SmackDown is a two-hour weekly TV show put on by the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). It features wrestlers competing in various match types for championships and storyline purposes.
Some matches are one-on-one, while others are big tag team bouts with four or more wrestlers. There are also unique match types like Ladder Matches, Steel Cage Matches, and more.
Beyond the in-ring action, SmackDown is filled with dramatic stories of rivalries, betrayals, and supersized personalities.
The wrestlers play characters and interact in comedic or serious segments to advance the storylines. It’s a perfect blend of action and entertainment.
SmackDown Stars
The roster of WWE Superstars on SmackDown is always changing, but the show features some of the biggest names in wrestling today. Here are some of the current top stars:
Roman Reigns – The dominant champion leading the “Bloodline” faction of his cousins The Usos.
Sami Zayn – An underdog currently aligned with The Bloodline in one of WWE’s most compelling storylines.
Liv Morgan – The lively and fan-favorite women’s champion.
Drew McIntyre – The intense Scottish brawler and former champion looking to reach the mountaintop again.
And many more, including Raquel Rodriguez, Butch, Ridge Holland, Ronda Rousey, Karrion Kross, Scarlett, and the visually distinctive Maximum Male Models faction.
Championship Titles
The most coveted prizes in WWE are the championship titles. Holding a title makes a Superstar “the best” in their respective division. These are the main active titles on SmackDown:
WWE Universal Championship
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Wrestlers strive to win these titles by pinfall or submission in championship matches. Winning them means endless glory but also makes you a big target for others who want the gold.
Friday Night Excitement
Now let’s take a closer look at what SmackDown has to offer on a typical week:
Episode Structure
The show has multiple segments like matches, backstage interactions, entrances, post-match promos, and video packages. It flows smoothly while complimenting the latest stories that need to be told. There are also often surprises like impromptu matches, shocking twists, and intense confrontations.
Match Types
The main event is usually a big singles or tag team match featuring the top stars. But every match type is possible: Triple Threat, Fatal Four Way, Last Man Standing, Steel Cage, Ladder, No Holds Barred…the list goes on. No two shows are the same.
Wrestler Entrances
Part of the pageantry are the amazing wrestler entrances. Each Superstar has their own unique music, look, and entrance to get fans fired up. Dramatic music, lights, smoke, and video make it feel like the second coming for each wrestler.
Promos and Segments
Great matches aren’t enough – fans need character work and personality too. Promos and backstage segments give wrestlers the mic to show off their personalities and advance rivalries verbally. Whether serious or comedic, audiences eat it up.
Guest Appearances
It’s common for SmackDown to have celebrity guest stars showing up. Actors, musicians, athletes – anyone can make a surprise cameo. Sometimes they’re involved in a skit; other times they just get the crowd pumped up. It adds unpredictability.
Shocks and Surprises
You never know what might happen! SmackDown delivers swerves, twists, and unexpected moments constantly to keep fans guessing. Returning legends, faction turmoil, shocking heel/face turns, title changes – crazy stuff goes down regularly.
Big Match Spectacle
When it’s time for a premium live event, SmackDown goes all out on match quality and production values. Big stages, elaborate entrances, innovative match types – no expense is spared. They raise the bar to deliver their Super Bowl-style classics.
So whether you watch casually for entertainment or are a hardcore fan tracking the complex storylines, SmackDown offers big fun and excitement for all ages every Friday night.
How to Watch
WWE has made watching SmackDown very easy. You can see the show live on FOX every Friday night at 8pm ET/PT or stream it on FOX’s app/website.
The next day you’ll also find SmackDown available to stream full episodes on Peacock, WWE’s streaming partner. Replays air throughout the week as well.
Historical Impact
It’s amazing to think how far WWE has come since SmackDown debuted on UPN way back in 1999. What started as just another show has become a cornerstone of WWE programming.
SmackDown’s ratings success along with Raw led to WWE’s explosive growth in popularity during the Attitude Era.
In 2002, WWE was purchased by Vince McMahon’s company and SmackDown became a sister show to Raw instead of WWF (now WWE)’s “B” show. Over the years SmackDown gained equal footing and unique brand identity.
Drafts would populate the shows’ rosters separately to give each its own feel. Periodic updates keep things fresh. SmackDown has now firmly established itself as not just great television but wrestling industry canon.
Make it Must See
With its unique blend of pulse-pounding athletics, soap opera-level drama, and rebelliously spirited characters, WWE SmackDown puts on a show like no other every Friday night.
There’s no other weekly pro wrestling product that can match its mainstream popularity and consistently engaging episodic storytelling.
So if you’re a fan of action, excitement, humor, and spectacle, SmackDown is for you. With its myriad over-the-top personas and storylines, you never know what will happen.
But odds are it’ll reach through the screen and move you in some way. Underdogs defy the odds. Titans clash. Betrayals shock you. And heroes overcome all odds.
It just takes one episode to get hooked on the adrenaline-pumping theatrics, human stories, and impressive in-ring work of SmackDown. Give it a watch and unleash your inner fan. Because if you crave weekly impact entertainment…SmackDown delivers, every Friday night.
