Cody Rhodes and Gunther collide in a heated SmackDown fight.
WWE
WWE SmackDown rolled into Albany, N.Y., with Saturday Night Main Event looming large and major SummerSlam stakes in play. The night’s spotlight centered on Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, who are set to battle Sami Zayn and Gunther. Should Gunther and Zayn score the victory, they will earn their way into the WWE Championship match at SummerSlam, turning the Rhodes vs. Punk showdown into an even bigger title fight.
Acting SmackDown general manager Adam Pearce also delivered a major update on the women’s division, revealing that Rhea Ripley is currently sidelined with an injury. As a result, WWE will crown its first-ever interim WWE women’s champion. Jade Cargill and Tiffany Stratton took important steps toward that historic opportunity, becoming two of the five competitors to qualify for the women’s Ladder Match at SummerSlam.
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Adam Pearce Announces Major Stipulation for SNME Main Event
- Gunther called out Nick Aldis’ incompetence for putting him and Sami Zayn in the main event of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Aldis called Sami a “bum” before being interrupted by Adam Pearce. Pearce said Gunther should thank Nick Aldis for saving his job.
- Adam Pearce announced that if Sami Zayn and Gunther win Saturday Night’s Main Event match, they’re added to the SummerSlam main event between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk.
- Gunther had very little time to celebrate before Cody Rhodes hit the ring and attacked him. Cody Rhodes called out the logic of Gunther being rewarded after kicking Cody in the head with a car door. Cody essentially called out WWE’s booking here, and he’s right.
- Cody Rhodes challenged Gunther to a main event on SmackDown, and Pearce made it official.
Adam Pearce Announces Interim WWE Women’s Championship
- Amid a Rhea Ripley injury, Adam Pearce announced that five women will be able to win their way to a Ladder Match at WWE SummerSlam. The winner of the Ladder Match will be crowned WWE interim women’s championship. The qualifiers include:
- Nia Jax vs. Jade Cargill
- Tiffany Stratton vs. Jacy Jayne
Finn Balor Def. Talla Tonga
- Talla Tonga opened the match with absolute domination on Finn Balor. Balor came back with a nifty move where he straddled Tonga on the top rope and, in Joe Tessitore’s words, “we’ve got fried onions in Albany.”
- Tama Tonga interfered, but Balor hit a slingblade to the outside. Balor scored with two Coup de Graces on the giant for the win. Knowing classic WWE booking, there is a world title shot in Finn Balor’s future now that he’s slayed a giant.
- Backstage, Punk had a friendly, if not icy, exchange with Damian Priest. Priest teased coming after the WWE World Title while Punk teased coming after the WWE Tag Team Titles with Cody Rhodes.
Match Grade: B+
Tiffany Stratton Def. Jacy Jayne
- Before the match started, Fatal Influence jumped Tiffany Stratton, but Brie Bella hit the ring and made the save.
- This was a quick match based on the television time it was allotted (most of the match was interrupted by commercial.) Tiffany Stratton countered a Rolling Encore from Jacy Jayne with a rolling senton and won the match with a PME.
- Backstage, Trick Williams went off on Baron Corbin, saying Baron’s jealous that Trick’s custom world title has more hair than Baron does. Carmelo Hayes interrupted Williams and said he knows he’s better than Trick. Melo lil-bro’d Melo, telling him to mind his business while grown folks were talking.
Match Grade: C
Jade Cargill Def. Nia Jax By Disqualification
- The second the match started, Charlotte Flair flew in and took out B-Fab and the recently divorced Michin. Flair then turned her attention to Cargill and hit a big boot, forcing the disqualification. Nia Jax was hot. An incredulous Jax squashed Charlotte Flair in the corner. Can you blame her?
- After Charlotte was squashed, Jade Cargill hit Jaded on Flair. Backstage, during a Johnny Gargano planking segment, Blake Monroe—who was spotted from a distance—attacked Candice LeRae. A disgusted Monroe then stared angrily at Gargano and said “you need a haircut.”
The War Raiders Def. Fraxiom
- The match started at a War Raiders pace before Axiom was unleashed and landed a picture-perfect moonsault onto the War Raiders.
- The War Raiders hit a unique move where Erik threw Ivar on the head of Axiom while Axiom sat in the corner. A fresh Nathan Frazer tagged in and hit a brutal suicide dive on Ivar. Ivar stayed on his feet, even after Axiom flew in with a suicide dive of his own.
- Ivar laid out Axiom with a spin kick and climbed to the top rope. Axiom and Frazer hit a double suplex on Ivar followed by a Phoenix Splash for the nearfall. Albany erupted in cheers and chanted “this is awesome.”
- Erik hit a reverse GTS on Axiom followed by a double-team pop-up powerslam on Frazer. The War Raiders hit a Ragnarok on Axiom for the win.
Match Grade: A
Cody Rhodes Def. Gunther By Disqualification
- Cody Rhodes jumped Gunther to begin the main event with 14 minutes left in the show. In a previous backstage segment, CM Punk tried to advise Cody Rhodes against facing Gunther ahead of tomorrow’s main event, where two combatants could be added to the main event.
- Gunther took control after dumping Cody out of the ring. Gunther smothered Cody, but Cody came back with to Cody Cutters. The first Cody Cutter was sloppy, but the second landed. Gunther took Cody Rhodes’ legs from up under him with a leg sweep.
- Gunther worked over Cody’s left leg, and as he zeroed in on the injured leg, CM Punk defied Cody Rhodes’ instruction to stay in the back. Punk cornered Cody while Albany sang “Cult of Personality” in unison.
- Gunther trapped Cody in a half-crab after the final commercial break. Rhodes fought out of it and dodged a running boot from Gunther. Cody followed up with a dragon screw. Sami Zayn hit the ring and attacked CM Punk on the outside. This caused a distraction from Cody, and Gunther capitalized with a sleeper attempt.
- Cody Rhodes shook off the sleeper and hit a suicide dive on Zayn. Sami interfered in the match and the referee called for the bell.
Match Grade: B
