The "WWE SmackDown" episode ahead of Night of Champions, though plagued by technical issues for international audiences, featured three championship matches that didn't make it onto the premium live event card, and one women's title changed hands. One of "SmackDown's" newest roster members, Giulia, defeated Zelina Vega to win the United States Championship.
Giulia had been targeting Vega since arriving to "SmackDown" in May, after initially making her main roster debut on the red brand and pairing up with fellow former NXT Women's Champion Roxanne Perez.Giulia had previously defeated Vega and Charlotte Flair in a triple threat match to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match, which was won by Naomi. Giulia set her sights on the United States Championship even before competing for the briefcase, however.
WWE itself spoiled the match result for its fans on X (formerly Twitter) Friday afternoon. The official account posted a video of Giulia posing with the belt backstage, with a call for fans in the United States to watch the match Friday night when "SmackDown" airs at its usual time of 8 pm EST.
