WWE Friday Night SmackDown: UK start time, matches announced and the latest Elimination Chamber participants

This past Monday on Raw, CM Punk and Stephanie Vaquer laid down markers that will echo all the way to Chicago for next week's Elimination Chamber.

CM Punk once again took to the ring to address his challenger, Finn Balor. While Balor argued that his global journey, from European catch clinics to Japanese dojos, makes him the real ‘Best in the World,’ Punk’s sharp tongue cut deeper.

He retorted that instead of Balor elevating The Judgment Day, the group is actually an anchor dragging him down. The segment ended with a tense standoff, as Balor uncharacteristically held back Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh from attacking.

Has the Second City Saint finally struck a nerve with the company’s first-ever Universal Champion?

Meanwhile, the women’s division saw a chilling confrontation. As Liv Morgan teased her WrestleMania opponent choice, Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer may have decided for her.

With Dominik Mysterio translating, Vaquer unleashed a verbal assault, claiming she fought through "hell" to earn her title while Morgan was ‘handed’ everything. Vaquer’s closing line, that she ‘made hell her own,’ reduced the Royal Rumble winner to tears.

Whether those are crocodile tears or a genuine breakdown remains to be seen, but the power dynamic in The Judgment Day is clearly shifting.

Before those questions are answered, we still have pods to fill. Tonight on SmackDown, the final field for both the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber matches will be set in two high-stakes qualifiers.

What time is WWE Friday Night SmackDown starting in the UK this evening?

It’s a late start once again for UK WWE fans, with this evening’s show taking place at the FLA Live Arena in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The episode will screen live and exclusively on Netflix from 1am on February 21, with on-demand repeats available shortly after its initial broadcast on the streaming service.

What matches have been confirmed for tonight’s episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown?

While the challenge thrown out by Oba Femi towards Kit Wilson has yet to be answered (maybe an opening segment on the show?), the following matches have been confirmed for this evening’s SmackDown.

Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Charlotte Flair v Nia Jax v Kianna James

The Queen is looking to reclaim her throne at the top of the mountain, but the path to Chicago is blocked by two of the most dangerous forces on the roster.

Charlotte Flair has been vocal about her urgency to return to singles dominance after her tag-team detour, but she faces a literal wall in Nia Jax, who has been on a tear lately, using her sheer power to dominate the division, and she has no intention of letting Flair's WrestleMania dreams become reality.

The wild card here is Kianna James; while Flair and Jax are established heavyweights, James has proven to be a master strategist. She’s been seen training with some interesting names lately, and if she can let the two giants tear each other apart, she could pull off the biggest upset of her career.

Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifier: Carmelo Hayes v Trick Williams v Damian Priest

This match is absolutely layered with tension, as for the first time on the main roster, we are seeing the former ‘Trick-Melo Gang’ brothers, Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams, go head-to-head in a triple threat.

Hayes has been an arrogant, dominant United States Champion, claiming that ‘Melo don't miss’ when it comes to WrestleMania opportunities. Meanwhile, Trick Williams has become one of the most beloved stars on SmackDown, and a win here would finally put him on the path to the Undisputed WWE Title.

But standing in the way of the ‘Melo/Trick’ drama is the former World Heavyweight Champion, Damian Priest. Priest has the size, the experience, and the raw power to shut down both younger stars.

While the fans are focused on the history between Hayes and Williams, Priest is the veteran who knows exactly how to navigate these high-pressure qualifiers.

Who has qualified now for the men’s and women’s Elimination Chamber match?

Both the men’s and women’s fields for this year’s Elimination Chamber matches, taking place in Chicago on February 28, are almost complete after the most recent qualifying matches on WWE Monday Night Raw.

As of writing, the following WWE superstars will be inside the ‘hellacious’ structure in a week.

Men’s Elimination Chamber entrants

• Cody Rhodes
• Randy Orton
• LA Knight
• Je'Von Evans
• Jey Uso

Women’s Elimination Chamber entrants

• Rhea Ripley
• Tiffany Stratton
• Asuka
• Alexa Bliss
• Bayley

The final two entrants will be revealed after the final round of qualifying matches taking place on this Monday’s episode of RAW, airing exclusively in the UK on Netflix.