WWE has put two previously missing matches back on its official preview for the August 21 episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
Earlier Friday, WWE’s SmackDown “Quick Hits” section was not listing Blake Monroe vs. Giulia or Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga defending the WWE Tag Team Championships against Damian Priest and R-Truth. Both matches had been advertised online Thursday, creating questions about whether changes had been made to the show. That changed sometime around 3 PM ET.
WWE updated its official SmackDown preview and added both matches back to the lineup. The page now lists Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga defending the WWE Tag Team Championship against Priest and R-Truth, along with Monroe facing Giulia in her first SmackDown match.
The updated “Quick Hits” lineup now includes:
- CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Championship
- Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton appearing ahead of Sunday Night’s Main Event
- Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga vs. Damian Priest & R-Truth for the WWE Tag Team Championship
- Blake Monroe vs. Giulia
The update comes after WWE-owned social media accounts continued advertising Monroe vs. Giulia even while the match was missing from the company’s main preview page. WWE UK & Ireland posted Friday afternoon that the match was still official, citing SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis while promoting Monroe’s first match on the blue brand.
“It’s OFFICIAL! As confirmed by Nick Aldis, The Glamour, Blake Monroe, will face Giulia tonight in her FIRST EVER SmackDown match!”
With WWE now adding both matches back to the official preview, it appears the temporary omissions were not an indication that either bout had been removed from tonight’s show.
Unless WWE makes another change before airtime, the full lineup originally advertised for SmackDown is once again being promoted on the company’s website.
What do you think caused WWE to temporarily remove the two matches before adding them back hours later? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
