WWE SmackDown Preview (November 13, 2026): John Cena Returns, Tiffany Stratton's First Night as Champion
SmackDown is in South Florida this Friday, and WWE has confirmed two segments so far: John Cena is back to talk about the John Cena Classic, and Tiffany Stratton returns as the new WWE Women's Champion.
Here is the start time, the venue and everything WWE has announced.
SmackDown start time and how to watch
- Date: Friday, November 13, 2026
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT / 5 p.m. PT
- Venue: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, Florida
- TV: USA Network in the United States. Outside the US, SmackDown streams on Netflix in most countries.
Confirmed for SmackDown
John Cena returns to talk about the John Cena Classic
WWE says Cena is coming to SmackDown to invite more Superstars to the John Cena Classic, after doing the same on Raw and NXT. The tournament takes place on Monday, December 14, at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
So far Cena has invited Cody Rhodes on Raw, Zilla Fatu on NXT on November 4, and Kelani Jordan, Noam Dar and Romeo Moreno on NXT on November 10. Friday should give us the first SmackDown names. Here is the full John Cena Classic lineup so far and how the format and fan vote work.
Tiffany Stratton returns as WWE Women's Champion
This will be Stratton's first SmackDown since Crown Jewel. In Riyadh on November 7, Chelsea Green beat Liv Morgan to become the Women's Crown Jewel Champion. Moments later, Stratton attacked her friend and cashed in her Money in the Bank contract to take Green's WWE Women's Championship. It is the second year in a row she has won this title with a cash-in, and it ended a friendship that had been a big part of SmackDown for months.
WWE's billing for Friday is simply "Tiffy Time," so expect to hear from Stratton first. Green has not been announced for the show yet. For the full story of the night, read our Crown Jewel 2026 results and review, and see how her cash-in compares with every other one in our women's Money in the Bank cash-ins feature.
Who the arena is advertising
Amerant Bank Arena's event page lists Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, CM Punk, Gunther, Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton, along with John Cena. Arena listings are advertising, not a match card, and the talent is subject to change.
Where things stand on SmackDown
- Bayley and Charlotte Flair vs. Jade Cargill's group: Cargill, Michin and B-Fab attacked Bayley on Raw on November 9, and Fatal Influence joined their side. Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley have been on Bayley's side since Flair returned on SmackDown on November 6.
- Gunther and Finn Bálor: the two have brawled on the last two SmackDowns, and there is still no match signed.
- Survivor Series is two weeks away: Survivor Series: WarGames is on Saturday, November 28, in Houston. Our Survivor Series: WarGames 2026 guide has the card so far.
We will update this page if WWE adds matches before Friday. Results will be up after the show on our SmackDown section.
Sources: WWE.com SmackDown preview, Amerant Bank Arena.
