Two Major Returns On WWE SmackDown (Spoilers)

A former World Champion and a WWE Hall of Famer are coming to SmackDown.

Not only does the July 4 edition of SmackDown represent the show’s return to two hours, but it was also taped in advance following Raw on June 30, owing to the holiday in the United States.

Cody Rhodes opened the show, but he was quickly joined in the ring by Randy Orton. The American Nightmare is coming off the back of beating Orton to claim victory in the King of the Ring tournament, while The Viper tasted defeat for the second year in a row.

Thanks to that win, Rhodes will now face John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam.

During their exchange, Orton admitted he was reluctant to pull the trigger at Night of Champions, but Rhodes wasn’t, and he respects him for it. He added that he wants Rhodes to beat Cena for the title.

This brought out Drew McIntyre, who confronted both men but only received an RKO for his troubles. Later in the show, it was announced that McIntyre would face Orton at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Drew McIntyre hadn’t been seen on WWE television since losing to Damian Priest back in May.

Trish Stratus Lands Title Match At WWE Evolution

Later in the show, Tiffany Stratton came to the ring to look ahead to her match at SummerSlam with Jade Cargill. The former AEW star earned her shot at Stratton by winning the Queen of the Ring tournament, where she defeated Asuka in the final at Night of Champions.

However, Stratton said she also wanted to wrestle at Evolution on July 13. At this, the champion was interrupted by Cargill, but during the back and forth, Stratton said she wanted to face Trish Stratus, and this brought out the WWE Hall of Famer.

After an exchange of words between the pair, the match was made official. The bout will be Stratus’ first singles title match since she beat Lita to end her full-time career back in 2006.

You can find the full list of spoilers for the July 4 edition of SmackDown by clicking this link.