The October 9 episode of WWE SmackDown opened with Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis discussing the rivalry between their brands before agreeing to a main event between Bron Breakker and Trick Williams. CM Punk, Kevin Owens and Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn also confronted one another ahead of Money in the Bank, while Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. The show ended with The Vision attacking Williams and Je’Von Evans after Austin Theory’s interference caused the main event to end in a disqualification.
Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis Set the Main Event
Adam Pearce and Nick Aldis were backstage discussing the rivalry between their brands when Bron Breakker and Trick Williams, accompanied by Lil Yachty, entered the frame. Williams and Breakker exchanged words, and the General Managers decided to settle matters by booking them against each other in the main event.
CM Punk, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn Address Money in the Bank
CM Punk came to the ring to discuss his attempt to win a third Money in the Bank contract. He acknowledged being asked why he was competing at his age, then climbed a ladder and argued that the chance to make history was reason enough. Punk said he had the opportunity to become the first three-time Mr. Money in the Bank.
Punk recognized that the match would not be easy, saying he considered the other competitors tougher than the reigning WWE Champion. He named Je’Von Evans, Penta, Trick Williams, Bron Breakker and Kevin Owens before Owens’ music interrupted him.
Owens said winning the briefcase would give him a future WWE Championship opportunity, but keeping Punk from winning would make the night even better. As long as Punk left without the contract, Owens said, he would consider it a victory.
Punk laughed at Owens treating his loss as a win and said that outlook was why Owens would always be looking up at him. Owens called Punk delusional, climbed a ladder to face him, and vowed to keep Punk from leaving with the briefcase. Owens then said he would win it and cash in on Sami Zayn.
Zayn joined them and climbed a shorter ladder. Owens greeted his “best frenemy” with, “Hi, shorty.” Zayn said the ladder positions were symbolic: he was the WWE Champion, while two men struggling to compete with him stood above him.
Zayn warned that winning the briefcase would not automatically make either man champion. He called himself a survivor and said a cash-in would not be a foregone conclusion. Zayn also said he had found a way to retain against both men, and that their losses were not accidents: they were alike, and he had exploited that.
Zayn added that Owens at least admitted to holding a grudge against Punk. He predicted neither man would win Money in the Bank because they were too focused on one another, and said he would remain Undisputed WWE Champion.
Six-Woman Tag Team Match
Lola Vice, Sol Ruca & Roxanne Perez vs. Jacy Jayne, Lash Legend & Tiffany Stratton
Jayne and Ruca started the match, with Jayne gaining the early advantage. Perez made a blind tag and used the opening to take control of Jayne. When Perez tried to drive her into the corner, Jayne reversed the move and tagged in Legend.
Perez looked to tag out, but Vice and Ruca both stepped off the apron, leaving her isolated. Perez slipped away from Legend and managed to tag in Vice without Legend noticing.
Vice struck Legend with punches and kicks, sending her outside. Legend caught Vice’s leap from the apron, but Vice countered by sending her into the ring post. Ruca then leapt from the apron to take Legend down. Perez joined the action, but Stratton dropped her before Ruca cleared the field with a moonsault from the top rope.
Back in the ring, Legend isolated Ruca and tagged Jayne, who continued the attack. Stratton tagged in and hit a hip attack against the ropes for a near fall. Legend returned and splashed Ruca in the middle of the ring for another two-count, then maintained wrist control and dropped her twice. Ruca briefly tried to fight back, but Legend sat her down again.
Legend tagged Jayne, who thrust-kicked Vice after working over Ruca in the corner. Jayne charged for a cannonball, but Ruca moved out of the way. Ruca tried to tag Perez, who stepped off the apron, but Ruca evaded Jayne again and reached Vice.
Vice rallied against Jayne and Legend, dropping them in opposite corners and hitting running hip attacks on both. Perez tagged herself in, prompting an argument with Vice that allowed Stratton to attack. Legend then tagged in, frustrating Stratton, while Perez’s roll-up attempt came up short. Legend went for the Lash Extension, but Perez escaped and tagged Ruca.
Ruca attempted a cover on Legend, but Jayne stopped it with a knee. Perez hit Pop Rox on Jayne, then Stratton took Perez out and was struck with a spinning backfist by Vice.
Vice held Legend in place as Ruca went for Sol Snatcher, but Legend moved and Vice took the move instead. Legend then hit the Lash Extension on Ruca and scored the pin.
Winner: Jacy Jayne, Lash Legend & Tiffany Stratton via Pinfall
After the match, Legend punched Jayne and hit the Lash Extension on Stratton, leaving both of her partners down.
Chelsea Green and Nikki Bella Interrupted by an Attack on Charlotte Flair
Chelsea Green appeared backstage, where Nikki Bella interrupted her and started a back-and-forth exchange. The segment was cut short by a commotion: Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab were attacking Charlotte Flair.
Medical personnel and Nick Aldis checked on Flair as Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley arrived. Aldis said Cargill and the others had been banned from the building. He also said Flair would not be medically cleared for the scheduled title match and that he intended to postpone it.
Flair insisted she would be fine, then asked Bliss to take her place. Bliss agreed, and the match was made official: Bliss and Paxley would challenge the Women’s Tag Team Champions.
MFT vs. War Raiders
Erik and Talla Tonga began the match, with Talla quickly taking control before tagging in his brother, Tama. Tama tagged Talla back in, and Ivar tagged himself in for the War Raiders.
Erik fought Tama while Ivar battled Talla. Erik struck Tama, drawing Talla over to help, but Ivar took Talla out. Talla regained control of Erik after tagging back in, and he and Tama worked Erik over together. Talla continued the attack alone, standing on Erik’s throat, before Haku called out instructions from ringside and Tama entered the match.
Erik fought back by reversing one of Tama’s strikes and managed to tag Ivar. Ivar hit a spinning sideslam and a crossbody on a seated Tama. He went for a powerslam, but Tama slipped free and caught Ivar with a spin kick to the side of the head. Ivar climbed the ropes, but Talla briefly stopped him, allowing Tama to hit a draping neckbreaker for a two-count.
Ivar dropped Tama and tagged Erik. Erik rushed into the ring, but Tama fought both Raiders off. Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki then appeared at ringside to taunt Tama. Tama knocked Kyoki off the apron, but was dropped from behind. Erik chased Tama as he tried to roll out of the ring, and Haku struck Erik in the throat with his cane. Tama and Talla capitalized and pinned Erik.
Winner: MFT via Pinfall
After the match, Haku stopped his sons from confronting Nakamura and Kyoki. The War Raiders attacked Nakamura and Kyoki instead, but Nakamura and Kyoki soon dropped them and stood tall.
John Cena Appears on The Tonight Show
Footage showed John Cena appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and handing the host a custom WWE Championship belt.
The Miz’s Birthday Celebration Interrupted by Cody Rhodes
The Miz and Kit Wilson came to the ring, with Miz complaining that WWE was not celebrating his birthday. Wilson called the crowd toxic and encouraged them to sing “Happy Birthday” to Miz, but Cody Rhodes’ music interrupted.
Miz asked for Rhodes’ music to be cut off. Once it stopped, Miz told Rhodes to stay out of the ring unless he had birthday wishes. Rhodes entered, dropped Wilson, gave Miz a birthday beating and took the microphone.
Nick Aldis came out and said this was why he had sent Randy Orton home: he knew Rhodes and Orton could not help themselves. Aldis said he could not risk two of his top stars being put on the shelf days before an event, particularly when that event could put more top stars on the shelf. He asked Rhodes to continue the discussion in his office, but Rhodes refused and told Aldis to stay there.
Rhodes said he had beaten Orton at WrestleMania, only to be attacked and forced to hobble up the ramp bleeding. He said his family should not have had to see that, and that behind his daughter’s tears was fear. Rhodes vowed to weaponize that fear to ensure Orton and the “Legend Killer” were finished.
He called on Aldis to arrange a face-to-face meeting with Orton, adding that he was willing to fly to St. Louis and find him himself. Rhodes said he knew what he wanted to do to the “human tramp stamp” that was Orton, then called him a “fragile b****.”
Damian Priest Brawls With Fraxiom and R-Truth
Backstage, Damian Priest said he was ready to move on from R-Truth. Cathy Kelley tried to ask where things stood between them, but Priest shut her down and turned his attention to Fraxiom.
Priest asked what their problem was, and they said they objected to how he had treated Truth. Priest asked whether they thought he should apologize. They said yes, and Priest warned they would not like what came next before attacking them. Truth joined the fight, and officials tried to break up the ensuing brawl.
Gunther vs. Danhausen
Danhausen tried to stop the referee from calling for the bell and then attempted to curse Gunther. Gunther booted him before he could, then attacked while the bell had yet to ring. He pulled Danhausen up by the hair, chopped him and delivered a powerbomb before placing him on the ropes and chopping his chest.
Finn Bálor came out to make the save, taking Gunther down with a double-leg takedown and punching him. Bálor kicked Gunther and hit an inverted DDT, forcing Gunther to roll out of the ring. Bálor followed with a Sling Blade on the floor and prepared for a shotgun dropkick against the barricade, but Gunther retreated over it.
Bálor checked on Danhausen, but Gunther returned and pulled him from the ring. Gunther tried to powerbomb Bálor, who escaped and stomped away at him until he was pulled from the apron. Gunther then hit a backdrop superplex that sent Bálor onto the barricade and apron, followed by a powerbomb onto the announcers’ desk. Gunther walked away.
Winner: No contest; the match did not begin
Bron Breakker Confronts Sami Zayn
Backstage, Zayn was speaking with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae about their failure to qualify for Money in the Bank. Breakker entered the frame and told Zayn he would see him soon, keeping his eyes fixed on the WWE Championship.
WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
Fatal Influence (c) vs. Alexa Bliss & Tatum Paxley
Lainey Reid and Alexa Bliss started the match. Fallon Henley took a swipe at Bliss, who turned toward her and was blindsided by Reid. Reid tagged Henley, who continued working over Bliss until Bliss managed to tag in Paxley.
Paxley rallied with a German suplex on Henley and fought off Reid as she attempted a kick from the apron. Henley caught Paxley’s kick, allowing Reid to return with a thrust kick that sent Paxley off the apron.
Henley tagged Reid, and the two champions whipped Paxley into the corner. Paxley knocked Henley out of the ring and tried to reach Bliss, but Reid stopped her. Paxley escaped and made the tag, allowing Bliss to enter and rally against Reid for a near fall.
Reid hit the ropes as Henley tagged in. Unaware of the tag, Bliss went for Sister Abigail on Reid, but Henley attacked her from behind. Reid followed with a knee, and Henley covered Bliss. Paxley broke up the pin.
Bliss tagged Paxley, who climbed to the top rope for a senton. Henley moved and rolled up Paxley, using Reid for leverage. The referee spotted it and stopped the count. Bliss pulled Reid to the floor and hit Sister Abigail on her.
Paxley hit Cemetery Drive on Henley and scored the three-count.
Winner: Alexa Bliss & Tatum Paxley via Pinfall; new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions
Announced for Next Week
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton will come face-to-face on next week’s WWE SmackDown. Damian Priest will face R-Truth, and Nikki Bella will face Paige.
Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams
Breakker and Williams tied up after the bell, with Williams forcing Breakker into the corner. They separated and ran the ropes, and Williams dropped Breakker with a dropkick.
Breakker rolled outside, and Williams followed. Breakker turned the momentum around by repeatedly smashing Williams’ face into the announcers’ desk. He then leapt from the apron, sending both men over the desk.
Breakker returned to his feet and dragged Williams back into the ring. He drove his shoulder into Williams’ midsection in the corner, then brought him to the top rope and set up for a superplex. Williams fought free and pushed Breakker off the ropes, then dropped him with a flying clothesline. Breakker answered with a suplex and covered Williams for a two-count.
Breakker applied a side headlock on the mat. Williams fought back to his feet and traded strikes, but Breakker stopped him and slammed him down before heading to the corner. Breakker charged for a spear, but Williams kicked him in the head and sent him back toward the corner. They ran at each other and landed lariats at the same time, leaving both men down.
Williams and Breakker continued exchanging strikes as they got back to their feet. Williams rallied with a shoulder tackle off the ropes and a Trick Slap in the corner. Williams lifted Breakker for a fireman’s carry, but Breakker slipped free and ran the ropes. Williams stopped him with a cyclone kick and headed to the corner to set up the Trick Shot.
Breakker anticipated the move and slammed Williams for another near fall. He dropped the straps and charged for a spear, but Williams answered with the Trick Shot. Austin Theory then rushed the ring with Maxxine Dupri and Logan Paul and attacked Williams, forcing the referee to disqualify Breakker.
Winner: Trick Williams via Disqualification
Je’Von Evans ran down to help, followed by Penta. When Evans was unable to stop the attack, Bronson Reed emerged and knocked Penta away before stomping Evans and Williams. Reed directed traffic as Theory held Williams for Breakker to hit a spear, followed by Reed’s Tsunami. The Vision then repeated the attack on Evans as the show went off the air.
