Former WWE interviewer and announcer Renee Young will be returning for a special WWE Friday Night SmackDown Kickoff show on October 16
WWE and FOX Sports has announced that in celebration of the second season of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX, there will be a special Kickoff pre-show airing on October 16 beginning at 7:30 pm ET. The special live kickoff show will be hosted by Renee Young (Paquette), along with WWE Hall of Famer Booker T.
Young and Booker T will be be joined by WWE Superstars and other special guests. Season 2 of WWE Friday Night SmackDown will premiere at 8:00 pm ET.
WWE and FOX Sports also stated in the same announcement that the best moments of 2020 will air adjacent to FOX NFL Singleheader on Sunday, October 11.
Young announced at this year’s SummerSlam that she was leaving the company following the pay-per-view. She signed with WWE back in in 2012. After serving many years as their lead backstage interviewer and host of pre-show panels, she was then made into a full time Raw commentator in 2018. That run ended in September 2019 when she took over hosting duties for WWE Backstage. WWE Backstage was taken off the weekly programming for FS1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but will be back for special shows with Young still hosting it.
You can read the full announcement from WWE below:
FOX SPORTS CELEBRATES SEASON TWO OF FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN WITH A SLATE OF WWE SPECIALS
WWE: THE BEST MOMENTS OF 2020 Airs Adjacent to FOX NFL Singleheader on Sunday, Oct. 11
FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN KICKOFF SHOW Airs Friday, Oct. 16 at 7:30 PM ET/PT on FOX
Los Angeles – With FOX Sports’ fall programming slate ramping up, including the start of season two of FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN on FOX, the network is set to deliver two new WWE specials.
On Sunday, Oct. 11, catch WWE: THE BEST MOMENTS OF 2020, an exciting look back at the year’s biggest stars and most memorable moments in WWE. The special airs adjacent to Sunday’s regional NFL broadcasts airing in-market at 1:00 PM ET and 4:05 PM ET. Viewers with an NFL matchup airing at 1:00 PM ET can watch WWE: THE BEST MOMENTS OF 2020 at 4:30 PM ET; viewers with an NFL matchup airing at 4:05 PM ET can watch the special at 3:00 PM ET.
In celebration of the second season of FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN on FOX, FOX Sports’ WWE personalities come together for a special FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN KICKOFF SHOW on Friday, Oct. 16. Longtime broadcaster Renee Paquette and WWE Hall of Famer Booker T host a bevy of WWE Superstars and special guests live from the brand new “WWE ThunderDome” in Orlando.
The FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN KICKOFF SHOW begins at 7:30 PM ET/PT and 6:30 PM CT/MT, leading into the season premiere of FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN on FOX at 8:00 PM ET/PT and 7:00 PM CT/MT.