Tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown reportedly leaked online ahead of its scheduled broadcast, prompting WWE to take swift action to remove the unauthorized footage.
The June 26 edition of SmackDown was taped earlier this week on June 23 in London, England. While match spoilers had already circulated, full broadcast clips also began appearing across multiple websites and social media platforms before the show aired. WWE quickly responded by issuing copyright claims, leading to the majority of the leaked footage being taken down.
According to Mike Johnson of PWInsider, the leak led to significant frustration behind the scenes within WWE. Johnson reported that the complete episode had surfaced online in several locations, describing the situation as a source of "internal unhappiness within WWE this week." He added that the cause of the leak remains unknown, but noted it was easy to understand why company officials would be upset.
Despite the leak, SmackDown will air as planned tonight on the USA Network. WWE is also set to tape next week's July 3 episode immediately following Monday Night Raw, allowing talent and staff to enjoy the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
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