Smackdown
Date: May 29, 2026
Location: Olimpic Arena, Barcelona, Spain
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett<\/p>\n
We\u2019re overseas this week for this Sunday\u2019s Clash In Italy show and we might as well stop here for a breather. The pay per view is mostly set up as Gunther is ready to challenge Cody Rhodes for the World Title. We should be getting some last minute pushes towards Sunday here so let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n
We look at Jade Cargill beating Rhea Ripley in a six woman tag on Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event.<\/p>\n
Here are Cargill and her goons for a chat. B-Fab and Michin tell the fans to shut up as they boo Cargill rather loudly. They know Cargill is going to win the title back on Sunday because the future is now. Cue Ripley to interrupt and yeah the fans seem to like her. Ripley says she\u2019s beaten Cargill before and she can do it again, with Cargill looking up at the true champion. Cargill isn\u2019t impressed but here are Charlotte and Alexa Bliss to interrupt. They don\u2019t think much of Cargill either so Cargill insults Bliss, who says she\u2019s dealt with bigger and better stars than her. Nick Aldis, get the referee, now.<\/p>\n
Jade Cargill vs. Alexa Bliss<\/p>\n
Their friends are at ringside. Cargill powers her out to the floor to start but Bliss is back in to hammer away. Bliss\u2019 high crossbody is pulled out of the air though and a gorilla press drop has her in more trouble. They go outside and Bliss is powerbombed onto the barricade as we take a break.<\/p>\n
We come back with Cargill elbowing her out to the floor and getting to pose on the apron. Bliss is able to hit a dropkick into the barricade and a flipping backsplash connects back inside. Sister Abigail is broken up and the other four brawl to the back. A DDT plants Cargill but Twisted Bliss hits her raised ankles. Jaded finishes Bliss at 9:33.<\/p>\n
Rating: C+. This was the simple \u201cvillains beats up the champion\u2019s friends before fighting the champion\u201d and that\u2019s something that has worked for the better part of ever. Cargill gets to smash through a big name on her way to the major title match. This was a perfectly acceptable match and that\u2019s a good start to the show.<\/p>\n
Post match Cargill grabs a chair and gives Bliss another Jaded onto said chair. Ripley and Charlotte run in to clear Cargill off.<\/p>\n
We look at Cody Rhodes beating Sami Zayn last week despite Gunther\u2019s interference. Gunther laid Rhodes out to end the show with Zayn walking away.<\/p>\n
Rhodes is interrupted by Zayn and has nothing to say to him. Zayn wants an apology and says he helped Rhodes with Gunther last week but then Rhodes stabbed him in the back. Rhodes doesn\u2019t remember it that way but Zayn thinks Rhodes could learn a lesson. After Rhodes deals with Gunther, he can teach Zayn a lesson too. Zayn vs. Rhodes could definitely headline a pay per view and they might be building in that direction.<\/p>\n
Nick Aldis wants Danhausen to appear in front of the crowd, as he\u2019s paid to do. Danhausen agrees and goes off, only to be replaced by Miz. As Danhausen is seen loading stuff into what appears to be his laboratory, Miz complains about Kit Wilson not being here. Aldis doesn\u2019t want to hear it and says Miz\u2019s match is next.<\/p>\n
The Miz vs. Axiom<\/p>\n
Miz is still getting his gear on as he comes to the ring and Axiom (with Nathan Frazer) gets the big home country welcome. Axiom takes him down by the arm to start and the lights flicker a bit, which can\u2019t be a great sign. A middle rope armdrag has Miz in more trouble and he charges into a dropkick. Frazer cuts off Miz\u2019s escape attempt but Miz gets in a cheap shot as we take a break.<\/p>\n
We come back with Axiom nipping up and knocking Miz down for two as the fans are WAY into him, as expected. A DDT gives Miz two but the YES Kicks are countered, with Axiom hitting a big kick of his own. Axiom\u2019s high crossbody gets two but the Golden Ratio misses. Miz powers out of a crossface and hits a slingshot powerbomb before going up for some reason. The lights flicker again and it\u2019s a Spanish Fly to plant Miz. The Golden Ratio gives Axiom the pin at 9:16.<\/p>\n
Rating: B-. It\u2019s always nice to see someone get what is probably one of the most important wins of his career. Getting to be out there in front of his home country, likely with some family and friends out there, is a great thing for Axiom and he had a good match in the process. Axiom beating Miz is hardly a stretch, even with the electrical issues.<\/p>\n
R-Truth is still injured but has gotten Damian Priest a tag partner for tonight. That would be Royce Keys, who will team up with Priest against the MFT\u2019s. Priest doesn\u2019t buy it and doesn\u2019t trust Keys but R-Truth gets smart, asking if either of them are scared. Since they\u2019re not, there\u2019s no reason for them not to team up. Priest chases after R-Truth, mainly out of confusion.<\/p>\n
Sami Zayn vents to Candice LeRae, but it\u2019s actually to Johnny Gargano, who still isn\u2019t moving. LeRae storms off and Matt Cardona comes in to try and talk some sense into Zayn. That\u2019s not cool with Zayn and a match is set. They need to pay off the Gargano thing already as it\u2019s been long enough.<\/p>\n
Charlotte leaves Alexa Bliss in the trainers\u2019 room and runs into Rhea Ripley, who better take care of Cargill. If she doesn\u2019t, Charlotte will.<\/p>\n
Damian Priest\/Royce Keys vs. MFT\u2019s<\/p>\n
Solo Sikoa is here with the MFT\u2019s. Talla slugs away at Priest to start and it\u2019s off to Tama, who can\u2019t do much against Keys. A running splash crushes Tama in the corner and there\u2019s the powerslam. Tama gets shouldered out to the floor, leaving Keys and Priest to knock Talla outside as well.<\/p>\n
We take a break and come back with Tama cutting off a tag attempt but Keys gets in a spinebuster. Priest comes in to clean house, including the running elbows in the corner. The lifting Downward Spiral plants Tama and a top rope clothesline gives Priest two. Sikoa gets in a cheap shot from the floor though, drawing out R-Truth. That\u2019s fine with Sikoa, who goes after the bad arm. Keys goes over for the save but the distraction lets Talla chokeslam Priest for the pin at 9:05.<\/p>\n
Rating: C+. The issues between R-Truth and Priest continue and they are likely to result in the titles changing hands sooner than later. At the same time, Keys continues to have issues with the MFT\u2019s and it seems like Priest isn\u2019t happy about it. That could go in a few ways and that is a nice situation to have.<\/p>\n
Miz complains to Nick Aldis about the lights and goes in to see Danhausen\u2019s laboratory. This earns him a blast from a fire extinguisher, sending Miz running. Aldis goes to look underneath the sheet, but Danhausen warns him to not do that. Oh dear.<\/p>\n
Video on Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu.<\/p>\n
Clash In Italy rundown.<\/p>\n
Chelsea Green comes up to see Tiffany Stratton (they happen to be dressed alike) and has an idea for their entrance tonight. Stratton says it was just a one time thing last week so she\u2019s passing. Green looks hurt.<\/p>\n
Video on the battle of El Grande Americanos, mask vs. mask, on Saturday. That should be a great one.<\/p>\n
Sami Zayn vs. Matt Cardona<\/p>\n
Cardona\u2019s wristlock doesn\u2019t get him very far to start and we get an early standoff. Zayn is sent outside for a dropkick between the ropes but he\u2019s fine enough to hit a suplex on the way back inside. Cardona scores with a missile dropkick though and we take a break. We come back with Zayn grabbing a chinlock, which doesn\u2019t last long. A faceplant drops Zayn and the Broski Boot connects.<\/p>\n
The Rough Ryder is countered so Cardona hits a nasty tiger driver for two more. Another Rough Ryder is countered into a big sitout powerbomb to give Zayn two. Zayn\u2019s Helluva Kick misses though and now the Rough Ryder connects for two, with Zayn getting a foot on the rope. Cardona charges into an exploder though and the Helluva Kick finishes him off at 10:16.<\/p>\n
Rating: B-. Cardona is someone who can lose all the time and be just fine, which is about all he does right now anyway. Zayn needed a win to boost himself back up as well, as he hasn\u2019t been doing much in the way of winning lately. They had a good match too and that shouldn\u2019t be a surprise given two veterans being in the ring.<\/p>\n
Video on King and Queen Of The Ring, with qualifying matches starting next week.<\/p>\n
We look at a new documentary called WWE: Made In America. Oh geez.<\/p>\n
Nick Aldis asks Gunther to keep things civilized with Cody Rhodes tonight. Gunther doesn\u2019t like the implication that he would do anything else, but he\u2019ll do it anyway, even in a place like Barcelona.<\/p>\n
Here is Trick Williams, with Lil Yachty, for a chat. Williams brags about his success since he came up to the main roster (fair) and now it means he should come for the King Of The Ring. This brings out Carmelo Hayes, who says Williams can be the king of the microphone and entrances, but the ring is Hayes\u2019 place.<\/p>\n
Williams thinks Hayes is being melo-dramatic because he\u2019s just not as good as Williams is. If only Ricky Saints hadn\u2019t interfered last week, their match would have been different you see. This brings out Saints, who doesn\u2019t like that suggestion and is ready to beat Hayes and move on to Williams. That earns him a slap from Williams and the scheduled match is on. Odds are a triple threat is coming here one day.<\/p>\n
Ricky Saints vs. Carmelo Hayes<\/p>\n
Saints chops away to start and knocks him up against the ropes, only to get splashed in the corner. Hayes gets in some right hands of his own but gets sent outside. Saints sends him into the barricade a few times and we take a break. We come back with Hayes shoving him off the top but a frog splash hits raised knees.<\/p>\n
A northern lights suplex gives Saints two but Hayes hits him in the face. Dirty Diana gets two on Saints, who is right back with a spinning Downward Spiral for two of his own. Hayes knocks him outside for the big running flip dive, only to get sent to the apron. The brawl continues and it\u2019s a double countout at 11:11.<\/p>\n
Rating: B-. That ending is more about keeping both of them active in the title picture and that\u2019s a fine way to go. They\u2019ve got something going here with the three way feud for the title and it\u2019s a nice way of bringing up a few people at once. It\u2019s fun to see the former stars of NXT getting to do this up on the main roster and it\u2019s working thus far.<\/p>\n
Post match Hayes lays him out with the First 48.<\/p>\n
Video on Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi.<\/p>\n
The Irresistible Forces threaten Tiffany Stratton.<\/p>\n
Blake Monroe writes in her diary about some of the women in the Smackdown locker room. Rhea Ripley is sad and Monroe is going to have to make things better.<\/p>\n
Nia Jax vs. Chelsea Green<\/p>\n
Lash Legend is here with Jax. Green avoids a charge to start and sends her outside for a suicide dive as we take a break less than a minute in. We come back with Green in trouble and Jax grabbing a chinlock. Green fights out and goes after the knee, only to Rough Ryde her way into a powerbomb for two.<\/p>\n
A Zig Zag gives Green two of her own and a missed charge sends Jax shoulder first into the post. Now the Rough Ryder can connect for two but Legend\u2019s distraction lets Jax get in a Samoan drop. Cue Tiffany Stratton\u2019s music so Jax sends Legend after her, only for Stratton to come through the crowd and hit Jax with the belt. Green steals the pin at 6:28.<\/p>\n
Rating: C. This was more about Stratton coming in for the assist at the end and not much more. Granted that\u2019s a good way to go, as Stratton and Green could do some nice stuff together. Green has been needing something to do for a long time now and this could wind up being the thing that finally lets her go over to the good side, as the fans seem to want.<\/p>\n
Post match Stratton declines a hug. Give it time though, as Green as a face is such a layup.<\/p>\n
Here is Cody Rhodes to wrap things up. We pause for the fans to sing Kingdom and Rhodes does his catchphrase in Spanish but here is Gunther to interrupt. Gunther says Rhodes is the perfect choice to represent America because the American Dream is crumbling. When he was growing up, Gunther was told that if he worked hard, he could achieve anything.<\/p>\n
On the other hand you have Rhodes, who only had to make some phone calls. That just makes Rhodes an entitled brat. Gunther sees the fans\u2019 approval as unnecessary while Rhodes is just a mark for himself. Rhodes calls Gunther a liar because he doesn\u2019t believe Gunther doesn\u2019t want the attention that comes with being WWE Champion. If Gunther didn\u2019t care, he would be talking to a 330lb version of Gunther at an indy show, rather than one of the best in the world.<\/p>\n
Paul Heyman has said that being champion is addictive and Gunther wants to find out. The only thing he\u2019ll find though is the worst thing a pure wrestler can learn: he\u2019s not good enough. Gunther talks about everyone he has beaten and all of the promises that he has kept. Now he promises to choke Rhodes out and take the title with him. This was good stuff, with both of them standing there and explaining their side of things in an intense way. It\u2019s a hard sell for the title match and that\u2019s what they were needing.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Results
Jade Cargill b. Alexa Bliss \u2013 Jaded
Axiom b. The Miz \u2013 Golden Ratio
MFT\u2019s b. Damian Priest\/Royce Keys \u2013 Chokeslam to Priest
Sami Zayn b. Matt Cardona \u2013 Helluva Kick
Ricky Saints vs. Carmelo Hayes went to a double countout
Chelsea Green b. Nia Jax \u2013 Belt shot<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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