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 29, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sami Zayn beats Matt Cardona.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are the highlights for tonight's show!

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

Layin' da SmackDown - SmackDown recap for May 8, 2026

In memory of Ted Turner, 1938 - 2026.

Jacob Fatu heads to the ring to start tonight's show. Jacob says that tomorrow night, he is not fighting Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship; he is taking the World Heavyweight Championship. He says that ever since they were young, everyone saw Roman as the future while seeing nothing in him, and now those same people want to talk nice to him. He says that history repeats himself, but everyone tagging in with him really wants to protect Roman. Jacob says that Roman was born with opportunity while he was born with doubt, then The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) make their way to the ring. Jimmy says they are not here to change Jacob's mind, as part of him is still proud of him while the other part is watching out for him, and wants to know if he has thought about what would happen if he lost to Roman. Jey says Jacob has not thought about that because he never thinks like that, and tells Jacob "Tribal Chief is gonna beat that ass" and break Jacob down emotionally and physically in front of his family. Jimmy says he knows Jacob's family will be in the front row, and if Jacob loses, they will have to acknowledge Roman Reigns as Tribal Chief. Jacob says that he is not losing and that he cannot lose, then says that Jay wants to school him on losing to Roman when he has never beaten Roman. He also tells Jimmy that there will be no acknowledging for his family, because the match is all about his family, who will see him become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Jacob says he is willing to put it all on the line, and asks if Roman is willing to do the same. He also tells The Usos that if they interfere in tomorrow night's, he will "burn the whole goddamn family tree down."

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews General Manager Nick Aldis, who says that Gunther's recent actions were completely unacceptable. All of a sudden, Ricky Saints says everyone should be talking about him and his debut, then says he has gone from facing "QB1" to "QB4." Matt Cardona says he is not here to pass the torch to guys like him, and that he will see him in the ring tonight.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis wishes Jacob Fatu well on his way out of the building, then Jacob Fatu runs into Royce Keys, who says that failure was never an option for Jacob Fatu and tells Jacob to "werewolf up" and beat Roman Reigns. Afterwards, Royce Keys runs into Solo Sikoa, and tells him to pick his words carefully. Solo says that last week was just the wrong place at the wrong time, then tells Royce Keys that there is room in his family for him and that he needs an answer soon, and time is running out.

We hear from Chelsea Green, who wishes Tiffany Stratton luck on her first title defense via a video on X (formerly Twitter).

Tiffany Stratton retains the WWE Women's United States Championship against Kiana James after Giulia inadvertently costs Kiana the victory while distracting the referee.

Sami Zayn is at the funeral for The Gingerbread Man. General Manager Nick Aldis says everyone just needs closure, then R-Truth shows up with a rose and says "I'm sorry for your loss" while trying to console Sami, much to Sami's chagrin.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviews Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. Rhea says Fatal Influence have made an impression, but chose the wrong people to attack, and she cannot wait to get her hands on them. Charlotte says they can all get their hands on Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid), and Alexa has to get between them as things get tense and tell them that they need to trust each other.

Backstage, R-Truth meets on Damian Priest, who is more focused on Talla Tonga than the funeral for the Gingerbread Man. Priest asks R-Truth to stay backstage, as Solo Sikoa and Talla Tonga will get to R-Truth to get to him. He asks R-Truth to trust him, as he knows how to handle them alone.

Talla Tonga beats Damian Priest despite R-Truth and Damian Priest being able to fend off both Tama Tonga and Solo Sikoa. After the match, The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga) are about to attack Damian Priest when Royce Keys shows up, causing them to retreat.

Backstage, Danhausen takes sign-ups for his tag team partner at Backlash when The Miz and Kit Wilson show up and notice that Danhausen has no tag team partner. Kit Wilson says that the only person toxic enough to team with Danhausen is Danhausen, who likes what he sees in Kit Wilson's mirror.

We see footage of Gingerbread Man in the middle of great moments in WWE history.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis meets with Paul Heyman regarding a contract when Gunther shows up. Aldis chides Gunther for his recent behavior even though he is happy to have him on SmackDown, then "The American Nightmare" Cody Rhodes heads to the ring, much to Gunther's chagrin. Gunther walks out angrily, and Heyman tells Aldis that he will handle this. Cody says that Gunther has made it clear that he is next in line, and would like it if Gunther would come out to the ring and do just that. Heyman shows up with a contract for a Gunther-Cody match, and Cody asks if Heyman is now Gunther's advocate. Cody then says the contract is not necessary and that they can just do this right now, but Heyman says he owes Gunther a favor and that this match is the favor he owes him. Heyman also admits that he is a big fan of Cody, and just wants him to know that he needs a contract when an undisputed heavyweight championship is at stake, and tells him that the contract for the match will be for Clash in Italy. Heyman hands Cody the contract, then tells Cody that if he wants Gunther's name on the contract, then he will have to get it himself. Cody notes that CM Punk, Roman Reigns and Brock Lensar are now gone and that Heyman is running out of options. Heyman says that he is not running out of options as he leaves, and that sooner or later, they all need the wiseman. All of a sudden, Gunther comes out of the crowd, and Cody fights back only to be put in a sleeper hold. Cody slings Gunther out of the ring and keeps him out, then says he does not sweat Gunther and dares him to get the high ground.

We see The MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Talla Tonga) backstage. Tama Tonga says that Royce Keys is a problem that needs to be dealt with, but Solo Sikoa says he sees Royce as more of a solution than a problem and a perfect fit for the family. Tama says Royce embarrassed them, which does not sit right with him, and that he will handle business and show what he is all about. Talla Tonga is about to follow Tama, but Solo says that if Tama wants to go out on his own, then he will find out on his own.

Ricky Saints beats Matt Cardona.

At the Gingerbread Man's funeral, Sami Zayn is talking to someone about how this is all a big joke. The person he is talking to is a planking Johnny Gargano, and Sami wants to know if "Johnny Wrestling" is still in there. Johnny barely rises. As Candice LeRae checks on Gargano, Sami notices Rey Fenix, but Rey Fenix says this is not the time or place as Sami gets mad at Fenix being a funeral for something that was all one big shot at him.

Backstage, a ladder falls behind Brie Bella and Paige, then Danhausen streaks by, plucking a hair from Brie's head when Brie and Paige turn around.

We see another vignette for Blake Monroe as Blake Monroe picks a dress. Blake Monroe is coming soon to SmackDown.

Brie Bella and Paige head to the ring. Brie says there are a lot of teams in WWE saying they have wait to takes to beat them and become champions, but it is not so easy to beat them, and the results will always be the same. Paige says that this is not a nostalgia tour and that she and Brie are at the best they have ever been, and if The Judgment Day (Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez) want to step up, then they should step up, for they are the champions and this is their house. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) shows up, and Jacy Jayne says that Brie and Paige are in over their heads and that The Judgment Day are not the ones to worry about, especially after they dropped them and left them laying in the middle of the ring two weeks ago. Fallon Henley says that Fatal Influence is taking over SmackDown, and that part of the takeover includes the women's tag team titles. Lainey Reid says there is plenty of gold to go around, and that Jacy will soon be WWE Women's Champion. Jacy then says they have business to take care, and tells Brie and Paige to get out of the ring to see how a real team gets it done. Suddenly, The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax and Lash Legend) show up. Nia says that Fatal Influence cannot just skip the line, and Lash Legend says that this is not NXT and that Fatal Influence will not get in the way of them getting the women's tag team titles back. Nia says Fatal Influence look like "discount mean girls," then Lash tells Fatal Influence to get to the back of the line before she and Nia lay out Brie and Paige. Rhea Ripley then heads to the ring for the next match - and stares down Lash Legend - on The Irresistible Forces' way out.

We see more footage of The Gingerbread Man at even more iconic moments in WWE history.

Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, Lainey Reid) beat Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss in a six-woman tag match after Jade Cargill shows up and yanks Rhea Ripley off the ring apron, allowing Jacy to hit Alexa with the Rolling Encore for the win. After the match, Fatal Influence back away from Jade Cargill as they leave the ring, and Cargill mockingly tells Alexa Bliss to get up. As Charlotte Flair gets in the ring, she is attacked by "Michin" Mia Yim and B-Fab. Rhea Ripley gets in the ring and lays out Michin and B-Fab, but she is taken out with a pump kick by Cargill. B-Fab then puts Alexa in a full nelson slam, and Charlotte tries to fight back only to fare no better.

Backstage, Royce Keys is met by The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso). They know that Royce has been talking to Jacob Fatu, and Jey tells Royce to stay in his lane or else he might catch Roman Reigns' eye.

We see even more footage of The Gingerbread Man at even more iconic WWE moments.

Royce Keys beas Tama Tonga.

Backstage, Danhausen performs a science experiment where he decides to make a clone with Brie Bella's hair and one of his own teeth with a cloning machine. It is not going very well.

Backstage, Tama Tonga is met by Shinsuke Nakamura, who says that not even his own brother will help him. Talla Tonga shows up and tells Nakamura to stay away from Tama, or else they will have problems. Nakamura says something in Japanese, then walks away.

Backstage, General Manager Nick Aldis welcomes Trick Williams to the arena and to the funeral for the Gingerbread Man, saying that the rest of the broadcast is all for him. The ring is then prepared for The Gingerbread Man's funeral.

Trick Williams heads to the ring for The Gingerbread Man's funeral. Trick eulogizes The Gingerbread Man in song, then we see an AI-generated montage of The Gingerbread Man's life. During the moment of silence, however, Sami Zayn interrupts, calling the funeral a waste of SmackDown TV time and calling it a joke targeting him. He also criticizes how expensive the funeral is before getting in the ring while Trick takes his fur coat off, then says he would not do something like this because he has too much respect for himself, the fans and the show. Sami Zayn says he is a working class hero and that he represents his "ride or die" fans until the end, and says he has been all over the card against people who thought they would knock him off his perch and has been in the game for twenty years, then gives credit where credit is due to Trick for getting in his head. Sami then tells Trick that he played himself and that he will make a joke out of him, then tells Trick to enjoy his night before he sees him at Backlash. Sami turns to leave, then hits a cheap shot. All of a sudden, The Gingerbread Man rises from the dead and unmasks to reveal that he is Lil Yachty, who hits Sami Zayn in the back with a candy cane. Trick then hits the Trick Shot on Sami to end the show.

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!

Raw Deal - Raw recap for April 13, 2026

We hear from Roman Reigns, who says that he gave CM Punk advice only for Punk to do what he thought he would do: lie and try to revise his history. He says that his fans lived through it all and that Punk exposed himself as a hypocrite. Footage of CM Punk and Pat McAfee speaking is shown, then Roman says that while he likes Pat McAfee, he has never had a punter run his mouth to him. He says that it is not 2012 anymore and the fans love him now. Roman says he will give CM Punk one last chance to tell the truth, or he will. We then heard the words "This message has been approved by your Tribal Chief."

General Manager Adam Pearce and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque are in the ring. Pearce announces that Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar will sign their match contract separately to avoid what happened last week before Paul Heyman arrives. Heyman says it is "WrestleMania fight week" and that nobody should even get close to "The Beast," Brock Lesnar, who shows up and heads to the ring with Heyman. Heyman signs the contract for his WrestleMania match before tipping his hat to Pearce while Triple H shakes Heyman's hand. Lesnar grabs the microphone from Heyman's hand and says that nobody will remember Oba Femi's hand after this weekend, then Heyman says that in "the real main event of WrestleMania," there will be a winner and a loser. He says that the loser's name is Oba Femi, and that the winner will be Brock Lesnar.

iShowSpeed is met by The Vision (Logan Paul and Austin Theory). iShowSpeed admits that he is not a wrestler, but Logan Paul says it does not matter and that he is a phenom, and that it is time to lock in. Austin Theory recaps the situation, and says that LA Knight and The Usos have it out for him. iShowSpeed psyches himself up, then starts training with The Vision. Some of the Performance Center talent is involved (including Dante Chen), and at one point, iShowSpeed is able to do a Boston Crab. At the end, iShowSpeed is a lot more confident.

Lyra Valkyria beats Bayley after Charlotte tosses Lyra into Bayley on the outside and goes for an O'Connor Roll only for Bayley to trip up Charlotte on the outside, allowing Lyra to get the win. After the match, Charlotte and Alexa Bliss brawl with Bayley and Lyra, and the referee has to get between both teams.

We see footage from yesterday of NASCAR racer Bubba Wallace in the #23 WrestleMania 42 car.

Backstage, LA Knight and The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) are met by The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, JC Mateo). Solo Sikoa says The Usos make the family look bad by hanging with LA Knight, and after Jimmy tells Solo he has a big problem, LA Knight challenges The MFT's to a six-man tag match tonight.

We see some footage of Netflix's new biography about Hulk Hogan, Hulk Hogan: Real American, revolving around becoming the third man and joining the New World Order at Bash at the Beach 1996.

Cathy Kelley interviews Stephanie Vaquer in the ring. All of a sudden, Vaquer is attacked from out of nowhere by Liv Morgan, and officials have to break up the ensuing brawl. Liv dares Vaquer to fight her in the ring, then says that she knew Vaquer's mother was trash, yet she did not know that she raised a little bitch. Vaquer yells at Liv before getting back in the ring and fighting her again. Once again, officials have to separate them both.

Backstage, Jackie Redmond interviews Iyo Sky. Iyo says she may have lost against Jade Cargill last week, but she does not regret fighting for Rhea Ripley, and nobody will be rooting for Rhea more than her. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane) show up, and Asuka tells Iyo that Rhea is not her family. She also mentions Iyo entering WrestleMania last year as champion, then says that Iyo is just Rhea's sidekick now. Iyo takes exception to this and tells Kairi Sane that she does not have to listen to her, and that leads to Asuka putting Kairi in a match against Iyo tonight.

LA Knight and The Usos (Jimmy and "Main Event" Jey Uso) beat The MFT's (Solo Sikoa, Tonga Loa, JC Mateo) in a six-man tag match. Near the end of the match, Solo Sikoa is distracted with Tama Tonga, who suddenly shows up from behind the barricade, and Solo confronts Tama about where he has been alongside Talla Tonga as LA Knight hits Tama Tonga with the BFT for the pin and the win.

Gunther heads to the ring. After the commercial break, Seth "Freakin'" Rollins rushes to the ring and attacks Gunther before he can speak. Rollins calls this his receipt for Gunther attacking him two weeks in a row, and at WrestleMania, he finishes the job. Rollins then says that if this is personal for Gunther and not about kissing Paul Heyman's ass, then Gunther should look him in the eye and tell him why he should fight him at WrestleMania. Gunther calls Rollins' bluff and says he will solve Heyman's problem with a smile on his face, as Rollins has been pissing him off by walking around like he is the best in the ring while he is the best and not Rollins. He says that Rollins became a useful idiot for Heyman and that he is setting it straight at WrestleMania and proving that Rollins cannot lace his boots. This leads to a brawl, and Rollins nearly hits The Stomp on Gunther into the ring steps before Gunther retreats into the crowd.

We see smoke on a black background. The screen flashes red while a heartbeat can be heard. Backstage, "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio complains to General Manager Adam Pearce about having to face The Demon and not Finn Balor, and wants the WrestleMania match cancelled. Pearce tells Dominik that he is getting what he deserves at WrestleMania, just like Rey Mysterio.

Actor Yahya Adbul-Matteen II and Sacramento Kings forward Dylan Cardwell are seen in the crowd.

Kairi Sane beats Iyo Sky. During the match, Rhea Ripley shows up to keep Asuka from getting involved in the match and goes for Riptide on Asuka only to be attacked from behind by Jade Cargill. Iyo takes out Cargill with a tope suicida, then fends off Kairi Sane before going for Over the Moonsault. As referee Jessika Carr checks on Kairi, Asuka trips Iyo off the top turnbuckle, and Kairi wins with a schoolkid pin.

We see a video package for Becky Lynch vs. AJ Lee for the WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania.

General Manager Adam Pearce and WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque introduce Oba Femi to the ring to sign the contract for his WrestleMania match against Brock Lesnar. Oba Femi shows up, heads to the ring, shakes hands with Triple H and Pearce, then signs the contract. Oba then takes the microphone, then notices Paul Heyman on the stage. Heyman says that in his entire life, he has never seen someone handle Brock Lesnar the way that Oba Femi did and says that Oba is a violent man, which he admires from afar as he calls Oba the greatest up-and-comer he has seen since Lesnar. Heyman then declares that this will all come to an end and that everything Oba has built will come crashing down with an F-5 in Suplex City by Brock Lesnar. He also tells Oba that there is no shame in this lose and nothing but pride in being in the WrestleMania main event, and that while Oba will be conquered by Lesnar, his door will always be open to Oba Femi when he needs to rebuild his career. Oba says it is taking everything to keep him from beating Heyman pillar to post, then says that it is deeper than that. He says that while the physical scars will heal, the emotional wounds will last forever when Lesnar loses. He says that the only door he needs to open is already open, and that is the door to WrestleMania. He says Heyman and Lesnar issued the challenge to whoever stepped up, and that he has proven that Lesnar can be baten. Oba says this is just business, but it is not business as usual and that he, Heyman and the fans can all feel it. He says it is time to put an end to Lesnar, then calls Heyman out on his dishonesty, for if he were honest, he would admit that Lesnar is afraid of him. Oba says that he will slay "The Beast" and that he will be the one to beat Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania.

We see the world premiere of Liv Morgan's "Trouble," which was briefly hinted at last week with the footage of the dancers.

Je'Von Evans and Dragon Lee beat Rusev and JD McDonagh with a Styles Clash from Dragon Lee to JD McDonagh. After the match, Rusev attacks Je'Von Evans and Dragon Lee, then Rey Mysterio runs to the ring and fights Rusev only to get clotheslined. Penta shows up and brawls with Rusev only to eat a Machka Kick. Je'Von goes for an OG Cutter, but Rusev lays him out. When McDonagh congratulates Rusev, Rusev lays him out, too. Rusev then attacks Dragon Lee and puts him in the Accolade.

Backstage, General Manager Adam Pearce is on the phone with John Cena when he is met by Danhausen, who wants to speak with Cena. Danhausen hopes to see Cena, as Pearce cannot see him. Pearce tells Cena that he will call him back, then Danhausen disappears.

Roman Reigns heads to the ring. As Roman demands the crowd acknowledge him, CM Punk shows up and heads to the ring. CM Punk says that Roman made a "smear campaign" in the show's cold open and states that Roman can be judge, jury and executioner as he tells his truth, then states "Tell me when I'm telling lies." Punk heads towards the ring, but Punk says that if he enters the ring, they will not need microphones. Punk stands at the apron and states that he hates Roman because he envies him, and says the only dream that he has ever had in his heart and all he ever wanted was handed to Roman. Punk says he hates that Roman was champion for 1,316 days and the number of times that he main evented WrestleMania. As he hates that he envies Roman, he talks about how he respected Sika as well as the old-timers, and hates that he mentioned his father's name in vain and apologizes to Roman for it. Punk says that he hates that there is more than one royal family and that he was not born into it and has no idea what that life is like. He says he was born in the streets of Chicago, Illinois and had to find his own family in the fans. Punk says he found his family in the indies, travelled the world twice and busted his ass to make pro wrestling his home and his family, and hates that he has to share this main event WrestleMania match with Roman. Punk says that at Saturday, he has gold on his shoes and around his waist, and when it is all over, he will have gold above his head as he retains the World Heavyweight Championship while the fans chant "CM Punk." Roman says that this is "the truest stuff he heard [Punk] say...up until the end," then says he hates Punk and has hated him for a long time, but it is because of Punk's relationship with the fans. He hopes that when he leaves, the fans miss him as much as they missed Punk and chant for him for ten years straight, and that the connection Punk has is the one thing he really has, and it cannot be taken away from him. He then says that Punk's truth is not reality and that time will be up for him at WrestleMania, and that he will become the new World Heavyweight Champion. He says that the experiment and nostalgia act is done, and that the Punk problem will be fixed and he will take back over, and the world will acknowledge him.

Here are the highlights from tonight's show!

Here's this week's Raw Recap!

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