Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for August 14, 2026

General Manager Nick Aldis is in the ring to start tonight's show. He announces that Chelsea Green suffered an orbital bone injury last week, then introduces Chelsea Green to the ring. Aldis tells Chelsea that he has talked to medical and that he cannot in good conscience let her compete with a broken eye socket, and that she must relinquish the Interim WWE Women's Championship. Chelsea says she knew it was too good to be true and that she waited for the other shoe to drop, as every time she does something magical, it is always followed by something devastating. She says she was always the comic relief and never the champion. Chelsea says she has sacrificed much and has missed weddings and funerals to leave her all in the ring, and told herself that it was all worth it, as this moment would come, and that in the end, all that matters is what one thinks of one's self. She then says that until someone takes this off of her, the Interim WWE Women's Championship is hers, and that she thought that Aldis, of all people, would understand that before handing him the title and leaving. Aldis stops Chelsea and says he is doing the right thing as General Manager, but as a man, he does not give a damn about what medical says. He then gives Chelsea thirty days to get cleared, get a facemask and do what she must do to defend the title, and until then, the title is hers. Suddenly, Gunther shows up, and calls everything that has happened "a sob story nobody wants to hear" before stating it is time for more important things, and wants to know why Aldis pulled a stunt on him at SummerSlam. Aldis says they can handle this in the office, and right now, it is him and Chelsea. Gunther makes light of what Chelsea has just gone through as of late and brags about pulling double duty at SummerSlam and making a man tap out in front of his family. He then asks Aldis why Kevin Owens was added to his match. Aldis tells Gunther that he added him to Owens' match and that Owens' return was in the works for some time, then said he did the favor for Gunther and that Gunther could not get the job done. Chelsea laughs, and when Gunther tells her to shut up, Chelsea dares Gunther to puff his chest up and stroke his ego, then reminds him that she is the only champion in the ring. Matt Cardona suddenly shows up and stands up for Chelsea, and Gunther laughs at him, saying Cardona can do nothing to him even if he called Chelsea "every slut in the world." Chelsea asks Cardona to leave with her, and when Gunther calls it "a dog listening to its owner," Cardona turns around and jumps Gunther until two referees hold him back.

Gunther beats Matt Cardona, even after Cardona kicks Gunther in the groin following the distraction by Chelsea Green. After the match, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) show up, and Nia Jax mocks Chelsea Green for being injured and tells her she has a ticking clock, and asks her why she would waste time as a fighting champion and makes it clear she wants the WWE Women's Championship. Nia warns Chelsea that she has a history of breaking faces if she does not give her what she wants, and Tiffany Stratton gets in the ring only to be overpowered until referees step in.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair tells Alexa Bliss that she missed her, and the two of them find Tatum Paxley in a shrine for Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, which Charlotte and Alexa find a little odd.

Backstage, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes meets with General Manager Nick Aldis regarding Randy Orton. Aldis says he has yet to meet with Orton, and proposes a match at Saturday Night's Main Event. Cody likes the idea, then runs into Sami Zayn, who says that he has to go through hoops to get what he wants and that Cody just has to "say when." Cody says Sami used to be the one who was able to do it, then says he owes nobody anything, and says tells Sami that if he wants to do something about it, they can do something about it. Sami says that the last time they were in the ring, he beat Cody in the middle of the ring cleanly for the WWE Championship. Cody asks Sami if he can do it again, and challenges him tonight. Sami says Cody picked the night that he cannot go, and Aldis asks Sami if he cannot go or will not go, and says that if Sami beats Cody tonight, he gets the winner of Kevin Owens and CM Punk. Aldis tells Sami that he made the choice at SummerSlam, and that he is giving him that choice again.

Baron Corbin retains the WWE United States Championship against Carmelo Hayes. After the match, Trick Williams shows up, and Lil' Yachty shows up from behind and hits Corbin with the Trick Stick. Corbin takes the Trick Stick from Yachty and forces him to retreat, but Trick runs into the ring and hits Corbin on the chin with the Trick Shot.

Backstage, Chelsea Green thanks Tiffany Stratton for standing up for her and tells her that she did not want her to get injured before her match, but Tiffany says she is fine and still competing tonight.

Kevin Owens heads to the ring. He is soon joined by CM Punk. Punk says Owens is a lot of things, but he is not a coward, and that whatever Owens has to say concerns him before telling him to say it to his face. Owens talks about how they were in the ring a foot away from each other last week, yet Punk had his back turned when he called him "a fat slob," and says that their history runs back twenty years. Owens talks about how Punk was the big top guy while he was trying to make a name for himself, and how one night, Punk chose to berate, insult and scream at him in a locker room full of his peers. He then says that is just one reason why he does not like, and says that the things Punk has done and said as well as how he has treated his friends, but Punk says being hated is the price he pays for not being one of them. Owens says this is another reason he does not like Punk, as while Punk has made amends with others in the locker room, he considers everything Punk does "performative" before calling him "a phony" and stating Punk had no choice but to come back to WWE. He says that Punk ruined things everywhere he went and that he does not like him for that, then says he did pretty well for himself for the last twelve years before getting injured. Punk says he was and still is happy, but Owens does not believe him. Punk asks if Owens would still be afforded those opportunities had he still been here the last twelve years, and Owens wants to know if Punk sees him as "a fat indy slob" and "a fan on the wrong side of the barricade." Punk asks if this is what he thinks of Owens or what Owens thinks of himself, then says that he has a locker room who wants to be champion and that he calls out Oba Femi only to get endometriosis instead. Punk says that he will not take Owens lightly and that while he sees a tough guy, but he sees a bum, as he avoids the hard work. Punk says he has evolved, and that if Owens did half the work he did, he would have the WWE Championship around his waist. Owens says he worked to not be like Punk, and that while he likes what he sees in the mirror, Punk does not, and now "the fat indy loser" is in the same ring as him facing him for the WWE Championship next week. Punk says he sees himself from twenty years ago in Owens, and Owens asks Punk if it bothers him that he never sought him out for guidance before regretting not punching him out twenty years ago. Punk says there is nothing but air and opportunity and that Owens can do it now, and Owens says that if he did it then, Punk would have ruined his career. He then says that he has waited twenty years and can wait seven more days to "beat [his] bitch ass" for the WWE title. Punk says that twenty years ago, Owens was a greenhorn who stepped into his locker room and thought he could be disrespectful to him and has cried about the consequences ever since, and that he will "put [his] fat ass to sleep."

Backstage, Finn Balor meets with General Manager Nick Aldis, saying a little bit of a heads-up before SummerSlam would have been nice. Suddenly, Gunther shows up and wants SummerSlam sorted out after being made to wrestle in street clothes. When he finds out from Aldis that he is interrupting Finn Balor, Gunther says he only sees Finn's shadow if he squints hard enough. Finn Balor takes exception to this and says he will do whatever it takes for another title shot, and if he has to go through Gunther, he will be happy to beat his ass and show who he really is.

The MFTs (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) beat the team of Damian Priest and R-Truth and The War Raiders (Ivar and Erik) in a Triple Threat tag team match to become the WWE Tag Team Champions!

Jacy Jayne beats Tiffany Stratton to become the WWE Women's United States Champion after Tiffany Stratton takes out Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid on the outside with the help of Chelsea Green only to run into a Rolling Encore back in the ring.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Jade Cargill, B-Fab and "Michin" Mia Yim. Cargill says it is funny that the women's division cannot mind their business, and they can line up so she can knock them down. B-Fab says they have another victim in Tatum Paxley, who they plan to give a proper welcome.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn ends in a no-contest when Randy Orton attacks Cody Rhodes before the bell. This leads to a brawl around the crowd and at ringside, and officials show up as Cody is propped up against ring steps leaning against the announce table. As Orton is about to swing a metal folding chair at Cody with his head on the non-steps end of the stairs for a makeshift Con-Chair-To, Cody kicks Orton in the groin and hits him with the chair. Cody then goes for the exact same Con-Chair-To on Orton only for the chair to be taken away from him by officials, and Cody attacks Orton again as the show fades to black.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Thursday Night's Main Event - Main Event recap for July 30, 2026

Carmelo Hayes beats Ricky Saints.

The Latino World Order (Joaquin Wilde and Cruz del Toro) beat Harlem Lewis and Harley Riggins by submission with a cross arm breaker from Wilde to Riggins.

Lyra Valkyria beats Wren Sinclair by submission.

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for July 10, 2026

General Manager Nick Aldis is in the ring to start tonight's show. He addresses the physical altercation with Gunther after Night of Champions, takes accountability for his part in the incident, and announces that he is now General Manager of the brand again. Aldis then introduces CM Punk to the ring, then gives Punk the floor and leaves the ring. Punk says that he missed the fans on SmackDown after two-and-a-half months of working to move to the blue brand, the attempts at which were expedited when a challenge for Sami Zayn was needed. He says that when opportunities fall from the sky, he catches them, and after getting ready for the match in his own home and kissing his wife goodbye, he is now Undisputed WWE Champion. Punk says that he is not like other wrestling, much like other champions, and that he plans to be a fighting champion every week and defend every chance he gets, for he draws a target on his back as the locker room is full of hungry, talented individuals who want what he has. Punk then throws an open challenge to anyone who thinks they have what it takes to wrestle "The Best in the World," for he is not hard to find and he will defend the WWE Championship with his blood, sweat and tears for the fans. Punk also addresses what Sami Zayn said about him on social media and says that he will give him a shot, as he certainly deserves a rematch. He also addresses Gunther, saying they remembered their last match, and also proposes that they square off again. He also mentions his recent two matches with Finn Balor and that he looks forward to facing him in neutral territory. Punk also mentions Royce Keys, Damian Priest and Trick Williams, then "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes shows up and heads to the ring.Cody asks Punk how his left eye, and Punk says that it looks a lot worse than it feels. Cody mentions how he had a black eye and how a championship opportunity fell into Punk's lap. He then says that while there are matches like the one Punk had, there are those that have been building for years. Punk mentions their history and their friendship and how he does not want the WWE Championship to come between it all. Punk says they may not be able to run away from each other anymore, to which Cody agrees, mentioning that he had told him "Just say when." Punk interrupts Cody as he speaks, saying "When." Cody says "SummerSlam." Both men shake hands. Aldis makes Cody vs. Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship an official main event match for SummerSlam.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Jade Cargill, "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab. Cargill says that she is already to go and is ready to break Alexa Bliss' face. Michin says Charlotte Flair needs as many lessons as it takes to get the picture like Alexa, and B-Fab says that Charlotte will get a front row seat to see Alexa get snapped for a twig. Cargill says that everything that will happen to Alexa tonight will be Charlotte's fault and that she will not be held responsible.

UFC middleweight fighter Dricus Du Plessis is seen in the crowd.

Finn Balor beats Tama Tonga.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo says he has done nothing but prove and deserve, then says Trick Williams may have the aura, but it will not help him against someone with his star power. He says his aim has never been more clear and that tonight is his moment.

Backstage, R-Truth has to pay up to Fraxiom (Nathan Fraser and Axiom) due to the United States losing in the World Cup, then The War Raiders show up. Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu show up looking for Solo Sikoa. R-Truth says he has yet to see Solo, but when Jacob says he is looking for Royce Keys, Truth says he has not seen him, either. Damian Priest shows up and says that Royce Keys is here and in the building, and when R-Truth asks Priest why he mentioned where Royce Keys is, Priest says that Royce Keys is not their problem.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis is on the phone with Sami Zayn, who is on a mental health break, and Sami is not happy with Cody vs. Punk for the WWE Championship at at SummerSlam. Suddenly, Gunther shows up and says that Aldis made a big mistake, but he is going to give him a chance to fix this before the end of the night, as he deserves to be in the ring with the champion and he does not care if he even has to face both Cody and Punk. Aldis says he will take that into consideration.

Jimmy Uso and Jacob Fatu are in the ring. Jimmy Uso calls out Solo Sikoa, but Royce Keys shows up and heads to the ring instead. Royce Keys addresses Jimmy Uso mentioning his name both last week and this week, then says that "the family business" is starting to affect everyone and is starting to affect him. Jimmy Uso says tonight is about "OTC business," and when Royce mentions that Roman Reigns is not here, Jacob Fatu steps up and says that they are good friends and that they should keep it that away. He tells Royce that he can say anything about anyone else, but warns him not to mention Roman Reigns again. Royce Keys says it does not have to be like this, and when Jimmy Uso says that nobody tells them what to do and that Royce Keys is not family, Royce Keys says that royalty, not blood, makes family, and that Jacob is his family and he will not let that fall. Jacob tells Royce that he will cross a line that he will not be able to come back from, and Royce says that he did not come here to fight, but he will cross that line. Jimmy thinks Royce is crazy for taking him and Jacob on, but Jacob tells Jimmy that there is no "we" here and that this is all on Jimmy, because he is out. Jacob then walks away, and Jimmy calls for a referee so they can have a match. Jimmy then goes for a cheap shot, but Royce makes him pay for it by immediately overpowering him.

Jimmy Uso beats Royce Keys. During the match, Solo Sikoa sneaks up on Jimmy Uso from behind on the outside and nearly hits him with a Samoan Spike, but Jacob Fatu comes back and beats up Solo Sikoa. Solo and Jacob go at it on the outside, and Jacob gets Solo in the Tongan Death Grip. Back in the ring, this allows Jimmy Uso to hit the Spear on a distracted Royce Keys for the pin and the win. After the match, Jacob gets Solo back in the ring to stomp a mudhole in him, then Royce Keys confronts Jacob. Jacob superkicks Royce and hits him with a senton, then takes a chair from Jimmy and wraps it around Solo's head. Jacob stops short of a hip attack on Solo and tells him to be ready next week on Raw, and this time, he will not stop.

We see Sami Zayn's message from after last week's Raw where Sami calls CM Punk a "piece of shit" for just waltzing in and taking the WWE Championship from him.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews CM Punk, who says that all challengers can get in line and that he has been called much worse by people other than Sami Zayn. Candice LeRae shows up, and Johnny Gargano is planking on a nearby box. Candice says Sami is the only one who did not give up on Gargano and was "the voice of the voiceless" and that Sami was their hope until Punk took that from them. Punk tells Gargano and Candice to get back in the ring, as this is not working. As he walks away, Punk runs into Finn Balor, who welcomes him to the blue brand.

We hear from Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid), who talk about how they will be the center of attention in Madison Square Garden and how they will take the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships from Paige and Brie Bella at Saturday Night's Main Event, courtesy of Chime.

Jade Cargill beats Alexa Bliss. During the match, B-Fab trips Alexa on the outside, and that allows Charlotte Flair to send Jade Cargill neck-first into the ropes behind the referee's back. "Michin" Mia Yim goes after Charlotte only to eat a big boot, then B-Fab sends Charlotte into the ring post. Alexa takes out B-Fab afterwards, but Cargill is soon able to hit Alexa with a pump kick followed by Jaded for the pin and the win. After the match, Michin grabs a chair, but Charlotte stops Cargill from grabbing it. Michin and B-Fab almost overpower Charlotte, but Charlotte fends them off until Cargill superkicks her. Cargill places Alexa's left arm inside the chair and bends the arm back to the point of injuring it as officials arrive too late.

Backstage, Trick Williams is looking for the WWE United States Championship and blames Ricky Saints for it, then Lil Yachty shows up with a United States Championship belt lined with white fur. Yachty then tells Trick to give "a diamond butt-whuppin'" to Carmelo Hayes tonight.

Backstage, Alexa Bliss is helped into the trainer's room by officials as well as Charlotte Flair.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams ends with both men being attacked by a returning Baron Corbin (formerly known as Bishop Dyer), who has not been seen in WWE in over a year.

Gunther heads to the ring. Gunther says that he gave General Manager Nick Aldis until the end of the evening to fix things, and demands that Aldis give him a decision. Aldis shows up and says that despite their history, he will give Gunther exactly what he wants. He gives Gunther "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and CM Punk at Madison Square Garden on Saturday Night's Main Event, but Cody and Punk will team up against Gunther and Sami Zayn. Aldis says the mistake he needs to fix is thinking Gunther would not be a pain in his ass after signing him to SmackDown. Gunther attacks Aldis in response and puts him in a sleeper hold that officials have to break up. Gunther seemingly walks away, then puts Aldis in a sleeper hold and attacks him again. He lets go, then locks in a third sleeper to end the show. The show fades to black as "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring. After the show goes off the air, Cody dares Gunther to fight him, but Gunther heads to the back.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Thursday Night's Main Event - Main Event recap for July 2, 2026

Carmelo Hayes beats Axiom.

Dragon Lee beats Rusev when Rusev tries to re-apply the Accolade only for Dragon Lee to slip by and win with a schoolkid pin.

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for June 19, 2026

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes retains the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther in a commercial-free match. Sami Zayn is the special guest referee for this match. During the match, Gunther gets angry with Sami for pulling him away from a sleeper hold when Cody grabs the bottom rope. Gunther responds by kicking Sami in the gut and powerbombing him with Sami slaps him for shoving and piefacing him, and a second referee soon shows up. When Gunther hits a powerbomb followed by a stack-up pinfall attempt later in the match, Sami pulls the second referee out of the ring and gets angry with Gunther, but lets the match continue. Cody Rhodes then hits a Super Cody Cutter, and when he goes for a Sunset Flip, Gunther grabs the top rope only for Sami to kick Gunther's arms off of the rope and make a fast count, allowing Cody to win and retain. After the match, General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and argues with Sami Zayn.

Backstage, Gunther, Sami Zayn and General Manager Nick Aldis argue with each other while "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads back to the ring and grabs a microphone. Cody then demands that the Undisputed WWE Championship be restarted right now, and when Sami Zayn does not want to do it, Gunther throws Sami Zayn into the wall, then heads to the ring with the second referee. Cody Rhodes is soon able to put Gunther in a sleeper hold, but Gunther escapes to lock in one of his own. Cody punches his way out of the sleeper, then goes for his own sleeper. Gunther escapes and locks in another sleeper. Gunther backs into the corner, and Sami Zayn runs into the ring and hits Gunther with a Helluva Kick. This ends the match, and Sami punches the referee and takes the Undisputed WWE Championship and argues with Gunther. When Cody grabs Sami from behind, Sami hits him with the championship. When Cody grabs Sami from behind, Sami hits him with the championship. Sami is distraught again, and he throws the title down and loses all composure before leaving the ring and tearing a "Sami Sux" sign to pieces on the way out.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Jade Cargill, B-Fab and "Michin" Mia Yim. Cargill says that she does what she wants and that the three of them run the division. The three of them have plans for Tiffany Stratton, and Cargill wants Tiffany to put the United States Women's Championship on the line so she can take it like she did the last one: easily.

Backstage, Gunther accuses General Manager Nick Aldis of screwing him out of being champion twice and tells him to do his job. He then demands another Undisputed WWE Championship match at Night of Champions.

Backstage, Jacob Fatu meets up with Solo Sikoa, who does not want to rejoin The Bloodline (Roman Reigns, "Main Event" Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, Jacob Fatu). Jacob just wants to make sure nobody interferes in Jey Uso's match tonight, and that he knows Solo is about to make the wrong decision and is running out of time to make the right choice. Jacob leaves, then Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga show up, and Solo says that the two of them will win the WWE Tag Team Championships back. When he says they should do it as a family, Tama tells Solo to stay backstage, as both families' businesses are about to clash and there is no telling who will follow Solo. Talla says the tag team titles, not The Bloodline, is their problem.

We hear from Blake Monroe, who writes about Giulia in her diary before stating that there is a starring role waiting to be filled. Blake Monroe is coming soon to SmackDown.

Damian Priest and R-Truth retain the WWE Tag Team Championships against The MFTs (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga). During the match, Solo Sikoa shows up, much to Talla Tonga's surprise, and Priest attacks Solo before narrowly avoiding a choke slam into the commentary table by Talla Tonga, who soon hits the ring post. R-Truth then goes for a schoolkid pin on a distracted Tama Tonga, and he wins and retains for his team. After the match, Tama and Talla walk away from Solo Sikoa.

Backstage, Sami Zayn talks to a planking Johnny Gargano while Candice LeRae watches. All of a sudden, General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and chews out Sami for the fast count, and Sami reminds him that he did not ask to be special guest referee and that he tried to call it down the middle, and that "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes should be thanking him as he is still Undisputed WWE Champion. He then says he did not ask for any of this and that he is not going away easily.

Backstage, Je'Von Evans interrupts "Main Event" Jey Uso as he talks about his match tonight, saying that he has been a fan of his for years. When he calls Jey "unc," Jey responds by telling him to keep this same energy so he can slap him so hard he makes him his son.

Ricky Saints beats Carmelo Hayes to become #1 contender for the WWE United States Championship after throwing Carmelo crotch-first into a turnbuckle inadvertently exposed by Carmelo before booting Carmelo into the turnbuckle after Carmelo hits him with the First 48.

Backstage, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes meets with General Manager Nick Aldis, apologizing for his actions before stating he is tired of Sami Zayn's actions and that he wants to beat both Sami and Gunther at Night of Champions. Aldis makes the Undisputed WWE Championship match at Night of Champions a Triple Threat Match.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Charlotte Flair, who says that while she has done it all in WWE, the hunger for championship gold has never faded, and she has proven she is the queen with or without a crown. She aims to win the Queen of the Ring Tournament and hit the fast track to SummerSlam, and she will prove to Liv Morgan why she is queen then, now and forever.

Backstage, Danhausen tries to reprogram The Miz and Kit Wilson back to their old selves when Los Garza demands that Danhausen pay them back for costing them a huge bet for not cursing the Knicks. Matt Cardona comes to Danhausen's rescue, and Los Garza leaves Matt Cardona then briefly turns back into Zack Ryder when he touches Miz and gets zapped.

Backstage, R-Truth is met by Finn Balor. The awkward meeting leads to Damian Priest showing up, and Priest makes it clear that he does not trust Finn Balor.

"Main Event" Jey Uso beats Je'Von Evans to advance to the finals of the King of the Ring Tournament.

Backstage, Jacob Fatu is met by Solo Sikoa, who thinks that Jacob is here to get in his head so that Roman Reigns can get in his business. He says that if Roman wants to mess with his family, then he should come on to Roman's show and mess with Roman's family.

We hear from Giulia, who talks about her international success in WWE before saying that she and Kiana James will see who can survive without the other next week.

Backstage, Tiffany Stratton shows up and says that if Jade Cargill wants a title match, she has got it, and she can beat Cargill on her own. Chelsea Green shows up wanting to be friends with Tiffany again, but Tiffany says she will get the job done on her own.

We hear from Liv Morgan, who says that Charlotte Flair's Queen of the Ring run stops here and that Charlotte is the past.

We hear from Brie Bella and Paige. Brie says Women's Tag Team Champions has not been easy, and Paige agrees. Brie says that Bayley and Lyra Valkyria are good, and Paige says they are up to the challenge. Brie says that Bayley and Lyra will go home empty-handed, and Paige says that there is nothing that they cannot handle as champions.

Backstage, we hear from Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid). Jacy Jayne is irritated with being ejected from the ring in their tag team title match. Lainey says that if Brie Bella and Paige are still tag team champions after next week, they will be getting heir rematch.

Backstage, "Main Event" Jey Uso meets with "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes. Jey has just one more match before they finally meet for the Undisputed WWE Championship, but Cody tells Jey not to forget about Oba Femi. Cody leaves, then Jey runs into Sami Zayn, who admits that he has not been doing great and feels that Jey will be King of the Ring, but he will be champion and not Cody. When Sami asks what they will do when that happens, Jey says he will do what he has to do. Sami tells Jey to say hello to his family for him.

Charlotte Flair runs into Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Mcihin. Cargill says that Charlotte only has a match tonight because of Tiffany Stratton, but Charlotte says that she and Tiffany are not friends and tells Cargill to get moving. Cargill and company leave, then turn around and attack Charlotte from behind, hurting her left knee in the process.

Before the next match, Liv Morgan laughs as Charlotte Flair is checked on backstage. After Liv's entrance, Charlotte heads to the ring despite being injured, insisting that she have her match tonight. Liv hits Charlotte with a cheap shot to the knee before the match, and Charlotte has to shove medical staff away as General Manager Nick Aldis tells her not to do this. Charlotte still insists on having the match.

Liv Morgan beats an injured Charlotte Flair by submission with a single leg Boston Crab to advance to the finals of the Queen of the Ring Tournament.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for June 5, 2026

An angry Gunther shows up from out of the crowd and destroys the Italian comentary table before clearing the English commentary table, then takes a microphone. He says that the show will not start until he gets justice for what happened at Clash in Italy, as he lost despite his foot being under the bottom rope. He also says that "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes cheated and did not beat him. As he looks into the camera and addresses Cody, Cody shows up and slowly makes his way to the ring as he always does before addressing Gunther. Cody says that Gunther is right in his claim, then says that Gunther is a twenty-year pro and is being "big mad" about how he is handling it. He then says they can have their rematch right here tonight. Suddenly, Sami Zayn shows up and greets his "ride or die fans" for giving him the respect he has been looking for. He says he wanted Cody and Gunther to handle their own business, then says he knows where Gunther is coming from. He then says that both men did him wrong and neither man seems to note that, and when Gunther tells Sami to get out of his ring so they can handle World Championship business, Sami says he might not have held a world title, yet he knows about beating Gunther for championships. Cody wants to know what side Sami is on right now, and Sami says that Cody is always blowing him off and looking towards the next threat when he should realize that the biggest threat might be him. Cody says "Is that so?" Sami tells Cody that he said he would beat Gunther and teach him a lesson, then says he beat Gunther and wants to know when Cody will teach that lesson. Gunther goes on the attack, and this time, Sami fights Gunther when he goes for a sleeper on Cody. Cody hits Sami with a tope suicida meant for Gunther, and when Cody offers to help Sami up, Sami gets up and walks away.

The Miz finds out on the phone that Kit Wilson is not here due to his four emotional support cats, then The Miz lets Kit Wilson what he is doing to foil Danhausen's plans. Danhausen shows up, and The Miz starts messing with stuff until he shocks himself. Danhausen then finds some food on the floor and eats it.

Backstage, Gunther confronts General Manager Nick Aldis. He says that instead of being treated like a gift, he is treated like he does not belong. Aldis insists Gunther has always been treated with respect, but Gunther demands Aldis fix everything or else he will be drowning in so many lawsuits his grandchildren will need a lawyer.

We are introduced to the Italian commentary team of Michele Posa and Luca Franchini.

Raquel Rodriguez beats Kiana James, Jacy Jayne and Bayley to advance in the Queen of the Ring Tournament after Jacy yanks Kiana's feet off the middle rope, costing her the win, and Kiana blames Giulia for it. After the match, Kiana rebukes and shoves Giulia away when Giulia tries to help her up, and continues to blame Giulia for the loss before stating it is over. Giulia responds by hitting her with a Lou Thesz press and punching her, then knocking her out of the ring.

Backstage, Sami Zayn smacks another water bottle, then finds Johnny Gargano planking on a road crate and tells him about what happened tonight. General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and tells Sami Zayn to stay out of "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes' and Gunther's business, but Sami says they made their business his business, but Aldis tells Sami he made it worse. Aldis then says he has no time for Sami, and Sami asks who is so important that Aldis cannot give him a minute. Chad Gable shows up, mius the El Grande Americano mask, and stares Sami down before heading into Aldis' office.

Talla Tonga beats Royce Keys after Solo Sikoa distracts the referee and Tama Tonga distracts Royce Keys. After the match, Tama and Talla continue to go on the attack on Royce Keys. R-Truth runs into the ring, but he also gets attacked. Damian Priest shows up and pulls R-Truth out of the ring. With Priest and R-Truth gone, Tama Tonga hits Royce Keys with Cutthroat.

Backstage, Raquel Rodriguez shows up as The Judgment Day (Liv Morgan, JD McDonagh, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio) talk amongst each other. They celebrate Raquel's win, then Dominik says he will win the match so that The Judgment Day will win all the gold.

We hear from Finn Balor, who says that he has proven himself time and time again in this business, and that in any night, any situation and any match, he will shine every time an opportunity falls his way. He says that he can stand toe-to-toe with the best, but he wants it all. Finn Balor is part of the SmackDown roster now, and he will make his debut in the King of the Ring Tournament next week.

Backstage, Damian Priest wants R-Truth to stop helping Royce Keys, as he doesn't know what is going on between Royce Keys and the MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga). The War Raiders (Ivar and Erik) shows up with the AAA World Tag Team Championships, and Erik tells R-Truth that when he is ready, they want to defend their titles against the WWE Tag Team Champions. Ivar says they are ready, but nobody is ready for war. R-Truth says he has never met either of them a day in his life and leaves.

Rhea Ripley heads to the ring. Rhea says she has put Jade Cargill behind her, and while she did not come out completely unscathed due to her banged-up knee and Jade Cargill came in with a gameplan to take her out, Cargill failed to take her out, and she is still champion. She also says she had a nice, unexpected friend help her with the numbers game, and Charlotte Flair shows up and admits that while Rhea did not asks for her help, she had her back because she respects her and had fun teaming with her. Charlotte then says that Queen of the Ring is happening for the next few weeks and that she is a competitor at heart as well as a fourteen-time champion, and that she will be standing in front of Rhea at SummerSlam, because Rhea has what she wants. Tiffany Stratton shows up, and after refusing to apologize to Charlotte, Tiffany admits that while she looks good with the Women's United States title, she wants the WWE Women's Championship. Jade Cargill, "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab show up, and Cargill says that Tiffany, Rhea and Charlotte look stupid together before stating that Charlotte made herself next in line for what she pulled, and tells Tiffany to stay out of her business. Cargill then tells Rhea she is coming for what is hers, and she, Michin and B-Fab head to the ring before General Manager Nick Aldis shows up. After Aldis says that Rhea is not cleared to compete, Charlotte admits that she and Tiffany do not like each other, but challenges Cargill and company to a tag match. Aldis makes the match official, and the match takes place next.

Jade Cargill and "Michin" Mia Yim beat Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) Jacy is not in the mood for an interview. As she says that she is on another level compared to the rest of the women's division, she spies Brie Bella and Paige in a photoshoot. As Brie and Paige mention Jacy's loss tonight, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid jump Brie and Paige.

Backstage, R-Truth meets with Royce Keys. Royce tells R-Truth he appreciates what R-Truth has done for him, and R-Truth says he wants to return the favor. Royce acknowledges that he and Damian Priest cannot get along, however, and says that this is something R-Truth will have to handle.

Ricky Saints beats Carmelo Hayes after grabbing the tights on a roll-up.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Trick Williams. Trick says he is only concerned with himself, but he is entertained with people fighting over what he has. He hopes to win the King of the Ring Tournament, be on the same list with some greats, and win a world championship to become a double champion again. Bron Breakker then shows up and briefly stares down Trick Williams.

Backstage, Tiffany Stratton is met by Chelsea Green, who insists on wanting to team with Tiffany. Chelsea fails to figure it out that Tiffany wants nothing to do with her, even as Chelsea wants Tiffany in her corner for her match.

We hear from Blake Monroe. Blake is impressed by Tiffany Stratton and her trise to the top, and says that looking at her is like looking in a mirror. She calls a match with her a box-office event, but Tiffany is not used to getting her hands dirty, and Tiffy Time will soon run on "Monroe minutes." Blake Monroe is coming soon to SmackDown.

Lash Legend beats Chelsea Green.

Backstage, Royce Keys is met by Solo Sikoa. Royce tells Solo to watch what he says, and Solo asks Royce why he is being so difficult. Solo says that Roman Reigns made Jacob Fatu bow down like a dog and that Damian Priest wants nothing to do with him, and he is the only family Royce has. Royce asks if he really busted his ass for this, but Solo reminds him that he is the one who made the call to bring him to WWE just like he brought Jacob, Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga to WWE. Solo says that they need to get ready for war, and tells him to stop being so difficult or else he will make things difficult.

Backstage, Axiom congratulates Rey Fenix on winning the AAA Cruiserweight Champion. As Fenix tells Nathan Frazer that he has a title shot if he wants it, Chad Gable meets with Fenix and says they had a great match, but he had it under false pretenses as El Grande Americano. He says that he was made a mockery of lucha libre when he was should have been taking on a responsibility, and asks Fenix for forgiveness. Fenix says that Gable has learned a lot and has suffered from losing his match, and while he forgives Gable, he reminds him that he is not the only person he offended.

"Dirty" Dominik Mysterio beats Damian Priest, Trick Williams and Bron Breakker to advance in the King of the Ring Tournament and face Oba Femi in the semi-finals after JD McDonagh distracts Damian Priest and Liv Morgan hits Priest with a low blow following Bron Breakker clotheslining Damina Priest through the announce table.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Raw Deal - Raw recap for June 1, 2026

Roman Reigns and The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) make their way to the ring to start tonight's show. Roman says he has been waiting for this day for a long time because there is no day like acknowledgment day, and Jey Uso wants to know where Jacob Fatu is on his first day on the job. Jacob Fatu shows up, and Roman and Jey tell Jacob that he knows what time it is. Jacob takes the microphone from Jey's hand and tells Roman that he knew what he was getting into when he challenged Roman to Tribal Combat, as he has been taking L's his whole life and it brought him here. He admits that last night, his children saw their father take a loss and keep his word, and he lost to his Tribal Chief. He tells Jey he did not lose to him, then acknowledge Roman Reigns as Tribal Chief and takes a knee beforeraising his right hand. Roman takes Jimmy by the hand, and Roman tells Jacob that while he does not understand this right now, he loves him. Jimmy says this is a warning shot that "they the twos and we the ones."

We are introduced to the French announce team of Michele Posa and Luca Franchini.

Oba Femi beats Solo Sikoa, Penta and Carmelo Hayes in a Fatal 4-Way Match to advance in the King of the Ring Tournament. After the match, Oba says Paul Heyman asked if he could take a beating and asked what he does after taking a beating that included seven F-5's, then says he is standing, winning and still here after taking Brock Lesnar's best shot, and he will become King of the Ring. He reminds Lesnar that they are 1-1 and that he will see him down the line.

Cathy Kelley introduces Sol Ruca to the ring. Sol Ruca states that winning the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship is a dream come true, as she and the fans all believed in her and that she could be a champion. Sol Ruca then thanks the fans and gives credit where credit is due to Becky Lynch despite Becky being against the match and feeling she was not ready to face the very best only to be proven wrong. She then says that as tough as it was to beat Becky, her work is just getting started, as the Women's Intercontinental Championship and the fans deserve a fighting champion, which she promises to be. She then says that if anyone thinks she is a rookie or if they underestimate her, she will snatch their soul walk out the champion.

In footage from after the show, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns have a chance meeting. Backstage, Roman Reigns meets with The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso), telling Jey to stay on Cody as he is the only one who understands tough love. He then tells Jey to go in at the King of the Ring Tournament, take the Undisputed WWE Championship and head to SummerSlam. Roman says there are two ends to the table, and he needs Jey to level up. He then asks Jimmy to stay with him, saying that Jey needs to do this on his own.

Rey Mysterio and Dragon Lee beat "All Ego" Ethan Page and Rusev.

Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce tells Penta that he will make the Intercontinental Championship defense against Rey Mysterio happen. After Penta leaves, LA Knight shows up and accuses Pearce of siding with Roman Reigns. Pearce says he was talking business with Roman last night and that he has no idea what Knight saw, but Knight says that Pearce only wants Roman as World Heavyweight Champion before threatening to take Pearce out of retirement just to put him back in it. Pearce says Jacob Fatu is a liabilty and that Knight can believe whatever he wants, but he is trying to keep Roman Reigns and The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) in line. When Pearce points a finger at Knight, Knight raises Pearce's finger up into the air, taking it as more proof that Pearce is siding with Roman.

Iyo Sky beats Giulia, Roxanne Perez and Lash Legend to advance in the Queen of the Ring Tournament.

Backstage, Maxxine Dupri is shocked to find out she is not in the Queen of the Ring Tournament. General Manager Adam Pearce tells her that the tournament is stacked and that he had to make some tough decisions, and when Maxxine says she has been overlooked again, Pearce tells her that if an opening comes up, she will be at the top of the list. Otis tells her that he and Akira Tozawa have her back, but that they have noticed that Maxxine has been hanging out more with Austin Theory instead of them. Maxxine tells Otis that she knows what she is doing and to trust her on this.

We see the recent events regarding Danhausen and the New York Knicks, who have reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999 since Danhausen uncursed the team.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. Bayley says the two of them can do the Queen of the Ring Tournament and the Women's Tag Team Championships at the same time. Lyra notices Sol Ruca and congratulates her on beating Becky Lynch for the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship, then says that she wants to challenge for the Women's Intercontinental Championship, which she could not challenge for while Becky was still champion. Sol Ruca says she would be honored.

Backstage, Liv Morgan shows up as Roxanne Perez is frustrated with her Queen of the Ring Tournament loss. Liv Morgan says that it has been a rough couple of weeks, but they are still family. Liv says that they take opportunities, not pout over them, and that one of them will take it all back for The Judgment Day (Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Roxanne Perez, JD McDonagh, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio), win the King and Queen of the Ring Tournaments, and take over Raw.

Seth "Freakin'" Rollins beats Bron Breakker. During the match, Austin Theory shows up only to get taken down by Rollins, and Paul Heyman has to distract referee Chad Patton so that Theory can hit Rollins with one of the World Tag Team Championships. Montez Ford shows up and takes out Austin Theory with a tope con hiro over the ring post, but gets Speared by Breakker. Breakker then hits Rollins with a Spear, but Rollins kicks out. Rollins soon hits Breakker with The Stomp, but Heyman puts Braekker's foot on the rope. Rollins confronts Heyman, who says he has no respect for Rollins, and Breakker goes for a Spear on the outside only for Rollins to pull Heyman in front of himself, leading Breakker to Spear Heyman through the barricade. An angry Breakker goes after Rollins with another Spear, but Rollins uses Theory's World Tag Team Championship as a shield and hits The Stomp for the win.

Here are the highlights for tonight's show!

Here is this week's Raw Recap!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for May 29, 2026

We are introduced to Alvaro Carrera and Miguel Perez of the Spanish-language announce team.

Jade Cargill, "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab head to the ring to start tonight's show. Cargill says that everyone acts like she has something to prove, then says she does not have to ask for permission and that she is one of one. She says that she can do whatever she wants, and B-Fab says that Cargill will beat Rhea because she is the most dominant. She reminds Cargill that when it comes to being in the ring, she has beaten Cargill at WrestleMania and she will beat her again at Clash at Italy. Rhea says that Cargill can continue to throw her so-called dominance around, because she will be looking up at the true champon. Cargill asks Rhea if she hears how stupid she sounds and says the women's division does not revolve around her, and that Michin and B-Fab want to be around her while nobody wants to be around Rhea. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss show up, and while Charlotte admits she admires what Cargill has done, she should not confuse her attitude with accomplishment. Alexa says Cargill has the ego of a legend, but the resumé of a rookie. Cargill says that she will not be talked down upon by Charlotte's "rag doll," and Alexa Bliss tells Cargill that she has embarrassed women bigger than her on the mic and tells her not to embarrass her before her career even gets started. General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and makes Jade Cargill vs. Alexa Bliss official and for right now.

Jade Cargill beats Alexa Bliss despite Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair brawling with "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab to the back, due to Cargill getting the knees up to block Twisted Bliss. After the match, Cargill pulls a metal folding chair out from underneath the ring and hits a second Jaded on the chair. Rhea and Charlotte rush back to the ring and chase Cargill out.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes when Sami Zayn shows up. Sami asks Cody if he has nothing to say to him. Cody says he has nothing, but Sami says he should, and he should start by apologizing, as he did not ask to fight his friend; Cody did. He says he had his back and tried to help him, but he stabbed him in the back with the Cross Rhodes. Cody says Sami walked away when Gunther choked him out. Sami says he wanted to help Cody because of how he is wired, and it took everything not to. He says that he left Cody there so that he could learn a lesson. Cody says that when he is done with Gunther tonight, he can teach him a lesson, too.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis wants Danhausen to appear in front of the fans. After Aldis tells Danhausen to improvise, The Miz shows up does not to wrestle Axiom due to Kit Wilson not being here tonight due to customs' liquid limit from the amount of moisturizer that he brought with him overseas. Aldis thinks The Miz need Kit Wilson's help, but The Miz denies this. Aldis tells him to prove this as Danhausen gathers materials in the background, then the lights dim above Aldis after Miz leaves.

Axiom beats The Miz after the flashing lights from Danhausen's new experiments distract The Miz as he is at the top turnbuckle, allowing Axiom to hit an avalanche Spanish Fly followed by the Golden Ratio for the win.

Backstage, R-Truth tells Damian Priest that he is still not medically cleared. He also tells Damian Priest that he has a tag team partner for tonight against The MFTs (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga), who happens to be Royce Keys. Damian Priest does not want to team with him, let alone trust him, and Royce says that Priest wants to take on the world alone, and R-Truth has to verbally manipulate them into teaming by questioning their courage.

Backstage, Sami Zayn talks with Johnny Gargano about what just happened with him and Cody, with Candice LeRae caught in the middle. Matt Cardona shows up and says that things may not be going his way either, and this leads Sami to challenge Cardona to a match. Cardona accepts.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair leaves the trainer's room and runs into Rhea Ripley. Charlotte says that Alexa is in a lot of pain and pissed off and so is she. Rhea says she will take care of Jade Cargill, and Charlotte says that if Rhea does not, she will.

The MFTs (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) beat Damian Priest and Royce Keys. During the match, R-Truth shows up and confronts Solo Sikoa for hitting Damian Priest with a Samoan Spike behind the referee's back only to be hit in the throat by Solo. When Royce Keys confronts Solo, Tama Tonga hits Keys from the top rope. Talla then choke slams Priest in the ring for the pin and the win.

Backstage, The Miz threatens to sue General Manager Nick Aldis for unsafe working conditions. Aldis agrees with The Miz, and says he is about to handle the electrical problems. The Miz confronts Danhausen only to be blasted with a fire extinguisher, and Danhausen refuses to let Aldis into the room.

The Pique Group is the recipient of the Twisted Tea Hard Ice Tea Seat Upgrade.

Backstage, Chelsea Green meets with Tiffany Stratton, who tells her "It's not that deep" as Chelsea tries to make more of an alliance between them. Chelsea awkwardly says she will see Tiffany after the match and wishes her luck, then Tiffany leaves.

Sami Zayn beats Matt Cardona.

We see a vignette for The King of the Ring and Queen of the Ring Tournaments.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis speaks with Gunther, saying he has granted him and "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes television time to say what they need to say and to keep it civil. Gunther is offended at first, but promises to keep it civil.

Trick Williams and Lil Yachty head to the ring. Lil Yachty introduces himself as the man with the money and the connections that makes it happen, and says that for the first time ever, "we are experiencing the Trick Williams campaign." Trick says he has been holding SmackDown down for quite some time, and that for the past couple weeks, he has taken out The Miz and Carmelo Hayes, and that nobody has proven themselves the future of the business better than him. Trick then declares himself for the King of the Ring Tournament, then Carmelo Hayes shows up and says Trick may be king of the entrance and the microphone, but King of the Ring is "grown folks business" and Trick is too little. Carmelo says he will take care of Ricky Saints tonight, then he will face him for the United States Championship. Trick says that "'Melo is being too melodramatic" and spouting off "what if," then says that if Carmelo sprouted an inch for every excuse he made, he could see Trick face-to-face and realize he is better than him. Ricky Saints shows up and says nobody wants to see "that telenovela stuff" right now and addresses last week, stating that he is two steps ahead and that after he deals with Carmelo, he will go after Trick and the United States Championship. Trick says that Ricky Saints lies and poses and looks like a bobblehead, then tells Saints to show up and tells Saints and Carmelo to handle things between them before facing him for the title. When Saints mouths off at Trick, Trick slaps him.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints ends in a double count-out. After the match, Saints attacks Carmelo from behind, but Carmelo soon sends him packing with a First 48.

Backstage, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) run into Tiffany Stratton and say that Tiffany made a wise decision not to be in Chelsea Green's corner, then state that after Nia is done with Chelsea, Tiffany will be next.

We hear from Blake Monroe, who writes a diary entry about the SmackDown women's locker room, then says not to get too comfortable because she is coming soon to SmackDown.

Chelsea Green beats Nia Jax after Tiffany Stratton shows up as Nia is about to hit the A-Nia-Lator and nails Nia with the Women's United States Championship behind the referee's back.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Brie Bella and Paige. Brie says the target has gotten bigger, but they have been successfully defending the women's tag titles. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) shows up, and Jacy Jayne asks why Cathy is wasting her time before declaring for the Queen of the Ring Tournament. Fallon tells Brie Bella and Paige to hold on to their titles, while Lainey says they will be the next champions. Jacy then says that eventually, the women's division will be under their influence.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. Before he can say much, however, he is joined in the ring by Gunther. Gunther tells Cody that for some reason, SmackDown has to be about him, and if it is not, he has to make it about him. He calls Cody a product of the culture he grew up in where egotism, narcissism and nepotism is rewarded. He also calls Cody "a perfect example of the crumbling concept of the American dream," then says that he has earned his position while everything was one phone call away for Cody. Gunther says that makes Cody "a little, entitled brat," and admits that while they have the same profession, they are nothing alike. He says that Cody has to scratch that itch for approval, but for him, it is unnecessary, and that protecting the sport from people like Cody is all that matters. Gunther says that Cody only cares about himself and is his own biggest fan, and instead of a champion, Cody is "a mark for [himself]." Cody says Gunther is a liar, stating that Gunther has implied does not want the attention or even the feeling of being the Undisputed WWE Champion and knows that Gunther wants that attention; otherwise, he would talk to a 330 lb. version of himself at an indie show. He says that Cody Rhodes tried to intimidate him from being champion, and while he did not succeed, he did not tell him that being is champion is addictive. Cody says that Gunther will get close to that attention only to find out he is just not that good. After Cody says that he is easy to find and hard to beat, both men have a staredown, Gunther stops Cody as he leaves, promising that he will choke Cody out, drop him like a wet towel, and take the Undisputed WWE Championship with him.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the th ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for May 22, 2026

Rhea Ripley heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Rhea mentions Jade Cargill and her crew attacking her to send a message only to piss her off, and now that she is back, she is itching for a fight. Rhea tells Cargill that if she wants her rematch, she will happily beat her again at Clash in Italy for the WWE Women's Championship. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss show up, and Charlotte tells Rhea not to get ahead of herself as they all still have a six-woman tag team match, and Alexa says they need to be on the same page. Charlotte also wants to know where Rhea was when they were attacked last week. Rhea says she was with family in Australia. Charlotte says she needed her help, but Rhea mentions that Charlotte told her she did not need her help. Rhea asks Charlotte how she can trust her to have her back if she cannot have Alexa's, and Charlotte takes this as Rhea drawing a wedge between her and Alexa. Suddenly, Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) shows up. Jacy Jayne is entertained by Charlotte and Rhea arguing, which she says all started when Fatal Influence stepped onto the scene. She also says that while they have been at each others' throats, Fatal Influence have ascended to the top. She says that when there is an opportunity, Fatal Influence takes it. Charlotte challenges Fatal Influence to a tag team match later tonight. Jacy says that is all she needed to hear.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga). Solo Sikoa says Talla Tonga is more than ready and that he wants everyone, including Tama Tonga, to watch what Talla does to Shinsuke Nakamura tonight. Royce Keys shows up and confronts Solo Sikoa for costing him a title match, and tells Solo to stay out of his business. Solo says that if Royce did not need his help, all he had to do was say so. He just says that Royce needs somebody to watch his back, and asks who better to do it than family.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair meets with Alexa Bliss. Alexa tells Charlotte that she is sick and tired of Charlotte and Rhea bickering and that they will be the ones teaming up tonight out of the three of them.

Talla Tonga beats Shinsuke Nakamura following the distraction and interference attempt by Solo Sikoa. After the match, Solo Sikoa goes for the Samoan Spike as Talla Tonga holds Nakamura down. Tama Tonga stops Solo, then attacks Nakamura himself. Solo goes for a Samoan Spike again, but Damian Priest shows up with a metal folding chair. Solo, Talla and Tama leave the ring.

We see a video package for Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu in Tribal Combat at Clash in Italy.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis meets with referee Charles Robinson regarding the power outage, then meets with "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes. He asks Cody to let him handle Gunther and make sure the contract gets signed. Cody agrees, then runs into Sami Zayn, who tells Cody that if he needs help, all he has to do is ask. Cody says "Thanks, but no thanks" and leaves. Sami then meets with Aldis, and is told that time is tight. Sami says that he is owed a little respect and cannot get a match, even though Cody can get time to address his fans while he cannot. Cody shows up, having overheard everything, makes himself Sami's opponent tonight.

Backstage, The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga) meet in the locker room. Tama Tonga says that everyone thinks they are weak, and says that Solo Sikoa has to handle Damian Priest and show that they are not weak, and that he must do this on his own for the family. Solo agrees, and tells Tama to get the match made.

Before the next match, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) show up. Nia says that tomorrow night she and Lash will end Paige and Brie Bella's nostalgia tour and take the women's tag titles back, and Lash says that taking Tiffany Stratton's title will be the perfect beginning to a golden weekend.

Tiffany Stratton retains the WWE Women's United States Championship against Lash Legend in an open challenge match. During the match, Chelsea Green shows up to support Tiffany Stratton from ringside. Near the end of the match, Nia Jax grabs at Tiffany as Tiffany is at the top rope, but Tiffany kicks her away. Chelsea soon sends Nia into the ring post, and when Lash grabs at Chelsea, Tiffany gets the schoolkid pin and the win to retain.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis finds out that the power issue in the arena is being caused by Danhausen working with his cloning machine. Danhausen disappears when he presses a button and the power goes out in the room.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews The Miz and Kit Wilson. The Miz insists that he is not cursed by Danhausen, despite what has happened to them as of late, then Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom) shows up. Axiom says that Danhausen has cursed The Miz, and Kit Wilson calls this disrespectful and toxic. The Miz then challenges Axiom to a match next week in his hometown, to which Axiom agrees.

Trick Williams and Lil Yachty head to the ring. As Trick Williams and Lil Yachty talk about The Miz interrupting them, Carmelo Hayes suddenly shows up and tells Trick to do the right thing, as Trick screwed him out of his championship opportunity. He also says that if it were not for Trick, he would still be United States Championship. Carmelo says that he is not here to discredit Trick and that he has always believed in him, then says there is a difference between carrying a title and being a champion. He says that he won the fans over with his hard work and his blood, sweat and tears, and tells Trick to give what both him and the fans want: a match for the WWE United States Championship right here, right now. Lil Yachty says that Trick Williams has a tight schedule, Carmelo tells Trick to make time for a title defense if his secretary allows for it, as the old Trick Williams would not have anyone telling him what to do. After Carmelo says that Trick was always good at playing second fiddle, Trick says that he does not eat dirty rice or chew his cabbage twice, and says that while he ended the open challenge, Carmelo will get his match tonight, and the ass-whupping is on the house. Trick Williams then calls for a referee for this impromptu title match.

Trick Williams beats Carmelo Hayes. During the match, Ricky Saints shows up to watch the match from ringside. Near the end of the match, Saints mouths off at Carmelo at ringside only to be shoved out of the way by authority at ringside, and when Saints' argument with referee Charles Robinson costs Carmelo the win, Carmelo knocks Saints off the ring apron. That allows Trick to hit the Trick Shot for the win.

Backstage, Sami Zayn is angry with himself again when he notices Johnny Gargano lying on a road crate. He tells Gargano what is going on, saying he knows what is going on around here and that Gargano is "the last good guy left" for letting nobody change who he is. When Sami leaves, Gargano knocks over the water bottle near his own head in reference to the two other water bottles that Sami has just angrily smacked around.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Ricky Saints, who is then immediately punched in the face by Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo then tells Saints to stay out of his business.

Charlotte Flair and Rhea Ripley beat Fatal Influence (Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid) after Charlotte gets a revenge-filled hot tag and hits Lainey Reid with Natural Selection following Rhea's Riptide in response to Lainey Reid hitting her with a superkick meant for Rhea. After the match, Rhea, Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are attacked by Jade Cargill, "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab. Cargill and Rhea are the only ones left near the ring, and Cargill hits Rhea with a pump kick followed by Jaded.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes. Cody says he and Sami Zayn are friends, but he does not recognize Sami so much and says that his change in attitude has become too much. He hopes to make Sami Zayn look in the mirror and become accountable, then says than Gunther can do whatever he wants, as he cannot change the fact that he is facing him.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Jade Cargill, "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab. Michin says that the women's division is lying about who is the best when they are the best, and that they will prove they are the best again. B-Fab says it is best their opponents not just show up. Jade Cargill says it is time to do the work and get her title back.

Solo Sikoa beats Damian Priest after Priest ends off Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga only for Solo to hit him with the Samoan Spike for the win. After the match, The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga) attack Damian Priest before Royce Keys shows up and makes quick work of Tama and Talla before confronting Solo, who just walks away. Royce helps Priest up, and Priest almost choke slams Royce before realizing who he is.

Backstage, we hear from Brie Bella and Paige. Brie and Paige have talked about their successful women's tag team title reign and state that there is more to staying champion than brute strength. They state that when they step into the ring at Saturday Night's Main Event, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) will not know what hit them.

Backstage, Chelsea Green runs into Blake Monroe. They both introduce themselves to each other, then Blake Monroe says she saw Chelsea earlier and wishes she didn't. Blake leaves, then The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) rush out and smack her into some road crates.

Backstage, Royce Keys confronts Damian Priest, asking him what his problem is and telling him that R-Truth told him to have Priest's back tonight. Priest says he does not know or trust him, and says that Royce would have done the same thing in his shoes. Royce says that if it is an issue Priest wants, it is an issue Priest will get.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes beats Sami Zayn after Gunther suddenly shows up and puts Cody in a sleeper hold from the apron. When this happens, Sami charges at Cody, but Cody dodges and Sami nails Gunther instead. Cody then hits Sami with the Cross Rhodes for the win. After the match, Cody and Gunther brawl, and Gunther powerbombs Cody. Sami confronts Gunther before Gunther can put Cody in a sleeper hold, but Sami backs down and lets Gunther put Cody in a sleeper anyway. Sami has second thoughts about leaving Cody to Gunther as he leaves, and Gunther ultimately makes Cody pass out before holding up the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Here are the highlights for tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for April 3, 2026

Randy Orton heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Orton asks the fans what they want to talk about, much like "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes, then says that it is no secret that St. Louis, Missouri is his hometown and has been for years, and that the next time he is here, he will be world champion. Orton then says he is becoming world champion again for him and for his family, who he considers his real home, and that Cody Rhodes will be heading home from WrestleMania empty-handed. He says that Cody gave him his blessing and told him that he needed to be "The Viper" and be the best version of himself, then says that the voices are talking to Cody and that Stephanie McMahon was right when she said Cody cannot beat him. He says that Cody is not a killer that and that there is no putting back to bed what Cody has awoken. Suddenly, Cody Rhodes shows up and heads to the ring. Cody and Orton brawl, and Cody quickly gets the momentum. All of a sudden, Pat McAfee gets in the ring and kicks Cody in the groin, revealing himself to be the one that Orton talked to on the phone. Orton then grabs a chair and hits Cody with it, then McAfee makes fun of the local sports team as General Manager Nick Aldis shows up with officials and states that it is a tough night for St. Louis. McAfee says that a month ago, he was asked when he would return WWE, and he said that he thought the business passed him by and that it was "absolute shit." He says Orton called him and told him it went in a direction that some people did not like. He says that the older fans who put WWE on their back to take it where it is now feel forgotten about as Orton chokes Cody with the chair, and says he has to watch two 5'5" guys wrestle each other in 45-minute Iron Man Matches for ten weeks straight for no rhyme or reason while Randy Orton is around. He says that gorilla positions keeps circlejerking themselves, that tickets are WrestleMania are somehow still available, and SmackDown has a puppet for a champion after its worst-rated episode of the year while Orton is around, and tells Orton to kick Cody's ass. Orton attacks Cody as McAfee says he has been the one on the phone telling Orton to kill everything, as the business Cody is leading is terrible and that Orton is going to "save the fucking business." Randy places the Undisputed WWE Championship on Cody before whispering into Cody's ear and leaving with Pat McAfee. Officials check on Cody.

Backstage, Pat McAfee and Randy Orton celebrate what they have done to "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes on their way out of the building.

Rhea Ripley beats "Michin" Mia Yim by submission with the Prism Trap. Jade Cargill shows up shortly after the beginning of the match to watch from ringside. After the match, B-Fab attacks Rhea, and while Rhea takes her out, Michin attacks Rhea from behind as Rhea is focused on Cargill, which leads to a beatdown. As Cargill is about to hit Rhea Ripley with Jaded, Iyo Sky shows up and fends off Michin and B-Fab, and she and Rhea clean house.

Backstage, Matt Cardona is met by Aleister Black and Zelina Vega. Aleister says that Randy Orton went back to being himself and that the universe is right again, and Zelina says that Cardona cannot accept that. Cardona says he has talked to General Manager Nick Aldis, and that they can fight tonight. Aleister says that Cardona is a fan of making bad decisions before he leaves.

Backstage, Solo Sikoa talks with the MFT's (Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo). He says that Uncle Howdy wants to challenge for the lantern, and wants to know who will take care of Uncle Howdy. Tama Tonga says that the lantern has been nothing but trouble for all of them, including Solo. Solo tells Tama to take care of Howdy, and while Tama obliges, he will do this alone. Solo says he is okay with this, then tells him not to mess this up.

Backstage, Rhea Ripley tells Iyo Sky that she owes her one before Cathy Kelley interviews her. Rhea says that Jade Cargill has proven that she cannot do this one on her own, and that she did not know she had a back-up plan. She says Cargill has followers while she has friends, and Iyo tells Rhea she will always have her back. Rhea says she will always have Iyo's back and that she will walk out of WrestleMania as champion.

Uncle Howdy beats Tama Tonga when Solo Sikoa shows up and almost hits Uncle Howdy with the lantern only to get caught by the referee. This leads to Solo arguing with Tama followed by Uncle Howdy hitting Tama Tonga for the win. After the match, Solo and Tama argue, and Tama takes the lantern, saying that Solo does not need this. He lets Howdy take the lantern and holds Solo back, telling Solo to let the lantern go.

Backstage, Kit Wilson and The Miz - the latter looking sweaty and having had a rough day - are worried about Danhausen's curse when they run into R-Truth, who is setting up a new clubhouse. Miz says R-Truth takes nothing seriously and challenges R-Truth to inspire someone, saying he has never earned anything in WWE. R-Truth takes this as a challenge for the WWE tag team championships and goes to talk to General Manager Nick Aldis.

We hear from Jacob Fatu, who says that is just him and Drew McIntyre one-on-one in an unsanctioned match at WrestleMania. He says his life has been one big rollercoaster, and one is forced into the gutter, one is forced to be part of the environmental and that it all comes down to survival. He says that every decision he made and every day he was locked up brought him to this moment, and in this match, there are no rules, no one to stop him, no one to break it up and no one to tell him what to do. Jacob says that at WrestleMania, McIntyre is in his world, and he will see if McIntyre can make it out.

Backstage, Sami Zayn meets with General Manager Nick Aldis. He finds out that he has pyro, then apologizes for last week. Aldis says it is not necessary, saying that Sami did what he had to, then tells him to go out to the ring and talk to the fans before Trick Williams' theme plays. Rapper Lil Yachty accompanies Trick to the ring, and Trick celebrates having his first WrestleMania match before stating that since the guests are rolling out, it was only right to bring out Lil Yachty. Lil Yachty says that WrestleMania is for legends in the making like Trick, and Trick mentions that the two of them have history before stating that he will do what it takes to win the United States title and that he will "take no lip from no Gingerbread Man." He then says to hit Sami Zayn's pyro, because Trick Williams runs SmackDown. Sami Zayn shows up and says Trick Williams is celebrating before he has won and that pageantry has never really been his thing. He says that he is focused on winning, then says that 50,000 signs will be pointed at the ring at WrestleMania and that all the presentation, pageantry and celebration will not save him from one of the best to ever do it in the ring. Sami tells Trick that he will "humble [his] ass" at WrestleMania, and Trick tells Lil Yachty that "Ginger Snap is pretty upset" and fails to realize that he only has the United States Championship and is going to WrestleMania because of him. Carmelo Hayes shows up and heads to the ring and says he cannot sit back and watch things go down like this, then mentions his history with Trick, saying that he will spin the block and give Trick his receipt. Carmelo says that the end of their match does not sit well with him and that he carried the United States Championship on his back only for Sami to win it in the fashion that he did, and that the fans want him, not Sami, at WrestleMania. Carmelo tells Sami to listen to the fans and give him his rematch. Sami agrees with Carmelo and that he deserves a rematch and does not want to take anything from him, and that while he is sorry that this happened at his expense, he will have to wait until after WrestleMania. Sami acknowledges that Trick Williams got involved in their match, and says the same thing happened to him regarding Cody Rhodes. He says this may have worked in his favor this time around, but he is not happy about it. Carmelo tells Sami to do the right thing. Sami tells Carmelo that he has his rematch tonight. If Carmelo wins, he gets Trick Williams; if he wins, he gets Trick, and this is the last he hears of this. Carmelo accepts and heads to the back. Trick laughs and thanks Sami for finally saving some time, and Sami clotheslines Trick out of the ring.

Backstage, Solo Sikoa confronts Tama Tonga for returning the lantern to Uncle Howdy. Tama says the lantern tore them apart and that it is time to get back to business and take all the titles. Solo agrees, then says that once they finish The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis, Nikki Cross), they will get back to business. Tama looks at the MFT's (Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo) while Solo looks at Tama with a side eye.

Aleister Black beats Matt Cardona.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. Bayley says that losing last year's opportunity sucked, but she has made a career out of fighting with her back against the wall, and they will win the women's tag titles on Monday after Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss get a taste of what will happen at WrestleMania. Lyra Valkyria says that if Charlotte and Alexa had gone through what they did, they would not be a team. Lyra says this is more than about friendship or championship gold, but about making it iup to Bayley and making the last year worth it.

Backstage, R-Truth speaks with Candice LeRae and Johnny Gargano. R-Truth admits that he thought Gargano was dead when he found him on the floor, but Gargano says that he is still alive and about to win the North American Championship before he and Candice leave. Damian Priest then shows up wanting to know why they are facing The Miz and Kit Wilson with their titles on the line, but R-Truth says that Asuka cursed them. Priest reminds him that he is really talking about Danhausen, but R-Truth insists that it is Asuka who did it and that it will not only be like taking candy from a baby, but that St. Louis, Missouri gets to see that it "It's 'Wepa' Time."

We hear from Drew McIntyre. He says that his family was about to see him walk out as Undisputed WWE Champion, but the title was stolen from him again, this time by Jacob Fatu. He says that Jacob has made excuses, justifications and lies as well as a criminal and a thief who has the potential to change but never will because he is a convict. He says Jacob's family made his life hell and that Jacob is the worst of all to the point that he cannot outrun his past. McIntyre says he will prove Jacob "guilty as charged" and show who Jacob really is.

It is announced that Nikki Bella has suffered an ankle injury last week and that she will hopefully get better by WrestleMania 42.

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss beat Bayley and Lyra Valkyria. After the match, both teams are laid out by The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend).

Backstage, The Miz tells Kit Wilson that the curse is a myth, as they have a WWE Tag Team Championship match, and the universe corrects itself. Danhausen shows up with his jar of teeth, and offers to accompany them to the ring to show them how to be him. Kit Wilson calls Danhausen toxic, but Danhausen offers to undo the curse. The Miz tells Danhausen to stay away from the ring, then Danhausen disappears the moment Miz looks away.

Rapper Sexxy Red is seen in the crowd.

Damian Priest and R-Truth retain the WWE Tag Team Championships against Kit Wilson and The Miz. During the match, Danhausen shows up and tries to tag out The Miz, but both the referee and The Miz are having none of it. R-Truth tags in Danhausen, and The Miz tells Danhausen to get out. Danhausen tries to curse The Miz, but The Miz uses referee Dan Engler as a human shield and Engler gets cursed instead. The Miz is able to hit R-Truth with a Skull Crushing Finale soon after, but Engler's wrist suddenly hurts as he makes the three count. This allows Priest to tag in and hit South of Heaven on the Miz to retain, with referee Dan Engler making the count with his other hand. After the match, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes suddenly shows up, hits Kit Wilson with a Cross Rhodes, then addresses Pat McAfee. He says this is like The Outsiders (Kevin Nash and Scott Hall) talking about the third man, except it was Disco Inferno instead of Hulk Hogan. Rhodes says that McAfee will get his receipt and that he and everyone who represents him can kiss his ass, saying that firing him "went well the last time," then mentions everyone telling him he must go to a dark place and become a bad guy to beat Randy Orton. Cody admits he does not know if he can do it anymore, as he has two children and his dream job, and says that while he was wrestling current greats in WWE, they were also wrestling him. He says that he is finally hearing those voices in his head, then says that the fans do not want to hear what they have to say.

Trick Williams and rapper Lil Yachty show up to watch the next match from ringside.

Sami Zayn retains the WWE United States Championship against Carmelo Hayes after hitting Carmelo with the Helluva Kick when Carmelo tweaks the right knee when he misses Nothing But Net. After the match, Lil Yachty congratulates Sami Zayn before putting Trick Williams on a pedestal. Sami confronts Yachty for calling him "The Gingerbread Man," and Trick attacks Sami from behind with Yachty holding Sami down for the Trick Shot to the jaw.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments from tonight's show!