WWE SmackDown preview: The injury bug strikes again in WWE

SmackDown airs tonight (Oct. 17) with a live show emanating from SAP Center in San Jose, California. This is the first episode of SmackDown during the seven week build to Survivor Series, which takes place on November 29.

The injury bug strikes again in WWE

Jacob Fatu returned to SmackDown television a few weeks ago to kick Drew McIntyre’s ass and shut his mouth. Drew responded last week with a backstage ambush, which led to a wild brawl that was difficult for WWE officials to contain. Fatu and McIntyre will settle their problems in a more formal way tonight when they step in the ring against each other in a singles bout. This is Jacob’s first televised match in three months.

Fatu vs. McIntyre is supposed to be the plan for tonight’s show, but plans may have to change. According to a new report from yesterday, Fatu recently suffered a non-wrestling injury and will miss an extended period of time, perhaps sidelining him well into 2026. If that is indeed true, then tonight’s match has to be canceled.

As of last night, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis said Fatu vs. McIntyre is still on tonight’s card. Perhaps WWE has an injury angle ready to go to explain why the match won’t happen, while also writing Fatu off TV for a while. Then again, maybe the whole thing is overblown, and we’ll soon find out that the Samoan Werewolf is okay to compete.

Tune into SmackDown tonight to see if the injury bug really has struck again in WWE, during the same week when Seth Rollins has already gone down (unless he hasn’t).

WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss will put the belts on the line tonight against NXT stars against Sol Ruca and Zaria. Which team will be a little too dysfunctional to prevail? Can the champs survive a devastating Sol Snatcher?

WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has something to talk about on tonight’s program after taking a rare singles loss at Crown Jewel. Will Cody take some pleasure in the downfall of Seth Rollins on Raw? If Jacob Fatu really is injured, will Drew McIntyre get right back into a program with Rhodes? What does Randy Orton have to say to the champ after they lost a tag team match a couple weeks ago?

Other stuff to keep an eye on

– It looks like a faction war is about to explode between the Wyatt Sicks and MFT. Which side will attack first after last week’s confrontation, and how soon will the WWE tag team championship be on the line?

– Are Aleister Black and Zelina Vega the hottest power couple in WWE after last week’s Last Man Standing match? Could Black be next in line for a title match against Cody Rhodes? How is Damian Priest doing after getting a fireball thrown in his face?

– WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton finally lost a match in 2025 when she came up short against Stephanie Vaquer at Crown Jewel. Now that Stratton’s undefeated streak is over, is it the perfect time for Jade Cargill to seek out one more title match against Tiffy Time?

– Sami Zayn has competed in a United States championship match on seven consecutive episodes of SmackDown, but there isn’t one announced yet for tonight. Does Sami need a few more days off to recover after being attacked by Solo Sikoa’s new-look MFTs last week?

– The Miz laid out Carmelo Hayes with the Skull Crushing Finale a couple weeks ago, and now it’s Melo’s turn to do something about it. How will he get his revenge on the A-Lister?

– The Street Profits didn’t win the tag team titles last week, but they did get back their old entrance music. Is that enough to prevent Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins from breaking up?

– Chelsea Green is still searching for a new member of the Secret Hervice. Who will be lucky enough to receive (and then reject) her special offer tonight? It probably won’t be the Motor City Machine Guns, who are too busy enjoying WWE catering backstage.

– WWE is running a couple of live events in Japan this weekend, and two of the stars advertised for those shows are Shinsuke Nakamura and Women’s United States Champion Giulia.

– Where the f*** is Santos Escobar?

What will you be looking for on SmackDown?