The road to WWE SummerSlam 2026 continues tonight in “The Empire State,” as WWE SmackDown is live at 8/7c on USA Network and Netflix from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York.
Gunther Kicks Things Off
‘WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.’ kicks things off. We then see highlights from last week’s show. Live inside the arena, Gunther’s music hits and out comes “The Career-Killer” to kick off this week’s show. Gunther says he prides himself for being a professional but since he’s come to SmackDown, he’s been mistreated.
He suggests Nick Aldis is jealous of him and that he should be the champion right now and we all know it. Gunther says Aldis is the reason he isn’t champion and that Aldis has made this personal. Gunther is being forced to team with Sami Zayn to take on CM Punk and Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Gunther says Zayn is beneath him and this is unacceptable. Adam Pearce comes out and tells Gunther he has heard enough and says Gunther should be thanking Aldis for saving his job. Pearce says if Gunther was on RAW and did what he did, Gunther would be fired.
Pearce talks about the stipulation Aldis had added to the match which is if Gunther’s team wins, both he and Zayn are added to the SummerSlam match but Gunther attacked Aldis before Aldis could get to telling Gunther the stipulation. Cody Rhodes’ music hits and he runs out to the ring and attacks Gunther.
Rhodes punches Gunther sending him out of the ring and then gets on the mic. Rhodes tells Gunther he won’t make it past Saturday but today it’s Friday night and we are on the road to Saturday Night’s Main Event and Rhodes wants a match against Gunther tonight. Pearce makes the match official as our Main Event for tonight.
WWE Women’s Interim Title SummerSlam Announcement
We get a video package letting us know there will be a ladder match at SummerSlam for an interim Women’s Champion while Rhea Ripley is injured. The winner will then defend the Women’s Championship until Ripley is healed and at that time the interim champion and Ripley will battle in a unification match.
Finn Balor vs. Talla Tonga
Back inside the arena, Finn Balor’s theme hits and out he comes for the first match of the evening. As he does, the show shifts gears and heads into a quick pre-match commercial break. When the show returns, Talla Tonga is in the ring and the match gets underway.
Tonga wants to do a test of strength but Balor dodges him and starts punching Tonga in the corner. Tonga tosses Balor into the corner and Balor chops Tonga and starts chopping at Tonga’s leg. Tonga takes down Balor with a shoulder tackle and starts to stomp on Balor.
Balor is whipped into the corner and Tonga then hits Balor with an uppercut. Balor is choked on the middle rope and Balor fights back with punches. Tonga smacks Balor and Balor gets Tonga on the apron. Tonga and Balor battle as Tonga is on the apron. Tonga slams Balor into the turnbuckle and clotheslines him and we cut to a commercial break.
The show returns and Tonga strikes Balor in the corner. Tonga hits a running powerslam and covers Balor for a near fall. Balor strikes Tonga and kicks him in the knee. Balor hits a double basement dropkick on Tonga and then drops Tonga. Tonga gets up and hits a Samoan Drop and levels Balor.
Balor rolls to the apron and kicks Tonga from the apron. Balor climbs the ropes and Tonga gets up and grabs Balor and goes for a chokeslam but Balor counters and DDTs Tonga. Balor runs at Tonga and Tonga kicks Balor down and covers him for a near fall. Tonga ties Balor up in the ropes and headbutts him.
Tonga runs at Balor and Balor breaks free and gets caught up on the ropes and Balor nuts him. Tama Tonga runs at Balor and Balor hits Tama with a slingblade. Back in the ring, Tonga is hit with a shotgun drop kick and then Balor hits a Coup de Grace and then hits another Coup de Grace for the victory.
Winner: Finn Balor
Backstage
Adam Pearce is on the phone and CM Punk approaches him and asks about the stipulation for his match tomorrow. Punk is also concerned about Cody Rhodes’ match against Gunther and says he’ll go talk to Rhodes.
As Punk leaves, Damian Priest comes up to Punk and says after SummerSlam, he’s going to be waiting for Punk and his title. Punk leaves and R-Truth jumps up from behind Priest and they joke around.
Interim Women’s Championship Ladder Match Qualifier
Tiffany Stratton vs. Jacy Jayne
Back to the ring we go for a high stakes ladder match qualifier for the interim women’s title tilt at WWE SummerSlam. Henley and Reid attack Stratton before the bell. Jayne gets involved and it’s three on one. Brie Bella and Paige run down and take out Henley and Reid.
Reid, Bella, Paige and Henley battle to the back and the bell rings. Stratton strikes a distracted Jayne and slams Jayne’s head into the turnbuckle. Jayne kicks Stratton and Stratton chops Jayne back. Stratton trips Jayne and runs into her on the ropes and then hits a double stomp and covers Jayne for a near fall and we cut to a commercial.
The show returns and Jayne covers Stratton and Stratton kicks out at two. Jayne strikes Stratton several times and misses a Senton. Stratton and Jayne collide in the middle of the ring and both women are laid out. Stratton and Jayne trade punches in the middle of the ring.
Jayne kicks Stratton and knocks her down. Stratton runs at Jayne and connects with some clotheslines and a spinning elbow. Stratton hits an Alabama Slam and Stratton then climbs the ropes and Jayne gets up and punches Stratton on the top rope.
Jayne hits a draping twisting neckbreaker and covers Stratton for a near fall. Jayne goes for Rolling Encore and Stratton counters and hits a springboard cutter and then hits her Prettiest Moonsault Ever and gets the victory to advance to SummerSlam.
Winner and ADVANCING: Tiffany Stratton
Baron Corbin Update
Now we see a video package with Baron Corbin. Corbin puts the Blue Brand on notice and calls out Trick Williams and says he’s first on Corbin’s hit list. The show moves on from there.
Backstage
Jackie Redmond talks to Trick Williams backstage. Williams responds to Baron Corbin saying Williams is first on his hit list. Williams makes fun of Corbin being bald and Carmelo Hayes walks in and Williams wants an apology. Hayes says Williams hesitates around him because they both know Williams is not better than Hayes.
Williams says Hayes has been on SmackDown for a long time and has barely done anything whereas Williams has been here for much less time and has done much more than he has. Williams tells Hayes to quiet down when the grown men are talking and leaves Hayes laughing as the show moves on to another commercial break.
Interim Women’s Championship Ladder Match Qualifier
Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax
The show returns from the break and we gear up for another interim women’s title ladder match qualifier bout for SummerSlam, this time with Jade Cargill going one-on-one against Nia Jax.
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