WWE SMACKDOWN! TO BE RENAMED "FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!" AS THE SERIES MOVES TO FRIDAYS, BEGINNING ON SEPT. 9

UPN's WWE SMACKDOWN! moves to Friday night and will be renamed FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN!, beginning on Friday, Sept. 9 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT) on UPN.

In building up to the big move to Friday nights, SMACKDOWN! is riding high with Batista� as World Heavyweight Champion, and has also crowned a new U.S. Champion. Earlier this week, World Heavyweight Champion Dave Batista defeated and downright punished JBL� to retain the championship. Batista will guard his title over the coming weeks on SMACKDOWN! and possibly face another WWE Superstar up for the challenge of trying to win this coveted title.

In other title news, Chris Benoit� defeated Orlando Jordan� to win the United States Championship for a third time. Benoit now faces the difficult challenge of defending the U.S. title over the coming months. Also, Eddie Guerrero's quest for custody of his biological son, Dominick, from Rey Mysterio� and his wife Angie ended after Mysterio won an exhausting Ladder Match to win sole custody of his son. Time will tell if Guerrero is content with this outcome. In addition, "The Legend Killer" Randy Orton� returned to the ring and finally added The Undertaker� to his list of beaten legends. Randy will be on guard in coming weeks as the Undertaker looks to settle the score.

Delivering action-packed programming 52 weeks a year on UPN, this unique, bigger-than-life two-hour saga has ratcheted up the drama and intensified the classic rivalries. With a recurring cast of unique WWE Superstars, WWE presents an astonishing display of athleticism combined with riveting dramatic and compelling storylines. Superstars featured each week include World Heavyweight Champion Batista�, The Undertaker�, Rey Mysterio�, Eddie Guerrero�, United States Champion Chris Benoit�, Christian�, Booker T�, Randy Orton� and JBL�, among many others. Meanwhile, the WWE Divas always add their own special combination of glamour, beauty and competition.

The executive producer is Kevin Dunn. Taped before frenzied crowds all over the United States, the series is a production of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.