Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for September 11, 2026

We are introduced to the Spanish announce team of Marcelo Rodriguez and Jerry Soto.

Randy Orton heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Randy mocks Cody Rhodes' "What do you want to talk about?" opening line before addressing him, saying that Cody showed the world exactly who he is, saying Cody is not a killer, but a good man. He says that Cody is a good father, husband and friend, and that it takes a lot to put down a legend, as he knows first-hand from when he was "The Legend Killer." He says it takes a piece of one's soul and that Cody's soul "is not for sale." Orton says Cody is not a killer, but he is, and he does not care if anyone perceives him as being a good person, as that means nothing to him. He says that he will not hesitate to pull the trigger on anyone who comes between him and his fifteenth world title, and whoever is Undisputed WWE Champion after tonight should know that he is coming for him. Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis tells Chelsea Green that if her mask is off when she is injured, she will lose the Interim WWE Women's Championship. Chelsea says she has been bedazzling her mask as she thanks Aldis, who tells her that she has earned this. Chelsea then runs into Tiffany Stratton, who says she will be in her corner tonight in her match.

WWE acknowledges the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.

Rey Fenix retains the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship against Ricky Saints. After the match, Ricky Saints refuses Fenix's sign of respect.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Sami Zayn, who says that this is all about justice and that he would have been happy if Kevin Owens or Johnny Gargano beat CM Punk, but when he tried to help them, it did not work out. He says he has realized that it could not be Gargano or Owens, and that he must get justice by his own hands against CM Punk. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae show up, and Gargano makes it clear that if Sami wins the Undisputed WWE Championship, he is next.

Nikki Bella beats Paige with a stack-up pin in the corner while putting her feet on the ropes for leverage after the referee is nearly crushed between Paige and Nikki in the corner.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend). Nia Jax says Chelsea Green should never have been champion in the first place and that she will end Chelsea's career when she breaks her face. Lash Legend says that if Tiffany Stratton has any smart ideas, she will have a smarter one in breaking her ribs.

Trick Williams heads to the ring. On the way to the ring, a fan in the front door hands Trick a soccer ball. Trick mentions the "Quinones" chants, saying that Quinones is the best futbol player that Mexico has to offer much like how Trick is the best wrestler WWE has to offer. He compares how Quinones scores goals to how he kicked Baron Corbin's ass at Sunday Night's Main Event before kicking the ball into the crowd, and says he might have to change his name from "Tricky Two-Times" to "Tricky Two Titles." Trick then thanks Lil Yachty for surviving the five minutes beforehand and getting him the title shot that he made the most of, then introduces Lil Yachty to the ring before realizing he has to put him on a pedestal during the introduction. Suddenly, Baron Corbin is seen dragging a beaten-down Lil Yachty to the stage. Trick chases Corbin to the back, then he and officials check on Lil Yachty before bringing him to the back. Corbin then returns with Yachty's Trick Stick and hits Trick in the back with it, then says it is not over between him and Trick.

Backstage, Finn Balor meets with General Manager Nick Aldis looking for a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship against whoever comes out on top tonight. Danhausen shows up and cleans the monitor behind them, and Aldis gets his attention when he mentions that Finn Balor should focus on Money in the Bank. Aldis tells Danhausen that they will discuss it another time. Gunther shows up and tells Finn Balor that if he had any decency, he would have retired years ago, and that it might take somebody beating it into him. Gunther leaves, but Finn Balor says that Gunther is "a whiny little bitch" and that he has heard it all before. Gunther confronts Finn Balor for this and gets a punch to the face for it, and Aldis and Finn Balor continue their conversation elsewhere after Finn Balor calls Gunther a "pendejo." Danhausen realizes that he should probably not bother Gunther after this.

Chelsea Green retains the Interim WWE Women's Championship against Nia Jax after Tiffany Stratton takes the punch meant for an unmasked Chelsea and Nia Jax misses the A-Nia-Lator, allowing Chelsea to put her mask back on and vault over Nia Jax off the top rope for an Un-Pretty-Her to win and retain.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews CM Punk. Punk says that bad behavior needs to be taught a lesson, and that sometimes, when you become the champion, you win "the idiot lottery." He says that Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens are problems, as are Gunther, and that he will not lose his title to "some guy who jerked it to his nine-day reign." Punk then says he will smash Sami's face with the GTS so it is hopefully wired shut and nobody has to hear Sami's excuses when he loses.

The War Raiders (Ivar and Erik) retain the AAA World Tag Team Championships against Damian Priest and R-Truth. After the match, Priest and R-Truth hug, then hands R-Truth's sombrero back to him before turning on Truth with a clothesline. He then takes Truth South of Heaven in the center of the ring.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss are met by Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid), who tell the two of them that they have a lot to work on with Tatum Paxley. As Jacy Jayne mentions her future plans, Tatum shows up behind from behind Fatal Influence and reminds Fatal Influence that they beat them last time. Fatal Influence leaves, then Charlotte says that she can trust Alexa, but has yet to trust Tatum after what she calls "a rookie mistake" at Sunday Night's Main Event.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Rey Fenix. Fenix says that Penta winning the World Heavyweight Championship would mean a lot for the family, then mentions his own title defense before Ricky Saints shows up to apologize for not showing respect, then shakes Fenix's hand saying that Fenix is the better man before leaving. They shake hands, then Saints turns around only to attack Fenix from behind and tell him that he is the better man tonight.

Sami Zayn beats CM Punk to win the Undisputed WWE Championship for the second time! During the match, Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae show up, and Gargano distracts the referee so that Sami can put Punk in the Figure Four Leg Lock. Punk grabs Sami's hand and goes for the Anaconda Vice as Candice LeRae distracts referee Dan Engler, who is unable to see Sami Zayn submit. Gargano then grabs the WWE Championship to use it as a weapon, but Punk ducks and hits Gargano with the GTS, causing Gargano to plank again. As Engler removes Gargano from the ring, Sami tries to grab the WWE Championship, but Owens takes it from Sami and tries to hit Sami with it only for Sami to duck, causing Owens to inadvertently hit Punk instead. Sami then hits Owens with a low blow, then shoves the Undisputed WWE Championship out of the ring before pinning CM Punk to end the show as a champion again.

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for August 21, 2026

Backstage, Sami Zayn argues with General Manager Nick Aldis, saying that it should be him that should be defending the Undisputed WWE Championship in Toronto and demands to know when he will get justice, especially after Randy Orton got involved last week. Orton shows up and confronts Sami, then "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes - who is already in the ring - calls Orton out. Aldis tells Orton to let him deal with this, and Sami furiously demands not to run away from him. As Aldis talks with Cody, Orton shows up and tells Cody that he will be whupping his ass at Sunday Night's Main Event, but Cody says he knows Orton well enough that he will not wait until then. Aldis butts in, saying that they are not doing this again after putting other people in danger, and says that they will tear each other apart at Sunday Night's Main event and not one minute sooner. Aldis also warns both Orton and Cody that if they lay a hand on each other before them, they will never get another shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship. Orton says he will not jeapordize his chance of becoming a 15-time world champion, then addresses the attack on him at the end of last week's show, saying that Cody did not swing the chair down on his head because he would not be able to live with himself, while he swung the chair because he knew how to "go there" and become the worst version fo himself. Orton says that Cody is and will always be "a good guy," and is more like "The American Daydream" rather than "The American Nightmare." He says that Cody says will not be the one to end "The Legend Killer," but Cody says that Orton is operating on a very dangerous assumption, and that he has learned from Orton and his enemies that he will come back to him and that this is not a prediction, but a spoiler.

Backstage, we hear from The MFT's (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga). Tama wants to see everyone talking trash, as it is about their family now. Talla says the WWE Tag Team Championships are theirs now, and threatens to put down anyone who challenges them. Haku shows up and says it is time they show them who is "the motherfuckin' Tongans here."

The MFT's (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) retain the WWE Tag Team Championships against Damian Priest and R-Truth with the Red Cross. After the match, Priest helps Truth up.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews CM Punk. Punk says that he thrives in pressure situations and hostile territories, and that Kevin Owens has been fighting imaginary, one-sided beefs and ghosts from twenty years ago in his head. He says that while Owens has claimed he has never changed, Punk says he has grown and evolved while he sees the same Owens from twenty years ago. Randy Orton shows up and gives CM Punk fair warning that after he whups "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes, he will be coming for him. Punk says he looks forward to it.

Backstage, Chelsea Green meets with Tiffany Stratton. Chelsea wants to take Stratton out for a big steak dinner after what happened last week, but Stratton says it is okay and tells Chelsea not to be at ringside because she does not want anything jeopardizing Chelsea's championship reign. Chelsea and Stratton pass by Paige, who tells Chelsea that she will be a great champion after having an injury threaten to take away somethings he loved just like an injury did to her. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) show up and mock the situation, and Jacy tells Chelsea not to take advice from anyone who cannot hold a championship before Fallon says it is only a matter of time before they take the Interim WWE Women's Championship from her. Lainey says last week was "cute," but words are no match for actually getting in the ring with Fatal Influence. Chelsea says that if anybody will be taking titles, it will be them taking Fatal Influence's, and Paige says that she misses gold being around her waist and proposes taking the Women's United States Championship from Jacy, which prompts Stratton to tell Fatal Influence to continue being irrelevant like they were before they got to SmackDown. Jacy tells Stratton to keep wrapping tape around her waist while Fatal Influence continues to wrap gold around theirs.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Blake Monroe. Blake says that she sees herself as world championship material and that her match should be for the WWE Women's Championship, even if it is against Chelsea Green, but instead, she has a rendezvous with Giulia and she is trying to find something appropriate to wear for "this dump Toronto." Blake then agrees with Cathy that she will look great regardless of what she wears as she reveals he ring gear and says that even if she is given nothing, she will do what she does best and make everyone talk about her.

Giulia vs. Blake Monroe ends before it can begin when Blake attacks Giulia from behind during Giulia's ring entrance and hits her with a Gotch-style Neutralizer in the ring.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss talk about Alexa's upcoming birthday brunch when Alexa mentions that Tatum Paxley will be with them. Tatum shows up and says she cannot wait to hang out with Charlotte and Alexa, then gets confused as to what a Bloody Mary is. Charlotte asks what is happening, then Jade Cargill, B-Fab and "Michin" Mia Yim show up. Cargill says that Alexa needs "that freak show" in Tatum to bail herself out of a match before Tatum introduces herself, asks which one of them is Mary, and says that she needs their blood as she extends her hand towards B-Fab. B-Fab is grossed out, and Charlotte says that while Tatum may be a freak show with no sense of personal space, she still handled B-Fab and Michin. B-Fab says that if Tatum is so impressive, then they can see what Tatum can do on her own, which leads Michin to challenge Tatum to a one-on-one match next week. An excited Tatum accepts, and B-Fab has to get Cargill out of there while Tatum is happy that Charlotte defended her.

Trick Williams and Lil' Yachty head to the ring. Trick says he has Lil' Yachty back, but not his title, and that Baron Corbin does not want to see him one-on-one without cheating or taking shortcuts. When Trick calls Corbin out, Corbin shows up and heads to the ring, then chases Yachty out before Trick reminds Corbin that he is the one he is looking for. Trick tells Corbin to stop ducking him and give the people what they want, right here, right now, but Corbin says that the United States title is getting "a pretty little haircut" and that Trick is not getting another shot at it after he lost the rematch. Corbin says that Trick has nothing to offer and that his rematch is not happening. As Corbin says that they are done, Yachty is back in the ring, and he hits Corbin with the Trick Stick. Trick then clotheslines Corbin out of the ring, and Corbin ends up giving Trick his title rematch at Sunday Night's Main Event, but only if he gets five minutes with Yachty and only if Yachty surives; otherwise, they are done. Yachty accepts, and Corbin tells Yachty it will be the longest five minutes of his life.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Kevin Owens. Owens notes that Finn Balor is in the room, and Finn Balor says he is glad to have seen him return at SummerSlam, then Owens notes that Gunther is now in the room. Gunther tells Owens that if he wins tonight, he will not have to worry about Finn Balor, as he is a shadow of his former self; instead, Owens will have to worry about him. Finn tells Owens not to worry about Gunther and to worry about winning the Undisputed WWE Championship, and tells him that when he does, he will be waiting on the other side.

Lash Legend beats Tiffany Stratton. After the match, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) attack Stratton, then Chelsea Green runs to the ring with a shinai and smacks The Irresistible Forces with it.

We hear from Shinsuke Nakamura, who says that he has warned The MFT's (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) for weeks, but they have not been listening. He says that what is in the dark has finally come to light. All of a sudden, Hiromu Tanahashi, no longer in New Japan Pro Wrestling, introduces himself as "Kyoki," and says that after spending years competing around the world, he is finally in WWE, and says that the stronger they are, the more fun he has. Nakamura says that Kyoki does not fear chaos; he enjoys it. Kyoki wants more fights, more gold and more madness, and Nakamura tells The MFT's that they have the WWE Tag Team Championships for now, but when Strong Style and madness combine, there will be an explosion.

CM Punk retains the Undisputed WWE Championship against Kevin Owens. During the match, Punk pushes Owens into referee Dan Engler, and Owens soon does the same to Punk, which knocks Engler out of the ring. Owens hits a Stunner, but Engler is out. Owens calls for another referee before Punk hits him with the GTS, but Engler is still out. Punk tries to pull Engler back into the ring, but Sami Zayn comes out of the crowd and sends Punk into the ring post and back into the ring, where Owens hits Punk with another Stunner. Sami gets Engler back into the ring, but Punk kicks out in the nick of time. Sami then grabs the Undisputed WWE Championship and slides it into the ring, and tells Owens to use it as a weapon against Punk while Engler is still down. Owens is reluctant, and when Sami gets on the apron, Owens tells him he is not winning it that way and hands the title to Sami only for Sami to smack him in the head with it. Punk hits Owens with another GTS, and Engler comes to and counts the pinfall. After the match, Sami hits Punk with the WWE Championship, and when Owens gets to his feet, Sami hits Owens with it a second time before doing the same to Punk. Sami then tells Punk that he stole the WWE Championship and that the WWE Championship being back with him is justice.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top 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 31, 2026

Finn Balor heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Finn says that he cannot help but think about 2016 when he thinks about SummerSlam, when he had the best and worst night of his career when he went from winning the WWE Universal Championship only to relinquish it due to injury. He says he has been scratching and clawing for the last ten years to regain the glory of that night, and as he says that he has the fans behind him and he is close to getting back to where he was, Sami Zayn shows up. Sami says that while this is an emotional time for Finn, he has something to get off his chest. Sami says he should be in the WWE Championship match, and says he would love to see "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes as champion again as he already beat him to become champion and he can do it again. Sami also admits that a part of him would like CM Punk to retain before calling Punk "the biggest fraud and the biggest piece of garbage," then says that Punk has since become "Corporate Poster Boy #2." After stating that he wants to take the title back from the man who stole it from him, Sami says he has respect for Finn, and Finn dares Sami to come to the ring and say what he has to say to him to his face. Sami says he has respect for Finn and that everyone knows how great Finn is, stating he should have been a world champion several times over. He tells Finn to take a pulse of this moment, and recognize that is belongs to him. He says that Finn had his time, and now it is his time, and says that taking the WWE Championship back is bigger than the both of them and that it is about "justice for Sami." Finn asks where the justice for him, saying that this is his moment. Sami says that if Finn took ten years to get to this point, he should take the hint. Finn reminds Sami that he was world champion longer than him and that he lost the title because he lost the match. Sami says that "almost sounds like fighting words," and if he did not respect Finn, he would have dropped him where he stood. He then says he will not do that, as he is "a good guy" and "the last real good guy left around here." He tells Finn he will walk away and see him at SummerSlam. Before Finn can answer back, both men are suddenly attacked by Gunther, who declares himself the rightful #1 contender to the WWE Championship. General Manager Adam Pearce shows up with security, and Gunther wants to know what he has to do to get what he considers his, and asks if he has to beat Pearce's ass as well. Gunther is attacked from behind by Finn, and Sami shows up and fights with Finn over Gunther. Gunther attacks both men again, then Nick Aldis shows up and brawls with Gunther. Security has to separate both men as Aldis puts Gunther in a Texas Cloverleaf, and Gunther hits Aldis with a big boot.

"Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab beat Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green after Jade Cargill attacks Tiffany Stratton on the outside behind the referee's back. After the match, Charlotte Flair shows up. Tiffany and Chelsea pull Michin and B-Fab out of the ring and brawl with them, then Charlotte gets in the ring and brawls with Cargill. Charlotte soon comes out on top.

Fraxiom and Rey Fenix are met by "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh, who are looking for Danhausen. Fenix says he has not, and Dominik accuses Fenix of hiding in Mexico before saying that The Judgment Day are looking for more gold and that the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship would look good on McDonagh. Fenix accepts the challenge.

We hear from Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga. Tama says they have forgotten who they are, and leaving Solo Sikoa was the right move. Talla says they lost sight of chasing gold, and Tama says that it took guts to strike out on their own. Talla says that from now, they take care of family first. Haku shows up and says these are the sons that he needs, and tells them not to forget who they are, for they are the sons of Haku. He tells them to go and "make them fear us again."

Damian Priest and R-Truth beat The War Raiders (Ivar and Erik) in a title-for-title match by disqualification after The War Raiders shove referee Charles Robinson to get to Damian Priest and R-Truth. Damian Priest and R-Truth retain the WWE Tag Team Championships, and The War Raiders (Ivar and Erik) retain the AAA World Tag Team Championships. After the match, both teams continue to brawl until they are both attacked by Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga, who are soon joined by Haku.

We see house show footage from last night in Springfield, Illinois where "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes and CM Punk get physical with each other post-match.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews CM Punk, who says that this is competition and that he and "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes are running away from their match and the fact that they do not need to be friends. He says that he takes on all comers and he will still walk out champion against Cody. Suddenly, Trick Williams shows up and says Punk should be glad he lost, and that sooner or later, he will come for the WWE Championship. Punk likes Trick's confidence and says he wanted him to win, and tells him that he does make it to the title match, he will whoop that trick.

We hear from Nick Aldis, who says that while it was an honor to be SmackDown General Manager, he wanted to make it to WWE as a wrestler. He says he was happy about being a General Manager, however, until Gunther put his hands on him and pushed him too far.He says that Gunther left him no choice but to lace up his boots and face Gunther like a man.

Members of the Green Bay Packers are seen in the front row.

Trick Williams heads to the ring. Trick gets straight to business and talks about Baron Corbin attacking him last week, calling him "a big-ass Tommy Pickles" before calling him out. Corbin shows up and says Trick loves to hear the sound of his own voice, and that while he was away, he learned some valuable lessons about patience, which Trick knows nothing about, then says that Trick's self-importance will be his downfall when he wraps his arms around his neck. Trick says that Baron Corbin is no badder than he was the first time around and that all he is collecting is a foot up his ass. Corbin teases the both of them going at it right now, then says that Trick is "a dumb rookie who doesn't understand." He then proclaims that on Sunday, he is taking the United States Championship, and there is nothing in the world that Trick Williams can do about it. Trick tells Corbin there will be no title taking as the fans chant "Whoop that trick."

We see a video package chronicling the feud between Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi leading up to their Hell in a Cell Match.

Rey Fenix retains the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship against JD McDonagh after Danhausen and the Minihausens show up and attack "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio before chasing him to the back.

We see a video package briefly chronicling the history between Seth "Freakin'" Rollins and Roman Reigns.

Lash Legend beats Giulia in an Interim WWE Women's Championship Ladder Match qualifier.

We see "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes grab a pair of dog chains before we hear Guile's theme from Street Fighter II followed by the Street Fighter II announcer saying "Fight!"

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. As Cody does his usual stage theatrics on the stage, Punk's theme hits, and Punk pats Cody on the head on the way to the ring. Punk asks Cody how it feels, and Cody says that he can see through him and that they are way past the point that they are running towards each other. Punk says that he hopes he has ruffled feathers, because when he gets a title shot in his hometown, he is going to take it, and that he knew this would set them on a path. He says that he does not have to be Cody's friend tonight or tomorrow and that it is up to Cody if they are still friends, and Punk wants to know who is the better man between them "for business purposes." Cody says that this has become personal not just to Punk, but to everyone who has not held the WWE Championship, which makes Punk the best in the world, and mentions his "I didn't come back to make friends; I came back to make money" line. Punk says he did not come back to make friends, but he did not come back to lose friends, and that tomorrow is not looking good for Cody. Cody says that Punk is prepared for what will happen tomorrow, and asks what Punk will do about it tonight. Punk lays the WWE Championship between them and takes off his jacket and his friendship bracelet before saying "Say when." Cody does the same, tossing his jacket into the crowd as Punk dares Cody to punch him in the jaw. Cody punches Punk, and both men brawl. Cody clotheslines Punk out of the ring before they brawl on the outside where officials rush in to separate both men. Punk and Cody punch at each other on the announce table until they are both pulled off, and they soon brawl again as the show ends.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here are the top ten moments fom 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 1, 2026

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Cody mentions that earlier tonight, he met with WWE medical staff as well as General Manager Nick Aldis, and now, he is medically cleared for action. He then states that this begets the question of what is next for him, and all of a sudden, Ricky Saints, fresh out of NXT, shows up and heads to the ring. Saints introduces himself as the hottest new star on SmackDown, then mentions his history with Cody, stating that the change Cody feels in the air is a revolution and that the revolution is him as he welcomes everyone to "Friday Night Saints." Cody asks Saints what the difference is between now and the last time he stepped up to him, and Saints says it is Cody himself, saying his three world title reigns have aged him thirty years. He also says that he has been an NXT Champion since then and while he has cheered him on in the background at the detriment of his career, he will be the one to relieve him of his duties. Cody says he is game for action and that Saints also looks game for action, then proposes that they have a match and shakes hands on it. Saints is about to leave, but Saints says he is not here to make a statement, but to change who the show is about. Cody reminds Saints that he is easy to find and hard to beat.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. Rhea Ripley soon shows up and says she tried to take on Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) alone last week and got ambushed, and she is willing to put differences aside if Charlotte is willing to. Charlotte says they have teamed before but they will not team again, but Rhea says there is three of Fatal Influence and only two of them. Charlotte says all she needs is Alexa, and three is a crowd, then Charlotte and Alexa head to the ring.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes vs. Ricky Saints is official for later tonight.

Before the next match, Jacy Jayne says that last week was a small taste of what Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) is bringing to SmackDown, and someone just could not get enough. She then says she thrives off that, because if there is anything Fatal Influence loves to do, it is embarrassing a legend. Jacy proclaims that Fatal Influence will take out everyone's legends one at a time, and that there is nobody better to start with than Charlotte Flair.

Jacy Jayne beats Charlotte Flair after hitting the Rolling Encore on Charlotte after Charlotte boots Lainey Reid off the apron in response to Lainey clobbering Alexa Bliss for Alexa clobbering Fallon Henley for pulling Charlotte out of the Figure Eight. After the match, Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) attacks Charlotte, and when Alexa comes to the rescue, they attack her, too. The fans chant for Rhea Ripley, who soon shows up and cleans house. Jacy slips out of the Riptide and nearly shoves Rhea into Charlotte as she escapes. Rhea and Charlotte shake hands.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews Brie Bella and Paige. Brie says they are impressed by Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid), but their actions will catch up to them. Paige agrees, saying they will deal with them when the time comes; for now, they are focused on beating The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) and staying champions. As for their match, Brie says that they are powerful former champions, but she and Paige have the experience to get the job done, as SmackDown is their house.

Backstage, Damian Priest meets with R-Truth speaking with Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom), who R-Truth thinks is Los Americanos (Rayo Americano and Bravo Americano). Priest says Fraxiom is deserving of a tag team title shot and looks forward to defending the title. Axiom is taken aback, but Frazer is delighted and goes to talk to General Manager Nick Aldis regarding the match. Priest then finds out that R-Truth was talking about taxes with Fraxiom, much to Priest's genuine confusion.

Backstage, The Miz and Kit Wilson try to trap Danhausen with a briefcase full of "free human monies." Danhausen opens the briefcase, takes only some of the money, and walks away with $40,000. When Miz opens the briefcase, he and Wilson gets blasted with white dust.

Damian Priest and The Miz retain the WWE Tag Team Championships against Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer and Axiom). After the match, Talla Tonga and Solo Sikoa show up, and Talla Tonga lays waste to both teams at Solo's behest.

After the commercial break, Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga are still in the ring. Solo says that Jacob Fatu made a big mistake last week. After a replay of what happened last week, Solo says that Jacob may have taken out his army, Jacob also took out his own family, brothers and blood, which Solo also claims as his. He says they are not here because of Jacob. Solo then says that when Jacob Fatu gets into the building, he is a dead man walking. All of a sudden, The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) show up and head to the ring. Jimmy says Solo may have an issue with Jacob Fatu, but so does Roman Reigns, and that Jacob made a mistake not by attacking Solo's army, but by putting his hands on Roman and put him in the Tongan Death Grip, which Talla's father used and is a sacred last effort. Jey tells Solo and Talla Tonga to hold their plans up until Roman Reigns is done with Jacob Fatu. As Solo says there is plenty of Jacob to go around, Jey says that they are telling them, not asking them. Solo laughs and says he does not have time for this, but when he tells Talla to go, he nods his head when he goes to the ropes. Talla then takes out The Usos in short order, and Solo tells The Usos to tell Roman that he is not his tribal chief and that they do not give a damn, and whether Roman likes it or not, Jacob Fatu is a dead man.

Backstage, Sami Zayn confronts "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes for calling him "sarcastic" and "condescending" in response to him calling him "Golden Boy," saying it was a compliment and not an insult and addressing their history, saying they are "the last real good guys" and that they need to stick together. Cody says there is a lot in truth in that, but tells him that they are not the same.
The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) vs. The MFTs (Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga) is official for later tonight.

In backstage footage from earlier today, Danhausen announces that another fan and not Stephen A. Smith paid him off with real human monies, and for that, the New York Knicks are no longer cursed and are still in the NBA playoffs. He also makes it clear that Stephen A. Smith is still cursed.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes beats Ricky Saints. After the match, Cody Rhodes is suddenly choked out from behind by Gunther with a sleeper hold, and Gunther goes for a second sleeper hold as three referees try to pull Gunther off of Cody and succeed. Gunther then makes it clear he wants the Undisputed WWE Championship.

Danhausen heads to the ring. Danhausen says he has spent the money he found backstage on merchandise for the fans. As he tosses merchandise to the fans from out of a bag, The Miz shows up. The Miz says that horrible things have happened to him since Danhausen showed up, and that he has come to the realization that he is cursed. The fans chant "Yes, you are!" as The Miz reluctantly becomes Danhausen's mentor. As they shake hands, Kit Wilson shows up, saying that The Miz is mentoring him and that Miz is enabling him. Kit Wilson tells Miz to wake up, but Miz says that Danhausen has mastered, inspired and zoned in on what it takes to be a WWE Superstar, and asks Kit Wilson if he can say the same. He also says that Kit Wilson is not in the same league as him, and as Miz and Danhausen are about to shake hands, Kit Wilson begs for another chance. Kit Wilson says that Danhausen should not even be in the building and should be banned, and both men demand that Miz shake their hand. Miz ends up shaking hands with Danhausen and raising his hand. Miz then says there is only one thing left to do, and as Danhausen curses Kit Wilson, The Miz attacks Danhausen from behind, and Kit Wilson joins in. Miz hits Danhausen with the Skull Crushing Finale, and Kit Wilson hits a top rope elbow drop.

We see another vignette for Blake Monroe, who gets out of her bathtub and proclaims that nobody burns brighter than she does. Blake Monroe is coming soon to SmackDown.

Royce Keys beats Angel.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Tiffany Stratton. She wants more challengers for the Women's United States Championship, and issues an open challenge for the title when Chelsea Green shows up and stands up out of her wheelchair. As Chelsea says she will be champion, Kiana James and Giulia show up, with Kiana wanting to secure Giulia's rematch. Tiffany says she has the whole locker room to consider, then makes Kiana her first defense and wants to see how Kiana does when she is not being held back.

WWE backstage staff are seen bringing Trick Williams' gingerbread man costume to the ring.

Backstage, Royce Keys is met by Joseph Fatu, who congratulates him on the match. Royce says he has known Jacob for about fifteen years and he is still the same guy who would run with him seven days a week, even back when they worked at the warehouse. Royce says that The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) are back in business and are ready to take everything, and tells Jacob Fatu to "werewolf his ass up" and prove that WWE did not make him soft, as people like them take everything. All of a sudden, Royce Keys is attacked by Talla Tonga, and Solo Sikoa shows up and attack Jacob Fatu when he tries to make the save.

Sami Zayn heads to the ring. Sami stands next to the the gingerbread man costume in the ring as he says that he really loves coming to Tulsa, Oklahoma, then talks about how the fans turned on Bob Dylan went electric and says that he can relate. He says he cannot figure out what caused the fans to turn on him, but he can deal with it, because he knows his ride-or-die fan club is in the house tonight and will continue to have his back. Sami says that while he can deal with some bad reactions, he cannot deal with disrespect, and calls Trick Williams "a shell of a man wearing a costume" and says it is easy to do what Trick does as he compares him to the gingerbread man costume. Sami says he can do what Trick does in his sleep and that what he really does is hard, as he leaves everything in the ring every day, month and year, and when he looks at the gingerbread man costume, he sees Trick Williams not taking him seriously. He also states that Trick Williams takes nothing seriously and takes that as disrespect, and is about to punch the gingerbread man costume in the middle of the ring. He then shakes the costume's hand before kicking the costume in the groin. Trick Williams then attacks and tears at the costume before pulling a gumdrop button off the costume. Trick Williams rushes in and fights Sami Zayn, and Sami Zayn flees through the crowd.

Backstage, Byron Saxton interviews The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend). Nia says that they were not pinned to lose the women's tag team championships and that Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss were pinned instead, then Lash Legend says that they have something in store for Brie Bella and Paige. Nia says that "the math is mathing" with two teams in the ring and that they will end Brie Bella and Paige's reign and send them back on the couch with Nikki Bella.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Trick Williams, who says that Sami Zayn crossed a line by attacking both Lil Yachty and the gingerbread man, and that Sami is now messing with his money. Trick says he does not play with his money, then says that Sami has a big problem and that he is facing him at Backlash. Trick then finds out that the gingerbread man did not survive Sami's attack, and Trick says that he will whoop Sami.

Brie Bella and Paige retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships against The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) after Paige kicks Nia's legs out from under her during the A-Nia-Lator and Brie Bella pulls back on Nia's legs to pin Nia's shoulders to the mat, win and retain.

It is announced, as per Trick Williams, that The Gingerbread Man is dead. In Memoriam, Gingerbread Man, 2026 - 2026. Rest in Pieces.

Backstage, Sami Zayn is talking with General Manager Nick Aldis regarding the funeral of the Gingerbread Man next week, saying that it is proof that Trick Williams takes nothing serious. Sami wants his rematch with Trick Williams for the United States Championship at Backlash, and Aldis gives it to him. Sami leaves, then Danhausen shows up wanting a match with Kit Wilson and The Miz. Nick Aldis says he will get that match if he can find a tag team partner.

The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) vs. The MFTs (Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga) ends with Jacob Fatu showing up and attacking Talla Tonga. After the match, Jacob Fatu smacks Talla Tonga with the ring steps, then confronts Solo Sikoa, who realizes too late from looking at Jacob's left hand that he is ready to hit someone with a Tongan Death Grip. Jacob briefly chokes out Solo, and when Talla grabs Jacob, he gets the Tongan Death Grip before Jacob Fatu puts Talla through the announce desk with a Samoan Drop. Jacob then confronts The Usos, then walks right through them to end the show. Afterwards, Jacob Fatu tells The Usos to tell Roman Reigns that he will dog walk him at Backlash.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for April 24, 2026

Backstage, Trick Williams, Lil Yachty and the Gingerbread Man nearly get run over by Danhausen's coffin go-kart.

Jacob Fatu heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Jacob Fatu mentions his confrontation with Roman Reigns and his desire for the Undisputed WWE Championship, as well as how Roman Reigns has said he is not ready. Jacob says that Roman is right when he said he was not ready. He says that he has been hearing that his entire life, then tells Roman to step into the ring and prove it. Suddenly, The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) show up and head to the ring. Jimmy says he agrees with what Jacob has had to say about levelling up, then asks him not to come at Roman Reigns and join the family so that he can do all that without having to face Roman. He also tells Jacob that the fans are not going to level him up. Jey then says it is too late for all that, as he stepped up, opened his mouth, and is now in the deep end and that they will see if he can swim. Jey says Jacob has to look Roman in the eye and get ready for war, then the MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo) show up. Solo tells Jacob that The Usos are lying to him and that he was the one to bring him into WWE, then asks The Usos what they will teach Jacob besides "how to yeet." He tells Jacob that he will not beat Roman unless he has an army, and that he himself has an army. Tama Tonga stops Solo, wanting to know why they are wasting their time and calling Jacob "a lost cause." Tama Tonga says that Jacob cannot beat Roman and that he cannot even beat Solo. Jacob superkicks Tama, and Solo holds Loa and Mateo back before Jacob challenges Solo to a match tonight.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Giulia and Kiana James. Kiana James says that she and Giulia have not been getting respect, but it only fuels the fire to win tonight. Giulia says she has beaten Tiffany Stratton once and she will beat her again and that she feels no pressure; only anger. Giulia leaves, then Kiana blames Cathy Kelley on her and Giulia arguing.

Tiffany Stratton beats Giulia to become the WWE Women's United States Champion!

In footage from earlier this week, Danhausen finds The Miz's home and knocks on the door. The Miz opens the door to find nobody there, but when he cloeses the door, he finds Danhausen in his house. The Miz kicks Danhausen out of his home, but Danhausen disappears again, then reappears in his pool. The Miz kicks him out, and dives at him only to fall into his own pool.

Cathy Kelley interviews Tiffany Stratton on the stage. Tiffany says it feels amazing to be back on top after having "the runner-up story," and now, she is a champion. She plans to show why the WWE runs on "Tiffy Time" until Brie Bella shows up. Paige also shows up with Brie Bella, and they head to the ring as Tiffany heads to the back. Brie says it feels incredible to stand in the ring as a champion, and says that while she could not compete with her sister Nikki Bella, WrestleMania was incredible, and she is glad she had the idea of calling an old friend she could count on and call "sister." Paige says that when Brie gave her the call to have her back at WrestleMania, it was a great way to come back home. She says it is great to be here with Brie after walking out of WrestleMania as the Women's Tag Team Champions. She admits it was a long, hard road, but she is back home, and SmackDown is her house and that she and Brie are not going anywhere. Suddenly, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss head to the ring. Charlotte says they are happy to see Paige back, but she and Brie have something they want. Alexa says they will not let WrestleMania get in their way. Charlotte says that if Paige wants to prove this is her house, she and Brie will have to face her and Alexa. Brie and Paige are down for a match and want to handle things in the ring tonight, and that leads to a referee coming to the ring. Referee Charles Robinson runs to the ring, making the match official.

Brie Bella and Paige vs. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss ends with Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) showing up and taking out both teams.

We hear from people in East Palo Alto, some of whom are friends of Royce Keys, speak about Royce Keys as a role model. Royce Keys says it is his time to give back after making it to WWE, and that there is no stopping him.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. Cody talks about how he still made the decision to walk up the long ramp at WrestleMania as he felt it was the job of being Undisputed WWE Champion, and because he always gets back up when he falls. He says he wanted to send a message at WrestleMania that he would not be medically cleared afterwards and that he wanted to send a message to Randy Orton - who is not here tonight - saying Orton gave his best, yet he is still standing. He says he wanted to send a message to Sami Zayn, who called him "The Golden Boy," and that he showed up draped in gold because he, his family and he fans will all be gold. Cody then says that anyone who wants to face him that is currently 0-3, then tells outside forces to count their money and mind their business. He says that as champion, it is easy to find him, and that no matter where in WWE anyone might be, he is easy to find and hard to beat.

Backstage, Solo Sikoa tells JC Mateo and Tama Tonga to get the WWE Tag Team Championships back and to not mess it up and let the family down. Tama Tonga asks about Jacob Fatu, and Solo says that he will teach Jacob that without them, Jacob cannot beat Roman.

Damian Priest and R-Truth retain the WWE Tag Team Championships against The MFTs (Tama Tonga and JC Mateo) despite Tonga Loa distracting referee Dan Engler.

We see more footage from The Miz's house. He finds Danhausen at his virtual golf course, and Danhausen crotches Miz with a golf club. He accidentally breaks a Slammy Award as he walks off with it, then runs into Maryse. The Miz throws chocolate powder at Danhausen, but hits Maryse instead. Danhausen then gets away on Miz's daughter's bicycle, passing by a Cybertruck on the way out.

Trick Williams slaps a man in the face as he, Lil Yachty and the Gingerbread Man head to the ring.

Trick Williams, Lil Yachty and The Gingerbread Man head to the ring for a championsip celebration. Trick says that the fans are excited to celebrate with the new United States Champion after he came to WrestleMania to "whoop that trick," then Lil Yachty says that he is here to stay, saying he is the Quincy Jones to Trick's Michael Jackson. Lil Yachty then says that the United States open challenge is over and that Trick Williams is the ultimate opportunity, and he and Trick state that there will be no handouts. Afterwards, The Gingerbread Man smacks Trick Williams with the candy cane, then does the same to Lil Yachty when he checks on him. The Gingerbread man then takes off his mask to reveal that he is none other than Sami Zayn. Sami attacks Lil Yachty with a ground and pound, then hits Trick with the Helluva Kick before mockingly dancing around and leaving the ring.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Royce Keys. Royce says it has been emotional since his debut and that he is just getting started at taking everything he wants. Solo Sikoa shows up and says Talla Tonga is not happy about losing the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, then says there is always room for Royce Keys in his family.

Danhausen beats The Miz after cursing The Miz and Kit Wilson with a pyro blast. After the match, Danhausen sets off some more pyro, then The Miz chases after him and leaps over Kit Wilson on the way to the coffin kart, causing The Miz to comedically collide with Kit Wilson.

We see a vignette for Blake Monroe, who is coming soon to SmackDown.

Rhea Ripley heads to the ring. Rhea declares that she is champion again after beating Jade Cargill at WrestleMania. She admits that Cargill proved to her that she can go, but it is now her time to prove that she is a fighting champion. She knows that there are women in the back who want to take a shot at her, and if any of them want to step up, now is their chance. Suddenly, Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) shows up. Fatal Influence is booed out of the building as Jacy Jayne gives Rhea Ripley credit where credit is due, then says Fatal Influence deserves the credit for taking out everyone's favorite legends tonight. Rhea Ripley admits she is impressed by Fatal Influence's actions tonight, then warns them to stop while they are ahead. Fallon Henley says that tonight is nothing compared to what Fatal Influence will do to Rhea. Rhea says she has been used to the numbers game by now thanks to Jade Cargill, and if Fatal Influence wants a fight, she is ready for a fight, and all Jacy Jayne has to do is take her shot. Jacy tells Rhea that Fatal Influence is always ready to throw hands, then General Manager Nick Aldis shows up and makes a match between Jacy Jayne and Rhea Ripley that happens right now.

Rhea Ripley beats Jacy Jayne by disqualification following a chop block from Fallon Henley as Rhea goes for Riptide. After the match, Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) gangs up on Rhea Ripley and lay her out.

Backstage, The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) meet with Jacob Fatu. Jimmy says that The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo) will get involved one way or another and that they have his back, but Jacob says he does not need The Usos' help. After Jacob leaves, Jey tells Jimmy "Man, I told you!"

Backstage, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss are met by Rhea Ripley in the trainer's room. Charlotte Flair says that she will get her hands on Jacy Jayne next week, unlike some people, then Alexa tells Rhea that Charlotte is "just like this" as Charlotte leaves.

We see a vignette for Ricky Saints, who debuts on SmackDown next week.

Jacob Fatu beats Solo Sikoa after taking out the rest of The MFTs (Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo). After the match, The MFTs attack Jacob Fatu, but The Usos make their way to the ring. Jacob Fatu fights The MFTs off single-handedly. Jacob wraps chairs around Tama Tonga and Jacob Fatu's chairs before hitting them with hip attacks, then beats up Tonga Loa before splashing him through the commentary table.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

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

The show begins with Pat McAfee and Randy Orton arriving to the arena in a red Dodge Ram. General Manager Nick Aldis hands McAfee a contract and says they will have a chat, and Orton lets McAfee and Aldis handle things. McAfee asks Aldis to park the truck as he signs the contract. Orton makes his way to the ring, and says he will be the first to admit that he does not need Pat McAfee. He does want him, however, as he is the only straight shooter in WWE and does not tell him what he wants to hear, and tells him what he needs to hear. McAfee told him that he had to do was be himself, as he got into a title match with Drew McIntyre, who he was easy to be himself with. When "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes took the WWE Championship back, he did not want to hurt Cody at first. When Cody gave him permission to be himself, he took exception to that. He says that in his and Cody's give-and-take relationship, he kept giving while Cody kept taking. Orton mentions that he did not benefit from having Cody's back in the last two years, saying Cody did nothing but take and even gifted his then-friend Kevin Owens a title match only for Kevin to turn on Cody. Orton says he tried to reason with Owens only to be piledriven, which nearly cost him his career. He says that McAfee has done more and given to him in more than half a lifetime while Cody has done nothing but take. He says helping Cody has hurt his legacy more than anything else, and at WrestleMania, he will fix his legacy and take his fifteenth world title home where it belongs.

Backstage, Randy Orton rejoins Pat McAfee and General Manager Nick Aldis and gets in the red Dodge Ram. McAfee says everything will change for the better at WrestleMania and that he has put in a good word for Aldis before he and Orton speed off.

The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo) beat The Wyatt Sicks (Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Joe Gacy, Dexter Lumis) in a eight-man tag team street fight after Solo Sikoa hits Uncle Howdy with a Samoan Spike as Tama Tonga is about to hit Howdy with Cutthroat.

Backstage, R-Truth and Damian Priest are talking about potential opponents. R-Truth wants to face The New Day (Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods, Grayson Waller), but Priest says they are on Raw. R-Truth has to be reminded that Danhausen is cursing people, not Asuka. Also, when R-Truth says that Xavier Woods is so bad that he turned Sammy Sosa "lavender white white," Priest reminds him that he is really talking about Grayson Waller.

We see footage of The Miz renewing his vows with Maryse with Kit Wilson running the proceedings. All of a sudden, Danhausen suddenly shows up and ruins everything, and it leads to Danhausen cursing Maryse, who gets inadvertently shoved into a wedding cake by Miz when Miz gets his hands on Danhausen.

We learn more about Royce Keys, such as how his mother suffered a fatal overdose at the age of 61, which still pains Royce Keys and his family to this day. Royce feels that tapping into your emotions make you stronger, and knows that his mother is proud of him.

A police car is seen entering the arena. The driver gets out, and Jacob Fatu is helped out of the back. Jacob Fatu stands on the top of the car as he addresses Drew McIntyre, saying he still wants to double back about his life. He says he is not shamed or afraid of his past life and that he does not live that life anymore, and that McIntyre made a mistake in thinking that handcuffing him would embarrass him, as even the police know he is not the same guy. Jacob Fatu then says that this is where things get twisted, as they have an unsanctioned match and that no authority can keep him from beating up McIntyre or save McIntyre from him beating his ass. He says McIntyre tried to put him back in the jail cell where he changed his life when he already put the cell in his rear view mirror, and when he gets down beating McIntyre's ass, he will put him in the rear view mirror.

Backstage, Alexa Bliss looks back on 2025, and Charlotte Flair looks forward to winning tag team gold at WrestleMania. Alexa says that they need to win tonight.

Two-time NBA All Star Tyrese Haliburton is seen in the crowd.

R-Truth and Damian Priest retain the WWE Tag Team Championships against The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Grayson Waller).

We look back on Charlotte Flair vs. Rhea Ripley for the WWE SmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania 39, courtesy of Snickers.

Jade Cargill, "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab head to the ring. Rhea Ripley also shows up and heads to the ring before Jade can start speaking. Rhea says she would love nothing more than to lay Cargill out for all she has done, but she does not want Cargill to have an excuse not to walk into WrestleMania. Rhea also admits that she is usually not the most patient of people, and says Cargill is lucky she is not in the ring whupping her ass right now. She also says Cargill does not let her meet her face-to-face in the ring because she is scared. Rhea says she will embarrass Cargill at WrestleMania, but B-Fab says Rhea should be the one who is embarrassed because she keeps coming after Cargill and failing. Rhea says she has yet to come for Cargill because Cargill hides behind Michin and B-Fab, social media and anything she can to avoid coming face-to-face with her, and gives Cargill one last chance to say anything to her face alone. Cargill says she is not scared of "some cosplay kid with insecurities" and is everything Rhea wishes she could be as well as "a real bitch," and that Rhea only gets her way because of "a weak-ass locker room." She says she has been trying to scare Rhea, but since Rhea has not learned her lesson, she will put belt to ass at WrestleMania and make her quit. Rhea laughs at the idea of being like Cargill and says she has fought people like Cargill her entire life, and says her insecurities do not hold her back and make her who she is today. She says that if she wants to make it quick, it will not be in her favor, then goes on to call Jade "narcissistic" and a "fake-ass bitch."

Backstage, Solo Sikoa tells The MFTs (Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo) that they won tonight, and tells Tama Tonga that they did it as a team. Tonga agrees, then Solo tells Talla Tonga to win the Andre the Giant Battle Royal trophy and bring it home. He tells the rest of The MFT's to get Talla ready while he speaks with General Manager Nick Aldis about getting back the WWE Tag Team Championships.

Buffalo Bills offensive lineman Dion Dawkins is seen in the crowd.

Giulia and Kiana James watch the next match from ringside.

Tiffany Stratton beats Jordynne Grace to become #1 contender for the WWE Women's United States Championship. (The match was originally Tiffany Stratton vs. Giulia for the Women's United States title, but was changed hours before the show.)

Trick Williams heads to the ring. Trick says he is usually all smiles, games and jokes, but not tonight, as he has something to get off his chest. He addresses Sami Zayn's actions from last week, saying that he crossed a line. He addresses Sami Zayn hitting Lil Yachty with a Helluva Kick and that he does not know if Lil Yachty will come back, then says that they will not wait until WrestleMania and will take care of business right now before calling Sami Zayn out. Sami Zayn's music hits, then someone in a gingerbread man suit shows up and walks to the ring. Trick introduces everyone to "Sami Zayn, the gingerbread man" before stating that all of Sami Zayn's diehard fans are in Drury Lane. Trick then says that Sunday is all about him and his first WrestleMania where he gets his first United States Championship, and that he is going to whoop that trick. The real Sami Zayn shows up and says he is glad Trick Williams is taking his first WrestleMania so seriously, and that he wishes he was having as much fun as Trick, but he has not had a good time in a very long time. He says that he is not having a very good time even as champion, as are the fans, then says he does not care what he did wrong, as he does this everyday for the ride-or-die fans who have been with him since day one. Sami says there are plenty of ride-or-die fans at home and in Las Vegas, and they will be in his corner at WrestleMania and beyond, then gets annoyed with the person in the gingerbread man suit and tells them to stand in the corner. Sami then talks about his first impressions of Trick Williams before telling him that Trick has not showed him much since four months ago and has not showed him anything where it counts and when it matters. He says that when he looks at Trick, he does not see the future of the business; he sees "a little punk rookie" who is about to walk into his first WrestleMania with one of the best to ever do it and realize that he bit off more than he can chew because he walked in with no plan. Trick says he is the plan and that Sami has been losing himself and crashing out backstage, and while Sami is one of the most respected guys in the locker room, he threw it all away when he got in the game. Trick then says that he is the one who is going to get the job done, but Sami says that Trick is not in his head and that he is not impressed with the gingerbread man. Trick then says he is standing in the ring with two gingerbread men, and Sami Zayn goes for a cheap shot only for Trick to fight back. Sami clotheslines Trick out of the ring, then Sami sees the person in the gingerbread suit and hits him with a Helluva Kick that almost kicks the head off of the suit. Trick then gets back in the ring, hits Sami with the Trick Shot, and raises up the United States title.

We see a video package for the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship picture at WrestleMania, courtesy of Progressive.

Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley and Lyra Valkyria ends almost as soon as it begins due to The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) showing up to lay out both teams.

We see a video package for Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi at WrestleMania.

Royce Keys last eliminates Talla Tonga to win the 2026 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.

We see a video package chronicling the events between Roman Reigns and CM Punk leading to their match for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania.

"The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring. Cody says he will not be talking about the last three years' worth of WrestleMania, then says tomorrow is all about two men wrestling for the biggest prize of them all in him and Randy Orton. He addresses Orton's claims that he does nothing but take, then says Orton has never taken responsibility in his life. He remembers the things that Randy Orton did in 2009 and how he wrestled for the WWE Championship and lost. As Cody continues to talk about Orton, CM Punk suddenly shows up. Cody asks Punk if he is going to kick him in the balls and turn on him after they hug, but Punk says some people deserve it and that Cody does not deserve it. CM Punk says he is here to stop Cody from mentioning a certain person's name, then mentions each others' suits as well as Teddy Long's wedding, then Punk mentions that he was chasing Cody for a time to become champion, but now they are both champions at WrestleMania. Punk says he is beyond the point of giving Cody advice after Cody has said and done things he has yet to accomplish, and that while Cody has learned from the best, Orton is not much of a teacher. Punk says that tomorrow is uncertain, but he knows that they will both be here on Monday. Punk says that tomorrow is uncertain, but he knows that they will both be here on Monday. He says that Cody has done so much, and that he hopes that everyone joins them for the next adventure. Punk says he is proud of Cody, and Cody tells Punk to get it done. Cody stops Punk before he can leave and mentions Punk's match with Roman Reigns, as well as what Punk himself has accomplished throughout his career. He also mentions that Punk came back better than ever, then thanks Punk for everything he has taught and for sharing this moment in the ring with him and the fans. He also says that if it means anything, Dusty Rhodes would be proud of him, too. Cody tells Punk he loves him, then hugs him. Punk says he is not crying after a Friday in Las Vegas, and that he will cry after he wins at WrestleMania, then says the world titles are theirs as much as they are the fans' before celebrating with the crowd.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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