WWE SmackDown aired live from Sunrise, Florida, as the road to Survivor Series: WarGames continued. The show featured Gunther battling Finn Bálor, the WWE Tag Team Championship on the line and several additions to the John Cena Classic and Survivor Series teams.
John Cena Invites Charlotte Flair To The John Cena Classic
Following a video package recapping Crown Jewel, John Cena opened the show with the John Cena Classic Championship displayed inside the ring. Cena discussed the inaugural tournament, scheduled for December 14 in Orlando, Florida, and explained that a record number of NXT Superstars would make their Raw debuts against established WWE talent. Fans will also play a role in determining the tournament’s outcome through Club WWE voting.
Cena then announced Charlotte Flair as the latest participant. An emotional Flair recalled spending the previous decade wondering whether she would ever share a storyline with Cena, particularly as fans compared their championship accomplishments and debated whether she would surpass Ric Flair’s record.
Flair also discussed the difficult period she experienced following WrestleMania 41, when she questioned whether she wanted to continue wrestling. Cena approached her backstage and encouraged her to stop trying to be perfect and embrace who she truly was. Flair credited that conversation with helping her regain her confidence and reconnect with the audience.
Flair thanked Cena for believing in her as an individual rather than simply viewing her as Ric Flair’s daughter. She promised to begin another chapter of her career by winning the John Cena Classic Championship and proving why she considered herself the greatest champion of all time.
Cena acknowledged the expectations Flair faced because of her family name and praised her role in rebuilding WWE’s women’s division. He recalled saying that he wanted to win his 17th world championship so he could eventually shake the hand of the person who captured an 18th. Cena revealed that Flair was the person he had been referring to.
Rey Mysterio And Cody Rhodes Meet With Nick Aldis
Rey Mysterio informed SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis that he had identified another member of the SmackDown roster for Team Mexico. Cody Rhodes then arrived and exchanged a handshake with Mysterio before Rey left to handle his recruitment.
Aldis checked on Rhodes following his Last Man Standing Match against Randy Orton at Crown Jewel. Rhodes joked that he might begin using Orton’s punt kick himself and said he was pleased to captain Team USA against Team Mexico at Survivor Series. Rhodes added that he and CM Punk had several potential recruits in mind.
Before leaving, Rhodes informed Aldis that he wanted to discuss the number one contender position once Survivor Series was over.
WWE Tag Team Championship
MFTs (c) vs. Bakusai
Kyoki started against Tama Tonga and connected with several crossbody attacks before Tama answered with a back elbow and dropkick. Talla Tonga entered and used his size to overpower Kyoki with strikes and a hard Irish whip into the corner.
Kyoki fought back against Tama with chops and a headscissors takedown before knocking Talla from the apron. While the referee was distracted, Haku struck Kyoki’s leg with his walking stick. Talla then sent Kyoki into the barricade and followed with a splash and running Samoan drop inside the ring.
The champions isolated Kyoki until he escaped a suplex, landed on his feet and connected with a dragon screw leg whip. Shinsuke Nakamura received the tag and unloaded on Tama with forearms and kicks before knocking Talla from the apron.
Nakamura avoided Cutthroat and connected with the Kinshasa. He appeared to have the match won, but Erik and Ivar entered the ring and broke up the pinfall, forcing the referee to call for the disqualification.
Winners: Bakusai via Disqualification
The MFTs retained the WWE Tag Team Championship due to the disqualification. The War Raiders continued their attack afterward, with Ivar driving Talla into the barricade with a crossbody. Erik and Ivar then powerslammed Tama before delivering Ragnarok to Nakamura.
Finn Bálor Promises To Expose Gunther
Cathy Kelley interviewed Bálor ahead of the main event. Bálor described Gunther as a bully who was secretly a coward and promised there would be no supernatural mind games when they met. Gunther would instead face the real Finn Bálor.
Damian Priest vs. Axiom
Priest opened with a big boot and elbow in the corner, but Axiom stopped his attempted rebound clothesline with a dropkick. Axiom targeted Priest’s leg with repeated kicks and knocked him from the apron before delivering a Golden Triangle moonsault that sent him crashing into the announce table.
Back inside, Axiom countered Priest with a dragon screw through the ropes and followed with a missile dropkick. Priest attempted the Razor’s Edge, but Axiom escaped with a hurricanrana.
Priest quickly recovered with a clothesline before finally connecting with the Razor’s Edge for the victory.
Winner: Damian Priest via Pinfall
Nathan Frazer entered to check on Axiom following the match, but Priest caught him with South of Heaven and left him laid out.
Fatal Influence Joins The John Cena Classic
Fatal Influence confronted Cena backstage and complained that he had wasted an invitation on Flair. Lainey Reid joked that after years of telling people they could not see him, Cena had failed to notice Fatal Influence standing directly in front of him.
Cena admitted they had a point and praised the Ruthless Aggression they displayed. He then invited Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Reid to participate in the John Cena Classic.
Kevin Owens Confronts Sami Zayn
Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn entered alongside Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. Zayn reflected on losing to Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel but said several things had been made right, particularly when Reigns finally acknowledged and showed him respect. Zayn argued that if Reigns could respect him, everyone else should as well.
Kevin Owens interrupted and said he was pleased that Zayn had settled some old scores because he had been doing the same since returning. Owens mentioned attacking CM Punk with a chain and pinning him without assistance the previous week.
Owens then discussed his 25-year history with Zayn. He said Sami deserved to be champion, had earned the respect of his peers and was someone Owens was proud of. However, Owens had lost 17 months of his career and spent that time thinking about returning to WWE and reaching the top again.
Owens said he finally received an opportunity to win the WWE Championship in front of his family and fans, only for Zayn to take it away. Owens insisted he did not want to take the title from Sami, but needed to do so to make things right.
Gargano interrupted and argued that he had also endured a difficult year and lost everything. Zayn was the only person who stood by him and had promised him a championship opportunity. Owens dismissed Gargano’s involvement and said the situation concerned only himself and Zayn.
When Owens confronted Zayn, Gargano attacked him from behind as Sami left the ring. Gargano hit a superkick and attempted another, but Owens caught his leg and responded with one of his own. Owens warned that Zayn was living on borrowed time and promised to end him before throwing Gargano outside.
Rey Fenix Joins Team Mexico
Rhodes approached Punk backstage while he was watching the confrontation between Zayn and Owens. Mysterio then arrived and introduced Rey Fenix as the newest member of Team Mexico.
Fenix said it was an honor to represent his country and family at Survivor Series. With Team Mexico adding another member, Punk handed Rhodes a list of potential recruits for Team USA.
Charlotte Flair vs. Jacy Jayne
Jayne took control with a kick, hurricanrana and corner splash before Flair answered with a back suplex and grounded headscissors. Flair later connected with a boot from the apron and a crossbody for a two-count.
Jayne raked Flair’s eyes and regained control with a scoop slam. Flair fought back with a big boot and launched herself from the apron with a cannonball. Henley and Reid distracted Flair, allowing Jayne to catch her with a kick as Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley arrived at ringside.
Following the commercial break, Flair delivered a fallaway slam and big boot, while Jayne answered with a superkick and neckbreaker. Flair connected with a moonsault for two before applying the Figure-Eight, but Jayne countered into a pinning combination.
Jayne later delivered a knee to Flair’s face for another close near-fall. Flair avoided the Rolling Encore and connected with a spear before climbing to the top rope, but Fatal Influence provided another distraction.
Bliss and Paxley began fighting with Henley and Reid at ringside before The Baddies joined the chaos. Bayley ran out to enter the fight, only for Jade Cargill to attack her. Stephanie Vaquer then arrived and joined the brawl.
Inside the ring, Flair capitalized on the distraction and hit Natural Selection for the victory.
Winner: Charlotte Flair via Pinfall
Flair announced after the match that the escalating issues within the women’s division would be settled inside WarGames at Survivor Series. When Cathy Kelley later questioned Vaquer’s involvement, Vaquer explained that Flair called and she accepted.
Tiffany Stratton And Chelsea Green’s Friendship Falls Apart
New WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton celebrated her successful Money in the Bank cash-in at Crown Jewel. Stratton boasted about becoming a two-time Money in the Bank winner and two-time women’s champion, adding that while others needed a boyfriend or general manager to feel important, she only needed a briefcase.
Stratton attempted to dedicate the victory to her former best friend, prompting Chelsea Green to confront her. Green questioned whether their friendship had ever been genuine and recalled explaining how much winning at Crown Jewel would mean to her career.
Green accused Stratton of pretending to support her while secretly planning to steal her moment. She said that while Stratton could call herself Crown Jewel Champion, she would always be a thief. Green then demanded the return of the commemorative ring.
Stratton accused Green of stealing her moment at SummerSlam and argued that she should have won the championship that night. Stratton claimed Green did not belong in the same conversation as her, returned the ring and told Green to enjoy spending the remainder of her career in catering.
Green slapped Stratton across the face, but Stratton attacked her from behind and struck her with the ring before standing over her.
Paige And Blake Monroe Confront Chelsea Green
Paige approached Green backstage following the confrontation. Blake Monroe arrived and told Green to smile before declaring that she was not world championship material.
Paige questioned Monroe’s credentials by asking how many championships she had won. Monroe responded that her best years remained ahead of her before directing the same question toward Paige.
Gunther vs. Finn Bálor
Gunther took control with boots, forearms, punches and knees before attempting a piledriver. Bálor escaped and delivered a dropkick before sending Gunther outside with a dive over the ropes.
Gunther regained control by sending Bálor into the barricade and followed with a European uppercut. Inside, Gunther targeted Bálor’s neck and applied a Boston Crab before delivering a suplex for a near-fall.
Bálor fought back from the turnbuckles, but Gunther repeatedly stopped his aerial offense. Bálor eventually connected with kicks, a satellite Russian leg sweep and the GTR for two. The action moved outside, where Gunther drove Bálor face-first into the apron and delivered a backdrop driver onto the barricade.
Bálor returned to the ring at nine, where Gunther trapped him in a sleeper hold with a body scissors. Bálor reached the ropes and later escaped another sleeper attempt with an O’Connor Roll. Gunther countered back into the hold, but Bálor floated into a pinning combination and followed with a Sling Blade.
Gunther repeatedly countered Bálor’s running dropkick attempts with sleeper holds. Bálor eventually escaped and hit the dropkick before avoiding a frog splash. Gunther rolled through, but Bálor caught him with another dropkick and climbed to the top rope.
Gunther avoided the Coup de Grace and shoved Bálor into the referee. With the official incapacitated, Gunther delivered a low blow followed by a powerbomb to secure the victory.
Winner: Gunther via Pinfall
