WWE SmackDown aired live from Indianapolis, Indiana, on USA Network and Netflix as the road to Money in the Bank continued.
Michael Cole welcomed viewers as the steel cage was lowered for the opening United States Championship match.
Randy Orton approached the commentary desk during the preparations and told Cole that he wanted to be interviewed later in the show.
WWE United States Championship Steel Cage Match
Trick Williams (c) vs. Baron Corbin
Trick Williams, accompanied by Lil Yachty, immediately exchanged strikes with Baron Corbin. Williams landed a spin kick and flapjack before trapping Corbin in the corner with a slap and repeated stomps.
Corbin responded by driving the champion into the steel cage several times. He followed with a modified Death Valley Driver for an early two-count.
Corbin continued using the cage as a weapon during the commercial break. Williams briefly fought back with a rollup and Michinoku Driver II, but Corbin regained control with a suplex.
Williams attempted to climb out, prompting Corbin to follow. Both men traded punches while sitting atop the structure. Williams nearly reached the outside, but Corbin trapped him in a front facelock and delivered a superplex from the top of the cage for a close near fall.
Corbin later tried escaping through the door. Williams followed, but Corbin kicked the door into Lil Yachty at ringside. The distraction allowed Williams to hit a Trick Kick for two.
Williams attempted the Trick Shot, but Corbin countered with a clothesline and chokeslam. Corbin again headed through the door, only for Yachty to slam it in his face.
Williams connected with the Trick Shot, but Corbin kicked out. Corbin then sent Williams into the cage, delivered a German suplex and followed with Deep Six for another near fall.
Corbin signalled for the End of Days, but Williams escaped and drove him headfirst into the steel twice. Williams then delivered three consecutive Book Ends to secure the victory.
Winner and still WWE United States Champion: Trick Williams via pinfall
Backstage, Nia Jax expressed confidence in Lash Legend ahead of her Women’s Money in the Bank qualifying match.
CM Punk Meets Nick Aldis and Kevin Owens
After footage recapped the previous week’s Undisputed WWE Championship match between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, Nick Aldis summoned CM Punk to his office.
Punk arrived to find Owens already there. Aldis said he did not want the tension between Punk and Owens affecting the evening’s Money in the Bank qualifier.
Punk said he had nothing Owens wanted and promised to stay out of his way. Owens left without responding.
Chelsea Green Encounters Nikki Bella
Backstage, Paige tried to keep Tiffany Stratton and WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green focused on their upcoming six-woman tag team match against Fatal Influence.
After Paige and Stratton walked away, Nikki Bella confronted Green and insisted that nothing would stop her from taking the WWE Women’s Championship.
Paige returned and positioned herself between them, causing Nikki to back away. Green responded by remarking, “Never meet your heroes.”
Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifier
Charlotte Flair vs. Lash Legend vs. Giulia
Lash Legend shoved Giulia at the bell and received a slap in response. Legend answered with a clothesline before Charlotte Flair joined the exchange.
Legend dropped both opponents with a double clothesline and launched Giulia across the ring. Charlotte attempted to fight back but ran into a big boot.
Giulia applied a guillotine choke, but Legend powered out and converted it into a vertical suplex. Charlotte then sent Legend outside with a clothesline and delivered a cannonball from the apron. Giulia followed with a dropkick from the barricade that left all three competitors down.
After the break, Charlotte unloaded on Legend with chops and a float-over clothesline. Legend later completed a Tower of Doom while Giulia was positioned on Charlotte’s shoulders. She attempted to pin both opponents but could not secure the victory.
Legend caught Charlotte’s attempted crossbody and delivered a fallaway slam. Giulia followed with a missile dropkick to Legend for two.
Charlotte hit Legend with a chop block and backcracker, but Giulia interrupted her attempt to apply the Figure-Four. Giulia then delivered a super butterfly suplex to Charlotte.
Legend threw Giulia outside and attempted to steal the pin, but Charlotte kicked out. Charlotte responded with a German suplex and later escaped Legend’s attempt to apply a Figure-Four.
Charlotte threw Giulia from the ropes onto Legend before landing a moonsault across both opponents for a close near fall.
Charlotte connected with Natural Selection on Giulia and blocked Legend’s Lash Extension before applying the Figure-Eight. Giulia broke the hold with the Arrivederci Knee and followed with the Northern Lights Bomb.
Legend then caught Giulia with the Lash Extension and scored the pinfall.
Lash Legend joins Lola Vice, Sol Ruca, Roxanne Perez and Jacy Jayne in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
Winner: Lash Legend via pinfall
Giulia and Blake Monroe Brawl
Blake Monroe confronted Giulia backstage over her failure to qualify for Money in the Bank.
Giulia slapped Monroe, igniting a fight between them. Nick Aldis separated the pair and announced that they would face each other the following week.
Michael Cole Interviews Randy Orton
Michael Cole sat down with Randy Orton after showing footage of Cody Rhodes warning that he would not hesitate to kick Orton’s head off.
Orton questioned why Rhodes had waited until the cameras stopped rolling before making the threat. He argued that Rhodes had changed significantly over the years, while Orton himself had remained consistent throughout his WWE career.
Orton suggested that Rhodes following through on the threat would prove he had once again compromised who he was.
Orton asked Cole what he believed would happen when he and Rhodes crossed paths. When Cole hesitated, Orton became frustrated, raised his voice and abruptly ended the interview.
Sami Zayn Tries to Keep Johnny Gargano on His Side
Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn acknowledged that Randy Orton had returned to the championship picture. Zayn said many people did not want him holding the title, but vowed to keep surviving and retaining it.
Finn Balor interrupted and accused Zayn of screwing over several people on his way to the championship. Balor made it clear that he intended to pursue the title regardless of whether he won Money in the Bank.
Johnny Gargano then joined them, prompting Zayn to seek his support. Gargano instead asked when he would receive the championship opportunity he had been promised.
Zayn admitted Gargano deserved a title match and claimed he had already asked Nick Aldis to make it official, only to be denied. Zayn said he had instead secured Money in the Bank qualifying matches for Gargano and Candice LeRae.
Gargano asked whether he now had to win the briefcase to receive his opportunity. Zayn then questioned whether Gargano still had his back. After hesitating, Gargano agreed.
Chelsea Green, Tiffany Stratton and Paige vs. Fatal Influence
Paige and Fallon Henley began with an aggressive exchange before Paige landed a chop and back heel kick.
Lainey Reid tagged in and received a dropkick followed by repeated knee strikes against the ropes. Chelsea Green entered with a running double-knee strike to Reid’s back before Tiffany Stratton continued her team’s early momentum.
Stratton caught Reid with a running hip attack and rolled through a sunset-flip attempt before landing a dropkick for two.
Fatal Influence took control when Fallon pulled Tiffany to the floor during a handspring attempt, allowing Jacy Jayne to connect with a thrust kick. Reid earned a near fall as Fatal Influence began isolating Stratton.
Jacy and Fallon wore Tiffany down through quick tags, including a senton from Jayne and a flapjack-blockbuster combination from Henley and Reid.
Stratton eventually created separation, allowing Green to enter with several Japanese arm drags. Chelsea sent Reid crashing into Jacy, added a sliding Flatliner and knocked Fallon from the apron.
Paige and Jayne tagged in next. Paige delivered a suplex, fisherman’s suplex and Paige Turner for a close two-count.
Green and Stratton took Fallon and Reid down at ringside, but Jayne quickly removed both women from the equation.
With the referee looking elsewhere, Nikki Bella tripped Paige from the floor. Jayne capitalized with a rolling elbow and secured the pinfall.
Winners: Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid via pinfall
Footage aired from earlier in the week showing Damian Priest attacking R-Truth while he was training.
Gunther Threatens Danhausen
Gunther was being interviewed backstage when Danhausen interrupted to discuss their respective plans for Money in the Bank.
Danhausen appeared ready to place a curse on Gunther, but The Ring General grabbed him by the throat and warned him to stay out of his way.
WWE then showed footage of CM Punk throwing the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game while wearing a Pete Crow-Armstrong jersey.
Announced for Next Week’s WWE SmackDown
Two additional Money in the Bank qualifying matches were confirmed:
Tatum Paxley vs. Candice LeRae vs. Tiffany Stratton
Kevin Owens vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Johnny Gargano
Cody Rhodes Sends Randy Orton a Warning
Cody Rhodes entered the ring and briefly addressed his Money in the Bank qualifying match before turning his attention to Randy Orton.
Rhodes referenced CM Punk defeating him at SummerSlam following Orton’s involvement and Punk subsequently losing the Undisputed WWE Championship to Sami Zayn.
Cody said Orton had placed him in what felt like an unwinnable position. He spoke about being expected to give everything to WWE and dealing with the pressure of facing John Cena during Cena’s retirement year.
Rhodes warned that the next time Orton put himself in Cody’s path, he would kick Orton’s head off his shoulders.
He closed by suggesting that Orton might not be the only person subjected to that aggression.
Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifier
CM Punk vs. Finn Balor vs. Gunther
Cody Rhodes crossed paths with CM Punk as Punk headed toward the ring for the main event.
Gunther immediately attacked Finn Balor in the corner before exchanging strikes with Punk. The Ring General punished both opponents with stiff chops until Punk and Balor briefly joined forces to take him down.
Punk attempted the GTS on Balor, but Gunther interrupted with a big boot. Gunther then trapped Punk in a Boston Crab until Balor broke the hold with a kick.
Gunther flattened Balor with a massive chop, while Punk caught Balor with a kick to the face. Balor recovered and planted both opponents with a double DDT.
Balor clotheslined Punk outside before sending Gunther out of the ring as well. He then launched himself over the top rope onto both opponents.
After the break, Gunther controlled Balor while Punk recovered at ringside. Gunther threw Punk into the barricade and later dropped him spine-first across it.
Balor rallied with a Pele kick to Gunther. Punk then came off the top rope with a diving elbow drop, but Gunther kicked out.
Punk connected with running knees against both opponents and delivered his clothesline-bulldog combination. He attempted another GTS, but Gunther stopped him with an eye rake.
Gunther tried lifting both opponents for a double powerbomb, but Punk and Balor countered with a double Boston Crab.
Balor caught Punk with an inside cradle for two before knocking Gunther from the apron. He followed with the Sling Blade, Shotgun Dropkick and Coup de Grace. Before the referee could count to three, Gunther dragged Balor outside.
Balor escaped Gunther’s attempted powerbomb and connected with another Sling Blade. Punk then hit Balor with the GTS, but Gunther immediately caught Punk with a dropkick and powerbomb for an extremely close near fall.
Gunther attempted a lariat, but Punk avoided it and tried another GTS. Gunther countered into a sleeper hold, leading to a rapid series of reversals.
Gunther struck Punk across the back of the neck and reapplied the sleeper. Balor came off the top rope with another Coup de Grace but overshot his target, allowing Punk to capitalize and secure the victory.
Punk and Balor shook hands after the match as the show went off the air.
Winner: CM Punk via pinfall
