— Jacob Fatu was scheduled to face Drew McIntyre in the main event of WWE SmackDown to determine the number one contender for the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Before the match could begin, Fatu’s entrance music hit, but cameras cut backstage to a chaotic scene where Fatu was discovered trapped beneath a fallen construction rig, bleeding from the mouth. He was deemed medically unable to compete.
WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis confronted McIntyre moments later, questioning whether he had any connection to the attack. Aldis described Fatu’s condition as “very serious,” while McIntyre denied any involvement and demanded to be named the new number one contender by default.
Cody Rhodes interrupted the confrontation, leading to a heated brawl with McIntyre that closed the show.
Reports have since indicated that Fatu is dealing with a non-wrestling-related injury that could keep him out of action “well into 2026.”
What happened to Jacob Fatu?! 😱 pic.twitter.com/WX6aY82QIh
— WWE (@WWE) October 18, 2025
— Corey Graves made his return to the commentary desk on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
He was joined by Vic Joseph, who filled in for Joe Tessitore and Michael Cole. Tessitore has been largely absent from SmackDown since the start of the college football season.
Graves had been off television since the September 19th episode, when Brock Lesnar attacked him and delivered two F5s. During WWE WrestlePalooza, Michael Cole revealed that Graves had been dealing with a “screwed up” neck as a result of the assault.
While recovering, Graves and his wife Carmella welcomed their second child together.
— Blake Monroe made an appearance on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
She was shown sitting in the front row as ZaRuca (Sol Ruca & Zaria) challenged Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
During the broadcast, it was announced that Monroe will face Sol Ruca for the NXT Women’s North American Championship at NXT Halloween Havoc on October 25th.
Later in the match, Monroe distracted Ruca, costing her team valuable momentum.
— And finally, the announced attendance for this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown was 11,144.
