In what has been a developing story, WWE returns this evening, as WWE SmackDown airs live at 8/7c on USA Network in North America, and Netflix for international wrestling community.
‘WWE Then — now. Forever. Together.’ airs as always to get during the past seven days’s episode officially off-and-running. We then see a video package looking back at how concluding week’s Kevin Owens vs. In a separate but related matter, cM Punk crown tilt concluded with the Sami Zayn attack. We then re-emergence live inside the stadium.
Kevin Owens, CM Punk, Gunther & Finn Balor Kick Things Off The theme for “The Prize Fighter” hits and Owens emerges with a serious look on his face. He heads to the ring to kick off throughout this week’s installment. Viewers break out in a loud “Ole!. Meanwhile, Ole!” chant before he begins. He starts by saying this is not the way he was hoping to come back to Ottawa.
Owens says if he’s honest, he’s lost considerable title matches in his career. He says none hurt quite as much as this past Friday’s in Toronto. He talks about his journey to come back from a major injury setback and earning his way into a title tilt in Toronto of all places.
Owens says he picked Toronto because he knew his parents would be there. He says things were in Toronto faithful may remember when he spoke about his mom fighting for her life a couple of years ago. She then talks about them driving from Montreal to Toronto.
All he wanted to do was win that title in front of her. He says Sami Zayn made sure he didn’t do that. He says he’s not innocent in that regard either. Owens says he and Zayn have done a lot to each other throughout their careers. He says he can’t forgive it this time.
He’ll never get the stars to align like they were last week. Owens says it was even sweeter that he was going to beat CM Punk to make it happen. He says Punk knows he had him beat last week. He tells Punk that things aren’t over. Punk interrupts and comes out saying he didn’t need Zayn’s help to do it.
As Punk continues talking, he is cut off by the entrance tune of “The Career-Killer” Gunther, who comes out to a ton of heat. He talks about why Punk and Owens hate each other and makes his claim for deserving a title shot. Finn Balor comes out next.
Balor essentially does the same, and this all leads to WWE SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis making an announcement. The blue brand shot-caller announces Owens vs. Gunther later tonight for the next crown shot against Punk. Balor vs.
Tiffany Stratton & Chelsea Green vs. Nia Jax & Lash Legend
From there, we move onto women’s business as Chelsea Green told Tiffany Stratton she’s been cleared to perform and wasn’t going to let Tiffany fight alone. Furthermore, this leads into our first match of the evening. It will be Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton taking on Nia Jax and Lash Legend in women’s tag-team action.
Stratton and Legend start things off. Legend grabs a waist lock, be that as it may Stratton escapes and connects with a dropkick. Only for Legend to catch her and plant her with a backbreaker for a two-count, tiffany hits the ropes. Legend takes a swing at Chelsea Green on the apron, but Green avoids it, allowing Tiffany to connect with a Stunner.
Green tags in and hits a neck-breaker before Nia Jax enters for her team. On another front, tiffany and Chelsea connect with a double dropkick on Nia. However Jax catches her, green tries a crossbody. Beyond that, chelsea manages to land on her feet and kicks Nia in the side of the head, but Jax responds with a headbutt directly to Green’s protective fan favorite mask.
Chelsea promptly grabs at her face as Tiffany tags back in. We head to a mid-contest break. On a related note, when we return, Legend is in control of Tiffany and makes a cover, although Chelsea breaks it up. Bringing the medical team out to check on Chelsea at ringside, nia enters and catches Green with a knee to the face.
Legend traps Tiffany in a bear hug, although Stratton fights free before eventually getting cut off again. Legend returns and locks Tiffany in another bear hug before Nia tags herself back in. Nia tags in and crushes Tiffany with a clothesline for another near fall. Jax climbs to the second rope for a leg drop, but Tiffany moves out of the way.
Though Chelsea is still being tended to on the ramp, stratton connects with a reverse DDT on Legend and desperately looks for the tag. On another front, green suddenly races back to ringside and tags herself in. In a connected development, chelsea heads to the top and connects with a missile dropkick on Nia before sending Legend outside.
Then flies off the top with a crossbody to the floor, green follows with another dropkick that knocks Jax from the apron. Back inside, Tiffany attempts a hurricanrana on Legend, on the flip side Legend catches her and launches her into the barricade.
Chelsea is distracted by what happened to her partner, allowing Nia to catch her with a right hand and Samoan Drop. Jax follows with the Annihilator and gets the three-count and the victory for the team of The Irresistible Forces. The program moves on from there.
Winners: Nia Jax & Lash Legend
Behind the scenes, Nick Aldis is on the phone when Danhausen enters. Additionally, the two shake hands, with Danhausen telling Aldis that he can be his employee of the month. Gunther then walks in, and an excited Danhausen says he has been waiting forever to meet him. He offers Gunther a handshake, that said Gunther fully ignores him.
Gunther confirms with Aldis that this evening’s headlining bout will be a Triple Threat Match. He says he feels terrific still doesn’t appreciate having to jump through hoops to prove himself against Kevin Owens. “the ghost of Finn Balor.” Aldis simply tells him that it’s a Triple Threat and may the best man win.
Gunther looks over at Danhausen before walking away. Danhausen asks Aldis if Gunther noted “ghost,” on the flip side Aldis assures him it was just a figure of speech. Danhausen then asks if he can be further stated to the battle. We head to another break. Notably, aldis straight away tells him no.
WWE Women’s United States GoldJacy Jayne (c) vs. Paige Where strap action is on deck in our second battle of the evening, now we return inside the facility. On a related note, it will be Fatal Influence’s Jacy Jayne putting her WWE Women’s United States Championship on-the-line against women’s wrestling legend Paige.
Paige wastes no time going after Jacy Jayne, connecting with a kick to the crowd favorite followed by a headbutt. Paige sends Jayne onto the apron and delivers a series of knees to the face, knocking the champion to the floor. Paige follows her out and in a flash sends Jayne back into the ring.
Jayne distracts the referee long enough for Reid to catch Paige with a kick to the hero. Additionally, we head to a commercial break. They get back to their feet and trade right hands until Jayne connects with a kick to the side of the head. When we resurgence, Paige and Jayne wipe each other out with simultaneous clotheslines.
Jayne hits the ropes, on the flip side Paige catches her with a clothesline before delivering a fisherman’s suplex and a German suplex. Paige follows with the Paige Turner and covers, but Jayne kicks out at two. Notably, jayne fires back with a superkick, only for Paige to answer with a headbutt.
Paige looks for the RamPaige, despite this Reid jumps onto the apron. Paige sends Jayne into the ropes and knocks Reid into the ring in the process. Henley gets onto the apron next, but Paige kicks her back to the floor. The distractions prove costly. Paige turns around and Jayne catches her with an inside cradle for the three-count.
Winner and STILL WWE Women’s United States Champion: Jacy Jayne
After the contest, Nikki Bella comes out and attacks Paige from behind. Bella plants Paige with the Rack Attack 2.0.
We see highlights from the earlier exchange between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes before cutting behind the curtain — where Rhodes is approached by Finn Balor. The two shake hands, and Cody admits he isn’t sure what to say or do about the situation with Orton and the special rule surrounding their match.
Warning that Orton is trying to lead him down a dark path, balor advises Cody to keep his cool. Balor adds that by the time Cody is finished with Randy, Balor intends to be champion. We head to another commercial break. The two shake hands again before Balor walks away.
Back from commercial, Trick Williams is behind the curtain with Lil Yachty. But reminds him that facing Baron Corbin is a big deal and asks if he’s ready — trick tells Yachty he appreciates what he did for him and promises to look out for him.
Yachty says he’s had bigger fish fried in his pan. Took the crown at SummerSlam and put him through a table, he points out that Corbin disrespected them. Yachty says none of that will matter at Saturday Night’s Top battle because he’s going to survive the five-minute challenge, allowing Trick to march to the ring and “whoop that Trick.”
Yachty leaves to go to the gym, and Trick turns around to find Corbin standing behind him. Corbin tells Trick the reason he doesn’t have friends is because they do stupid things. Meanwhile, corbin vows to “whoop that Trick” himself, reminds Williams that he’s the titleholder and walks away.
Cody Rhodes & Randy Orton Beloved star-To-Face Cody Rhodes’ music hits and he makes his way to the ring. Cody asks the faithful what they want to talk about before saying he is eager to to talk about Randy Orton. Cody admits he would love to topped Orton senseless, but says that wouldn’t accomplish his goal of killing the Legend Killer.
Cody addresses the talk surrounding Orton potentially becoming a 15-time world defending champion — saying 15 isn’t the record and he no longer believes breaking the record is in the cards for Randy. Additionally, cody says if anyone could have done it, the situation was Orton — though every time Randy begins climbing back toward the top, he screws it up.
Cody says everyone in the back has heard the excuse that it’s simply “Randy being Randy.” He recalls watching other people get shown the door while Orton received slaps on the wrist and second chances. Cody says Orton screwed up again when he got between him and the most significant championship in WWE at SummerSlam. Cody starts to say that at Saturday Night’s Main Special event, it secured’t be Randy beating Randy, it’ll be Cody killing the—
Randy Orton’s music hits. Orton makes his way out and admits Cody is right about accountability. Randy says he made disappointing decision after bad decision early in his career and jokes that Cody had a front-row seat because Orton needed someone to drive him around — babysit him and make sure he safely got tucked into hotels around the world.
Orton asks if Cody resents him and repeatedly encourages him to take a swing. Which is exactly why he returned at SummerSlam after kicking Cody in the beloved star and made sure Rhodes didn’t defeat CM Punk for the belt, randy says he knows how much the WWE Belt means to Cody.
Orton continues trying to provoke Cody, eventually bringing up Cody’s late dog, Pharaoh. Noting that Saturday Night’s Main Show takes place in Atlanta in front of Cody’s family and friends. Cody angrily removes his jacket, still Orton isn’t finished.
Randy asks whether Cody’s “trailer park trash mother” will be sitting in the front row when he beats Cody’s ass, then brings up Cody’s wife and again demands that Rhodes hit him. Cody at concluding responds, saying he knows exactly what Orton is doing.
Rhodes says he knew this was the path Randy would take because Orton will do anything to get out of their contest. Cody says he’s counting the days until Atlanta, where they’ll find out whether Orton really is the once-in-a-lifetime guy.
Or a maiden-class screw-up like Orton’s father, a generational talent that Cody’s father was. Cody then turns the tables and tells Randy to hit him. Throws down the microphone and leaves the ring, rhodes tells Orton he’ll see him in Atlanta.
Behind the scenes, Jackie Redmond is standing by with Tatum Paxley, who says her thoughts have been racing. Prompting Jackie to walk away, paxley whispers something into Redmond’s ear. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss enter, and Paxley tells them she had fun at brunch before apologizing for “the blood thing.”
B-Fab and Michin at Saturday Night’s Main Special event, bliss reveals they’ve just been informed that they will hero Jade Cargill. Flair warns Paxley not to make her regret sticking up for her. We head to another break. Paxley responds by hugging Charlotte and declaring that she knew they were best friends.
Behind the curtain, Byron Saxton is with Rey Fenix. Fenix says he loves his brother, still this is his moment. Ricky Saints interrupts and tells Fenix it’s a nice story, but is looking to him to skip ahead to the part where he loses the tournament.
Saints also demands that Fenix stop ducking him and give him a match for the AAA Championship. What's more, fenix says he’s going to win the tournament and the championship before telling Saints that he doesn’t have what it takes to be belt holder.
Michin vs, and tatum Paxley
Back to the ring we go for more women’s singles action. Who sidesteps her and sends Paxley spilling to the floor, the bell rings and Tatum Paxley right away charges at Michin. Michin connects with a kick and sends Paxley back into the ring.
Yet Paxley catches her with a dropkick, michin gets onto the apron. Building on that, paxley follows her to the outside and connects with a moonsault. Along those lines, on that note, we shift gears and head into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues in the ring.
When the episode returns, Michin connects with a right hand and goes for the cover, still Paxley kicks out. On a related note, michin charges for a cannonball in the corner, but Paxley moves out of the way and gets a near fall of her own. Paxley connects with a superkick followed by another kick to the side of the head.
She looks for another kick, on the flip side Michin catches her and plants her with a powerbomb. But Paxley escapes and sends her over with a back body drop, michin attempts the Styles Clash. Paxley follows with a rolling kick before hitting Cemetery Drive. She hooks the leg and gets the three-count.
Winner: Tatum Paxley Behind the curtain, Jackie Redmond is with Blake Monroe. She says when there is an opponent worthy of her, and an entrance worthy of her glamour, she’ll make her real debut. Beyond that, monroe says her contest last week was beneath her and questions why Nick Aldis would put a Star like her in that position. Giulia suddenly storms in and attacks Monroe, throwing her into a garage door before WWE officials rush in to separate them.
Elsewhere, Kevin Owens is stopped by Randy Orton. It's worth noting that orton reluctantly admits Owens was right about Cody Rhodes. Owens says they’ll work on that and heads off for his bout. To add further context, owens is thrilled to hear it, on the flip side Orton reminds him that he hasn’t forgotten Owens dropping him on his head and makes it clear they aren’t friends.
A video package airs featuring the MFTs addressing Shinsuke Nakamura. Additionally, tala Tonga says Nakamura went home and got back up, while Tama Tonga warns that they aren’t in Japan anymore — they’re in MFT territory. Haku tells them never to underestimate their enemies and says challengers must be destroyed.
In the gorilla position area, Damian Priest is with R-Truth, who says he’s scouting the MFTs. Priest reflects on their run together over the summer although says summer is over and they no longer have the titles. Priest takes that as a sign that it’s time to move on and refocus on his original goal when coming to SmackDown — pursuing singles gold. The War Raiders interrupt and say the MFTs will receive the beating that was originally meant for Priest and Truth. Truth then challenges the War Raiders for the AAA Tag Team Titles in Mexico City. Priest agrees to one more bout. The champions accept, and despite Priest looking less than thrilled, Truth accepts on their behalf.
Nick Aldis is then came face to face with by Nia Jax and Lash Legend. Jax demands a crown clash against Chelsea Green, yet Aldis says Green maiden needs to be evaluated by WWE medical. To add further context, jax warns that if Aldis secured’t give her a gold opportunity, she’ll take one by force.
The Miz and Kit Wilson arrive next, complaining that Aldis used them as lab rats and even had them electrocuted. Miz says Aldis owes them. The SmackDown GM responds by booking Miz and Wilson against Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki.
Undisputed WWE Strap No. 1 ContenderKevin Owens vs. GUNTHER vs — finn Balor
It’s main premium live event time! Balor is barely getting into the ring when GUNTHER blasts him with a right hand. Owens goes after GUNTHER, however “The Ring General” answers with strikes of his own before dropping Owens with a major boot. On another front, balor gets involved, only to eat a superkick from Owens.
Owens connects with a senton on GUNTHER and follows with a Swanton Bomb from the top rope, on the flip side Balor breaks up the cover. GUNTHER chops Balor before kicking Owens out of the ring. But GUNTHER responds with another brutal chop, balor catches GUNTHER with a roll-up for two.
GUNTHER charges Balor however misses and spills to the floor. Equally important, owens climbs onto the apron, where Balor catches him with a right hand before launching himself over the top rope onto GUNTHER at ringside. On that note, we head into a mid-match commercial break.
The episode returns and we see Owens superkicks GUNTHER and follows with another on Balor, although Finn fires back with an overhead kick. On another front, all three men are down. On a related note, balor catches GUNTHER with a kick to the head and heads upstairs for the Coup de Grace. On another front, gUNTHER moves, Balor lands on his feet, and Owens wipes out both opponents with a clothesline.
Owens follows with a cannonball on GUNTHER, but Balor catches Owens with a Sling Blade. Balor heads back to the top rope, but Owens cuts him off with a right hand and climbs after him. On a related note, gUNTHER pulls Owens down and levels him with a clothesline before chopping Balor. It's worth noting that gUNTHER locks Owens in the sleeper, but Balor comes flying off the top with a Coup de Grace onto Owens.
This breaks the hold. Balor plants GUNTHER with a reverse DDT and connects with a dropkick. Finn heads upstairs and hits the Coup de Grace, and balor covers, on the flip side Sami Zayn shows up. Adding to the story, zayn drags Balor out of the ring and throws him into the announce table. Zayn then punches the referee.
Back inside, Owens hits GUNTHER with the Stunner! Beyond that, owens makes the cover, yet there’s no referee! Now CM Punk’s music hits and the attendees erupts as Punk storms to ringside and unloads on Zayn with right hands before sending him into the barricade and ring post. A second official races down, but Zayn decks him as well.
Punk grabs the Undisputed WWE Strap, still Zayn retreats into the ring. Punk fires back before Owens drops him with a clothesline. Punk follows him inside, only for Owens to start throwing right hands at Punk! Zayn grabs the championship and blasts Owens with it.
Balor gets back into the ring, still Zayn nails him with the crown too. But Zayn smashes him with the crown to escape, gUNTHER grabs Zayn in the sleeper. Now Sami Zayn stands tall over the wreckage and raises the Undisputed WWE Championship high above his head as SmackDown goes off the air. Notably, punk charges, but Zayn clocks Punk with the title. That’s how throughout this week’s SmackDown comes to an end. Thanks for joining us!
Winner: No Contest