Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be part of the star-studded lineup at SmackDown's premiere on Fox. ... [+]
On Friday, October 4, WWE’s SmackDown premieres on its new home, Fox. An already impressive lineup of Superstars will be topped off by the return of the brightest star to ever come out of the WWE Universe, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. It will be his first SmackDown appearance since 2013.
Friday’s premiere marks the first time WWE has placed a weekly show with live matches on one of the four major broadcast networks. The show launched in 1999 and has aired on UPN, The CW, My Network TV, Syfy and, most recently, USA Network. The move to Fox is part of a five-year deal worth $205 million per year.
Celebrating SmackDown’s 20th anniversary as it debuts on Fox, the card will include:
- WWE Championship: Kofi Kingston (reigning champion) vs. Brock Lesnar
- Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks & Bayley
- Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon (in a ladder match)
- Roman Reigns vs. Erick Rowan
Other notable appearances will include Kurt Angle, Lita, Mick Foley, Booker T, Hulk Hogan, Trish Stratus, Goldberg, Jerry Lawler, Mark Henry, Ric Flair and Sting. Fox Sports will air a “blue carpet” kickoff event beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the Fox telecast beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
