Smackdown
Date: August 21, 2026
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett<\/p>\n
We\u2019re closing in on Sunday Night\u2019s Main Event and that means we should be getting ready for that show. However, there is one big match to cover on the way there, with CM Punk defending the Smackdown World Title against Kevin Owens, in a match which is actual weeks in the making. Or twenty years depending on who you believe. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n
We open with a long recap of Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes, with Rhodes having to be stopped from giving him a Conchairto.<\/p>\n
Sami Zayn rants to Nick Aldis about everyone getting put in front of him, including Randy Orton, who pops up behind him. Cue Cody Rhodes in the ring to call Orton out here to finish what they started last week. Aldis says no but Orton comes out to say it\u2019s happening at Sunday Night\u2019s Main Event. Rhodes says there is nothing stopping them right now, only for Aldis to say that if either of them goes after the other before their match, they will NEVER get another title shot.<\/p>\n
Orton rants about how he\u2019s going to take Rhodes out, calling him the American Daydream. Rhodes says he\u2019ll be the one to take out the last legend (Orton), no matter how many World Titles he wins. It always comes back to QB1 and he\u2019ll be waiting for Orton. This is the Rhodes that gets interesting, as his best work is often when he\u2019s ticked off.<\/p>\n
The MFT\u2019s want some competition. Haku comes in to say who are the mother f****** Tongans.<\/p>\n
Tag Team Titles: Damian Priest\/R-Truth vs. MFT\u2019s<\/p>\n
The MFT\u2019s, with Haku, are defending. The brawl is on to start fast with Priest taking over on Tama. R-Truth comes in for an elbow in the corner and everything breaks down. R-Truth\u2019s dive hits Tama, who comes right back to take over inside as we take a break. We come back with Priest cleaning house but Talla cuts him off with a clothesline.<\/p>\n
That just earns Tama a jumping enziguri and it\u2019s back to R-Truth for the John Cena finishing sequence. The AA gets two on Tama, with Talla making the save. Priest takes Talla down on the floor but gets chokeslammed onto the apron. That leaves Tama to give R-Truth a rolling neckbreaker into the Red Cross (High\/Low) to retain the titles at 11:35.<\/p>\n
Rating: C+. There was pretty much no reason to believe that the titles were going to change hands here and that\u2019s fine. After winning the titles in a triple threat, it makes sense to have the new champions win again in a regular match. Priest and R-Truth hit their shelf life as champions and it\u2019s fine to move on to someone else, which is exactly what we\u2019re seeing here.<\/p>\n
Post match Priest looks frustrated but hugs R-Truth.<\/p>\n
CM Punk is ready for Kevin Owens, who is dealing with these issues from twenty years ago, even if they\u2019re only in his head. Randy Orton comes in to say he\u2019s coming for his fifteenth World Title, with Punk saying he\u2019s looking forward to it.<\/p>\n
We recap Chelsea Green being given thirty days to defend her title or get cleared.<\/p>\n
Green apologizes to Tiffany Stratton, who lost her Women\u2019s US Title last week. They run into Paige, who praises Green for her courage. Fatal Influence comes in to mock them and Paige could go for a shot at the Women\u2019s US Title. Fatal Influence isn\u2019t overly impressed.<\/p>\n
Blake Monroe is picking her gear to make her in-ring debut in a dump like Toronto. Cathy Kelly thinks Monroe will look great in anything, so Monroe takes off her robe and figures the gear she\u2019s wearing will be fine, because she can make anything work.<\/p>\n
Blake Monroe vs. Giulia<\/p>\n
Hold on as Monroe jumps Giulia from behind and the beatdown is on, with a Neutralizer leaving Giulia laying. No match.<\/p>\n
Charlotte and Alexa Bliss are ready to do something when Tatum Paxley comes in. She can\u2019t wait to go to brunch with them but wants to know if she needs to bring her own blood. Jade Cargill and the Baddies come in, with Paxley asking for their blood. This results in Paxley vs. B-Fab next week, with Paxley being happy that Charlotte had her back, which Charlotte seems to regret.<\/p>\n
Here are Trick Williams and Lil Yachty for a chat. Williams is happy to have Yachty back but he doesn\u2019t have his title back. Since Baron Corbin is backstage looking like a cue ball, why not come out here for a Trick Shot? Cue Corbin, with Williams saying he wants a title shot right now.<\/p>\n
Corbin says the title is off getting a trim so Yachty takes him out with the Trick Stick. That\u2019s enough for Corbin, who agrees to the title match at Sunday Night\u2019s Main Event\u2026.but first he wants Yachty. If Yachty can last five minutes with him, he\u2019ll give Williams the title shot. Otherwise, they\u2019re done. Yachty actually agrees and Corbin promises it to be the longest five minutes of Yachty\u2019s life. They\u2019ve got to have something unique planned for that and I want to see what it is.<\/p>\n
Kevin Owens is interrupted by Finn Balor, who is glad he\u2019s back but could have gone for a heads up about Summerslam. Gunther interrupts as well, saying Owens needs to worry about him if he wins the title tonight. With Gunther gone, Balor gives Owens a pep talk.<\/p>\n
Tiffany Stratton vs. Lash Legend<\/p>\n
Nia Jax is here with Legend and Stratton is coming in with bad ribs. Legend gets dropkicked into the corner for a quick handspring elbow but comes right back with a slam. The bearhug goes after Stratton\u2019s ribs but she avoids a running boot and grabs a Backstabber. The suicide dive is pulled out of the air and Stratton is rammed into the post as we take a break.<\/p>\n
We come back with Stratton fighting out of trouble but the cartwheel Alabama slam is countered. The handspring Stunner works a bit better though and Stratton gets two off of a crucifix. The Prettiest Moonsault Ever is broken up though and the Lash Extension gives Legend the pin at 7:22.<\/p>\n
Rating: C+. The point here was Stratton trying as hard as she could with the injury but ultimately falling short. The best sign out of all of this is that it doesn\u2019t feel like an upset, with Legend coming off like a star on this level. I\u2019m assuming this leads to Stratton going all evil, which is probably the best for her.<\/p>\n
Post match the beatdown is on but Chelsea Green runs in for the save.<\/p>\n
Video on CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens.<\/p>\n
Shinsuke Nakamura does indeed have a new partner and it is indeed Kyoki, formerly known as Hiromu Takahashi. Kyoki wants more fights and madness and the clock is ticking.<\/p>\n
Smackdown World Title: Kevin Owens vs. CM Punk<\/p>\n
Punk is defending and Owens gets the home country reaction. We get the Big Match Intros and Punk is indeed soundly booed, as expected. Owens starts fast by winning a slugout and pounding Punk down in the corner. They\u2019re quickly on the floor but Punk is able to stomp away back inside. That\u2019s fine with Owens, who cuts him off and knocks him outside for the hard chops.<\/p>\n
Owens loads up the announcers\u2019 table, which Punk repairs and gives Tessitore a quick handshake. Back in and Punk counters the Stunner into a neckbreaker as we take an early break. We come back with Owens slugging away against the ropes and dropping Punk with a running clothesline. Owens just unloads on him and the Cannonball connects for two. Punk rolls outside, where Owens nails a superkick, meaning it\u2019s a frog splash through the announcers\u2019 table for a bit crash.<\/p>\n
The Swanton gives Owens two back inside so Punk kicks him in the head for the same. Punk\u2019s top rope elbow gets two more and he grabs the Anaconda Vice, which is quickly broken up. Owens counters the GTS into a Sharpshooter, because Canada, and Punk gets over to the rope.<\/p>\n
Back up and the referee gets bumped, meaning Owens\u2019 Stunner doesn\u2019t get a count. The GTS connects as well but here is Sami Zayn to post Punk. Another Stunner gets a rather near fall so Zayn throws the belt in. Owens doesn\u2019t want it that way so Zayn hits him with the belt, meaning the GTS can retain the title at 18:52.<\/p>\n
Rating: B+. Zayn vs. Owens you say? With that required move out of the way, this was a more than very good TV main event and it felt like a huge showdown. The good thing is they have all kinds of people waiting to come after the title and that should open up some interesting options. Zayn costing Owens can set up whatever they\u2019re doing next, while Punk can probably face whomever comes out of Rhodes vs. Orton.<\/p>\n
Post match Zayn lays them both out with belt shots and screams about justice to end the show.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results
MFT\u2019s b. Damian Priest\/R-Truth \u2013 Red Cross to R-Truth
Lash Legend b. Tiffany Stratton \u2013 Lash Extension
CM Punk b. Kevin Owens \u2013 GTS<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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