WWE Tapes SmackDown at London’s O2 Arena Ahead of Night of Champions

WWE headed across the Atlantic this week, taping Friday’s episode of SmackDown at the O2 Arena in London on Tuesday. The taping serves as the final television stop before the company’s Night of Champions premium live event, set to take place in Saudi Arabia this coming Saturday.

London crowds have long been known for their passionate, vocal reactions, making the O2 a popular destination for WWE television tapings and premium live events alike. Taping SmackDown in advance of a Saudi Arabia PLE is a logistical necessity, giving the roster time to make the lengthy overseas journey before Saturday’s show.

Following the conclusion of the main taping, fans in attendance were treated to a dark match featuring Seth Rollins and Oba — though further details on that bout were not immediately available. Dark matches are untelevised bouts held after the cameras stop rolling, typically offered as a bonus for the live audience.

With Night of Champions now just days away, Friday’s SmackDown is expected to serve as the final chapter of build for the Saudi Arabia card. Fans who want to go in fresh should be mindful that, as a pre-taped show, results from the London taping are circulating online ahead of the Friday broadcast.