HIGHLIGHTS
- LA Knight vs. Gunther headlines in the Last Time is Now tournament finals, with the winner facing John Cena on December 13
- SmackDown airs live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas at 8 PM ET on USA Network
- Cody Rhodes, Tiffany Stratton, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, Drew McIntyre, and Sami Zayn are all advertised
Are you ready for one of the most important episodes of WWE Smackdown in 2025? On Friday night at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, LA Knight and Gunther will battle to determine which man will face John Cena in the GOAT’s final match on December 13 in Washington D.C. on Saturday Night’s Main Event.
If the semifinals matches are any indication, Knight vs. Gunther could be memorable. This episode is also the first one since Survivor Series, so we could see the blue brand’s participants involved in new angles.
WWE SmackDown Date, Time and How to Watch
- Date: Friday, December 5, 2025
- Location: Moody Center – Austin, Texas
- Start Time: 8 PM ET
- How to Watch: USA Network
WWE Smackdown The Main Event
LA Knight and Gunther meet in the finals of the Last Time is Now tournament. The stakes couldn’t be higher—the winner earns the right to face John Cena in his final WWE match on Saturday Night’s Main Event next week.
Both men delivered in the semifinals. Now they clash to determine who writes their name into WrestleMania season history by sharing the ring with the 16-time world champion one last time.
Who’s Advertised For Smackdown?
WWE has stacked the advertised talent for this episode. Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Charlotte Flair, Drew McIntyre, and Sami Zayn are all slated to appear.
The most intriguing name on that list might be Tiffany Stratton. This would mark her first appearance on WWE programming since she lost the WWE Women’s Championship to Jade Cargill on Saturday Night’s Main Event on November 1 in what amounted to a glorified squash match. What’s next for the former champion?
Jacob Fatu hasn’t been advertised, but his return seems imminent.
Orton and Rhodes on the Same Card
With both Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton advertised, speculation naturally turns to a potential feud between the two. Orton hasn’t been in the mix lately, and a program with the Undisputed WWE Champion would give him a clear direction heading into WrestleMania season. Whether WWE pulls the trigger on that Friday night remains to be seen, but the pieces are in place.
SmackDown Going to Three Hours
One more note worth mentioning: per WrestleVotes, SmackDown is moving back to three hours in January. That’s a significant change for the blue brand and could reshape how WWE books the show going forward.
WWE Smackdown, December 5 Full Card
- Last Time is Now Tournament Finals: LA Knight vs. Gunther
Additional matches and segments to be announced.
I’d be shocked if Knight isn’t the man who goes over in the finals of the Last Time is Now tournament. Quite honestly, Gunther doesn’t need to win. If anything, he needs to find his next feud as things ramp up toward the Royal Rumble. Call me crazy or Brostrodamus, but if I had to give you an early prediction for the final four people in the men’s Royal Rumble, it would be Knight, Bron Breakker, Gunther and Dominik Mysterio.
As we sit here in the first week of December, Breakker feels like the right choice to win the Rumble and to win his first world title at WrestleMania 42, but many things can change. Someone at WWE could even read this article and make it a point to go another direction.
In any case, Breakker’s ascension is inevitable, but Knight’s time in the sun might be coming. Friday night will be a big one for him.
