World Cup qualifying matches set for SmackDown, Big Show to return
While details about the World Cup tournament that WWE is holding at Crown Jewel remain sparse, two qualifying matches have been announced for this week’s SmackDown.
Big Show vs. Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy vs. Samoa Joe are the qualifying matches set for Tuesday’s episode. This will be the first time Big Show has wrestled since September 2017. He underwent hip resurfacing surgery last year and dealt with a surgical infection after the operation. He was advertised to return at April’s Greatest Royal Rumble at one point before suffering a setback in his training.
In August, Big Show told ESPN.com that he hoped to get cleared to return during SummerSlam weekend — though he noted that “just because I’m healthy, doesn’t mean our creative team is healthy for me yet.”
Tuesday’s SmackDown will be the first time Hardy has appeared on WWE television since his Hell in a Cell match against Orton last month.
Crown Jewel will take place at King Saud University Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday, November 2 and will air live on the WWE Network.
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.