Is WWE SmackDown no longer live? 

WWE SmackDown is one of the live shows that wrestling fans anticipate the most on Fridays. Although the program is usually live, that setup might change for the holidays.

Last week's episode of the blue brand was held at Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois. The show featured the return of Roman Reigns since the Survivor Series event, Gunther retaining the Intercontinental Championship against Ricochet, and Damage CTRL retaining the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.

Meanwhile, another segment between LA Knight and Bray Wyatt also took place, where Uncle Howdy made an appearance.

After announcing that John Cena would return for the final episode of the Friday show, it was later revealed during the December 16 episode that he would also be in action by teaming up with Kevin Owens against Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns.

As it turns out, the previous episode was not the only one that took place that night. Due to the holidays, the December 23, 2022, episode of WWE SmackDown was already pre-taped at the same location in Chicago.

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Which superstars are in action for the upcoming WWE SmackDown episode?

On last week's episode of the blue brand, Hit Row successfully defeated Legado Del Fantasma and The Viking Raiders. After the victory, they are slated to be in action again but now for The Usos' Undisputed Tag Team Championship.

Ricochet will again face Imperium, but he won't be alone. For the upcoming WWE SmackDown episode, he will be teaming up with Braun Strowman to take on the former NXT UK stable in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight.

The Friday night show will also host a gauntlet match in the women's division to determine the new challenger for Ronda Rousey's SmackDown Women's Championship. The competitors are Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Emma, Tegan Nox, Sonya Deville, and Xia Li.

After last week's events, it's safe to assume that Bray Wyatt and LA Knight might appear again for an exciting segment. In preparation for their big-time tag team match on December 30, The Bloodline might also issue another statement against the returning Hollywood actor.

All this and more are expected for the upcoming show this Friday. Fans should definitely tune in, as the episode might announce additional matches for the final WWE SmackDown episode in 2022.