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 missing—and it wasn’t the first time.
According to Fightful Select, Paul Heyman was present backstage despite not appearing on camera. That part didn’t surprise many. What stood out, however, was that Triple H wasn’t at SmackDown at all.
“Paul Heyman was backstage at WWE Smackdown despite not being on the show. This is not a rarity.”
“We’re told that Triple H was also not at Smackdown, which also isn’t necessarily a rarity. Bruce Prichard appeared to be running the show.”
With Bruce Prichard in charge for the night, SmackDown went on without issue, but Triple H’s absence didn’t go unnoticed. The takeaway is clear—SmackDown 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 isn’t backstage.
Do you think the show ran just fine without Triple H around? Let us know in the comments.