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The first three-hour episode of SmackDown aired on January 3rd, 2025, live from Phoenix, Arizona. This was a big step for WWE as SmackDown has been two hours long ever since it debuted back in 1999. During the opening segment, we saw Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes cut promos before Kevin Owens showed up and landed a sneak attack on the Undisputed WWE Champion. However, this wasn’t always the plan as per a new report.
Continue reading to learn more about what the original plan was for the latest edition of SmackDown.
SmackDown’s Opening Segment was Supposed to Feature Kevin Owens Cutting a Promo
As revealed by PWInsider’s Mike Johnson, the creative team went back and forth while trying to decide the opening segment for their first-ever three-hour SmackDown. He said, “There were a lot of late revisions to the opening segment of Friday Night Smackdown tonight. Originally, the segment was designed to open with a Kevin Owens promo that would see Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes get involved.”
He further added, “There was a lot of bouncing back and forth on what would best for everyone involved creatively and they landed on the version that played out. There was even talk of Jey Uso being involved at one point before they went into a different direction.” Over the past couple of months, every Kevin Owens preview has led to a lot of criticism for the WWE since Owens himself is an anti-authority figure at the moment.
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So, the decision to have Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre open SmackDown seems like a good one. Thought, it was quite interesting that the creative team was planning on including Jey Uso in the mix. The former Intercontinental Champion and Drew McIntyre have never seen eye-to-eye, so having him there would have undoubtedly incited a brawl. Ultimately, it wouldn’t have mattered since Kevin Owens was already waiting to crash Rhodes and McIntyre’s party.
What do you think of WWE’s decision to have Drew McIntyre and Rhodes open the first-ever three-hour SmackDown? Let us know in the comments section below.
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