Engineering regular studies in 2020, he decided to pursue his passion and became a writer. Over the last few years, he has written for multiple webs bringing a lot of skills and creativity to the table.