Two more competitors secured their place in The Last Time is Now tournament on Friday as the field for John Cena’s final opponent continued to take shape. The latest WWE SmackDown episode featured two first round matches, with LA Knight and Jey Uso both moving forward after hard fought victories that added fresh momentum to the bracket.

Knight returned to tournament action against Zack Ryder, who made a surprise comeback to the main roster stage. Ryder received a strong reaction as he stepped back into competition, but Knight closed out the match with a decisive BFT to claim his quarterfinal spot. Later in the night, Uso faced The Miz in another first round meeting, using his speed and resilience to earn a place alongside Knight, Sheamus, and Rusev in the next stage.

Further updates were also delivered regarding the final first round fixtures. SmackDown on Friday November 21 will feature Penta against Finn Balor, while Bronson Reed meets Carmelo Hayes. These join the matchups already scheduled for Monday’s WWE Raw, where Solo Sikoa will square off with a mystery opponent and Gunther will battle JeVon Evans.

Once the opening round concludes, the remaining wrestlers will continue their push toward Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington DC on Saturday December 13, where the winner of the tournament will meet John Cena for what will be his final match.

The Last Time is Now tournament
Advanced to quarterfinals
Sheamus
Rusev
Jey Uso
LA Knight

Remaining first round matches
WWE Raw, Monday November 17
Solo Sikoa vs a mystery opponent
Gunther vs JeVon Evans

WWE SmackDown, Friday November 21
Penta vs Finn Balor
Bronson Reed vs Carmelo Hayes