WWE SmackDown is live tonight at 8/7c on USA Network and Netflix from Indianapolis, Indiana, as the road to WWE Money In The Bank 2026 continues.
As always, ‘WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.’ gets things started. WWE SmackDown opened with a live shot of the Indianapolis skyline as Michael Cole welcomed viewers to the show. Inside the arena, the steel cage was lowered for the WWE Men’s United States Championship match between Trick Williams and Baron Corbin.
Randy Orton’s Demand
Randy Orton also made his way to the commentary desk while the cage was being lowered and told Cole that he wanted to be interviewed later in the show.
WWE United States Championship (Steel Cage Match)
Trick Williams (c) vs. Baron Corbin
The ring entrances take place for the champion, accompanied by Lil Yachty, and the challenger, and then we’re officially off-and-running with this one. Williams and Corbin immediately began trading strikes before Williams connected with a spin kick and followed with a flapjack.
Corbin retreated toward the corner, where Williams continued the attack with a slap and repeated stomps. Corbin then turned things around by sending Williams into the steel cage. Corbin drove the champion into the cage again before connecting with a modified Death Valley Driver for an early two-count.
The match continued as SmackDown went to a commercial break. During the picture-in-picture break, Corbin continued to use the cage to his advantage, repeatedly driving Williams into the steel and controlling the pace. Williams briefly fought back with a roll-up and later a Michinoku Driver II for a two-count.
Corbin regained control with a suplex and continued grinding Williams into the cage before Williams answered with a neckbreaker. Williams then began climbing, but Corbin caught up with him near the top. Back from the break, both men traded punches while seated atop the cage.
Williams nearly made it over, but Corbin caught him in a front facelock and pulled him back inside with a superplex from the top of the cage for a close near-fall. Corbin later tried to escape through the cage door, but Williams crawled toward it as well.
Corbin kicked the door open into Lil Yachty at ringside, only for Williams to capitalize with a Trick Kick for another near-fall. Williams went for the Trick Shot, but Corbin countered with a clothesline and followed with a chokeslam. Corbin again headed for the door, but Lil Yachty slammed it shut in his face.
Williams then connected with the Trick Shot, but Corbin kicked out at two. Williams appeared stunned by the kickout before Corbin fired back by driving him into the cage, hitting a German suplex and following with Deep Six for another near-fall.
Corbin signaled for the End of Days, but Williams countered and sent him headfirst into the cage twice. Williams then delivered a Book End, followed by a second and third in succession before making the cover. With the win, Williams is still your U.S. champ.
Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: Trick Williams
Nia Jax Backs Lash Legend
Backstage, Nia Jax expressed confidence in Lash Legend ahead of her Money in the Bank qualifying match later tonight.
CM Punk Meets With Nick Aldis And Kevin Owens
The commentary team recapped last week’s Undisputed WWE Championship match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn before cameras showed CM Punk preparing for his match later tonight. Nick Aldis then asked Punk to meet him in his office.
Inside the office, Punk found Aldis alongside Owens. Aldis said he did not want the issues between Punk and Owens carrying over into tonight’s Money in the Bank qualifier. Punk responded that he had nothing Owens wanted and said he would stay out of his way. Owens then left without saying anything.
Chelsea Green, Paige, Tiffany Stratton And Nikki Bella
Backstage, Paige tried to get Tiffany Stratton and a concerned Chelsea Green focused on their upcoming six-woman tag team match against Fatal Influence.
After Stratton and Paige walked away, Nikki Bella confronted Green and said nothing would stop her from taking the WWE Women’s Championship. Paige returned and stepped between them, prompting Nikki to back away. Green responded, “Never meet your heroes.”
Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifier: Charlotte Flair vs. Lash Legend vs. Giulia
Who will be next to join the mix for the Women’s Money In The Bank ladder match? It’s time to find out. Lash Legend shoved Giulia in the opening moments and was met with a slap before responding with a clothesline. Charlotte Flair then entered the exchange.
Legend dropped both opponents with a double clothesline before tossing Giulia across the ring with a two-handed throw. Flair tried to fight back, but Legend caught her with a big boot. Giulia then jumped onto Legend and locked in a guillotine choke, only for Legend to power free and turn the hold into a vertical suplex.
Charlotte followed by taking Legend down with a crossbody before sending her to the floor with a clothesline. Flair then connected with a cannonball from the apron, but Giulia came flying off the barricade with a dropkick as all three women were left recovering at ringside.
Back from the break, Charlotte Flair unloaded on Lash Legend with chops before connecting with a float-over clothesline. Giulia re-entered and was lifted onto Charlotte’s shoulders, but Legend stepped in and completed a tower of doom powerbomb.
She tried pinning both opponents, but neither attempt got the three-count. Legend was sent into the top rope before catching Charlotte’s crossbody attempt and turning it into a fall-away slam. Giulia followed with a missile dropkick on Legend for a near-fall before kicking her out of the ring and turning her attention back to Charlotte.
Charlotte caught Legend with a chop block and followed with a back-cracker, but Giulia interrupted an attempted Figure-Four. Charlotte then knocked Legend off the apron with a big boot before Giulia met her up top and connected with a super butterfly suplex.
Legend threw Giulia out of the ring and tried to steal the pin on Charlotte, but only got two. Charlotte answered with a German suplex on Legend after knocking Giulia off the apron, while Legend later attempted a Figure-Four of her own before Charlotte escaped.
Giulia kicked Legend from the apron before climbing the ropes, but Charlotte threw her down onto Legend and followed with a moonsault onto both women for another close near-fall. Charlotte hit Natural Selection on Giulia before Legend went for the Lash Extension.
Charlotte blocked it and applied the Figure-Eight, only for Giulia to break the hold and connect with the Arrivederci Knee and Northern Lights Bomb. Legend then caught Giulia with the Lash Extension and made the cover for the three-count. Legend joins Lola Vice, Sol Ruca, Roxanne Perez, and Jacy Jayne in Money in the Bank Ladder.
Winner: Lash Legend
Randy Orton Awaits Michael Cole Interview
WWE showed footage from Cody Rhodes’ recent interview with Michael Cole, where Rhodes said he would not hesitate to kick Randy Orton’s head in. Cameras then showed Orton waiting for Cole backstage, with their interview scheduled for after the commercial break.
Giulia And Blake Monroe Brawl Backstage
Backstage, Blake Monroe confronted Giulia over her loss in the Money in the Bank qualifier. Giulia responded with a slap and the two began brawling before Nick Aldis stepped in and announced they would face each other next week.
Michael Cole Interviews Randy Orton
Michael Cole sat down with Randy Orton after Orton demanded an interview earlier in the night. Orton immediately brought up Cody Rhodes’ recent comments and questioned why Rhodes waited until the cameras were off to threaten him.
Orton said Rhodes has changed considerably over the years while he himself has remained the same throughout his WWE career. He suggested that if Rhodes follows through on his threat, it would show that Rhodes has compromised himself again.
Orton then asked Cole what he believed would happen if the two crossed paths. When Cole did not immediately answer, Orton became frustrated, raised his voice and brought the interview to an end.
Sami Zayn, Finn Balor And Johnny Gargano
Sami Zayn acknowledged that Randy Orton is back in the Undisputed WWE Championship picture and said plenty of people do not want him holding the title. Zayn said that has been the story of his reign, but vowed to continue surviving and retaining the championship.
Finn Balor interrupted and accused Zayn of screwing over several people on his way to the title. Balor made it clear that he intends to come after the championship regardless of whether he wins Money in the Bank. Johnny Gargano then joined the conversation, prompting Zayn to ask for his support.
Gargano instead questioned when he would receive his own championship opportunity, and Zayn eventually admitted that Gargano deserved one. Zayn claimed he had already asked Nick Aldis for the match but was turned down. Instead, he said he secured Money in the Bank qualifying matches for Gargano and LeRae.
Gargano asked whether winning Money in the Bank would be the path to finally getting his title opportunity. Zayn then asked whether Gargano still had his back, and after a brief hesitation, Gargano agreed. The show moves on from there.
Chelsea Green, Tiffany Stratton & Paige vs. Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid
Paige and Fallon Henley started things off with an aggressive exchange before Paige connected with a chop and back heel kick. Lainey Reid tagged in and was quickly met with a dropkick and a series of knee strikes against the ropes.
Chelsea Green entered and connected with a running double-knee strike to Reid’s back before Tiffany Stratton tagged in and kept the momentum going. Stratton caught Reid with a running hip attack and later rolled through a sunset flip attempt before hitting a dropkick for a two-count.
The opposing team began taking control after Fallon pulled Tiffany to the floor during a handspring attempt, allowing Jacy Jayne to connect with a thrust kick. Reid followed with a near-fall as the trio began isolating Stratton in their corner.
Jacy and Fallon continued wearing Tiffany down with quick tags and repeated attacks, including a senton from Jayne and a flapjack-blockbuster combination from Fallon and Reid. Tiffany managed to stay alive with several counters and near-falls before finally creating separation.
Chelsea eventually got the tag and came in with Japanese arm drags before sending Reid into Jayne and following with a sliding flatliner. Green also knocked Fallon off the apron as the match began to break down.
Paige and Jayne tagged in next, with Paige connecting on a suplex and fisherman’s suplex before hitting the Paige Turner for a close two-count. Green and Stratton then took out Fallon and Reid at ringside, while Jayne cleared both of them from the equation.
With the referee’s attention elsewhere, Nikki Bella tripped Paige from the floor. Jayne immediately capitalized with a rolling elbow and covered Paige for the three-count.
Winners: Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid
Damian Priest Attacks R-Truth
WWE aired footage from earlier in the week showing Damian Priest attacking R-Truth while he was training.
Gunther Confronts Danhausen
Backstage, Gunther was being interviewed when Danhausen interrupted and asked about their respective plans heading into Money in the Bank. Danhausen appeared ready to curse Gunther, but Gunther grabbed him by the throat and warned him to stay out of his way.
CM Punk Throws First Pitch At Cubs Game
WWE showed footage of CM Punk throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game. Punk wore a Pete Crow-Armstrong jersey during the appearance.
Announced For Next Week’s WWE SmackDown
WWE confirmed two Money in the Bank qualifying matches for next week’s show. Tatum Paxley will face Candice LeRae and Tiffany Stratton in a women’s qualifier, while Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano will meet in a men’s qualifier.
Cody Rhodes Addresses Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes made his way to the ring and opened by addressing Money in the Bank before turning his attention to Randy Orton. Rhodes said next week would be about the qualifying match, but there were other issues he needed to address first.
Rhodes referenced CM Punk defeating him at SummerSlam with involvement from Orton before Punk later lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Sami Zayn. He then shifted his focus directly to Orton and the comments Orton made earlier in the night during his interview with Michael Cole.
Rhodes said Orton had placed him in what felt like an unwinnable position. He brought up being asked by his boss to give everything he had, along with facing John Cena during Cena’s retirement year, and described himself as someone who has repeatedly dealt with those situations.
Rhodes then warned that the next time Orton puts himself in that position, he would kick Orton’s head off his shoulders. Rhodes closed by suggesting that Orton may not be the only person who ends up on the receiving end of that aggression.
Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifier: CM Punk vs. Finn Balor vs. Gunther
It’s main event time!
It will be CM Punk, Finn Balor and Gunther battling for a spot in the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Cody Rhodes crossed paths with Punk as he headed to the ring. Following a pre-match commercial break, the remaining entrances wrapped up and the bell sounded.
Gunther immediately went after Balor in the corner before Punk stepped in to trade shots with The Ring General. Gunther responded with stiff chops to both opponents. Punk and Balor briefly joined forces to take Gunther down with a double chop.
Punk then looked for the GTS on Balor, but Gunther broke it up with a big boot. Gunther trapped Punk in a Boston Crab until Balor broke the hold with a kick. A massive chop from Gunther flattened Balor moments later. Punk caught Balor with a kick to the face.
Balor answered by planting both Punk and Gunther with a double DDT. Balor followed with a clothesline that sent Punk to the floor before dumping Gunther outside as well. He then launched himself over the top rope, wiping out both men at ringside as we headed to a commercial break.
Back from the break, Gunther was in control of Balor while Punk recovered at ringside. Gunther turned his attention to Punk and launched him into the barricade before heading back inside. Balor came alive with a burst of offense, but Gunther cut him off and trapped him against the turnbuckles with his boot.
Punk tried to get involved, only for Gunther to drop him spine-first across the top of the barricade. Back in the ring, Balor fought his way back into the match and caught Gunther flush with a Pele Kick. Punk then climbed to the top rope and connected with the Macho Man Elbow, but Gunther kicked out.
Punk followed with running knees to both opponents before hitting his familiar clothesline-and-bulldog combination. He looked for the GTS, but Gunther stopped him with a rake to the eyes. Gunther tried to hoist both men up for a double powerbomb, only for Punk and Balor to counter into a double-leg crab.
Balor then caught Punk with an inside cradle for two before Gunther was knocked off the apron. Balor hit Punk with a Slingblade and followed with the Shotgun Dropkick. He connected with the Coup de Grace, but before the referee could reach three, Gunther dragged Balor out of the ring.
Gunther went for the Powerbomb on Balor, but Balor escaped and hit another Slingblade. Punk then nailed Balor with the GTS, only for Gunther to immediately catch Punk with a dropkick and Powerbomb for an extremely close near fall. Gunther sized Punk up for a lariat, but Punk avoided it and tried for another GTS.
Gunther countered into a sleeper, leading to another rapid series of reversals between the two. Gunther blasted Punk with a chop to the back of the neck and locked in another sleeper. Balor then came off the top with the Coup de Grace, but overshot his target. Punk capitalizes for the win. Punk and Balor shake hands and the show ends.
Winner: CM Punk
