WWE Friday Night SmackDown Preview: Cody Rhodes & AJ Styles Face Off Before WWE Backlash 2024

The go-home edition of Friday Night SmackDown before WWE Backlash 2024 is mere hours away. Here is a preview of tonight's WWE SmackDown show.

A shot from the crowd of the WWE SmackDown set and ring during a match. / (via WWE)

The final episode of WWE SmackDown before the Backlash PLE goes down tonight, and we've got a preview.

Tomorrow, Cody Rhodes will put his Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against AJ Styles in the main event of WWE Backlash 2024. Before the big title match, "The American Nightmare" and "The Phenomenal One" will meet face-to-face.

Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and AJ Styles will meet face-to-face during Friday Night Smackdown ahead of WWE Backlash 2024. / (via WWE)

We'll also witness a tag team title match this evening, as well as the debut of a talk show featuring "The Viper" and "The Prizefighter."

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After saving Kevin Owens from another vicious beating at the hands of The Bloodline's Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa, Randy Orton will be hosting his own talk show segment. It's the debut of the RKO Show featuring Orton and Owens, who will be facing Tama and Sioka at WWE Backlash.

The debut of the RKO Show featuring Randy Orton and Kevin Owens on WWE Friday Night SmackDown. / (via WWE)

WWE Tag Team Champions Austin Theory and Grayson Waller will have their first title defense against Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins of The Street Profits on Friday Night SmackDown. We'll also get to witness the debut of the RKO Show with Randy Orton and Kevin Owens.

Austin Theory and Grayson Waller of A-Town Down Under defend the WWE Tag Team Championship against The Street Profits on Friday Night SmackDown. / (via WWE)

On last week's episode of WWE SmackDown, The Final Testament attacked New Catch Republic backstage. Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate got a measure of revenge by costing Authors of Pain the NXT Tag Team Championship this past Tuesday. New Catch Republic and AOP will collide in tag team action tonight.

New Catch Republic and Authors of Pain have the first match of their newly-minted feud on WWE SmackDown. / (via WWE)

While not confirmed, one would expect WWE Women's Champion Bayley, Naomi, and Tiffany Stratton to appear on Friday Night SmackDown as well. The three will be competing for the top female prize on the blue brand in a triple threat match at WWE Backlash 2024. We'll likely also see Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, and the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors, as those teams will be colliding with gold at stake during tomorrow's PLE.

Tonight's episode of SmackDown will be held inside the LDLC Arena in Lyon, France, the same venue and location of the Backlash show. Peep the homepage of Sports Illustrated's MMA Knockout later tonight for live coverage of the go-home show before Backlash.

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