Smackdown Review – 07.10.26

Words: AAA | Raw | NXT | Evolve | Main Event | Impact | NXT 2.0

Smackdown IS LIVE and in living color from The Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK. Speaking of Oklahoma, all good thoughts out to Jim Ross. The announcing team for tonight’s show consists of Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett on match calls and analysis, Mark Nash on ring introductions, and Cathy Kelley on interviews and news segments. We have a NEW Men’s Undisputed Champion (see Kat’s Raw review to find out how we got a Smackdown world title change to happen on that show!) and plenty of other things to get to tonight as we continue on the ROAD TO SUMMERSLAM. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Then, Now, Forever…..TOGETHER

Here’s some highlights from Raw which saw CM Punk become the Men’s Undisputed Champion by defeating Sami Zayn in the main event, after would-be challenger Cody Rhodes was taken out by GUNTHER.

Here’s Smackdown GM Nick Aldis fresh off of “administrative leave” and while he feels justified in his actions, he got through mediation and is now re-instated. Aldis welcomes the NEW WWE Men’s Undisputed Champion CM Punk to Oklahoma City, and predictably, there’s an enormous pop. They exchange a handshake and Aldis welcomes Punk to Smackdown before giving him the microphone. Punk has a shiner, and mentions that he’s been in negotiations to come to Smackdown since Wrestlemania. Punk says things picked up last week when Aldis called him about coming to the arena to replace Cody Rhodes when he was taken out. Punk says he’s not like other champions and will wrestle on television and defend the title as much as he can. Punk says he knows the locker room is filled with people who want what he has. Punk tells everyone who thinks they have what it takes, come find out because he’s not hard to find. Punk mentions Sami Zayn carping at him on social media and says there’s a rematch owed and he’ll deliver. Punk then mentions GUNTHER and says they aren’t strangers, so if GUNTHER wants it again Punk knows he’s already beaten him once and can do it again. The next name mentioned is Finn Balor, and they can fight again whenever Balor wants. Royce Keys, Damian Priest, Trick Williams….and “Kingdom” hits.

Here’s Cody Raheem Rhodes out to check Punk’s chin playfully, before grabbing a mic. Rhodes asks how Punk’s eye is and Punk says it looks worse than it feels, and then kind of mocks Rhodes’s “what do you want to talk about” catchphrase. Rhodes mentions the last time they were together he was the champ and had a black eye. Rhodes gets to the point and says there are matches that have been being built for years. Punk says that he and Rhodes are friends, and he thought when it happened it would be at Wrestlemania. Punk says they can’t run away from each other, and Rhodes agrees, while saying that he told Punk “just say when” the last time they were together. Punk cuts him off with a simple “when?” and Rhodes says “SUMMERSLAM”. They go face to face and then shake on it. Aldis makes it official as “the main event” of Summerslam. They do the nose-to-nose pull in for the highlights packages, and then Punk leaves as “Cult of Personality” plays him out.

Barrett and Tessitore talk over the gravity of what just happened, and then throw it to Cathy Kelley who’s with Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab. Cargill says Charlotte caused her to call out Alexa Bliss for tonight, and Michin and B-Fab cannot believe how dumb they both are. Cargill says you can put the blame for what happens to Bliss directly on Flair.

Finn Balor makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

Here’s former UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis in the crowd as Tessitore talks up Conor McGregor’s return to the octagon this weekend.

Tama Tonga vs Finn Balor

Talla Tonga is out with Tama, who’s still wearing the MFT black and white facepaint. These two had a confrontation last week and Tonga promised to close the books on Balor as being a part of his past.

Balor starts quickly with some rights and chops. Tonga trucks Balor down and then eats a Balor shotgun dropkick off of a sunset flip attempt. Balor sends Tonga to the floor with a lariat and then gets tripped up by Talla when he tries to run the ropes. Tonga flies back in to start assaulting Balor and nails him with his running forearm for two. We go to commercials.

Tonga is pounding away along the ropes but Balor fires up with some right hands to cut it off. Balor yanks Tonga into a helicopter Side Russian Leg Sweep before continuing to clubber away. Balor hits a flying forearm and stomps on Tonga’s chest. Balor gets caught but slips off of Tonga’s shoulder to plant him with a neckbreaker that gets two. Balor walks into some Tonga rights and a helicopter back drop suplex that gets two. Tonga hits two corner splashes and Balor flies out on the third attempt to crush Tonga with a sling blade and a shotgun dropkick. Balor ascends but misses the Coup de Grace. Tonga nails Balor with the Cutthroat and a lofted facebreaker driver that gets two. Balor grabs a small package for two and then dumps Tonga to the floor. Balor nails both Tongas with a tope con hilo and then crushes Tama Tonga with a running dropkick and the Coup de Grace to finish things.

I’m really going to enjoy having solo Finn Balor on Smackdown, friends. I’ve always been a big fan. Tama Tonga is an okay singles competitor, you know? He’s never going to to out there and put on some kind of clinic, but he’s also not terrible in the sense that his stuff does look like it would hurt for real. So this mostly worked, and the crowd was into it by the end. That’s good enough for me. 3.25*

Winner – Finn Balor (Coup de Grace)

Here’s Cathy Kelley with Carmelo Hayes who says that he’s proved that he’s deserved a title shot, and starts talking about Lil Yachty’s output before talking about how many catchphrases Trick Williams has. Hayes says he’ll once again prove to Trick Williams that he is HIM.

Here’s WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion R-Truth handing over some gambling losses to Axiom as Nathan Frazer makes fun of the USA being eliminated by EUROPEANS from the World Cup. Frazer, in his England kit, and Axiom, in his Spain kit, make their exit as Truth bellows that Europe has never won the Super Bowl. Here’s AAA Tag Team Champions The War Raiders in to question whether or not their advertised match is actually going to happen, but before Truth can answer, here’s Big Jim Uso and Jacob Fatu in to ask for a word with Truth. (When did Truth become the center of Smackdown’s world all of a sudden?) The Raiders leave and Uso wants to know where Solo Sikoa is. Uso tells Truth that it he sees Solo to let him know that it’s on. Fatu asks if Truth has seen Royce Keys and Truth says he hasn’t ever seen Keys and to watch your chain if you do run into him. Here’s WWE Men’s Tag Team Champion Damian Priest in to dap up Big Jim before telling Fatu that Keys is in the building. Fatu and Uso leave, and Priest tells Truth that Keys is not their problem and to let it go. We go to commercials.

Here’s a match graphic for Punk-Rhodes at Summerslam, and Nick Aldis is chatting with Sami Zayn on the phone while mentioning that Zayn is taking a “mental health” break. Here’s GUNTHER in to say that Aldis has made a big mistake and he could stooge him out to the boss, but he wants to give Aldis a chance to make things right. GUNTHER says they both know he belongs in a title match and Aldis has til the end of the night to fix things. Aldis grins at GUNTHER and says he’ll take it under consideration, and a grinning GUNTHER leaves. EVERYONE MUST GRIN VERY HARD AT EACH OTHER.

Here’s Big Jim Uso and Jacob Fatu in the ring. Uso calls out Solo Sikoa and here’s Royce Keys instead. Keys agrees with Uso that he’s not Solo Sikoa, and points out that Uso keeps mentioning his name. Keys says that Uso’s family business is affecting everyone including him, and Uso says it’s actually OTC business tonight. Keys says the OTC isn’t even here but Uso is still running plays for him. Fatu fires up and approaches Keys while saying they’re tight and should keep it like that. Fatu says Keys can say whatever he wants but when it comes to the OTC, don’t go there. Keys tells “Jake” it doesn’t have to be like that, and Uso says Keys isn’t part of all this. Keys says loyalty makes family, and talks about how many people in his family he’s lost. Keys says he wishes he could hug or call his lost family and Fatu has been his brother for 14 years. Uso says out of respect that Keys is going to cross a line that he can’t come back from, and Keys says he didn’t come to fight, but there’s a line right there and he’s crossing it. Uso threatens Keys with a family beatdown and Fatu says this is on Jim before leaving. Uso wants a referee anyway, and tells Keys he can’t come back from this. Keys hammers Uso with a lariat that sends him to the floor and we do have a referee out. We go to commercials.

Jim Uso vs Royce Keys

Fifty seven minutes into this pro wrestling show and here’s our second match! Whole lotta yap tonight, is what I’m saying. Uso grabs a side headlock and Keys trucks him after escaping. Keys fires off some rights and trucks Uso again with a clothesline. Keys gets caught by some Uso-fu and then yanks Uso up for a vertical suplex. Keys covers and gets two. Uso bails and Keys follows him out. Keys gets run into the ring steps off a charge and Uso yanks him up to run him back in. Uso hits a top rope splash for two and then slaps on a rear chinlock. Keys elbows his way out and Uso catches him with an enziguri. Keys drives Uso down but misses a charge and ends up on the floor. Uso hits a tope suicida and then sends Keys over the announce desk as we go to commercials.

Keys yanks Uso up for a powerslam that gets two. Keys drops the straps and Uso bails. Keys follows and yanks Uso up to slam him on the announce table. Keys does it again and then cuts off the ref’s count. Keys pulls Uso over his shoulder, but Uso slips off and mashes Keys face into a ring post. Here’s Solo Sikoa looming up from behind Uso in the timekeeper’s area, but Jacob Fatu has sprinted out to prevent a spike. They start battling at ringside and Fatu puts on the TONGAN DEATH GRIP. They tumble into the timekeeper’s area, and Uso uses the distraction to waffle Keys with a spear that ends things.

Post-match sees Fatu run Sikoa into the ring for a beating, but then a recovered Keys yanks Fatu away. They have verbals and then Fatu delivers a superkick and a senton to not have to deal with Keys any longer. Uso slides in a chair and Fatu puts it over Sikoa’s neck. Fatu loads up for the Hip Attack but stops just before nailing Sikoa. Fatu leans in and tells Sikoa that he’s got no family and if he doesn’t stop what he’s doing Fatu will deliver the Hip Attack the next time.

Since there was a post-match angle, I decided to keep it with the match summary. Apparently Sikoa has been ordered to Raw on Monday to face up for his crimes, so we’ll see what happens there. The match itself was not great, as Keys was plodding and slow, and Uso had to try to keep it together with his limited singles moveset. The crowd really wasn’t all that into it either, but when you’re getting the Bloodline B-team, sometimes it just doesn’t hit. 2.5*

Winner – Jim Uso (spear)

Here’s video of an incensed Sami Zayn after losing the title on Monday night. Cathy Kelley is with CM Punk and she wants some thoughts on GUNTHER. Punk says everyone can line up behind Rhodes and GUNTHER and take their shots before realizing he’s standing in front of Sad John Wrestling and Candice LeRae. Gargano is perched on a production cart, as usual. LeRae tells Punk she hopes he’s happy because Zayn is the only person who hasn’t given up on Gargano who is now THE VOICELESS. LeRae says Zayn represented all the underdogs, and Punk reminds LeRae that he is in fact happy about winning the title from Zayn. Punk tells Gargano and LeRae to stop this act and get back in the ring because whatever they’re doing right now isn’t working. Punk turns to leave and conveniently here’s Finn Balor to welcome Punk to Smackdown before leaving with a grin.

Alexa Bliss, accompanied by Charlotte Flair, makes an entrance and we go to commercials.

Here’s a look at Fatal Influence sponsored by CHIME. They promise to take the Women’s tag team titles at Saturday Night’s Main Event before telling Paige and Brie Bella their time is up.

Jade Cargill vs Alexa Bliss

Cargill sort of brushes past Bliss with a shoulder to put the stink-mouth on Flair, who responds in kind. This pisses Bliss off, so she leaps on Cargill’s back and starts whaling away. Cargill snaps Bliss to the mat and barks at her before going back to Flair. Bliss hits a chop block and then pounces on Cargill with a double knee blast that gets two. Bliss rams Cargill with a knee and wants a rana, but Cargill catches Bliss midway through the move and yanks her into a backbreaker. Cargill hoists Bliss up for a second backbreaker and we go to commercials.

Cargill runs into some Bliss high boots when the show returns. Cargill misses a charge and Bliss clubbers away from behind before eating a back elbow from Cargill. Bliss jumps on Cargill’s knee and then hits a short flurry that drives Cargill into a corner. Bliss misses a charge but snaps off a Blockbuster that gets two anyway. Bliss pisses Cargill off by calling her a bitch, and then catches Bliss in a cross-body. Bliss reverses out and wants Sister Abigail, and then Cargill yanks Bliss over her shoulder. Bliss slips off and nails Cargill with a superkick before B-Fab yanks Bliss down as the ref checks on Cargill. The ref turns back to see what’s going on and Flair uses that distraction to leap up and pull Cargill throat-first over the top rope. Bliss immediately grabs a roll up and gets two. Flair gets overwhelmed by an attacking B-Fab and Michin, and Cargill uses that distraction to waffle Bliss with a pump kick. Cargill pulls Bliss up for Jaded, and that finishes things.

Cargill was decent tonight, but not at her best. Bliss has a certain way of doing things and Cargill tried to make sure she got her stuff in, but this really never felt in doubt in terms of who was going over. You didn’t really miss much if you didn’t see the match portion, but everyone will be talking about the post-match as you’ll see shortly. 2.5*

Winner – Jade Cargill (Jaded)

Post-match sees a huge battle break out but the heel numbers gain the early advantage. Cargill nails Flair with a superkick and Michin and B-Fab tie her up in a corner. Cargill puts Bliss’s arm in a STEEL CHAIR and forces Flair to watch as she attempts to break Bliss’s arm. Bliss’s elbow appears to be dislocated and she’s in agony as Flair holds on to her. (I’m assuming that Bliss has the ability to dangle her elbow to make it look dislocated, troop. I hope so, anyway.)

A horrified Tessitore and Barrett talk over what just happened. The crowd reacts to Bliss being helped away but they don’t actually show it, and Tessitore throws it to backstage.

Here’s WWE Men’s US Champion Trick Williams asking “Boat” if he’s seen the US title belt. Trick assumes that Ricky Saints had something to do with this and vows to go get him before Lil Yachty comes in to say that he’s talked to the higher-ups and he’s gotten Trick a white fur LEGACY US title belt. Yachty wants a butt-whippin’ tonight and an ecstatic Trick promises to deliver.

Carmelo Hayes makes his entrance as we go to commercials.

Here’s Alexa Bliss being helped into Medical as Charlotte Flair comforts her while berating the officials for not moving fast enough. THAT’S OUR CHARLOTTE

WWE Men’s US Champion Trick Williams vs Carmelo Hayes

This is non-title as mentioned by Yachty last week. Trick is 3-0 against Hayes in singles matches, by the way. Trick tosses Hayes to a corner to start and then trucks him down. Trick puts the boots to Hayes and we see Ricky Saints watching the match from the locker room. Hayes has a short chop flurry cut off by a Trick knee. Hayes snaps off a dropkick and a springboard lariat that sends Trick to the floor. Hayes wants a tope but Trick sneaks back in to drop Hayes with a facebuster. Trick nips up and mashes Hayes with a chop as we go to commercials.

Hayes gets caught by a Trick lofted uppercut when the show returns. Hayes recovers and wallops Trick with Dirty Diana for two. Hayes gets caught by some leg lariats and Trick yanks him up for a Bookend that gets two. Trick yanks Hayes up but Hayes slips off and nails Trick with a high boot and a leaping DDT for two. There’s a standoff and Trick pulls Hayes into a jumping neckbreaker that gets two. Trick pulls Hayes up and mounts him on a top turnbuckle to clubber away. Hayes pushes Trick down and rises for a huge frog splash that gets two. There’s a roll up exchange for two and Hayes nails Trick with a superkick. Hayes ascends again and misses a second frog splash attempt. Trick wallops Hayes with a rolling kick that gets two. Trick misses a charge and ends up on the apron, so Hayes blasts him to the floor with a right. Hayes pushes Trick into Yachty and they skirmish on the floor. Back in the ring, Hayes snaps off a First 48 before ascending. Here’s Baron Corbin on the apron to yank Hayes down onto the top rope, and the ref calls for the bell.

We are not having the greatest in-ring action tonight, group. This felt weirdly perfunctory to me, and nothing like a fight with stakes. It was technically sound but the crowd was barely into it and then it had that finish. I generally like Corbin and the post match stuff worked out okay, so I guess we’ll see how it all plays out. 2.75*

No Winner – Corbin interference

Post-match sees Corbin attack Trick with a bunch of rights before sending him into a ring post. Corbin hits End of Days on a helpless Hayes and then nails Trick with it as well. Corbin takes the new US title belt and drops it on Trick before leaving.

Here’s a grinning GUNTHER heading to the ring. We go to commercials.

GUNTHER stalks to the ring and grabs a mic when the show returns. GUNTHER calls out Nick Aldis and wants to know his decision. Aldis emerges and walks to the ring while saying that despite everything, he’s decided to give GUNTHER exactly what he wants. Aldis says he’ll give GUNTHER both Rhodes and Punk but it will be at Madison Square Garden in a tag match. GUNTHER’s partner will be Sami Zayn and GUNTHER is not happy with this. Aldis says he made a mistake in thinking GUNTHER wouldn’t be a pain in his ass when he signed him to the brand, and that the main event for Summerslam is still Rhodes vs Punk. GUNTHER predictably blasts Aldis in the head from behind and then pounds on him with elbows. GUNTHER waffles Aldis with a lariat and slaps on the sleeper before the locker room empties. GUNTHER nails Aldis with a high boot and puts the sleeper back on. The Security goons barely manage to pull GUNTHER off as a dazed Aldis gasps for breath. Of course GUNTHER returns again for more elbows and another sleeper. The credits roll and GUNTHER goes back for more. Finally, “Kingdom” hits and here’s Cody Rhodes. We immediately go to black.

Here’s video from X of what happened after the show went off the air.

So we had an episode of Yapdown tonight with some occasional wrestling interrupting ALL OF THE YAP. Seriously, that was a lot of verbals and not a lot of wrestling. The wrestling that happened was just kind of there, too. That being said, there were three big things that did happen. One was the announcement of Rhodes-Punk for Summerslam, with all of the GUNTHER fallout happening in response. Two was the ramp up in violence within the Bloodline story, which will carry over to Raw on Monday night. Three was the Corbin debut where he ended up leaving both Trick and Melo in a heap. So while you can’t qualify this as an amazing episode of Smackdown, there were some talking points and we’ll go to Raw and see what happens there.

Have a great Saturday and weekend. Make sure to give our reviewers some love, clicks, and comments please. YAY CORBIN IS BACK!