Nick Aldis Announces a John Cena-Headlined Card for This Week’s SmackDown

The likes of John Cena and Randy Orton will compete on this week's SmackDown, making it an unmissable edition of the blue brand.

Nick Aldis Announces a John Cena-Headlined Card for This Week’s SmackDown

John Cena on SmackDown [via- WWE]

After subbing in for Adam Pearce on this week’s Raw, Nick Aldis is now gearing up to deliver a star-studded edition of SmackDown. In a clip posted on WWE’s official handle on X, the on-screen authority figure reaffirmed that Asuka will take on Alexa Bliss, and Sami Zayn faces an uphill task against Randy Orton in their respective King and Queen of the Ring tournament semifinals.

The supposed main event of the three-hour show will probably be John Cena‘s non-title match against Ron “R-Truth” Killings. This was ratified by Mr. Aldis after Killings called for it. The latter jumped Cena twice on last week’s SmackDown and is hellbent on making the Undisputed WWE Champion respect him. It’s going to be Cena’s first match on the blue brand in 29 months.

Even though The Franchise Player dispatched R-Truth at Saturday Night’s Main Event last month, a lot has changed since then. The 53-year-old veteran has gotten rid of his hilariously dimwitted gimmick, and Ron Killings, his real identity, is in the driver’s seat now.

While that’s all that is currently advertised for SmackDown, more stuff will be added as the clock ticks down. Ms. MITB Naomi has Tiffany Stratton in her sights, but a certain Jade Cargill still has a bone to pick with The Queen of Glow. The tag team division is more heated than ever with The Wyatt Sicks back in the fold and targeting every duo in that locker room.

Solo Sikoa to confront Jacob Fatu on this week’s SmackDown

One of the most intriguing storylines going on SmackDown at the moment is the fallout between Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu. At the Money in the Bank PLE, the reigning US Champion turned his back on Sikoa just as the latter was about to get hold of the dangling MITB briefcase. The breakup had been brewing for months, and it finally paid off.

Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu to meet on SmackDown
Solo Sikoa and Jacob Fatu to meet on SmackDown [via- WWE]

Fatu mentioned in his promo last Friday that just because he and Sikoa belonged to the same Bloodline didn’t mean that the erstwhile Tribal Chief could conspire against Fatu. The Samoan Werewolf was referring to a segment where Sikoa had told JC Mateo that he had Fatu under control and was “all gas and no brains.” But little did Sikoa know that his former enforcer was eavesdropping on him.

The Street Champion has given Fatu a chance to accept him back under his tutelage. Sikoa will confront the 33-year-old in the ring on this week’s SmackDown to pardon Fatu’s actions at Money in the Bank. However, the once-Roman Reigns-declared Tribal Heir would need to hear those four words from Fatu to forgive him: “I love you, Solo.”

SmackDown to shed its third hour after a seven-month run

The era of three-hour SmackDown editions is about to be concluded. In an update from PWInsider, the show will revert back to its two-hour airtime beginning on July 4. It was rumored for a long time, with initial reports claiming that early June was the expected timeframe to do so.

SmackDown
SmackDown [via- WWE]

But the USA Network was not keen on jumping the gun, as it had been happy with the show ratings. SmackDown added that third hour to its runtime at the onset of 2025. While the hope within the company was that the extra time would be pivotal in showcasing underutilized stars, the Friday-night wrestling program quickly started to peeve the fans.

The roster on the brand was clearly lopsided to make three hours flow by with ease, and the lack of top stars post-WrestleMania only exacerbated the situation. Road Dogg, the co-lead writer of the blue brand, has been facing the music for coming up with a subpar product under his incumbency.

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