WWE SmackDown delivered plenty of chaos on October 17, 2025, live from the SAP Center in San Jose, California. From Cody Rhodes defending his Undisputed WWE Championship to Ilja Dragunov shocking fans by capturing the United States Title, it was a night packed with action. But behind the curtain, a key name was missingand it wasnt the first time.
According to Fightful Select, Paul Heyman was present backstage despite not appearing on camera. That part didnt surprise many. What stood out, however, was that Triple H wasnt at SmackDown at all.
With Bruce Prichard in charge for the night, SmackDown went on without issue, but Triple Hs absence didnt go unnoticed. The takeaway is clearSmackDown was steered without The Game at the helm, and with Bruce Prichard stepping up, WWE proved the machine keeps rolling even when one of its biggest names isnt backstage.
Do you think the show ran just fine without Triple H around? Let us know in the comments.
