John Cena’s farewell tour continues to drive the storylines across WWE this week, and Friday Night SmackDown is set to lean hard into that momentum. Tonight’s show in Albany (MVP Arena) promises high stakes: two first-round matches from The Last Time Is Now Tournament — Jey Uso vs. The Miz and LA Knight vs. a mystery opponent — plus a U.S. Title Open Challenge, Jade Cargill in singles action, and top-card appearances (including Cody Rhodes). With Cena freshly crowned WWE Intercontinental Champion and the bracket for his final-match opponent still filling out, SmackDown will act as both tournament battleground and a primer for next month’s Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. (where Cena’s final match will take place). 

Quick recap: what happened last week

Last week’s TV and Raw fallout set the table for tonight: John Cena captured the Intercontinental Championship on Raw — a sentimental, headline-making moment on his farewell tour — and WWE formally launched The Last Time Is Now Tournament to determine the opponent who will face Cena in his final match on Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13. The tournament’s first matches (on Raw) saw Sheamus and Rusev advance to the next round after wins over Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest, respectively, leaving several first-round pairings to be resolved on SmackDown and upcoming Raw episodes. Expect SmackDown to continue that momentum and create more immediate intrigue for Cena’s big night. 

Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show

• The Last Time Is Now Tournament — First Round: Jey Uso vs. The Miz. (One of the tournament’s marquee first-round matches.)  
• The Last Time Is Now Tournament — First Round: LA Knight vs. Mystery Opponent (mystery opponent to be revealed on the show).  
• Ilja Dragunov — U.S. Title Open Challenge (open challenge segment scheduled).  
• Jade Cargill vs. B-Fab (women’s singles match advertised).  
• Cody Rhodes appearance / possible promo or confrontation (Cody is advertised to be on the show).  
• Additional advertised appearances and possible surprises: LA Knight promos, possible Vision/WarGames build material, and potential NXT callups or cameos.  

Why tonight matters (analysis)

1. Tournament momentum and stakes: The Last Time Is Now tournament is the single biggest storyline tied directly to Cena’s retirement match — every opening-round result reshapes the booking for December 13. Jey Uso vs. The Miz is not just a first-round match; it’s a collision of two veterans with distinct histories against Cena that would read differently depending on who wins. A victory for Miz (a long-time Cena foil) sets up an emotional, storyline-heavy final; a Jey win gives Cena a marquee, recent rival in the bracket.  
2. LA Knight’s mystery opponent — creative leverage: Leaving Knight’s opponent unrevealed is a classic WWE tactic to build curiosity and a ratings spike. If the mystery turns out to be a surprise returning veteran or an NXT star, it fast-forwards LA Knight’s trajectory in the tournament and could inject real unpredictability into the bracket. Pre-show speculation (Joe Hendry, Oba Femi, etc.) suggests WWE may be teasing a crowd-pleasing reveal.  
3. Titles, open challenges and WarGames build: Ilja Dragunov’s advertised U.S. Title open challenge and Jade Cargill’s match keep the mid-card heated while the company builds toward Survivor Series and WarGames. SmackDown tonight can therefore serve double duty: advancing Cena’s storyline while protecting the momentum of champions and contenders ahead of the November pay-per-view window.  

What to watch for in-ring and on the mic

• How the match finishes: Clean wins in the tournament will create a credible path to Cena; tainted finishes will allow for longer storylines and possible re-bookings. If The Vision or another heel faction interferes, it could set up multi-week storytelling (and protect losing competitors).  
• LA Knight’s presentation: Is Knight given babyface heat and a decisive win, or does WWE use the mystery opponent to humble him and produce sympathy/re-direction? Either outcome affects viewer perception of the tournament bracket.  
• Cody Rhodes’ role: If Cody appears and cuts a promo, be alert for cross-brand teasers (WarGames, Survivor Series) or a program pivot that could influence the Saturday Night’s Main Event build.  

Match results update — where the tournament stands (so far)

• Advanced to Round 2 (from Raw): Sheamus defeated Shinsuke Nakamura; Rusev defeated Damian Priest. (These are the confirmed advances from Raw’s opening round matches.)  
• First-round matches scheduled for SmackDown (tonight): Jey Uso vs. The Miz and LA Knight vs. Mystery Opponent — winners will join the round-2 field and move one step closer to facing John Cena on Dec. 13.  

Bottom line / prediction

SmackDown tonight should be treated as a tournament episode first and an ordinary weekly show second. Expect at least one meaningful result that preserves tournament credibility — a clean, decisive winner — and a second result that may carry a hook (mystery reveal, interference, or surprise return). If WWE wants the tournament to feel legitimate, the smart long-term play is to tag a surprising, non-predictable face or heel (someone like Gunther or an NXT breakout) into Cena’s path — but given the current booking (Sheamus and Rusev advancing), tonight’s likely outcome is a strong, television-focused win for whoever emerges from Jey vs. Miz and a television-drama finish to LA Knight’s match if WWE really wants to protect Knight’s aura.  

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