Arena CDMX
Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Michael Cole and Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Mark Nash
WWE SmackDown aired from Arena CDMX in Mexico City, featuring two championship defenses, Rey Fenix against Ricky Saints, Paige battling Nikki Bella and CM Punk defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Sami Zayn.
Randy Orton Sends A Warning To The WWE Champion
Randy Orton opened the show by addressing his victory over Cody Rhodes at Sunday Night’s Main Event.
Orton said Rhodes showed the world that he was not a killer, but instead a good father, husband and friend. According to Orton, ending a legend requires sacrificing part of your soul—and Cody’s soul was not for sale.
Orton said he did not care whether anyone considered him a good person. He warned that anyone standing between him and a 15th World Championship would be dealt with without hesitation.
Regardless of whether CM Punk or Sami Zayn left Mexico City with the Undisputed WWE Championship, Orton promised that the winner would have the three most dangerous letters in sports entertainment waiting for him: R-K-O.
Chelsea Green Promises To Keep Her Protective Mask On
Backstage, Nick Aldis reminded Chelsea Green that she would be stripped of the WWE Women’s Championship if she removed her protective mask during her match.
Green promised to follow the medical requirement and thanked Aldis for allowing her to remain champion. Aldis responded that Green did not need to thank him because she had earned the title.
Tiffany Stratton then approached Green and said she would be at ringside to prevent Lash Legend from interfering. She encouraged Green to remain focused on Nia Jax.
WWE subsequently aired a video package commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
AAA World Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rey Fenix (c) vs. Ricky Saints
Rey Fenix and Ricky Saints opened with a fast exchange of holds and counters. Fenix landed an early hurricanrana, a double-springboard arm drag and a dropkick, but Saints answered with a slingshot arm drag.
Fenix caught Saints with a rolling hurricanrana for a two-count. Saints soon gained control by knocking the champion from the apron and countering a suicide dive with a tornado DDT on the floor.
Saints remained in control through the commercial break and delivered Old School before placing Fenix on the top turnbuckle. Fenix blocked a superplex and fought his way back into the contest with a springboard hurricanrana.
After landing a moonsault press for two, Fenix followed with the Goodbye Amigo kick and a triangle moonsault to the floor. A flying crossbody produced another near fall.
Saints caught Fenix in midair with a powerbomb before hitting the Revolution DDT, but the champion kicked out. Fenix responded with an inside cradle and a rebound spinning heel kick.
Saints avoided the MMB and nearly connected with Roshambo, but Fenix escaped. The champion hit a handspring cutter for another two-count before the two men exchanged superkicks.
Fenix finally delivered the MMB to retain his championship. Saints refused to shake the champion’s hand afterward and left the ring.
Winner and still AAA World Cruiserweight Champion: Rey Fenix
Sami Zayn Promises Johnny Gargano A Championship Match
Cathy Kelley interviewed Sami Zayn about his Undisputed WWE Championship opportunity.
Zayn said the situation was not about him—it was about justice. He claimed he would have been content with Kevin Owens or Johnny Gargano defeating CM Punk, but both men had failed despite being handed opportunities to win the championship.
Zayn concluded that he would have to personally take the title from Punk.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae joined the interview. After embracing Zayn, Gargano asked for confirmation that he would receive the first championship match if Zayn defeated Punk. Zayn gave Gargano his word.
Paige vs. Nikki Bella
Paige attacked Nikki Bella immediately, taking her down with a Lou Thesz press and unloading with punches. She repeatedly threw Nikki by the hair before slapping and superkicking her.
Nikki escaped to ringside, but Paige followed and sent her into the barricade. Paige then launched Nikki face-first onto the Spanish-language announce table and connected with another superkick.
Paige continued controlling the fight around ringside, driving Nikki into the barricade and steel steps. Back inside the ring, however, Nikki used the referee as a shield and slammed Paige’s head into the turnbuckle.
Nikki then took Paige down and used the middle turnbuckle for illegal leverage while securing the pin.
Winner: Nikki Bella
Nia Jax Threatens To End Chelsea Green’s Career
Nia Jax told Cathy Kelley that Chelsea Green should never have become WWE Women’s Champion. She described Green’s reign as a travesty and mocked her protective mask.
Jax said she had made careers by breaking faces in the past, but intended to end Green’s career.
Lash Legend warned Tiffany Stratton against becoming involved, threatening to break her ribs if she interfered.
Trick Williams’ Championship Celebration Ends In An Attack
New United States Champion Trick Williams entered the ring to celebrate his victory over Baron Corbin at Sunday Night’s Main Event.
Williams praised the Mexico City crowd and celebrated becoming “Tricky Two Times.” With Money in the Bank approaching, he suggested he could soon become “Tricky Two Titles.”
The champion then attempted to introduce Lil Yachty, whose survival of the five-minute challenge against Corbin had earned Williams his title opportunity.
Instead, Baron Corbin dragged Yachty onto the stage. Williams rushed from the ring, causing Corbin to retreat backstage. As Williams checked on Yachty, Corbin returned and struck the champion from behind with the Trick Stick.
Corbin warned Williams that their rivalry was not finished.
Finn Bálor And GUNTHER Come To Blows
Finn Bálor met with Nick Aldis and said he should be at the front of the line for an Undisputed WWE Championship opportunity.
Danhausen was also in the office cleaning a television monitor. After misunderstanding a reference to Money in the Bank, Aldis attempted to explain how winning the briefcase could change a wrestler’s career.
GUNTHER interrupted and criticized Aldis for repeatedly placing people in positions they did not deserve. He singled out Bálor and claimed the former champion had peaked 10 years earlier.
GUNTHER suggested that someone might need to beat Bálor into retirement. Bálor called him a “whiny little bitch,” bringing GUNTHER back into the room.
GUNTHER shoved Bálor, who responded with a right hand.
WWE Women’s Championship Match: Chelsea Green (c) vs. Nia Jax
Chelsea Green attacked Nia Jax with a dropkick and a barrage of forearms as soon as the bell rang. Jax overpowered Green and threw her from the ring, but the champion recovered and knocked her outside.
Green attempted an aerial attack, only for Jax to catch her and drive her ribs-first into the apron. Jax then pounced Green over the Spanish-language announce table before starting a USA chant to antagonize the Mexican crowd.
Jax remained in control with a headbutt and a Biel throw. Green avoided a body avalanche and responded with an enzuigiri, missile dropkick and double wrecking-ball dropkick.
Jax pulled Green from the apron and sent her into the barricade. Back inside, Jax delivered a uranage and running senton for a two-count before applying a half-nelson chin lock and hanging sleeper.
Green escaped and knocked Jax from the top turnbuckle. She landed a big boot, hurricanrana and running Meteora, but Jax countered a curb stomp with a Samoan drop for two.
Jax ripped off Green’s protective mask and threw the champion outside. Lash Legend then struck Tiffany Stratton with a forearm, but Green sent Legend into the ring post.
Jax crushed Green with a body avalanche and prepared for the Annihilator. Green moved out of the way and quickly put her protective mask back on.
The champion snapped Jax’s head across the top rope before winning a headbutt exchange—using the mask to her advantage—and connecting with the Unprettier for the victory.
Winner and still WWE Women’s Champion: Chelsea Green
CM Punk Vows To Teach Sami Zayn A Lesson
CM Punk told Cathy Kelley that sometimes bad behavior had to be rewarded so it could then be punished.
Punk called Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens part of the problem and acknowledged that GUNTHER and Finn Bálor were also pursuing his championship.
The champion said he had not come to Mexico City, home to some of the world’s greatest wrestling fans, to lose his title to Zayn. Punk promised to hit the GTS, silence Zayn’s excuses and remind everyone why he was the “Best in the World.”
AAA World Tag Team Championship Match: The War Raiders (c) vs. Damian Priest and R-Truth
The War Raiders attacked Damian Priest and R-Truth as soon as the match began. Erik and Ivar isolated Truth and repeatedly wore him down with strikes and tandem offense.
Truth eventually avoided a charge from Ivar and sent Erik from the ring, allowing him to make the tag to Priest.
Priest entered with kicks and punches before dropping Ivar with a shoulder tackle. He also caught Erik with a leaping back elbow and delivered spinning roundhouse kicks to both champions.
A lifting flatliner earned Priest a two-count. When Erik pulled Ivar from the ring, Priest launched himself from the steel steps with a crossbody onto both opponents.
The War Raiders regained control during the break, but Truth eventually received another tag. He delivered two diving shoulder tackles, a spinning side slam and the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
Truth escaped an attempted clothesline by dropping into a split before hitting Ivar with an Attitude Adjustment for two.
Erik struck Truth with a running knee, while Priest entered and attacked both champions. The War Raiders stopped his momentum with the Viking Experience.
Truth continued fighting, but Ivar connected with a spinning heel kick. Erik tagged back in, and the champions delivered Ragnarok to retain their titles.
Priest helped Truth to his feet afterward. Truth apologized for the loss, and Priest initially hugged him before placing a sombrero on his head.
Priest suddenly clotheslined Truth and planted him with the South of Heaven chokeslam.
Winners and still AAA World Tag Team Champions: The War Raiders
Tension Between Charlotte Flair And Tatum Paxley
Backstage, Charlotte Flair remained frustrated about her team’s loss at Sunday Night’s Main Event. Alexa Bliss described Charlotte accidentally superkicking Tatum Paxley as a simple miscue and said the group could learn from it.
Fatal Influence interrupted. Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley mocked the trio’s problems, while Jacy Jayne predicted that one of them would capture the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Paxley appeared and reminded Fatal Influence that Charlotte, Bliss and Paxley had defeated them on the previous episode. She warned them to hold tightly to the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
After Fatal Influence departed, Paxley apologized for what happened at Sunday Night’s Main Event and promised Charlotte that she still had her back.
Charlotte said she hoped it had only been a rookie mistake before walking away. Bliss encouraged Paxley to give Charlotte time.
Ricky Saints Attacks Rey Fenix
Cathy Kelley interviewed Rey Fenix following his successful title defense.
Fenix spoke about the importance of the weekend to his family. He looked ahead to defending the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way Match before predicting that PENTA would defeat Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship on Monday.
Ricky Saints interrupted and apologized for refusing Fenix’s handshake. Saints admitted that he hated losing but said Fenix had been the better competitor.
Fenix accepted the apology and shook his hand. Saints then attacked the champion from behind and threw him into a garage door.
Undisputed WWE Championship Match: CM Punk (c) vs. Sami Zayn
CM Punk opened aggressively, hammering Sami Zayn with punches before sending him outside with a suicide dive.
Back inside, the wrestlers exchanged chops and strikes. Punk connected with a vertical suplex and drove Zayn into the turnbuckles, but Zayn responded with a clothesline and rear chin lock.
Punk fought back with two atomic drops and a neckbreaker. After landing a kitchen-sink knee to the midsection, however, Punk began favoring his left knee.
Zayn immediately targeted the injury. He delivered a chop block on the apron and repeatedly wrapped Punk’s leg around the ring post before stomping on the damaged knee.
Punk answered by attacking Zayn’s already-injured left hand. He slammed the hand against the canvas, stomped on it and began removing Zayn’s wrist brace.
Zayn countered an attempted GTS with a takedown and applied the Figure Four. Punk reached the bottom rope to force the break.
The two exchanged more strikes before Punk landed a roundhouse kick and climbed the turnbuckles. Zayn attacked the damaged knee and brought Punk down with a superplex.
Punk landed a running knee in the corner, but his leg gave out when he attempted a bulldog. Zayn followed with the Blue Thunder Bomb for a close two-count.
Zayn delivered an exploder suplex into the turnbuckles and attempted the Helluva Kick. Punk intercepted him with a lariat before connecting with the GTS, but Zayn kicked out.
Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae then appeared at ringside, distracting Punk long enough for Zayn to score a roll-up for two.
Zayn reapplied the Figure Four, but Punk escaped by attacking his injured wrist. Punk then trapped Zayn in the Anaconda Vice, and Zayn began tapping out. The referee did not see the submission because LeRae had climbed onto the apron.
Zayn attempted to strike Punk with the championship, but Punk avoided the shot and hit Gargano with the GTS.
Kevin Owens then stopped Zayn from retrieving the title. During the struggle, Owens inadvertently struck Punk with the championship belt.
Zayn took advantage by delivering a low blow followed by the Helluva Kick. He covered Punk and secured the three-count to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Winner and new Undisputed WWE Champion: Sami Zayn
