WWE is shaking up its usual SmackDown schedule at the end of August, and the changes will also affect Monday Night Raw.
Rocket Arena in Cleveland has announced that the Friday, August 28 event will now feature both SmackDown and a taped episode of Raw. WWE normally handles the two shows on separate nights, but Cleveland is getting both in one marathon taping. The change comes after Charlotte, North Carolina was originally set to host Raw on August 31. WWE postponed that event and moved the Charlotte date to February 2027, when the city will host SmackDown instead.
WWE has also canceled the September 4 SmackDown event scheduled for Cincinnati. The company has not announced where that episode will be taped, but the Cleveland double taping gives WWE a chance to get ahead before the holiday weekend. The schedule moves appear designed to give wrestlers and crew members extra time off around the start of September.
WWE will return on Sunday, September 6 for a Sunday Night’s Main Event special in Atlanta. Raw will then take place in Birmingham, Alabama before the company begins a tour of Mexico and South America.
This is not the first time WWE has thrown out its normal television routine to clear the calendar. The company recently combined Raw and SmackDown in Atlantic City so the July 3 SmackDown episode could be taped in advance.
For Cleveland, the change means a much longer night and two WWE television shows for the price of one. For Cincinnati, it means the September 4 SmackDown date is gone with no replacement announced yet.
Do you like WWE changing the normal SmackDown taping schedule to give talent more time off, or should the company keep Raw and SmackDown on separate nights? Leave your feedback in the comments below.
