WWE announces change to SmackDown lineup

A change has been made to the scheduled lineup for WWE SmackDown tonight.

Just a few hours before the show was set to begin, WWE announced that Rhea Ripley would be replacing her tag team partner IYO SKY in her match against Giulia. A reason for the change was not given.

This is a non-title match between two champions. Giulia currently holds the Women’s United States title, while Ripley & SKY are the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. They successfully defended those belts against Giulia & Kiana James on SmackDown two weeks ago.

SKY vs. Giulia was set to be a first-time-ever singles match between the two Japanese stars. The Ripley vs. Giulia bout is also a first-time singles meeting.

Amerant Bank Arena in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the venue for SmackDown tonight. The show is airing on Syfy due to USA Network’s coverage of the Winter Olympics. WWE has announced that an appearance by Cody Rhodes will be kicking off the episode at 8 p.m. Eastern.

WWE SmackDown (Friday, February 20) —

  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams vs. Damian Priest
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Charlotte Flair vs. Nia Jax vs. Kiana James
  • Oba Femi vs. Kit Wilson
  • Giulia vs. Rhea Ripley
  • Ilja Dragunov vs. Tama Tonga
  • Cody Rhodes kicks off the show
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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.