WWE Friday Night Smackdown! A recap of the latest drama, upsets, and surprises from WWE SmackDown

On the first night of the 2023 WWE draft, major superstars such as Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes were drafted, setting into motion a world heavyweight title tournament to crown Raw's new lead player. The Usos were not eligible to be selected on the first night, and the other half of the roster will be unlocked on Monday, as the draft continues on Raw. Reigns, Heyman, and Sikoa were selected as the No. 1 draft picks to SmackDown, and following the opening round of picks, The Usos hit the stage to address Reigns. The newly introduced world heavyweight championship will be exclusive to Raw, and a tournament will commence to crown a world heavyweight champion.

Amongst the most exciting matches of the night was LA Knight's victory over Butch, where he defeated his opponent with a thunderous BFT.

The Street Profits also took on LWO (Joaquin Wilde and Cruz Del Toro) and Braun Strowman and Ricochet in a nail-biting match. The match was evenly poised, but ultimately the Street Profits prevailed, with Ford delivering a decisive frog splash on Ricochet.

Zelina Vega and Sonya Deville locked horns in another thrilling encounter, with Vega emerging victorious with an over-rotated schoolboy pin. Rhea Ripley, Vega's opponent in Backlash, tried to attack her after the match, but Vega managed to reverse it into a DDT. Rey Mysterio and Santos Escobar later provided Vega with a pep talk backstage.

In a surprise twist, The O.C. took on The Viking Raiders and Valhalla in a tag team match. The match was shaping up to be a closely contested affair until The O.C. gained the upper hand, leaving The Viking Raiders and Valhalla beaten and bruised. The O.C. had interrupted Styles earlier in the show, and this was their way of making a statement.