Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for August 28, 2026

Kevin Owens heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Owens admits that this is not how he wanted to come back to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, as he has lost many WWE Championship matches and yet none of them felt as bad to lose as the one on Friday in Toronto. He says that it was perfect, as he did not know if he would ever get back in the ring, and when he was medically cleared, he got in the ring as soon as he could so he could be in that #1 contender's match and win the WWE Championship not just to do it in front of his own countrymen, but because his parents would be able to be at that show, as when he was here two years ago, his mother was fighting for her life, and luckily, she kicked out and is still here. He mentions that travel is more difficult for her now, but she and her father came to Friday's show. Owens then says that Sami Zayn made sure he did not win the WWE Championship in front of his parents, and that while he and Sami have done horrible things to each other, he cannot forgive or forget, as it was not just about winning the WWE Championship, but because he will never get another opportunity like Friday again. Owens tells Sami that he will deal with him when the time comes, but on that night, everyone knows that he had CM Punk beat and that he was better than the best in the world. Owens says that Punk got lucky and capitalized on Sami's actions, then tells Punk that they are far from done and just getting started, and that he will not stop until he takes the WWE Championship from him. All of a suddenly, CM Punk suddenly shows up and says he does need Sami's help and that he will send Owens packing again. General Manager Nick Aldis quickly gets between them as Punk gets to the ring, then Gunther shows up. Gunther says that if he keeps listening to this, his ears will start to bleed, then realizes that Punk and Owens hate each other so much because when they look at each other, they see themselves, then says that he is here to remind them of what matters now. Gunther tells Owens that while he is glad that his mother kicked out, he is glad that Owens did not. Before Gunther can address Punk, however, Finn Balor shows up, and Gunther interrupts Finn only for Finn to tell him to shut up and that everyone is getting tired of his act. He says that Owens already had his opportunity and that Owens and Gunther have yet to beat him, then says that the line now begins with him. General Manager Nick Aldis says that there is nothing more to discuss, and has Owens, Gunther and Finn Balor face each other in a #1 contender's Triple Threat Match in tonight's main event.

Backstage, Chelsea Green is met by Tiffany Stratton. Chelsea says she is heading out to the ring, and Tiffany says that she does not want anything to jeopardize Chelsea's championship reign. Chelsea tells Tiffany that she will be by her side and that she will see her out there.

The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) beat Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton. During the match, Nia Jax re-breaks Chelsea Green's orbital bone with a headbutt, forcing Tiffany Stratton to wrestle on her own for a while as medical checks on Chelsea, but as medical helps Chelsea to the back, Chelsea gets back to the ring and tags herself in to save the match. The match ends with Nia Jax hitting Chelsea Green with the A-Nia-Lator.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis is met by Danhausen, then Gunther shows up. Danhausen is impressed to meet Gunther, who is not happy that Aldis is making him jump through hoops. Aldis tells him that there are no shenanigans and no other hoops to jump through, confirming that if he wins tonight, he gets a shot at the WWE Championship. To Danhausen's disappointment, Danhausen cannot get into the match to make it a Fatal 4-Way.

Jacy Jayne retains the WWE Women's United States Championship against Paige with an inside cradle following the distraction by Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. After the match, Paige is attacked from behind by Nikki Bella, who then hits Paige with the Rack Attack 2.0.

Backstage, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes is met by Finn Balor, who mentions tonight's main event and tells Cody that by the time Cody is done with Randy Orton, there will be a new WWE Champion around here, and they can face each other for the title. Cody tells Finn that he will see him on the other side.

Backstage, Trick Williams meets with Lil Yachty regarding last week, asking him if he is ready for Baron Corbin, as Corbin is a monster. Lil Yachty says he has had bigger fish fried in his pan and that Corbin disrespected both of them. Lil Yachty says he will do the impossible and last the five minutes, then Trick will whup that trick and get the United States Championship back. Yachty leaves, then Trick runs into Corbin, who says that he does not ahave friends because friends make people do stupid things, then says he will whup Yachty. Trick says Corbin is not as entertaining as he is, but Corbin says he does not have to be entertaining because he is the champ.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. Rhodes addresses Orton, saying that while he wants to beat Orton up right now, he does not think it accomplishes the whole "killing the Legend Killer" thing. Cody says that a fifteenth world championship is not in the cards for Orton anymore, as every time Orton moves up, he screws up and beats himself. Cody talks about how he was there first-hand when others got shown the door while Orton got slaps on the wrist and do-overs, and says that Orton screwed up again by getting between him and the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, and that it will be him killing the Legend Killer and not Randy beating Randy. Suddenly, Randy Orton shows up and heads to the ring, and says that he had zero accountability for his actions and made bad decision after bad decision while Cody was in the driver's seat for it, both figuratively and literally, and says that if he were Cody, he would punch him right in the face. Orton dares Cody to take a swing at him, which Cody refuses to do, then Orton says that he came back after a 100-day vacation to ensure that Cody did not beat Punk for the WWE Championship, and asks Cody if that makes him want to take another swing. Orton then mentions Cody's dog Pharaoh, and Cody takes his jacket off and walks in a circle around the ring before Orton tells Cody that he will beat him in his hometown at Sunday Night's Main Event. Orton then asks Cody if he will make sure that his "trailer park trash" mother is watching in the front row as he beats his ass, which causes Cody to loosen his tie. Orton then mentions Brandi Rhodes, asking if Brandi will be there before daring Cody to take a swing again. Cody says that he knows what Orton is doing and that he knew Orton would do this just to get out of their match, and that he is counting the days until Sunday Night's Main Event to find out if Orton really is the once-in-a-lifetime superstar like Dusty Rhodes or a first-class screw-up like "Cowboy" Bob Orton Jr. Cody then tells Orton that he will see him in Atlanta, Georgia.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Tatum Paxley. Tatum says her mind has been racing, then whispers a secret into Jackie's ear. Jackie thanks Tatum, then laves. Tatum then meets with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss and thanks them for the brunch, then finds out that they will face Jade Cargill, "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab in a six-woman tag match at Sunday Night's Main Event. Charlotte tells Tatum not to make her regret this as Tatum high-fives her and Alexa, then Tatum says she will see Charlotte and Alexa in the ring.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Rey Fenix. Fenix says he loves his brother Penta, but this is his moment, and he will be a World Heavyweight Champion. Ricky Saints shows up and says that Fenix will lose the tournament, come back with his tail tucked between his legs, and give him a shot at the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship. Fenix says he will win the tournament, then win the title, come back, and shut Saints up.

Tatum Paxley beats "Michin" Mia Yim in her main roster debut match.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Blake Monroe. Blake says her match with Giulia was beneath her, and asks why General Manager Nick Aldis would put her in a match like that in the first place. Blake then says that she will make her debut when she gets an opponent of her caliber, then she is suddenly attacked from behind by Guilia.

Backstage, Kevin Owens runs into Randy Orton, who says that while Owens was right about "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes, he has not forgotten how Owens dropped him on his head.

We hear from The MFT's (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) and Haku. Tama Tonga says Damian Priest and R-Truth brought everything they had, but it was not enough, and they put them down. Tama says that not everybody has gotten the message. Talla Tonga says that he put Nakamura on the shelf for months, but Nakamura is now back and he has brought Kyoki with him. Tama says that Kyoki is not in Japan anymore, and that he is in his territory just to get put in the dirt. Haku says they must not undestimate their enemies, and that their challengers should be destroyed because they are "the motherfuckin' Tongans." Backstage, Damian Priest has watched the promo, and R-Truth walks in and says that he and Priest are going to get the WWE Tag Team Championships back. Priest says the past summer has been incredible, but they no longer have the titles and that it is time to move on. Priest says he wanted to focus on singles championships, then tells R-Truth that he still has his back. The War Raiders (Ivar and Erik) show up wanting to give R-Truth and Priest the beating they wanted to give to The MFT's, but R-Truth takes this as a challenge and dares The War Raiders to put the AAA World Tag Team Championships on the line. Erik says they can do this in Mexico City, Mexico, and R-Truth says they have a match, much to Priest's chagrin.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis is met by The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend). Nia Jax wants a championship match, but Aldis says Chelsea Green needs to be re-evaluated. Nia reminds Aldis of Chelsea's 30-days defense clause, and tells him that if she does not get a shot at the Interim WWE Women's Championship in two weeks, she will take it by force. The Irresistible Forces leave, then The Miz and Kit Wilson - who are now back to normal - show up and mention what Danhausen did to them and that Aldis owes them for what they had to go through with Danhausen. Aldis puts The Miz and Shinsuke and Kyoki.

Kevin Owens vs. Gunther vs. Finn Balor in an Undisputed WWE Championship #1 contender's Triple Threat Match ends in a no-contest. During the match, Finn Balor hits Gunther with the Coup de Grace only to be pulled out of the pinfall attempt by Sami Zayn, who then punches out referee Dan Engler when confronted by Engler. Owens hits Gunther with a Stunner, but the referee is down. Another referee heads to the ring, but Sami Zayn takes him out as well. CM Punk arrives and beats Sami up, saying "This is justice!" before throwing him into a ring post. Punk chases Sami into the ring only for Owens to brawl with him, and Owens lays Punk out only for Sami to hit Owens with the Undisputed WWE Championship and do the same to Finn Balor. Gunther gets in the ring and puts Sami in a sleeper hold, but Sami hits him with the WWE Championship. Punk then runs at Sami only to be hit with the title as well. Sami then lifts up the Undisputed WWE Championship and says "No justice, no peace" as the show ends.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

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!

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for July 17, 2026

Gunther heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Gunther says he has prided himself as a professional his entire career, but since he has joined SmackDown, he has been mistreated. He chalks it up to possible jealousy from General Manager Nick Aldis, then says he should be Undisputed WWE Champion right now and everybody knows it. Gunther says that all that prevents him from being champion is Aldis himself, as he made this personal. He then states that Aldis is forcing him to team up with Sami Zayn against "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and CM Punk at Saturday Night's Main Event, then calls Sami "a bum" who is beneath him and calls being put in this position unacceptable. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce shows up and says that Gunther should be thanking Aldis for saving his job after his actions in the last few weeks, and says that if it were up to him, Gunther would have been fired. He then says the position came from the higher-ups and that Aldis has made sure that his match with Sami Zayn against Cody and Punk goes as scheduled, including the stipulation. Pearce announces that if Gunther and Sami win on Saturday, Gunther will be added to the Undisputed WWE Championship match at SummerSlam, and the match will become a Fatal 4-Way. Suddenly, Cody Rhodes shows up and runs into the ring to attack Gunther, much to Pearce's chagrin. Cody sends Gunther out of the ring, then tells Gunther that it is on sight after what Gunther did to him and that Gunther will not make it past Saturday Night's Main Event. Cody then says that the road to Saturday runs through him and that he wants a one-on-one match with Gunther, and that all he needs is Pearce's blessing. Pearce makes the match official.

Backstage, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce announces that Rhea Ripley is closing to returning from injury, yet it is his unfortunate duty to announce that Rhea will not be able to compete at SummerSlam. Pearce announces that tonight and over the next few weeks, there will be five matches to determine who enters a ladder match to decide an Interim WWE Women's Champion. When Rhea Ripley returns, an undisputed champion will be decided.

Finn Balor beats Talla Tonga after hitting Tama Tonga with the Sling Blade on the outside.

Backstage, CM Punk meets with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce. He feels that Gunther wants to hurt "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes instead of win, but Pearce says that Cody wants his receipt. Punk says he will talk to Cody, then meets with Damian Priest, who thanks him for the shout-out from last week and is waiting for him if he still champion. Punk says he and Cody will be waiting if he and R-Truth stay tag team champions. Punk leaves, then R-Truth shows up, apparently having heard nothing that Priest and Punk were talking about.

We hear from Jade Cargill, Nia Jax, Jacy Jayne and Tiffany Stratton, who are looking forward to winning tonight and advancing to the ladder match to decide an Interim WWE Women's Champion.

Tiffany Stratton beats Jacy Jayne in an Interim WWE Women's Championship ladder match qualifier. Before the match begins, Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) attack Tiffany, but Brie Bella and Paige rush in to even the numbers and make the match truly one-on-one.

We hear from Baron Corbin, who says he has been watching everyone think they can walk the walk and talk the talk when he is the real deal and everyone knows it. He says that Trick Williams is the first name on a long list while Carmelo Hayes is collateral damage. He tells Trick to smile while he can and enjoy it while he can, because he is coming for it all.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Trick Williams, who calls Baron Corbin "a bald-headed bitch," then Carmelo Hayes shows up and says that Trick Williams is not better than him and that he can see it just by looking at him. Trick says he has been on SmackDown longer than him and has done nothing, then tells Carmelo to mind his business while grown folk are talking.

Actor Matthew Rhys is seen in the front row.

Jade Cargill beats Nia Jax by disqualification in an Interim WWE Women's Championship ladder match qualifier after Charlotte Flair shows up, attacks B-Fab and "Michin" Mia Yim at ringside, then hits Jade Cargill with a big boot in the ring in full view of the referee. After the match, Charlotte wraps a metal folding chair around Jade Cargill's right arm, but Michin and B-Fab pull Cargill out of the ring. Cargill is declared winner by disqualification, and an angry Nia Jax squashes Charlotte in the corner and leaves. Cargill then hits Charlotte with Jaded.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Gunther. Gunther says that "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes always finds a way to make everything about him and solely acts on emotion, and tonight, he will beat rationale into Cody. As for tomorrow, he does not care about Sami Zayn, and he will go into SummerSlam and become Undisputed WWE Champion. Candice LeRae wheels Johnny Gargano out, and tells Gunther that if he wins, Sami Zayn is also in the Undisputed WWE Championship match, and that she and Gargano need this win. Gunther tells Candice to tell Sami to show up, shut up and not get in his way. Gunther leaves, and Blake Monroe - who has been waiting in the background - attacks Candice from behind before introducing herself. Blake leaves, then tells Gargano he needs a haircut.

Backstage, Nia Jax and Lash Legend demand consequences for Charlotte Flair from Raw General Manager Adam Pearce, and Pearce gives Nia Jax another opportunity at the Interim WWE Women's Championship ladder match next week against Charlotte Flair.

The Relyea Family are the recipients of tonight's Papa John's Seat Upgrade.

The War Raiders (Ivar and Erik) beat Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom).

In footage from earlier today at Fantatics Fest NYC, LA Knight makes fun of The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) alongside Royce Keys and Solo Sikoa before stating that the three of them will beat The Usos and Jacob Fatu at SummerSlam. We then see even more footage from Fanatics Fest NYC.

Backstage, CM Punk meets with "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes regarding his match with Gunther tonight, asking if it is a good idea. Cody says it is not, but Punk would have done the same thing. Punk tells Cody that he has his back tonight in case Gunther tries to hurt him, but Cody tells Punk to watch from backstage as he does not want him at ringside.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Danhausen. Danhausen says he will not be outnumbered, then puts a cage with a stuffed black cat inside it on a nearby table, saying the cat will curse JD McDonagh on Saturday. A nearby monitor sparks, then Danhausen says he and Jackie should run.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther ends in a no-contest. During the match, CM Punk heads to ringside to cheer Cody on, and later on, Sami Zayn comes out of the crowd to attack CM Punk at ringside. Cody confronts Sami, and Gunther goes for a sleeper hold on a distracted Cody only for Cody to slip out and hits Sami with a tope suicida. Cody gets back in the ring, and Sami drags Cody back out of the ring and attacks him in full view of the referee, ending the match. After the match, Punk and Cody brawl with Gunther and Sami, and officials rush in to break up the brawl as the show ends.

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 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 May 15, 2026

Trick Williams heads to the ring, accompanied by Lil Yachty and Cocky the Gamecock (the South Carolina Gamecocks' mascot) to start tonight's show. Trick is excited to be back home and references the special chicken wing sauce from Kiki's Chicken and Waffles, which were used to accidentally christen "the lemon pepper steppers." He also talks about his time playing football for the University of South Carolina and mentions that his family is here, then declares that South Carolina has created a star. The Miz and Kit Wilson suddenly show up, and The Miz says that Trick's career is starting to look like rejected mascots from his daughter's birthday party, and asks if this is WWE or Sesame Street before asking if Big Bird is going to come out. Lil Yachty takes exception to The Miz's interruption, and says this is why he and Kit Wilson were attacked by Minihausens and cursed. Miz insists that he is not cursed, and Kit Wilson reads slam poetry where he mocks Trick and Lil Yachty. Lil Yachty decides to hit them both with a rebuttal of his own, and also says that Miz has tiny balls. A furious miz wants to leave Columbia, South Carolina, which he calls "a dumpster fire of a city" before stating that if he lived in Columbia, he would volunteer to move to Tennessee. He then calls for a referee so he can whup Trick in front of his mama, and when Kit Wilson opens his mouth, Trick slaps him before sending him and Miz out of the ring.

Trick Williams beats The Miz. During the match, The Miz produces a shinai from underneath the ring, but Lil Yachty takes ita way from him before he can use it and strikes Kit Wilson with it before tossing him into the announce table. Trick then hits the Trick Shot for the win.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Carmelo Hayes. Carmelo says he may have been gone for a month, but he has watched Sami Zayn and Carmelo Hayes make a mockery of the WWE United States Championship and that he is shooting for the title again. Suddenly, Ricky Saints shows up and says that SmackDown has changed, but Carmelo Hayes takes this as a challenge and warns him that the main roster has a way of humbling people and that Saints will eventually be humbled. Saints says that Carmelo needs to learn a lesson and that he will see him in the ring tonight.

General Manager Nick Aldis speaks with Rey Fenix, then meets with Sami Zayn, who says that he did things at WrestleMania that he is ashamed of and wants a rematch at the WWE United States Championship so he can do things the right way, but Aldis tells him he will have to earn it. Sami goes back to mentioning his "ride or die" fans and that the last several years have to have proven something, then Aldis says that Sami has things to deal with that he needs to deal with and that all he sees out of Sami is entitlement. Fenix tells Sami to calm down, and has to tell him to calm down and that he does not even recognize him when Sami insists he is the same person while everything around him has changed.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Brie Bella and Paige. Brie says the women's division is competitive and that holding the women's tag titles is like being in a shark tank and everyone wants to take a bite, including The Judgment Day (Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez). Paige says that it took years to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships and that they are not giving them up easily, then The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) show up wanting Paige and Brie to win so they can get the titles back.

Paige and Brie Bella beat Giulia and Kiana James.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Tiffany Stratton. All of a sudden, Giulia and Kiana James are heard arguing with each other, then Chelsea Green shows up and says that Giulia and Kiana have been bickering since she beat both of them. Tiffany says that some people are not meant to be a team and are oblivious to it. Chelsea says that would never be them, and Tiffany agrees, saying they were never meant to be a team before walking away.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes shows up and sets up his own contract signing in the middle of the ring, complete with a contract for a match with Gunther for the Undisputed WWE Championship as well as a contract for Gunther to come to SmackDown. Gunther shows up and accuses Cody of making this all about himself "like a typical American," and says that Cody cries and complains when the attention is not on him. Gunther says that this is his deal and his title match, and that the Undisputed WWE Championship will be his title. Gunther tells Cody to be professional, address him nicely and say "please." Cody reminds Gunther that he is the one to get the drop on him, got a favor from "The Oracle" Paul Heyman, and refused to sign last week. He says that Gunther is making it weird and that he will make it simple, and tells him to sign the contract so he can guarantee himself an ass whipping at Clash in Italy, remembering to say "please" in the process. Gunther says that Cody did not mean anything he said, and as he rephrases things for Cody, Royce Keys shows up and says that if Gunther will not sign it, he will. Royce Keys gets in the ring, but Gunther gets in the ring and argues with Royce Keys over the contract. General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and tells Gunther he has overplayed his hand to the point that his title shot is up for grabs, then makes a match between Gunther and Royce Keys where the winner will sign the contract to face Cody for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Crash in Italy. A furious Gunther leaves the ring, and Cody tells Royce that while he is proud of Royce, he is still easy to find and hard to beat.

Backstage, The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga) meet. Solo tells Tama to take Damian Priest out tonight, then leaves with Talla to talk to Royce Keys. Shinsuke Nakamura shows up, but he is taken out by Talla Tonga, who choke slams him through a table.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis tells Gunther again that he overplayed his hand and that he will have to earn his title shot.

Carmelo Hayes beats Ricky Saints with a schoolkid pin while using the ropes for leverage after Saints gets caught by referee Charles Robinson for using the top rope for leverage during a stack-up pin in the corner.

Backstage, R-Truth meets with Royce Keys and thanks him for last week, then says that they are making a clubhouse for The Judgment Day and that Royce should fill out an application to join. Damian Priest shows up after Royce leaves and figures out what is going on, and he finds it suspicious that The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga) are attacking everyone but Royce. He says that Royce has yet to earn his respect because of that, and tells R-Truth to be careful. R-Truth tells Priest that he was right about last week and says it will not happen again. Priest says that whatever happens tonight happens, but at least R-Truth will be safe, ashe is not medically cleared and cannot be out at the ring tonight.

Backstage, Danhausen heads to his laboratory for another experiment, which he expects to be bigger, better and larger. He drags out a body on a gurney for his next creation.

Damian Priest beats Tama Tonga. (The match was originally Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga vs. Damian Priest and R-Truth for the WWE Tag Team Championships, but R-Truth is not medically cleared after last week.) After the match, Priest is attacked by Talla Tonga as Solo Sikoa gets in the ring to hit a Samoan Spike.

Backstage, Sami Zayn is seen talking about his recent meeting with General Manager Nick Aldis and complaining that SmackDown is not the same to a planking Johnny Gargano. Candice LeRae shows up not happy that Gargano is not doing any better, and Sami tells Gargano to block out the noise before leaving.

Jade Cargill, B-Fab and "Michin" Mia Yim head to the ring. Cargill says everyone acts tough when she is not in the building, but when her music hits, everyone gets real quiet. She says that Rhea Ripley found out that pressure busts pipes, and at Clash in Italy, she busts champions, too. Jade Cargill says that the WWE Women's Championship is coming home to her, then Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss show up. Charlotee says that nobody wants to hear Cargill talk, as this is Flair Country, and that Cargill finally pissed her off last week. Cargill wants to know where Rhea is, and Alexa wants to know why Michin and B-Fab are not making Cargill look good. Charlotte then tells Cargill to take a seat and take some notes, and Cargill tells Charlotte and Alexa to entertain her, as she is getting bored of them.

We see another vignette for "The Glamour" Blake Monroe, who is coming soon to SmackDown.

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss beats "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab by disqualification after Jade Cargill pulls Alexa out of a pinfall attempt and hits her with a forearm on the outside. After the match, both teams continue to brawl, and Charlotte makes quick work of Michin and B-Fab before daring Cargill to face her.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid). Fallon says that in this business, you are either predator or prey, and Tatal Influence is at the top of the food chain. Lainey says all the team wants to act like best friends, but nobody can stand each other. Jacy says they are a unit and loyalty is their currency, and it will pay dividends when they are draped in gold. She tells the women's division to take this as a warning shot before they all fall at the feet of Fatal Influence.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss have a conversation. Charlotte says she is working hard on being a team player, but wants to know where Rhea Ripley was this week. She says they have been outnumbered for the last six months, and Alexa say they need help. Charlotte says she does not need help, but Alexa says theya re outnumbered and Rhea owes them.

Backstage, Solo Sikoa meets with Royce Keys, saying he can help him beat Gunther and become champion. He tells Royce to listen to him, not Jacob Fatu, and that the two of them can take over SmackDown and take everything. He also says that he does not want what happened to Shinsuke Nakamura to happen to him. Royce says he has this, and Solo says that Jacob Fatu said the same thing.

Gunther beats Royce Keys in an Undisputed WWE Championship #1 contender's match. During the match, Solo Sikoa wills Royce Keys to get up from Gunther's sleeper hold, and eventually slides a metal folding chair to Royce only for Royce to throw the chair at Solo. Gunther hits Royce Keys with a clothesline followed by a powerbomb for the win. After the match, Gunther grabs and speaks into the camera only to be hit with a Cross Rhodes from out of nowhere by "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes to end the show.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

Raw Deal - Raw recap for March 2, 2026

At the start of the show, it is revealed that as per SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes will be defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Drew McIntyre on SmackDown this Friday due to McIntyre's actions at Elimination Chamber.

The Vision ("The Oracle" Paul Heyman, Logan Paul, Austin Theory) heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Paul Heyman says that Seth "Freakin'" Rollins stole the credit of founding The Vision and co-founding The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth "Freakin'" Rollins, Roman Reigns) and deserves neither, and that Rollins stole the Elimination Chamber and the main event of WrestleMania from Logan Paul. Heyman then says that they will do something about this, and that the next time Rollins is in a WWE ring, The Vision will stomp him out. He says this is not a prediction or a spoiler, but a personal guarantee from The Vision. Austin Theory mentions his history with Rollins, saying that Rollins is not going forward after what he did to Logan Paul, and Logan Paul mentions that he eliminated three participants in the Chamber until Rollins stole the victory from him. General Manager Adam Pearce shows up with security and accuses The Vision of attacking "Main Event" Jey Uso before telling The Vision they will not hold the show hostage. Heyman says they did not attack Jey Uso, but tells Pearce they can plead guilty in advance to what they will do to Rollins. Pearce says that he wants to have a conversation with Rollins and cannot have it with The Vision in the ring. All of a sudden, a masked man in black shows up from out of the crowd, but is chased by security. A second one then shows up, and gets chased by Logan. A third one shows, and Theory chases him through the crowd. Heyman is all alone in the ring when a fourth one shows up, and a fifth man - who is really Rollins - shows up with a chair and blasts Heyman in the back with it. Rollins then stomps out Heyman with The Stomp. Rollins then leaves through the crowd, and medical personnel check on Heyman in the ring.

Backstage, a bloodied "The Oracle" Paul Heyman is in an ambulance. Logan Paul and Austin Theory check on Heyman, then Jimmy Uso shows up and attacks the both of them. LA Knight is the driver of the ambulance.

Gunther beats Dragon Lee by submission after countering Operation Dragon with a sleeper and ripping Dragon Lee's mask off while he has him in the hold.

Backstage, Asuka chews out Kairi Sane for her recent actions and walks off. AJ Lee shows up right after walks off, and Kairi Sane is staring forward blankly as Asuka calls for Kairi, much to AJ Lee's amazement.

It is announced that The Demolition (Ax and Smash) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

AJ Lee heads to the ring. AJ Lee says she came back to WWE to snatch the hair off of Becky Lynch's head and ended up snatching her title, and admitted that she did not know if she could still go. She mentions that the fans still remembered her when they could have forgotten, and made her believe she could still fight the very best. AJ says she beat Becky and that Becky gave her the fight of her life, and she proved she is still who she thinks she is. AJ states that while Becky is behind her, WrestleMania is ahead of her, but she is not waiting until then and that she will be a fighting champion, for it has been twelve long years since he last held a title and she is not taking this for granted or wasting time. She talks about how a few weeks ago, she wanted to face a few women in the locker room, and now that she has the Women's Intercontinental Championship, she knows they will want to get their hands on her. AJ Lee then dares anyone who thinks they are main event material and want to face their favorite wrestler's favorite wrestler to step up, for the next time she is in the ring, she is defending the title.

In backstage footage from earlier today, El Grande Americano I runs into Penta, who says that he is looking forward to Penta's Intercontinental Championship and is wanting the first shot if he wins. Los Americanos (El Grande Americano II, Rayo Americano, Bravo Americano) show up, wanting to know how long El Grande Americano I will keep up the charade. El Grande Americano I says he is the only El Grande Americano, but El Grande Americano II, who is clad all in black and gold, says they will see who the real one is in two weeks. El Grande Americano I then challenges Rayo and Bravo to a one-on-one match.

We hear from Liv Morgan, who says that Stephanie Vaquer tried to judge and embarrass her and does not know about her struggles. Shen then sarcastically states that she is privileged while mocking Vaquer's own struggles, and that she does not dwell on her past like Vaquer does. Liv admits she sees a little bit of herself in Vaquer, and at WrestleMania, she will give Vaquer the privilege of stepping into the ring with the greatest Royal Rumble winner of all time and " the Liv Morgan," and Vaquer will learn everything she needs to know.

El Grande Americano I beats Rayo Americano despite rampant interference and distractions by Bravo Americano and El Grande Americano II.

We hear from Penta, who says that when the bell rings, he will not just fight; he will come out with all of the energy, love and hearts of the people. He says that nothing and no one will save "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio when he makes history and becomes Intercontinental Champion.

Backstage, Liv Morgan proposes that Raquel Rodriguez challenge AJ Lee for the Women's Intercontinental Championship. Dominik speaks with JD McDonagh when Finn Balor shows up. Finn says he is not happy with how Elimination Chamber went down, but he is at peace. Dominik wants to know if Finn and JD will be there after he wins, to which they say they will.

Rusev suddenly shows up and stands on the announce desk, stating that he is tired of hearing about Oba Femi and tired of waiting. He knows that Oba Femi is in the back and says they both want this fight, and demands they fight right now. He says that "The Lion of Bulgaria" challenges "The Nigerian Ruler" and says that he will not leave until Oba Femi shows up. Oba Femi shows up and says Rusev has spent enough time talking before telling him to make something happen. Rusev gets in the ring and stares down Oba Femi, then both men start exchanging blows. Oba soon overpowers Rusev, but Rusev fights back. Oba soon plants Rusev with an Uranage and clotheslines him out of the ring.

Backstage, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria wonder what they will do for WrestleMania. Lyra proposes that Bayley challenge AJ Lee for the Women's Intercontinental Championship for WrestleMania, but Bayley reminds Lyra that she cost her a title shot against Becky Lynch. They both head to General Manager Adam Pearce's office, but see Iyo Sky come out. They head into the office anyway.

The crew of The 520 Podcast and Indiana Hoosiers football player Tyrique Tucker are seen in the crowd.

Jimmy Uso beats Austin Theory by disqualification after Jimmy Uso is attacked by Logan Paul. After the match, "Main Event" Jey Uso's music hits, and Jey Uso shows up with crutches. Jimmy and Jey go on the offensive with the crutches and clean house before hitting Theory with the 1D.

Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce is met by Danhausen, who demands a blimp, a Hall of Fame induction, a personal assistant and a picture of him with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque pointing. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, JD McDonagh, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio) shows up, and Pearce introduces them to Danhausen. They are not happy to see him, and Dominik tells Danhausen to buzz off before something bad happens to him. Danhausen curses Dominik, then vanishes as soon as The Judgment Day laugh.

Jackie Redmond interviews Rhea Ripley on the stage. Rhea Ripley shows up with Iyo Sky and says it has been a whirlwind of emotions as of late, and losing the Women's Tag Team Championships. She says that Iyo Sky ahs been a lot of things to her, including her best friend, and thanks Iyo for always supporting and standing by her as well as pulling her out of a very dark situation. Iyo says Rhea did the same for her, and says that she went into the Elimination Chamber and proved why she is on top. She says that she will be okay on Raw, and tells Rhea to handle her business and win the WWE Women's Championship at WrestleMania. Rhea says she will do it and do it for Iyo, and tells her to hold down Raw, because on Friday, she will meet Jade Cargill face-to-face on SmackDown, and come WrestleMania, she will be leaving as the WWE Women's Champion.

Penta beats "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio to become the WWE Intercontinental Champion after JD McDonagh grabs the ring bell hammer at Dominik's behest only for Finn to stop McDonagh and tell him to let Dominik win on his own. Dominik is able to ready Penta for the 619 afterwards, but Penta dodges it, hits the Mexican Destroyer and wins the match and the title.

Roman Reigns heads to the ring. CM Punk joins him before he can say much. Punk mentions the history between the two of them, then says that he has already won. He says the last time they were both in the ring, Roman told him that he hated him. Punk says that he has Roman where he wants him and that he is in Roman's head. Punk also says he can see right through Roman. Roman says that if it were not for the World Heavyweight Championship, Punk would not even be on his radar. He says that Punk was brought back to entertain the 30-to-40-year-old virgins and sell T-shirts, but not to become champion, then states that Punk cannot be trusted even though the fans believe him. He says that Punk bitch and moans backstage to the point that he considers Punk not to be championship material. He calls Punk "a punk ass bitch" and states that he will put Punk on "one of them John Cena retirement tours" before having him mentor people in NXT that he will smash. Roman tries to leave, but Punk does not let him, and reminds Roman that he is alone now and that he is the one who runs things while Roman cannot even get anything done on his own. Punk says he does not care if Roman hates him, but he will not let Roman disrespect him, and not only will he beat Roman, he will bury him next to his father. Punk then leaves the ring to end the show, leaving Roman disrespected.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here is this week's Raw Recap!

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

Raw Deal - Raw recap for February 16, 2026

"The Oracle" Paul Heyman shows up with The Vision ("Big" Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Austin Theory) and interrupts The Usos' (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) entrance at the start of tonight's show. Paul Heyman shows up with The Vision and interrupts The Usos' entrance at the start of tonight's show. Logan Paul has to take the mic, and says that he has a vision to host Raw in the most beautiful city in the United States, which is not Memphis, Tennessee. He then says that The Vision is here, regardless. Heyman has the footage from last week of the attack from the man in the black hoodie replayed, and Austin Theory says that last week's main event was his match to win. General Manager Adam Pearce and says playtime is over, and Theory gets incensed by Pearce's interruption and says Pearce screwed him. Pearce has none of it and tells The Vision to come back to his office and converse like gentlemen. Heyman says he wants Bronson Reed in the Elimination Chamber in exchange for Pearce getting his show back. Pearce says Bronson will have to earn his way in, and that he will be in a qualifier next week. As Pearce demands The Vision leave the ring, LA Knight shows up. LA Knight says the chickens have come home to roost and that Theory screwed himself, then says Bronson Reed is the next and hopes he can kick his ass. Logan Paul reminds Knight of the car Bronson Reed put him through, and then proposes that he not only kicks The Vision's asses, but he also teams up with The Usos to do it, even though they do not have the best history. General Manager Adam Pearce makes the match official.

The Vision ("Big" Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Austin Theory) beat LA Knight and The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) in a six-man tag match. After the match, Logan Paul runs his mouth on a commentary headset only to receive The Stomp from the man in the black hoodie, who soon flees through the crowd.

Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce (who is accompanied by a worker played by "The Gold Standard" Eli Knox) notices a crate that says "Do not open until 02/28/26." Adam Pearce tells Eli (who actually says that his name is Eli in this segment) to send the crate to SmackDown. Los Americanos (El Grande Americano II, Rayo Americano, Bravo Americano) show up, and El Grande Americano II is not happy that El Grande Americano I has qualified for the Elimination Chamber, and since he cannot qualify himself, he wants a match for the Intercontinental Championship. Pearce gives El Grande Americano II the opportunity to earn a shot tonight.

We hear from Bayley, Asuka and Nattie before their Elimination Chamber qualifier.

Asuka beats Bayley and Nattie by submission with an Asuka Lock to Bayley in a women's Elimination Chamber qualifier. After the match, Maxxine Dupri attacks Nattie on the stage, and referees have to break it up.

Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce asks Oba Femi to look through a Raw contract, then tells him that "Raw needs a flagship." Oba says he needs time to decide, but Pearce tells him to take all the time he needs. On his way out, Oba Femi runs into Rusev, and both men have a staredown before Oba Femi leaves.

We see Michael Cole's interviews with Liv Morgan. "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio joins in as Liv Morgan announces she will not rush her WrestleMania main event decision and that she will take longer to decide, and that she will not let this moment pass her by. Stephanie Vaquer shows up and confronts Liv Morgan. Vaquer speaks Spanish the entire that she confronts Liv Morgan, and Dominik has to translate for Liv as Vaquer makes it clear she wants a piece of Liv at WrestleMania. Liv breaks down in tears after Vaquer leaves, and Liv and Dominik leave the room. (Vaquer's speech to Liv is translated, as follows: "Did you say ten years of hard work? What are you talking about? You’ve sacrificed nothing. WWE gave you everything. The best training, the best medical, you were given everything. You want to talk about sacrifice? I was born in Chile, where wrestling doesn’t exist. And now I’ve traveled all over the world. Japan, Mexico, Latin America, Europe. And I’ve conquered everything. You should be ashamed because you need to hide behind The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, Liv, Raquel Rodriguez, Roxanne Perez). It’s sad because you need to hide behind a man. But let me tell you something. I went through hell and made it mine. Everything I did was to get to WWE and become champion. This title to me means more than just a title. It’s for all the little girls, all the women who never got the opportunity and overcome anyway. Liv, if you pick me, you won’t win. Because I’m going to show you what a real champion is." Vaquer apologizes the next day for her promo for the "I was born in Chile, where wrestling doesn't exist" line, stating that professional wrestling was not developed at the time that she got started, and states that it was a mistake in wording during the broadcast.)

CM Punk heads to the ring. Punk says that General Manager Adam Pearce thinks he is jeopardizing the main event of WrestleMania, but Punk feels he is making things better and says that the fans deserve a fighting champion. He also states that Finn Balor deserves another shot at the World Heavyweight Championship because he deserves it as much as he deserves the ass beating he is about to give him for ruining the last time he got to share the ring with "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles. Punk admits that while the office is pissed off at him, he does and says things that piss people off, saying he would not be who and what he is if he did not do that. Suddenly, Finn Balor shows up and heads to the ring. "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio is not far behind, and neither is a returning JD McDonagh. Punk is about to use the microphone as a weapon as the three of them circle the ring. Finn Balor says they are not out here to fight, and that he wants to make one thing crystal clear. He says that to be the best in the world, you must train with the best catch wrestlers in Europe, learn from the best luchadors in Mexico, survive the toughest dojos in Japan, and show up your first night on Raw and beat Roman Reigns. Finn Balor says he is the best in the world, and when he wins the World Heavyweight Championship, he will not be jeopardizing the main event of WrestleMania; instead, he will be making it better. Punk wants to know why McDonagh and Dominik are here, then says he knew who Finn Balor was and that Finn Balor did all he just bragged about by himself, and says that Finn Balor used to mean something. He says that The Judgment Day ("Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Roxanne Perez) has been an anchor around his neck for some time and has only dragged him down to their level, as Dominik wears two titles he never defends and McDonagh needs help getting in the ring because his head is so big. This leads to a "bobblehead" chant, and admits that he is a smart man who does dumb things. Punk turns his back and dares the three of them to jump him from behind, saying that if Finn attacks, he will jeopardize his shot at being champion. He also says that while he does not need to prove he is the best in the world, maybe Finn Balor does. CM Punk leaves the ring and tosses his microphone towards Finn Balor, who has to hold JD McDonagh back.

Backstage, Byron Saxon interviews Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. Rhea says the road to WrestleMania is always a battle and last Friday was no exception. She says that Nia Jax and Lash Legend got carried away and failed to take their titles, and now they have to take them out. As Iyo Sky speaks, The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) show up, and Kairi Sane says that Asuka is in the Elimination Chamber and that they will make sure Rhea and Iyo never win and that Asuka is champion. Asuka tells Rhea that she is not ready for the Elimination Chamber.

El Grande Americano II's opponent is revealed to be Penta.

Penta beats El Grande Americano II in a WWE Intercontinental Championship #1 contender's match. During the match, Rayo Americano distracts the referee so that Bravo Americano can hand El Grande Americano II the steel plate for his mask, but Bravo gets dragged underneath the ring. Rayo goes to save Bravo, but ends up pulling El Grande Americano I out of the ring. After the match, El Grande Americano I beats El Grande Americano II up and hits him with the Chaos Theory, then goes for an unmasking as El Grande Americano II tries to roll out of the ring. Rayo and Bravo save El Grande Americano II.

Backstage, Raquel Rodriguez walks off with Liv Morgan, then JD McDonagh tells Finn Balor that he is walking into CM Punk's hands. Finn says he has to prove to himself that he can do this, and McDonagh says he is trying to help him. Finn tells McDonagh that if he wants to help, then he needs to let him beat Punk alone. "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio is caught in the middle.

AJ Lee heads to the ring. She talks about how she walked in last week for moral support and walked out #1 contender for the Women's Intercontinental Championship. AJ says she had fun getting under Becky Lynch's skin, but was reminded this was serious business after being sent into a ring post. She says she has not had a singles match, let alone a shot at a title, in more than a decade, and that things have changed since the last time she was a champion, there was just one title. AJ says she loved the Divas Championship because she made that championship. She admits that she is not modest and that she knows who she is, and that the women's division that happened after she left was her gift to them. AJ says she wants to face the best of the best, but for now, all roads lead back to Becky. She says that Becky is mad at her for so many reasons, then says it is not her fault because she gave Becky a ten-year head start and Becky has failed to catch up. AJ then says that without Becky, she would not have had a reason to come back and prove that she can still be a champion, and states that if she walks out of Elimination Chamber victorious, then she is walking into WrestleMania as champion. She then calls out Becky Lynch if Becky is in the mood for a fight. Becky Lynch shows up and says this is just an opportunity for AJ to gather family and friends together for a retirement match she never had and never deserved. She says that AJ Lee's real gift was leaving, and that she has been making history while AJ Lee has been making comic books. Becky tells AJ Lee that if she can make it through Elimination Chamber, she can dictate on her computer about her match with her and maybe her comic book can actually sell. AJ Lee dares Becky Lynch to get into the ring so they can throw hands right now, but Becky says she is not stupid and knows that AJ Lee will sucker punch her, but AJ Lee lets Becky take the first shot. Becky gets in the ring and AJ Lee dares Becky to swing at her with her hands behind her back, but Becky says she knows the game that AJ Lee is playing. Becky refuses and leaves the ring, sayings he does not fight in Memphis, Tennessee.

Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce is talking with a security guard (played by Gio Savage) when he sees The Vision ("The Oracle" Paul Heyman, "Big" Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Austin Theory) at his office doors. Paul Heyman has to hold Austin Theory back, then tells Theory and Logan Paul to head to the jet before demanding something be done about the masked man in the black hoodie. Pearce says the masked man is as much of a problem for him as it is for Heyman, then Bronson Reed says he solves problems and that he will take care of the masked man and win in the Elimination Chamber.

Next week: a tribute to "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles!

We hear from Gunther, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio and Je'Von Evans before their Elimination Chamber qualifier.

Je'Von Evans beats "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio and Gunther in a men's Elimination Chamber qualifier. During the match, Gunther confronts "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio on the outside for having the ring bell hammer as a potential weapon only to be smacked with the ring bell from the top of the barricade by Dragon Lee. Dominik hits the 619 on Je'Von Evans back in the ring only to miss the top rope frog splash, and Je'Von hits Dominik with the OG Cutter to win the match and qualify.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here is this week's Raw Recap!

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

Raw Deal - Raw recap for January 12, 2026

Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley head to the ring to start tonight's show. Rhea announces that they have put The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) and are now the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. The crowd chants "You deserve it!" before Iyo stating that The Kabuki Warriors have no respect until she and Rhea beat it into them, then says that nobody is ready for "Rhiyo." As Rhea throws down a challenge to any women's tag team that wants to step up, Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez show up to congratulate Rhea and Iyo before Liv declares that the Women's Tag Team Championships still belong to her and that she lost them. She demands that Rhea and Iyo give the titles back or else she will take them back. Suddenly, Bayley and Lyra Valkyria appear and head to the ring. Bayley welcomes Rhea and Iyo back to Raw and says that while Liv did not lose the women's tag titles, Roxanne did, and since she beat Roxanne a few weeks ago, she and Lyra deserve a women's tag team title shot. Rhea is okay with that after throwing down a challenge, then Iyo says "I've got this" and chews out the two others in Japanese until The Kabuki Warriors suddenly show up, pull Rhea and Iyo out of the ring, and brawl with the other two teams. Rhea and Iyo get back in the ring and soon send everyone else packing.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles. Styles says that when he got into the business, he learned it was all about respect for the ring, the opponent and those who came before. He admits that he and John Cena were not always on the same page, but they bonded over respect, and Gunther has disrespected Cena. He says he slapped the taste out of Gunther's mouth because Cena could not, then proclaims that he will teach Gunther learn about respect and make it a hill worthy dying on before promising to make Gunther tap out like a little bitch.

Backstage, Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez run into Finn Balor being pre-occupied with WWE 2K25. Liv says she and Roxanne are no longer waiting for a title shot, then says it is time to stop playing games. Liv leaves, then Roxanne says that Liv has a point before following suit.

Je'Von Evans beats Bravo Americano. After the match, Rayo Americano gets on the apron, and when Je'Von goes after him, El Grande Americano pulls Je'Von out of the way and tosses him over the announce table. Je'Von soon stands up on the announce table, jumps over all three Americanos, and makes a beeline to the entranceway.

Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce speaks with a referee before Paul Heyman shows up. Pearce wants Heyman to tell Bron Breakker that he is not in the mood for whatever he has planned. Heyman says he will let Breakker know if Breakker shows up with bad intentions.

CM Punk heads to the ring. Punk tells the fans that he will never tire of being World Heavyweight Champion and plans to hold the title forever, but this is the long road to WrestleMania and anything can happen, if "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes is any indication. He says that just because he plans to be champion forever does not mean it will happen, but with the fans on his side, it feels possible. Punk says he promised to be a fighting champion, and with the Royal Rumble and the Elimination Chamber on the horizon, the road to WrestleMania goes through him. He talks about his battle last week with Bron Breakker and says it is time for the champ to "do champ stuff" and find out who his next challenger is now that The Vision ("The Oracle" Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, "Big" Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Austin Theory) is in his rear view mirror. All of a sudden, Finn Balor shows up and heads to the ring, and tells Punk that he is not waiting for the Royal Rumble or the Elimination Chamber before reminding Punk that he listed him as one of the people he wanted to face. Punk says Finn is correct, but wants to know where Finn's ambition is, as he has helped everyone but himself and has been playing video games in the back. Punk wants to know if he will be facing Finn Balor or "Finn Balor from The Judgment Day" (Finn Balor, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, Liv Morgan, Raquel Rodriguez, Roxanne Perez) before telling Finn that he is a man of his word and that they will do this tonight. Finn says that he has been around long enough to know that time ends everything, then says that he is not jumping the line because the line starts with him. He tells Punk not to worry about The Judgment Day, but that he will not be alone, as he has watched Punk's career and watched him claim hometown advantage in Chicago, Illinois. He says that next week's show is in Belfast, Northern Ireland and that WWE will have an Irish world champion. Punk apologizes to the fans in Dusseldorf, Germany for Finn disappointing them when they wanted to see the champ work, then apologizes in advance to the fans in Belfast when he puts one of their countrymen to sleep with a GTS and remains World Heavyweight Champion.

The Judgment Day (Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez) beats The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) and the team of Bayley and Lyra Valkyria in a Triple Threat Tag Team Match to become #1 contenders for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.

We hear from Becky Lynch. She says it has only been one week since she took her title back, yet Maxxine Dupri has gotten a rematch in one week for the title that took her two months to reclaim. She says that AJ Lee and referee Jessica Carr screwed her out of the Women's Intercontinental Championship and calls it part of the corruption that is allowed under "Powerhouse Pearce." Becky says she will do what she always does and turn lemons into lemonade, because next week in Belfast, Northern Ireland, she will prove that she is the best. She hopes that Maxxine Dupri has enjoyed her time in the spotlight, because next week, it ends, and Maxxine will say goodbye to the big time.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Alpha Academy (Maxxine Dupri, Otis, Akira Tozawa). Maxxine admits she is disappointed to lose the Women's Intercontinental Championship , but being champion proved that she belonged. Maxxine says that she learned how to believe in herself in order to become champion and that it is time that Otis and Tozawa do the same before calling what happened last week "a setback" and not a defeat, and while she is fully aware that Becky Lynch is the greatest of all time, she had to cheat to beat her. Next week, she will break Becky's ankle in an ankle lock.

Michael Cole interviews Raquel Rodriguez on the stage. Raquel says that she was screwed out of the Women's World Championship, yet everyone wants to feel sorry for Stephanie Vaquer. Raquel states that she will not stop until she gets Vaquer in the ring, and when she stands tall as Women's World Champion, then everyone can feel sorry for Vaquer. Stephanie Vaquer shows up with mulitple officials trying to beg her off, and Raquel Rodriguez heads to the back. As Vaquer says that her injury will not stop her and dares anyone to face her, Raquel suddenly rushes back to Vaquer and attacks her.

Backstage, "Main Event" Jey Uso in the phone with Jimmy Uso when Alpha Academy (Otis and Akira Tozawa) show up wanting a piece of Jimmy and Jey for the World Tag Team Championships. Jey says he and Jimmy will talk and see what happens, but warns Alpha Academy that they are stepping with the best tag team in the game.

Penta and Dragon Lee beat The Vision ("Big" Bronson Reed and Austin Theory) by disqualificaton after Dragon Lee is suddenly speared by Bron Breakker on the outside in full view of the referee. After the match, a vicious Breakker hits Penta with another Spear in the ring. When Breakker goes for another Spear on Dragon Lee on the outside, General Manager Adam Pearce shows up and stops Bron Breakker, telling him that this is not happening tonight. As this goes on, "Big" Bronson Reed hits Penta with a Tsunami. Pearce chews out Bronson, but that allows Breakker to hit another Spear on Penta. Pearce chews out Breakker again after forcefully turning him around, and this time, Breakker grabs Pearce and forces him into the corner, and the rest of The Vision have to hold Breakker back as Breakker dares Pearce to do something. At this point, Pearce wants Breakker gone.

Backstage, Je'Von Evans meets with Penta and Dragon Lee at medical and asks them to tell him if they need anything.

Backstage, an angry General Manager Adam Pearce indefinitely suspends Bron Breakker for putting his hands on him. "Big" Bronson Reed has to physically seperate Breakker from Pearce. "The Oracle" Paul Heyman shows up tells Pearce this was a mistake, as Pearce put his hands on Breakker first.

We see WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque going through celebrity WrestleMania pitches only to immediately regret it.

We see a vignette for Oba Femi.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Gunther, who calls "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles disrespectful for slapping him in the face for something he had no involvement in, especially after he made John Cena tap out like a little bitch. He says that if he could make Cena tap out, then Styles should be worried about what will happen to him after the bell rings.

Gunther beats "The Phenomenal" AJ Styles. During the match, Styles feels Gunther tap his hand on his left hip as he has him in the Calf Crusher, and Styles is convinced that he has won by submission even though referee Rod Zapata did not see Gunther tap out. As the referee tells the timekeeper that the match is continuing, Gunther hits Styles with a low blow before powerbombing him for the pin and the win.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here is this week's Raw Recap!

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