WWE SmackDown Preview 10/23/26: Chelsea Green Defends Against Roxanne Perez, Giulia and Blake Monroe Go to War
Friday Night SmackDown has an interesting lineup tonight, and for me, the biggest story is how prominently WWE's women's division is featured.
Two championship matches and a Street Fight between Giulia and Blake Monroe? There's plenty to sink our teeth into before we even get to the rest of the card.
Tonight's show comes from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, as WWE continues building toward Crown Jewel. And with the Women's Championship picture becoming increasingly complicated, Chelsea Green has a particularly difficult evening ahead of her.
Chelsea Green vs. Roxanne Perez — WWE Women's Championship
Green is scheduled to defend her championship against Roxanne Perez, who already holds a non-title victory over the champion.
That previous encounter came with assistance from Liv Morgan and Raquel Rodriguez, which raises an obvious question heading into tonight: Will The Judgment Day once again become a factor?
There's also the matter of Green's potential Champion vs. Champion encounter with Women's World Champion Liv Morgan at Crown Jewel.
And that's what makes this match interesting.
It's easy to become distracted by the bigger opportunity waiting around the corner, especially when you're already holding championship gold. But overlooking the opponent standing directly in front of you is an excellent way to lose everything you've been working toward.
Perez is more than capable of capitalizing on an opportunity.
And whether you love Chelsea Green's personality or find her completely insufferable, she's developed a character that people immediately recognize.
That's something I appreciate.
Professional wrestling is full of talented performers. The challenge is giving audiences a reason to care about what happens to them.
Green understands how to create that reaction.
Now she needs to survive Roxanne Perez.
Giulia vs. Blake Monroe — Street Fight
This is the match I'm particularly curious about.
Giulia and Blake Monroe have been building toward another confrontation since Monroe defeated Giulia in her SmackDown in-ring debut earlier this month.
Now they're meeting in a Street Fight.
And there's a difference between having an aggressive personality and knowing how to translate that aggression into a compelling match.
A Street Fight shouldn't simply become an excuse to introduce every weapon somebody can find beneath the ring.
The violence needs to mean something.
The audience needs to understand why these two women are willing to take things further than a traditional wrestling match would allow.
Both Giulia and Monroe possess distinctive presentations, and I think that's what makes their rivalry worth watching.
They don't need to become interchangeable versions of the same character to create chemistry.
Their differences are the attraction.
If WWE allows those personalities to drive the action, this could become one of the evening's standout encounters.
Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley vs. Michin and B-Fab — WWE Women's Tag Team Championship
New champions Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley will defend their titles against Michin and B-Fab.
And this is another matchup where character presentation matters.
Bliss and Paxley bring an unusual dynamic to the division, while Michin and B-Fab have an opportunity to establish themselves as serious championship threats.
The women's tag team division benefits when partnerships feel like actual teams rather than two performers temporarily standing beside one another.
Chemistry isn't simply about executing double-team moves.
It's about understanding your partner's timing, anticipating their reactions, and presenting a united identity.
That's what I'll be watching for tonight.
The MFTs vs. Bakusai — Non-Title Tag Team Match
WWE Tag Team Champions The MFTs will face Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki in a non-title encounter.
With Haku backing the champions, this rivalry already has an intimidating presence surrounding it.
But Nakamura's distinctive striking style and presentation provide an interesting contrast.
And when you're putting established personalities together, the objective should be more than simply determining which team can hit the hardest.
Give the audience a reason to invest in the rivalry.
Make the outcome matter.
That's how you turn another weekly television match into something worth remembering.
Final Thoughts
Tonight's SmackDown has an opportunity to showcase something I believe professional wrestling needs more of: women with distinctly different identities occupying meaningful positions throughout the card.
Chelsea Green, Roxanne Perez, Giulia, Blake Monroe, Alexa Bliss, Tatum Paxley, Michin, and B-Fab aren't variations of the same performer.
And they shouldn't be.
The best divisions embrace those differences rather than attempting to make everybody fit a single mold.
With two championships at stake, an increasingly personal Street Fight, and Crown Jewel approaching, tonight has the ingredients for some compelling developments.
Now it's up to the performers and the creative direction to make those opportunities count.
Wrestling Written By A Wrestler — Only on TaelerHendrix.com