WWE SmackDown Live : Season 18

With SmackDown Live less than three weeks away, the second-longest-running weekly episodic television show in history showcased a Fatal 4-Way United States Title No. 1 Contender’s Match, a United States Championship Match and a Champion vs. Champion Match. 

With WWE Battleground 10 days away and Superstars looking to improve their stock heading into the WWE Draft when SmackDown Live premieres on July 19, the second-longest weekly episodic television show in history went absolutely off the rails.  

As Superstars looked to raise their stock en route to Tuesday’s WWE Draft on the premiere of SmackDown Live, the final Thursday night edition of the blue brand proved to be a hotbed for all-out types of chaos. 

WWE's New Era got off to a spectacular start on SmackDown Live's premiere, highlighted by a WWE Draft that was packed with eye-opening picks and a five-star WWE Championship Rematch between Dean Ambrose (representing SmackDown Live) and Seth Rollins (representing Raw). Find out which Superstars are now on Raw and SmackDown Live after the huge roster shakeup.

SmackDown Live began the New Era with a Six-Pack Challenge, a high stakes Battle Royal and a serpentine showdown against the reigning Intercontinental Champion.

Dolph Ziggler fights to keep his SummerSlam spot intact while looking down Bray Wyatt in the main event of SmackDown Live.

With only two weeks before their SummerSlam clash for the WWE World Championship, Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler attempted to put their differences aside to take down Bray Wyatt and Erick Rowan on SmackDown Live.

John Cena looked to adjust AJ Styles’ attitude while Dean Ambrose and Dolph Ziggler both looked for the tactical edge with SummerSlam only five days away.

In the wake of SummerSlam, the SmackDown Women’s and Tag Team Championships were introduced as Bryan and Shane McMahon plotted towards crowning the first-ever champions at Backlash. Plus, Nikki Bell made her SmackDown Live debut and AJ Styles became the No. 1 contender to the WWE World Title while denying Ziggler that same chance.

With Backlash on the horizon, Dean Ambrose squared off against Baron Corbin - with his No. 1 Contender AJ Styles lurking in the shadows. Plus, reverberations from The Miz and Daniel Bryan’s explosive Talking Smack exchange on WWE Network carried over to SmackDown Live and the SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament continued with two more teams advancing onto the second round.

With Backlash imminent, AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose both aimed to gain the mental (and physical) advantage ahead of their WWE World Championship showdown, the final two teams for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship Tournament were decided and the six women vying for the first SmackDown Women’s Championship all looked to make a statement.

John Cena returned to SmackDown LIVE and immediately changed the game for Team Blue. Meanwhile, The Miz continued to struggle for respect, a new No. 1 contender to the SmackDown Women’s Title was crowned and Heath Slater finally signed his SmackDown LIVE contract.

After John Cena and Dean Ambrose battled intensely in the SmackDown LIVE main event, it was announced that Ambrose will square off against AJ Styles for the WWE Championship on SmackDown LIVE next week! Meanwhile, Intercontinental Champion The Miz put his title on the line against Dolph Ziggler, The Usos and American Alpha battled to become the SmackDown Tag Team Championship No. 1 contenders and matters only got stranger between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt.

John Cena took more than a front row seat as his No Mercy opponents AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose collided for the WWE World Title in a monumental SmackDown LIVE main event. Meanwhile, Bray Wyatt and Randy Orton engaged in a game of cat and mouse, The Miz challenged Dolph Ziggler to put his career on the line at No Mercy and the Tag Team and Women’s divisions continued to be as explosive and unpredictable as ever.

WWE World Champion AJ Styles, John Cena and Dean Ambrose did not hold back in their face-to-face-to-face confrontation that proved extremely explosive. Elsewhere, the mind games between Randy Orton and Bray Wyatt took a mysterious turn, the Tag Team and Women’s divisions rose to new heights and several rising stars of the New Era looked to make their mark on Team Blue.