WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - June 26th, 2026

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Cody Rhodes to addresses Gunther and Sami Zayn before WWE Night of Champions

On the eve of their Triple Threat Match at WWE Night of Champions, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will address Gunther and Sami Zayn. Zayn got himself involved in Rhodes' match against The Ring General last week, forcing SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis to make a Triple Threat Match in Saudi Arabia. What will The American Nightmare want to talk about on the night before the epic free-for-all?


:smackdown:

— The show kicks off with a video recapping the events of the Undisputed WWE Championship match between GUNTHER and Cody Rhodes last Friday with Sami Zayn as the special guest referee.

— We then cut to Sami Zayn, Gunther, Cody Rhodes, Brie Bella & Paige, and Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) all arriving to the show.

— Michael Cole and Corey Graves greet audiences at home as Trick Williams and Lil Yatchy make their way to the ring.

Williams says the best day of his life is when he got married to Lash Legend this past weekend. He says his friends and family were there, and Legend said "I Do", then says he's thinking about Legend but says he's got to get back to business. He congratulates Ricky Saints on being the Number One Contender to his United States Championship, but promises to beat him and says he'll be walking into WWE SummerSlam wearing his lemon pepper steppas, a ring around his finger, and the United States Championship around his waist.

Saints' music hits and he makes his way out. He says Williams isn't good at making life decisions, but Williams says Saints interrupted him knowing that his patience is short and his backhand is strong. He says reality stands in front of Williams and says he's looking at the new United States Champion, but says he knows the hype train around Williams will end tomorrow.

Williams says Saints should focus on who will be his dentist when he kicks Saints' teeth out of his head, but Saints asks if Yachty comes with Williams' United States Champion. Yachty says he would never work for Saints, but Saints clocks Yachty with a right hand. He retreats out of the ring and Williams helps up Yachty, but Saints sneaks back into the ring and clocks Williams from behind with a cheap right hand.

— Jackie Redmond is backstage with Alexa Bliss. Redmond asks how Charlotte Flair is and Bliss tells us that Flair is beaten physically and emotionally. Bliss says she'll get revenge on Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin even if she has to team with Tiffany Stratton. Stratton and Bliss go back and forth and try to get on the same page before their match.

— Tiffany Stratton and Alexa Bliss make their way to the ring. Michin and B-Fab follow.

Tiffany Stratton and Alexa Bliss vs. Michin and B-Fab

Stratton and Michin begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Stratton wears down Michin with a submission hold, then sends her crashing into the middle rope face first and lands a Hip Attack on the back of her neck. She follows it up with a dropkick and goes for a pin, but Michin kicks out and Stratton gets her up on her shoulders. Michin escapes.

Bliss tags in and delivers a shotgun dropkick to Michin, then follows it up with a Blockbuster. She sets up for Sister Abigail, but Michin escapes and whips Bliss into the mat. B-Fab makes the blind tag in, but Bliss lands another shotgun dropkick on Michin and follows her out of the ring. She flies off the apron to level Michin, but turns around into a spinning kick from B-Fab.

Back from the break, Michin charges at Bliss in the corner. Bliss ducks out of the way to send Michin crashing into the top turnbuckle face first, but B-Fab and Stratton tag in. Stratton rocks B-Fab with clotheslines and connects with a cartwheel Alabama Slam on her, then goes for a pin but B-Fab kicks out. B-Fab fires off a couple of forearms on Stratton, but Stratton pins her and B-Fab kicks out. Stratton then delivers a Swanton Bomb to B-Fab and pins her, but Michin breaks the fall. Bliss pulls Michin out of the ring and dumps her on the floor, but Michin dumps Bliss over the barricade near the timekeeper's area.

Inside the ring, Stratton sets up for Prettiest Moonsault Ever on B-Fab. Jade Cargill appears out of nowhere to trip Stratton on the ropes, opening the door for B-Fab to deliver a neckbreaker-facebuster combination to Stratton for the win.

Winners: Michin and B-Fab

— After the match, Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab corner Stratton. Chelsea Green runs out to the ring with a kendo stick in hand to come to Stratton's aid. She hits B-Fab with it when B-Fab charges at her, then sends Michin crashing into the corner and dumps Cargill out of the ring.

— We head backstage, where Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga meet Solo Sikoa. Sikoa asks Tama and Talla if they saw what he did on Monday night on "Raw", and Tama says they did but calls it a problem. He says Sikoa's obsession with Roman Reigns is tearing apart MFT and says Sikoa didn't listen to him and Talla stay in the back, but Talla says himself and Tama got word from the others. He says himself and Tama are out, but Sikoa looks to stop the pair. Tama says they just did, enraging Sikoa who says nobody leaves him.

— Jade Cargill finds Nick Aldis backstage and asks for a match tonight against Chelsea Green.

— Back at ringside, Nathan Frazer makes his way out. Rey Fenix follows.

AAA Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rey Fenix (c) vs. Nathan Frazer

The bell rings and the two men go back and forth with one another. They take turns pinning one another and trying to land strikes on each other, but find themselves in a bit of a stalemate. Fenix delivers a splash to Frazer in the corner, but Frazer sends Fenix crashing into the middle turnbuckle face first. Fenix responds by dropkicking Frazer out of the ring and delivers a crossbody to Frazer off the middle rope, then dumps Frazer back inside. Frazer then flies over the top rope with a tope con hilo to take out Fenix on the outside.

Back from the break, Fenix delivers a springboard cutter and a Death Valley Driver to Frazer. He goes for a pin, but Frazer kicks out and rocks Fenix with an enzuigiri as Fenix is on the top rope. He joins Fenix up there and delivers a superplex to him, but Fenix rolls up Frazer. Frazer kicks out, but himself and Fenix level one another with double kicks to each other's heads before the two men exchange right hands with one another and Frazer connects with a twisting neckbreaker on Fenix.

Frazer sets up for a Phoenix Splash on Fenix, but Fenix moves out of the way and delivers a chop to Frazer. Frazer then looks to fly out of the ring with a suicide dive to take out Fenix on the outside, but Fenix moves out of the way and Frazer is sent crashing into the announce desk head first.

Fenix dumps Frazer back in the ring and delivers a Frog Splash to him off the top rope. He goes for a pin, but Frazer kicks out and delivers a kick to Fenix's face. He ascends up the ropes, but Fenix pulls him off and delivers a Mexican Muscle Buster to him for the win.

Winner and STILL AAA Cruiserweight Champion: Rey Fenix

— After the match, Fenix helps Frazer up and the two hug in the middle of the ring.

— Byron Saxton talks to R-Truth and Damian Priest backstage. The War Raiders (Ivan and Erik) come up and Truth and Priest that they're coming for the WWE Tag Championships and they want to put their AAA Tag Team Championship on the line for a winner takes all match. Truth gets in their faces and Priest stops Truth from talking smack and Priest says they accept.

— We see a car pull up in the parking lot and LA Knight comes out and is stopped by Jackie Redmond. Redmond asks Knight why he's on SmackDown tonight and Knight asks why she's here because she's on RAW. Knight says he's headed out to the ring because he wants answers.

— Back at ringside, LA Knight makes his way out.

Knight says he wants to talk to the fans, then says Jimmy Uso ate a BFT from him on Monday night's episode of "Raw" and says he thinks Jimmy got what he deserved. He says Solo Sikoa unexpectedly helped him and calls him to the ring to explain himself.

Sikoa's music hits and he obliges. Knight says every time Sikoa has come to the ring, it's been to attack or distract him and says he's trying to wrap his head around Sikoa helping him on Monday night. Sikoa says he doesn't want to fight Knight, and says Knight is wasting his time if he wants a fight. He says everyone in his family has left him, but Knight says he understands that hurts. He says the door is wide open for Sikoa to return to The Bloodline, then says the fans are wondering why he helped him on Monday.

Sikoa says he helped Knight because he hates The Bloodline. He says he hates he was part of the group, then says he hates Jacob Fatu, The Usos, and Roman Reigns. He says himself and Knight both don't like The Bloodline, and Knight says Sikoa should hate Reigns for everything he's done to him. He says Fatu and The Usos should hate Reigns as well, but they went right back into the fold and points out Jey Uso went from the main event to Reigns' bag handler. He asks Sikoa why he should trust him when he says he won't go back to The Bloodline, and Sikoa says it's different for him because he has no family. He says the enemy of his enemy can be friends and says himself and Knight can work together to take out The Bloodline. Knight says he's heard it's just him before from people, then says he's a little sceptical but needs a minute to digest everything Sikoa has just said. He says he lives and dies doing things his way, then says he'll live and die being himself with everybody saying LA Knight. He declines Sikoa's offer and leaves the ring.

— We head backstage, where Byron Saxton catches up with Sami Zayn. Zayn alludes to a nearby Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae, then says Gargano is the only one who really understands him. He says his mother used to tell him that good things happen to good people, and now he's challenging Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. He says because he stayed true to himself and stayed good, the universe has given him an opportunity to redeem himself as he realizes the weight of his words and is convinced he'll become the Undisputed WWE Champion.

— Back at ringside, Paige and Brie Bella make their way out. Fatal Influence follows.

Paige (w/ Brie Bella) vs. Jacy Jayne (w/ Fatal Influence)

The bell rings and Jayne takes a second to regroup with Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid on the ring apron. She blindsides Paige with a superkick and pins her, but Paige kicks out and Jayne fires off stomps on her in the corner. Paige delivers an uppercut to Jayne in the corner and dumps her across the ring, then uses the ropes to whip her into the mat spine first and rocks her with a right hand.

Paige sends Jayne repeatedly crashing into the top turnbuckle and middle turnbuckle face first, then fires off stomps on her in the corner and cinches in a crossface on Jayne. Jayne grabs onto the bottom rope to break the hold and delivers a cannonball off the ring apron to take out Henley and Reid. Jayne then surprises Paige with a kick to her off the ring apron.

Back from the break, Paige rocks Jane with a stunner. The two women exchange right hands with one another, but Paige delivers a German suplex to Jayne and sets up for Ram-Paige. Jayne avoids it and rolls up Paige, but Paige kicks out and Jayne runs over her with a Shining Wizard. Jayne executes a backslide on Paige to pin her, but Brie pushes Jayne's feet off the ropes when she catches them.

Henley and Reid look to go after Brie, but Brie takes out Henley with a right hand. Reid sends Brie crashing into the ring steps and hops up on the apron, but Paige levels her with a right hand. Jayne looks to take advantage and roll up Paige, but Paige reverses into a roll up of her own for the win.

Winner: Paige

— We head backstage, where we see Danhausen conducting more experiments on Kit Wilson and The Miz. Matt Cardona confronts Danhausen looking to find the answer as to why he can't stop woo-ing, but Danhausen walks off when he sees that Wilson and The Miz are no longer in his laboratory. Los Garza ask Cardona where Danhausen is looking for their money back, but Cardona tells him he doesn't know where Danhausen is. He looks to see what's under the sheet of a human sized object, but Danhausen yells at him not to touch it from off screen.

— Tama and Talla Tonga walk backstage with their suitcases and are approached by Finn Balor. Balor says he's happy Tama is making his own decisions and talks about how they used to run together. Tama tells Balor that Balor is in his past like Shinsuke Nakamura is and reminds Balor how he handled Nakamura.

— Danhausen comes out to the ring with The Miz and Kit Wilson walking like zombies with him. The trio get into the ring. Danhausen interviews The Miz and Wilson. Danhausen asks The Miz how he feels about Danhausen taking over MizTV. The Miz says Awesome and Wilson calls Los Garza toxic. Angel and Berto come out and attack The Miz and Wilson. Danhausen is left in the ring with Los Garza. The duo go to attack Danhausen and Matt Cardona makes the save and evens the odds. Nick Aldis comes out and makes this a match.

Matt Cardona and Danhausen (w/ The Miz and Kit Wilson) vs. Los Garza

Back from the break, the bell has rung and Cardona delivers a missile dropkick to Berto off the top rope. Berto dumps Cardona out of the ring and Angel (who has tagged in) surprises him with a shotgun dropkick to him on the ring apron as Berto takes out Danhausen with a strike.

Angel fires off a headbutt on Cardona in the corner and tags in Berto. Los Garza fire off stomps on Cardona, then send him crashing into one of the barricades on the outside. Angel and Berto clothesline Wilson into the timekeeper's area, but Cardona surprises Angel with a flapjack back in the ring and tags out to Danhausen.

Berto tags in on his side, and Danhausen lands an Atomic Drop on him. He clotheslines Berto and delivers a suplex to Angel, then fires off clotheslines on Angel and Berto in opposite corners of the ring. Berto accidentally lands a splash on Angel in the corner while aiming for Danhausen before Angel knocks Cardona off the ring apron with a superkick.

Angel grabs a chair from the ringside area, but The Miz blocks his path. Angel looks to hit The Miz with the chair, but Wilson grabs the chair from Angel before he can. This opens the door for Cardona to take out Angel with a Rough Ryder on the outside and for Danhausen to roll up Berto inside the ring, but Berto kicks out.

Berto ascends up the ropes, but Danhausen curses Berto as Berto ascends up the ropes. Pyro explodes in Berto's face out of the ringpost, opening the door for Danhausen to deliver an inverted DDT to Berto for the win.

Winners: Matt Cardona and Danhausen

— Byron Saxton talks to Gunther backstage. Saxton asks Gunther what he thinks about Sami Zayn saying this match is his time to redeem himself. Gunther says this is for his redemption and not Zayn and he'll speak his mind tonight.

— Back inside the arena, Chelsea Green makes her way to the ring. Jade Cargill follows.

Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green

The bell rings and the two lock up. Cargill sends Green crashing into the mat face first, but Green rocks Cargill with an open palm strike. Cargill whips Green into the mat, but Green low bridges Cargill out of the ring over the top rope. She looks to fly off the ring apron, but Cargill catches her and delivers a Fallaway Slam to her.

Back from the break, Cargill lands a chokeslam on Green and pins her. Green kicks out, but Cargill fires off right hands on her and sends her crashing into the corner. She charges at Green, but Green moves out of the way to send Cargill crashing into the ring post shoulder first. She then rolls up Cargill, but Cargill kicks out.

Green whips Cargill into the mat and delivers a missile dropkick to her off the ropes, then goes for a pin but Cargill kicks out. She sets up for Unprettier, but Cargill avoids it and looks to land a pump kick on Green. Green moves out of the way, but Cargill intercepts her with a pump kick and follows it up with Jaded for the win.

Winner: Jade Cargill

— After the match, Cargill fires off stomps and right hands on Green. Tiffany Stratton's music hits and she runs out to the ring along with Alexa Bliss to come to Green's aid. B-Fab and Michin try sneaking up on Stratton and Bliss, but Stratton and Bliss see them coming. B-Fab, Michin, and Cargill overpower Stratton. Michin and B-Fab fire off stomps on Stratton, and Cargill lands Jaded on her.

— We then head backstage, where Byron Saxton catches up with Solo Sikoa. Royce Keys approaches Sikoa and tells him that Jacob Fatu is coming for him, but Sikoa asks him if he's planning on helping him. Keys simply wishes Sikoa good luck and walks away.

— Jackie Redmond talks to Trick Williams backstage. Little Yachty is pacing and is upset at Ricky Saints for attacking them from behind. Yachty says Saints is in a Tricky situation and for hitting them from behind. Williams tells Saints that he's better than Saints and he'll beat Saints at Night of Champions.

— Back at ringside, Giulia makes her way out. Kiana James follows.

Giulia vs. Kiana James

The bell rings and James immediately runs over Giulia with a boot. She fires off right hands on her and fires off shoulders on Giulia's midsection in the corner, but Giulia runs over James with a kick to send her crashing out of the ring and looks to follow her.

James pulls Giulia out of the ring and sends her crashing into the ring apron face first, but Giulia returns the favor and dumps James back in the ring. Giulia lands a missile dropkick on James and pins her, but James kicks out and Giulia looks to deliver a double stomp to her off the ring apron. James movies out of the way and sends Giulia crashing into the ring steps face first.

Back from the break, the two women exchange right hands with one another. James levels Giulia with a thrust kick and looks to deliver a standing moonsault on her, but Giulia rolls out of the way and runs over James with a pair of shoulder tackles. She connects with a hurricanrana on James, then delivers a knee strike to her and sends James crashing into the mat spine first.

Giulia ascends up the ropes, but James pulls her off and connects with a Falcon Arrow on her. She goes for a pin, but Giulia kicks out and James intercepts her with a powerbomb. She sends Giulia crashing into the corner of the ring spine first and gets her up on her shoulders, then climbs up the ropes. Giulia escapes to see James crashing into the mat, then delivers the Arrivederci Knee and follows it up with a Northern Lights Bomb for the win.

Winner: Giulia

— After the match, Blake Monroe appears out of nowhere and rains down right hands on Giulia. She delivers a cradle belly-to-back inverted mat slam to Giulia.

— Cody Rhodes walks backstage before his upcoming segment and we get a commercial.

— Back from the break, Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring.

Rhodes asks London what they want to talk about, but Sami Zayn's music cuts him off before he can continue and he makes his way out to the ring.

Zayn thanks all of his ride or die fans in London who have supported him since day one, then thanks them and shares his appreciation for them. He says he needed to tell Rhodes face-to-face as a friend that he regrets how some of the Undisputed WWE Championship match that he served as special guest referee went down. He insists he's the last real good guy in WWE and says he should've been better than his actions in the match, then says it was a mistake and says they're about to wrestle for the Undisputed WWE Championship. He says he didn't want things to ever be this way and never wanted to be in the middle of things between GUNTHER and Rhodes, but Rhodes tells Zayn that's enough and says this is exactly what Zayn wanted.

Rhodes says Zayn is playing the victim card, then says Zayn isn't a victim but rather exhausting. He says every interaction they've had backstage, Zayn has been like a mosquito. He says Zayn doesn't just get handed the Undisputed WWE Championship and brings up Zayn's friendship with Kevin Owens. He says Owens would've stabbed him in the front rather than the back, then says Owens has been a World Champion in WWE while Zayn hasn't. Zayn tells Rhodes to keep Owens' name out of his mouth and says GUNTHER would be Undisputed WWE Champion if it wasn't for him. He says Rhodes should be down on his hands and knees thanking him for helping him retain the Undisputed WWE Champion. He says Rhodes will no longer be Undisputed WWE Champion after Night of Champions because of him, but GUNTHER's music hits and he makes his way out. GUNTHER asks what the drama in the ring is right now, then says he doesn't care because all he cares about is winning what's rightfully his: the Undisputed WWE Championship. He says if Zayn hadn't screwed him, he would be Undisputed WWE Champion and Rhodes knows that and promises to walk out of Night of Champions as Undisputed WWE Championship. He calls Zayn a non-factor to him and says Zayn will never be Undisputed WWE Championship, then tells Rhodes to enjoy his last night as the golden boy because he'll walk into SummerSlam facing the 2026 King of the Ring.

Jey Uso's music hits and he makes his way out. He says he wants to keep it short and sweet, then says he'll punch his ticket to SummerSlam when he becomes the 2026 King of the Ring. He says he'll pull up on Rhodes at SummerSlam, then says he'll take out Zayn if he gets in his way and says he'll make GUNTHER tap out like he has before.

GUNTHER levels Jey, but Rhodes pulls GUNTHER off Jey looking to land a Cross-Rhodes on him. GUNTHER runs over Zayn with a boot, and Jey and Rhodes send GUNTHER crashing out of the ring with a double superkick after Zayn has already been sent to the outside as well.

Rhodes and Jey stare one another down, but Oba Femi's music hits and he makes his way out. He stares down Jey in the ring, but GUNTHER sneaks up behind Jey and takes him out with a clothesline. He grabs the Undisputed WWE Championship belt as he stares down Femi, but Zayn takes out GUNTHER and takes the Undisputed WWE Championship belt from him. He stares down Femi, but Rhodes delivers a Cross-Rhodes to Zayn and looks to grab his Undisputed WWE Championship belt. Femi steps on it before he can, and Rhodes holds it up as he stares down Femi and the show goes off the air.