Cody Rhodes attacked ahead of Night of Champions; CM Punk unable to compete? 4 Shocking decisions that might take place on WWE SmackDown

WWE Friday Night SmackDown will be taking place today, and it will be a special edition of the blue brand for several reasons. First, tonight's show will be the final program before Night of Champions this weekend.

That major premium live event will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fans in the region are excited for the event, but they're in luck, as they get two chances to enjoy World Wrestling Entertainment. SmackDown will also be held in the country.

The show will certainly be a good one, but it could be even more important and memorable than being simply "good." There is a very real chance that some shocking decisions could be made by management and Nick Aldis. This article will take a look at four of those shockers that might take place on WWE SmackDown today.

#4. There might be three title changes on WWE SmackDown

Three major title matches will take place on Friday Night SmackDown. This is quite fitting for Night of Champions weekend. Two of the bouts will feature female stars from the blue brand, and the other match will be for the Tag Team Title.

The Street Profits will put the WWE Tag Team Titles on the line against The Wyatt Sicks' Dexter Lumis and Joe Gacy, and Giulia will challenge Zelina Vega for the Women's United States Title. Plus, Tiffany Stratton will defend the WWE Women's Title against Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing Match.

In what could be an absolute shocker, all three titles might change hands. The Wyatt Sicks as a team could win their first titles, Nia Jax could regain the World Title, and Giulia could win her first belt on the main roster.

#3. Both Jimmy Uso and JC Mateo could be banned from the ringside for Saturday

At WWE Night of Champions, the Men's United States Championship will be on the line. Jacob Fatu will defend his coveted belt against Solo Sikoa. This comes after the two had a very ugly split at Money in the Bank several weeks ago.

Beyond just the dynamic of cousins colliding, there are intriguing outside forces involved too. Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu are potentially aligned now following WWE SmackDown last week, and JC Mateo is always a threat. That could change on the blue brand tonight however.

In what would be a shocking move but a logical one, WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis might ban both Jimmy and JC from Night of Champions. This would allow Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu to face off one-on-one without distractions, at least in theory.

#2. Randy Orton could take out Cody Rhodes

The 2025 WWE King of the Ring Tournament will be wrapping up at Night of Champions. After winning their respective Fatal Four-Way matches and semifinal bouts, Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton will face off for the crown.

This is a really interesting match, as The Viper and The American Nightmare are longtime friends. Still, that could change on SmackDown tonight, with Randy hitting Cody with an RKO out of nowhere.

Of course, an RKO wouldn't be enough to take Cody Rhodes out of the match at Night of Champions. Instead, this would be about sending a message to The American Nightmare. This would definitely make their match far more personal as well.

#1. CM Punk could be taken out of the Night of Champions match and replaced

While the match between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton might not be canceled, a different major title match could be. Specifically, CM Punk challenging John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship might not end up happening, and it could be revealed on SmackDown.

Cena could show a video on the big screen that shows the two getting into a fight at the airport. The Cenation Leader might have injured Punk, and now The Second City Saint can no longer compete at the show. Nick Aldis, in this situation, won't let John Cena off the hook, however.

Nick could reveal at the last minute that Cena will face R-Truth instead. The two have been feuding on and off for over a month, so a heated match between them at Night of Champions would be a decent replacement.

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