Welcome to Wrestling Inc.’s live coverage for “WWE SmackDown” on July 4, 2025, coming to you from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!

With WWE Evolution right around the corner on July 13, WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton will be revealing who she has selected to be her next challenger at the upcoming all women’s Premium Live Event. Stratton’s most recent defense came last Friday on “SmackDown” when she retained her title against former friend turned rival Nia Jax in a Last Woman Standing match.

Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill became the new King Of The Ring and Queen Of The Ring on June 28 at WWE Night Of Champions when they defeated Randy Orton and Asuka in the 2025 King Of The Ring and Queen Of The Ring Tournaments. Following such, both Rhodes and Cargill are set to make appearances on tonight’s show as they prepare to challenge John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship and for the WWE Women’s Championship at WWE SummerSlam.

Additionally, Solo Sikoa will be making an appearance on tonight’s show after dethroning Jacob Fatu as United States Champion at Night Of Champions with some help from JC Mateo, a returning Tonga Loa, and his newest ally Hikuleo.

We are live! Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore greet audiences at home as we see Jacob Fatu attacking Solo Sikoa and JC Mateo outside of the PPG Paints Arena.

Cody Rhodes then makes his way to the ring.

Rhodes asks Pittsburgh what they want to talk about, then gives a shout out to a fan named Cam in Club 66 battling leukaemia who have him a wristband. He then addresses his King Of The Ring crown and says he left a piece of himself fighting in Columbus, Ohio and Saudi Arabia when he fought Jey Uso and Randy Orton respectively to get the crown. He says the crown stands for where things are going when he challenges John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Randy Orton’s music hits, and he makes his way out. He says for weeks, he told Rhodes that he would do whatever it took to become the new King Of The Ring and wouldn’t hesitate. He says at Night Of Champions, he had Rhodes laying in the ring but he still managed to hesitate. He says Rhodes never hesitated and pulled the trigger, then says he respects Rhodes for that. He says he won’t forget about that, but makes Rhodes promise to him that he will deal with Cena once and for all at SummerSlam.

Drew McIntyre’s music hits, and he makes his way out. He mocks Rhodes and Orton, then tells them to shut up and says it’s a good thing the alpha has returned. He says Orton already knows why he isn’t holding the King Of The Ring crown, but says Orton lost psychologically a number of months ago. He tells Orton that Rhodes has been buttering him up by saying how much he respects him, then reminds Orton that he tweaked his surgically repaired back at Night Of Champions. He says Rhodes targeted Orton’s back after he tweaked it, and yet, Orton still couldn’t get the job done. He asks Orton what’s happened to him, then says the legend of Orton is dead.

McIntyre then addresses Rhodes and says he wants him to win at SummerSlam because he wants to challenge him for the Undisputed WWE Championship and be the one who takes it from him. He says he won’t hesitate unlike Orton, but Orton surprises McIntyre with an RKO out of nowhere.

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