Smackdown
Date: August 7, 2026
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett<\/p>\n
We\u2019re done with Summerslam and CM Punk is still World Champion, having turned back the challenge of Cody Rhodes thanks to the help of a returning Randy Orton. While Punk might still have to deal with Rhodes, he also has a new #1 contender in the form of the returning Kevin Owens. That\u2019s quite the surprise as Owens had been gone for about a year and a half but now he wants the title again. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n
In Memory Of Dory Funk Jr.<\/p>\n
Here is a ticked off Cody Rhodes who wants Randy Orton out here for a fight right now. With no Orton, Rhodes pays a quick tribute to Dory Funk Jr. and talks about winning the WWE Title right here in Philadelphia. He also brings up the loss to CM Punk, who comes out to join Rhodes. Punk asks if there is something Rhodes wants to ask him and Rhodes gets right to the point: did Punk know? Punk did not know and is willing to go help take care of Orton together.<\/p>\n
Rhodes wants to do it himself and leaves Punk alone in peace. Punk stops him though, saying their unfinished business can be taken care of whenever he says when. As a pleased Rhodes leaves, here is Kevin Owens to join Punk. They waste no time in arguing but here is Nick Aldis to call it off. Owens and Punk say they\u2019re both professionals and Punk thinks Owens is here in his gear.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not true as Owens wrestles in shorts instead of pants, but yes he wants to wrestle. That\u2019s all he\u2019s wanted to do for seventeen months, with the fans saying he\u2019s still got it. Owens: \u201cI never lost it.\u201d He\u2019s been told that Punk is a changed man but Owens isn\u2019t buying it. Rhodes can have his title match anytime but Owens is the #1 contender. That\u2019s because Punk is arrogant enough to look past him, which doesn\u2019t work for Punk.<\/p>\n
The reality is that Punk is the best in the world and he acts like it. Were these people really standing around waiting for Owens? Punk thinks Owens should thank him for paving the way for him, as otherwise Owens would be working on the indies and calling Punk for tickets to the WWE shows. Owens says Punk must be lonely on that pedestal and calls him a piece of s***. Now the agents have to come in and hold them back. Yeah this worked, as Owens can hang with Punk on the mic and showed it here.<\/p>\n
Charlotte has known Jade Cargill has something for years and tonight, Charlotte is giving her a beating.<\/p>\n
Trick Williams is ready to beat up Baron Corbin and get his US Title back.<\/p>\n
US Title: Trick Williams vs. Baron Corbin<\/p>\n
Corbin is defending and comes in on a motorcycle. They go right to the brawling with Williams knocking him outside early on. Williams knocks him over the announcers\u2019 table and we take a break. We come back with Williams kicking his way out of trouble and the Trick Kick connects.<\/p>\n
The Trick Shot is countered into the Deep Six though and Corbin gets a breather. They slug it out from their knees and Corbin is knocked outside, where Corbin grabs the belt. That just lets Williams grab a Rock Bottom for two, followed by the Trick Shot, but Corbin is in the ropes. Corbin is knocked outside again and with the referee shoved away, it\u2019s a belt shot to retain the title at 8:26.<\/p>\n
Rating: C+. I still like Corbin winning like this, as he\u2019s not doing anything insane or complicated to win. He\u2019s literally just hitting Williams in the head with a hard object to win the matches and that\u2019s a good way to make him look like a villain. Williams will be fine in the end I\u2019m sure, though I\u2019m not sure if he\u2019s going to go after Corbin again or do something else.<\/p>\n
Sami Zayn congratulates Nick Aldis for getting his GM job back before yelling at Aldis for adding Gunther to the #1 contenders match. Aldis doesn\u2019t seem bothered as here is Kevin Owens to interrupt. Owens wants his title shot in two weeks in Toronto, which works for the departing Aldis. That leaves Owens and Zayn to do their usual semi bickering and suggest that they\u2019re fine with fighting each other for the title. Owens: \u201cSix days. I\u2019ve been back six days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Baron Corbin does not like his wins being called upsets. The reality is Trick Williams will never get the title back and no one can take the title from him. Carmelo Hayes jumps him and the title match is already set for next week.<\/p>\n
We look at the ladder match from Summerslam, with Chelsea Green becoming the new Interim Women\u2019s Champion.<\/p>\n
Here is Green for her championship celebration. She thanks herself for the win, but also the blonde bombshell best friend, Tiffany Stratton. Cue Stratton, with Green saying she knows their friendship can handle what happened at Summerslam. Green offers a toast but here is Fatal Influence to interrupt. The brawl is teased and\u2026.let\u2019s do it for the Women\u2019s Tag Team Titles, with Jacy Jayne getting a Women\u2019s US Title shot next week in return.<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s Tag Team Titles: Tiffany Stratton\/Chelsea Green vs. Fatal Influence<\/p>\n
Fatal Influence is defending as Green starts with Henley. Green quickly brings in Stratton for the armdrags and some double knees to the back send the villains outside as we take an early break. We come back with Stratton Swantoning Reid for two, allowing Green to slam Reid off the top. Everything breaks down and Jayne\u2019s Rolling Encore knocks Green silly Henley comes back in and the Fatal Flaw to Green retains the titles at 7:28.<\/p>\n
Rating: C+. I\u2019m not sure about how much sense the title stipulation made, but I\u2019m really not sure about seeing the new champion, who won as a huge underdog, getting pinned less than a week after winning the title. That\u2019s something you see every so often and it\u2019s annoying to see it happen. Even with the interference, there isn\u2019t much good about seeing Green take the pin here as she only has so much status at the moment.<\/p>\n
Post match the Irresistible Forces come in to beat down Green and Stratton to pose with their titles.<\/p>\n
Damian Priest doesn\u2019t get why the MFTs are coming for them again when the MFTs have already been beaten. The War Raiders come in to say they want their own title shot and R-Truth comes in to say the title match is on next week. Priest points out that the AAA Tag Team Titles aren\u2019t on the line and isn\u2019t pleased.<\/p>\n
Video on Brock Lesnar\u2019s career, which is still rather cool to see. Lesnar has officially announced his retirement, which I\u2019ll believe when I don\u2019t see it happening again.<\/p>\n
Here is Randy Orton for a chat but before he can get anywhere, a ticked off Cody Rhodes (in different clothes than he was wearing earlier) interrupts. Orton immediately bails out and Rhodes demands an explanation, which has Orton confused. Remember during the road to Wrestlemania when Rhodes told him to be the evil Orton?<\/p>\n
Yeah Rhodes beat him at Wrestlemania but that\u2019s the time when Orton realized he needed to go full blast. The best version of Orton isn\u2019t going to bring home #15, but the worst version of him sure will. From now on, he\u2019s not going to let Rhodes be champion again. Rhodes doesn\u2019t have to be a champion anymore, so now the worst version of him is coming out again. So now, who kills Orton?<\/p>\n
Sami Zayn rants to Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae about being jealous of Kevin Owens getting a title shot but here is CM Punk to interrupt. Punk asks if they\u2019re still doing this and says that if Zayn could do anything about this, he would have when he lost. Now Zayn is at the back of the line.<\/p>\n
Jade Cargill and the Baddies want the Women\u2019s Title.<\/p>\n
Nikki Bella says she rebuilt Paige\u2019s career and now it\u2019s Paige\u2019s fault that the Bellas aren\u2019t together right now. Therefore, revenge is promised.<\/p>\n
Shinsuke Nakamura says the MFTs need to remember who he is. He\u2019s back and starting a war\u2026but he isn\u2019t coming alone.<\/p>\n
Charlotte vs. Jade Cargill<\/p>\n
They fight over a lockup to start and crash out to the floor without letting go. Back in and Cargill shoulders her down but Charlotte nips up and gets in a knockdown of her own. The Queen\u2019s Decree (the flipping figure four necklock slams) connects but they head outside, with Cargill ramming her into the barricade.<\/p>\n
We take a break and come back with Charlotte avoiding a charge in the corner and grabbing a German suplex. Cargill rolls through a high crossbody for two more though but Charlotte bridges up to try the backslide. That doesn\u2019t work so Charlotte takes her up, where the Stratusphere is blocked.<\/p>\n
Instead Cargill gives her a big jumping sitout powerbomb for two but a bit boot misses. That lets Charlotte come right back with a chop block into the Figure Eight so here are the Baddies to break it up. Cue the returning Alexa Bliss\u2026and the lights go out. NXT\u2019s Tatum Paxley is on the top and dives onto the Baddies, leaving Charlotte to grab a Sister Abigail DDT. A top rope Natural Selection pins Cargill at 13:17.<\/p>\n
Rating: B-. This was kind of a weird way to debut Paxley but she\u2019s a good choice to move up. Outside of a surprise NXT Women\u2019s Title win, there wasn\u2019t much left for her to do down there and she seems like she could be an interesting addition up here. Other than that, Charlotte beating Cargill with some help in the name of revenge isn\u2019t a bad way to go, though I\u2019d assume we\u2019re far from this being over.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results
Baron Corbin b. Trick Williams \u2013 Belt shot
Fatal Influence b. Tiffany Stratton\/Chelsea Green \u2013 Fatal Flaw to Green
Charlotte b. Jade Cargill \u2013 Top rope Natural Selection<\/p>\n
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