WWE SmackDown's 20th Anniversary

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SmackDown's 20th Anniversary: A Night of Surprises on Fox

On October 4, 2019, SmackDown celebrated 20 years with a special live edition at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Broadcast on Fox, the show marked SmackDown’s return to Friday nights as Friday Night SmackDown and featured a mix of current stars and legends from both Raw and SmackDown, plus high-profile guest appearances.

Key moments and results:
- Opening match: Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair defeated Bayley and Sasha Banks.
- A high-stakes clash: Universal Champion Seth Rollins vs. Intercontinental Champion Shinsuke Nakamura ended in a no-contest after Bray Wyatt, as The Fiend, attacked Rollins.
- Main event shock: Brock Lesnar defeated Kofi Kingston in eight seconds to win the WWE Championship, Lesnar’s fifth reign and his first SmackDown appearance on the brand in 15 years. After the bell, Rey Mysterio and Cain Velasquez entered the ring, with Velasquez attacking Lesnar; Velasquez was announced to challenge Lesnar for Crown Jewel.
- Ladder match: Kevin Owens defeated Shane McMahon in a ladder match where both men’s jobs were on the line; Shane was kayfabe fired.
- Lumberjack match: Roman Reigns defeated Erick Rowan.
- Eight-man tag: Braun Strowman, The Miz, and Heavy Machinery defeated Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and the Raw Tag Team Champions Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode, with Strowman getting the pin on Ziggler.
- Dark match before the show: Ali defeated Buddy Murphy.
- Celebrity and legends: The Rock made a guest appearance and, earlier, joined Lynch and Flair in attacking Baron Corbin. Cain Velasquez and Tyson Fury also appeared, with Tyson Fury later appearing in promotion for a future match.

Throughout the night, SmackDown’s transition to Fox was highlighted, and the event set up ongoing storylines, including Velasquez’s pursuit of Lesnar at Crown Jewel. The show also featured a kickoff pre-show hosted by Booker T and Renee Young, with Michael Cole returning to SmackDown commentary alongside Corey Graves. An additional backstage moment showed Carmella briefly winning back the 24/7 Championship after a tripping incident involving DJ Marshmello, with later footage confirming the title change.