WWE SmackDown Notes: Vic Joseph & Booker T Fills In for SmackDown Commentary, John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar WWE History Part 1 Video Airs, WWE Women’s Tag Titles Match Set for NXT Homecoming Show, Cody Rhodes Challenges Drew McIntyre for Wrestlepalooza

Vic Joseph & Booker T Fills In for SmackDown Commentary

Friday’s WWE SmackDown show at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia featured NXT commentators Vic Joseph and Booker T filling in for Michael Cole and Corey Graves as the commentary team for tonight’s show.

BOOKER T AND VIC JOSEPH ARE ON COMMENTARY FOR #SMACKDOWN

BOOKER ALREADY PRESSING HIM 😂

pic.twitter.com/XenOouYohy

— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) September 13, 2025

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John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar WWE History Part 1 Video Airs

Friday’s WWE SmackDown show also featured WWE airing the first of a two-part video chronicling the history of John Cena and Brock Lesnar in WWE.

.@JohnCena and Brock Lesnar go way back… 👀 pic.twitter.com/5kvzMg03Lz

— WWE (@WWE) September 13, 2025

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The Culling vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair for WWE Women’s Tag Titles Set for NXT Homecoming and Chelsea Green & Alba Fyre to Get Next Shot

Friday’s WWE SmackDown show also featured one new match announced for the card of next week’s WWE NXT Homecoming show on September 16th at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

This new match announced was a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match of The Culling (Tatum Paxley & Izzi Dame) vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair (c).

This match was made official during tonight’s show during a backstage promo segment involving SmackDown GM Nick Aldis, Chelsea Green, and Alba Fyre. Aldis revealed that Bliss and Flair would be defending their Women’s Tag titles at NXT Homecoming and Green & Fyre will get the winner of that match for a future title shot.

Nick Aldis tells Chelsea Green and Alba Fyre that they will get a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship shot against whoever leaves NXT Homecoming as champions

Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair vs. Izzi Dame & Tatum Paxley next Tuesday is confirmed#SmackDown pic.twitter.com/OmY2OMTD5k

— WrestlePurists (@WrestlePurists) September 13, 2025

Current card for September 16th WWE NXT Homecoming show:

• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship – The Culling (Tatum Paxley & Izzi Dame) vs. Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair (c)
• NXT North American Championship – Tyler Breeze vs. “All Ego” Ethan Page
• Six-Woman Tag Team match – Stephanie Vaquer, Tiffany Stratton, & Rhea Ripley vs. Fatal Influence (Jazmyn Nyx, Fallon Henley, & Jacy Jayne)
• DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) vs. Carmelo Hayes & Trick Williams
• Grayson Waller Effect with Oba Femi and Ricky Saints
• WWE CCO Paul “Triple H” Levesque to appear

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Cody Rhodes Makes Surprise Return & Issues Challenge to Drew McIntyre for Wrestlepalooza

Friday’s WWE SmackDown show also featured one new potential match for the card of Wrestlepalooza, which takes place on September 20th at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

This new potential match announced was a Undisputed WWE Championship match of Drew McIntyre vs. Cody Rhodes (c).

This new potential match was setup over recent weeks shows over McIntyre taking out Rhodes and putting him on the shelf for several weeks after an attack. Following McIntyre’s victory over Randy Orton in a singles match, McIntyre attacked Orton leading to Rhodes making his surprise return and cleared the ring of McIntyre. Rhodes then grabbed a microphone and issued a challenge telling McIntyre that he would see him at Wrestlepalooza.

“I’ll see you my friend at Wrestlepalooza!”@CodyRhodes just challenged @DMcIntyreWWE 😱 pic.twitter.com/rrK8NGiEp0

— WWE (@WWE) September 13, 2025