WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - August 7th, 2026

[Kemo]

Kevin Owens Shakes Up SmackDown After Epic Return

The WWE Universe saw an earth-shattering return at SummerSlam as Kevin Owens made his way back after missing more than a year due to a serious neck injury. The path was long and arduous, but Owens stunned everyone by winning the Fatal 4-Way Match to become the No. 1 Contender to Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk. How will Punk respond to KO's return and prepare for his next challenger?

— Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore greet audiences at home as Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring.

Rhodes wastes no time calling out Randy Orton and invites him to come to the ring. He says everyone wants it, but Orton doesn't appear and Rhodes spends the time asking Philadelphia what they want to talk about as he awaits Orton's arrival. He addresses the death of Dory Funk Jr. and continues to fill up the time by saying he can only assume that CM Punk didn't know Orton was going to show up.

Punk's music hits and he makes his way out. He says he heard his name and says his friend wants to ask him a question, prompting Rhodes to ask Punk if he knew about Orton. Punk says he didn't know Orton would be appearing at SummerSlam Saturday and admits he's also mad about Orton's return, then proposes that they head to the back to go find Orton.

Rhodes gives Punk the ring, but Punk tells Rhodes to say when about their unofficial business. Rhodes looks to leave, but Kevin Owens' music cuts him off and he stares down Rhodes on the entrance ramp. Rhodes hands Owens the microphone and heads to the back.

Owens stares down Punk as Nick Aldis appears. He tells Aldis things are good as Punk echoes that sentiment, then says he's been proving people wrong throughout his career but he's in the ring now. He says Punk had the arrogance to extend another Undisputed WWE Championship match to Rhodes, but he's the Number One Contender to Punk's title. He says Punk thinks he's better than anyone else.

Punk says the Undisputed WWE Championship proves that he's "The Best In The World". He says if anyone has benefitted from his personal arrogance, it's Owens. He says Owens wouldn't be here right now if he wasn't for him, then says he knows he's "The Best In The World" despite Owens thinking that's not true. Owens thanks Punk for not letting the professional wrestling business turn him into Punk, leading to a tense stare down between both men and Aldis and other officials to hop into the ring to prevent a brawl from breaking out between both men.

— We head backstage where we see Cathy Kelley is standing by with Charlotte Flair. She tells Kelley that when Jade Cargill arrived in WWE three years ago, she saw someone who wants to be the top girl but tonight, she is not fighting for that.

She is fighting for her best friend, Alexa Bliss, who brought her back to life. When she held Alexa’s daughter a few weeks ago telling her that her mom will be okay, it lit something. Flair tells Jade two alpha’s, one ring, and if Jade is half the woman she says she is, she will come alone for their match tonight.

— Now we shift to another brief backstage segment, as the owner of "The Lemon Pepper-Steppers" himself, Trick Williams is shown. Trick-Willy tells Baron Corbin that tonight, he gets his rematch for the WWE United States Championship he lost to him at WWE SummerSlam this past weekend.

Williams says he sees Corbin doing podcasts with his title but the only reason he got his title is because he hit him in the head with it. Because at the end of the day, he doesn’t have what it takes to beat him straight up. He says no matter what, tonight Philly is going to "Whoop that Trick" and Trick is going to "whoop that ass."

— Trick Williams makes his way to the ring. Baron Corbin follows.

WWE United States Championship Match: Baron Corbin (c) vs. Trick Williams

The bell rings and Williams levels Corbin with a jumping clothesline. He fires off a chop on him on the outside of the ring, then sends him crashing into the ring post shoulder first and delivers a chop to his chest.

Williams dumps Corbin over the barricade near the timekeeper's area, then flies over it to level Corbin and fires off chops on his chest. Corbin dumps Williams inside the ring and levels him with a back elbow during the commercial break, but Williams fires off right hands on Corbin. Corbin whips Williams into the corner chest first back from the break, but Williams levels Corbin with a leg lariat and a flapjack.

Williams kips up and lands a chop on Corbin, then fires off stomps on Corbin in the corner and gets Corbin up on his shoulders. He delivers a Fireman's Carry Falcon Arrow on Corbin and goes for a pin, but Corbin kicks out and Williams sets up for a Trick Shot on him. Corbin intercepts Williams with a Deep Six and goes for a pin, but Williams kicks out.

Corbin sends Williams crashing into the ring post spine first and dumps him back inside the ring, then grabs the United States Championship belt and looks to hit Williams with it. The referee catches Corbin and dumps the United States Championship belt out of the ring, allowing Williams to deliver a Tricky Book End to Corbin and pin him.

Corbin kicks out, but Williams calls for the Trick Shot. Corbin avoids it and Williams delivers a Trick Shot to him, then goes for a pin but Corbin grabs onto the bottom rope to break the fall. Williams argues with the referee as Corbin grabs the United States Championship belt. Corbin then hits Williams with the United States Championship belt and pins him for the win.

Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: Baron Corbin

— We head backstage where we see reinstated SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis is speaking on the phone. In comes Sami Zayn and he congratulates Aldis on SummerSlam, He says when his son was in the ring and hugged Aldis, he cried. He asks Aldis if he is going to congratulate him too.

He says he would still be WWE Champion if it wasn’t for Aldis. He says he gave Punk a title match, he added Gunther and Kevin Owens to his match. In comes Owens and Aldis says they have unfinished business. Owens tells Aldis he knows when he wants that title match, on August 21 in Toronto. Aldis says he will make some calls.

Once Aldis leaves, Zayn welcomes Owens back. Owens says he doesn’t sound sincere. Zayn says he is happy for him, he is back and he has a title opportunity. He says of course he is happy but he needs him to understand and acknowledge that his return 100-percent screwed him, came at his expense.

Owens says yes, it did mess things up for him. Zayn asks him to say sorry. Owens says he is sorry but had Zayn been in his position, he would have done the same thing. Owens says Phil (CM Punk) can imply that he didn’t earn it but the last match he had before leaving, he won and he beat Zayn before he left.

Zayn says good for him and he wants to see him being champion and if there is anything he can do to make that happen to let him know. Owens says he appreciates that but he knows how long he has been waiting. Zayn tells Owens not to expect him to stop chasing what he wants just because it’s what Owens wants. We head to a break.

— Back from the break, Carmelo Hayes blindsides Baron Corbin from behind as Corbin is in the middle of an interview. Hayes then informs Corbin that he'll be challenging him for the United States Championship next week.

— Back at ringside, Chelsea Green makes her way out.

Green says she loves the fans and says she appreciates them sticking with her from the beginning to pledge her allegiance. She thanks the fans and her best friend Tiffany Stratton, with Stratton's music hitting and her making her way out.

Green apologizes to Stratton about their Five-Way Ladder Match at SummerSlam Sunday and says their friendship is stronger than that, then proposes a toast. Stratton says she wanted to talk to Green about something, but Fatal Influence's music hits and they make their way out.

Jacy Jayne says that's enough of the cringey little soap opera and says she would've been in the Interim Women's Championship Five-Way Ladder Match if not for Stratton. Lainey Reid says Fatal Influence would be dripping in gold if it wasn't for Stratton, and Fallon Henley implies that Green doesn't deserve to be Interim Women's Championship. Jayne says she now has to take away the thing that Green loves the most and says she thought she would put the final nail in the coffin by taking the Women's Tag Team Championship from Fatal Influence. Stratton extends a title match to Jayne right now, and Jayne accepts on Fatal Influence's behalf.

WWE Women's Tag Team Championship Match: Fatal Influence (w/ Jacy Jayne) (c) vs. Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton

Lainey Reid and Green begin the action. The bell rings and Stratton tags in. Stratton delivers a shotgun dropkick to Reid, but Fallon Henley tags in and delivers a single leg dropkick to the side of Stratton's head. Green tags in and delivers a pair of knees to the back of Henley's head as Stratton does the same to knee.

Stratton and Green deliver double dives to Henley and Reid, but Henley rains down right hands on Green during the commercial break. Reid tags in and delivers a Hammer and Anvil elbow to Green, but Henley tags in and delivers a blockbuster to Green off the middle rope. Reid (who has tagged back in) rains down right hands on Green and wears her down with a submission hold, but Henley tags back in and prevents Green from tagging out to Stratton.

Green delivers a German suplex to Reid back from the break and tags in Stratton. Stratton levels Reid with a pair of clotheslines and a back elbow to her face, then knocks Henley off the ring apron with a shotgun dropkick and lands a cartwheel Alabama Slam on Reid.

Stratton delivers a Swanton Bomb to Reid off the top rope and tags out to Green. Reid ascends to the top rope, but Green pulls her off and sets up for Unprettier. Jayne pulls Stratton off the ring apron and delivers a Rolling Encore to Green, but Stratton takes out Jayne. Henley then tags in and delivers Fatal Flaw to Green before she pins Green for the win.

Winners and STILL WWE Women's Tag Team Champions: Fatal Influence

— After the match, Lash Legend and Nia Jax blindside Green and Stratton from behind.

— Backstage, we see Cathy Kelley standing by with Damian Priest. He tells her it’s the same thing over and over. They beat MFT’s for the tag titles. After that, the MFT’s jumped them, they hit them again and MFT’s hit them again. He says they have Haku but he has Ron Killing and he is Damian Priest.

In come the War Raiders. They tell Priest that they will be double champions. In comes R-Truth who tells them they aren’t afraid of luchadores, the Road Warriors, the Legion of Doom, Hawk or Animal. He says he will talk to SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis.

They will defend their titles against them and the MFTs next week. Priest says last week they went title for title and next week they have to defend theirs. He asks him if Aldis mentioned the AAA Tag Titles and R-Truth says he didn’t. The show moves on to another commercial break.

— When the show returns from the break, we shoot to a Brock Lesnar video package, where we see Oba Femi getting the win against Brock Lesnar inside Hell In A Cell at WWE SummerSlam this past weekend. They show the clip of Brock Lesnar announcing his retirement on the Pat McAfee Show.

— Inside the arena, Randy Orton’s music hits and out he comes to the ring.

As he is about to speak, Cody’s music hits and out he comes. He gets in the ring and Orton rolls to the outside of the ring. Cody grabs a microphone and he asks Orton what he is waiting on. He tells him to get in the ring right now.

Orton puts the microphone down but he backs off. Out come Nick Aldis and WWE officials. Cody asks if that is how they are going to do it. He says after 20 years, after everything they have been through, especially recently, he says Orton owes him an explanation. Orton says he doesn’t owe him anything.

He says Cody asked for this, on the road to WrestleMania, he asked for the very best version of Randy Orton. He gave him permission to be the best version. He calls Cody a cocky, arrogant, son of a bitch. HE says Cody gave permission to him, a 14 time World Champion, the viper, the legend killer.

He says he played Cody’s game, he gave him the best version and Cody beat him. He congratulates Cody for that. He says but in that moment, he snapped. He felt an echo that got louder and the voices came back more clear than they ever were in his entire career and they told him to kick Cody in the face as hard as he could.

And in that moment, he realized that the best version of Randy Orton wasn’t going to bring home number 15 but the worst version of Randy Orton can and will. He says he doesn’t care who has it. If it’s Owens, Punk but he knows that it won’t be Cody because as long as there is air in his lungs, he will make sure that Cody is never a WWE Champion again. Cody says the worst version.

He asks where the title is right now. He doesn’t have to turn the other cheek, he doesn’t have to turn the other eye. He says what about the worst version of him. He doesn’t have to be the good guy anymore. He says Orton calls himself the legend killer but to look around, he is the last legend left. "Who kills you?" Mic drop.

— Now we shift gears and head to a backstage segment. We see Sami Zayn is with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. Gargano is still laying down doing the depressed planking thing. Zayn says the truth is that he is a little jealous of Kevin Owens. Not because he gets to wrestle CM Punk for the title.

No not that. But instead because he gets to tell Punk what a fraud he is. LeRae points behind Zayn and it’s CM Punk. He asks if they are still doing this and by this he means Zayn crying behind his back. He says he knows Zayn and Owens is jealous, he doesn’t know what Johnny is but at least Owens says it to his face.

Zayn calls Punk a fraud, his days are numbered. Zayn says he has a broken bone in his hand but if he didn’t, he would break his face right now. Punk says if he could have, he would have. He says Zayn lost, just like Owens will lose. Punk says he would give Gargano and LeRae a title match before he gives Zayn a title shot.

— Now in a different area backstage, we see Cathy Kelley standing by with Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin. B-Fab tells her they don’t care what Charlotte Flair has to say. They have proven that Flair is nothing compared to Jade. Michin says Jade is the greatest title of all time and the only thing missing is the Championship.

— We head over to a video from Nikki Bella, where she blames Paige for Brie Bella's injury and puts her on notice.

— We also get a vignette teasing the return of "The King of Strong Style" and Japanese pro wrestling legend Shinsuke Nakamura. In his video, Nakamura addresses The MFTs and says he's starting a war, but he's no longer a one-man army because he's not coming alone.

— Announced for next week's WWE SmackDown on August 14 in Boston, MA. is Baron Corbin vs. Carmelo Hayes for the U.S. title, Tiffany Stratton vs. Jacy Jayne for the Women's U.S. title, and Damian Priest & R-Truth vs. War Raiders vs. MFTs for the WWE Tag-Team titles.

— Charlotte Flair then makes her way to the ring. Jade Cargill follows.

Jade Cargill (w/ Michin and B-Fab) vs. Charlotte Flair

The bell rings and Cargill gains control of the match. She sends Flair crashing over the barricade near the timekeeper's area, then fires off stomps on Flair back in the ring and delivers a suplex to her during the commercial break.

Flair catches Cargill with a big boot, but Cargill responds with a spinning Boss Man Slam to Flair. She shows off with five push-ups and looks to whip Flair into the corner, but Flair stops her own momentum before Cargill wears down Flair with a submission hold.

Cargill delivers a spinebuster to Flair and pins her, but Flair kicks out and delivers a German suplex to Cargill back from the break. The two women exchange right hands with one another, but Cargill catches Flair with a pump kick as Flair looks to deliver a walkover clothesline to Cargill.

Flair delivers a boot to Cargill from the ring apron and ascends to the top rope, then lands a crossbody on Cargill. Cargill transitions into a pinfall, but Flair kicks out and Cargill gets her up on her shoulders. She delivers a spinning powerbomb to Cargill and goes for a pin, but Cargill kicks out and ascends to the top rope.

Flair meets Cargill on the ropes, but Cargill lands a powerbomb on Flair off the middle rope and goes for a pin. Flair kicks out and cinches in the Figure Eight Leg Lock on Cargill. B-Fab distracts the referee as Michin pulls Flair to break the hold.

Alexa Bliss' music hits and she makes her way out with her Lily doll in hand. The lights go out, and when they come back on. Tatum Paxley is standing on the ring post and delivers a crossbody to take out Michin and B-Fab on the outside. This opens the door for Flair to land a Sister Abigail and Natural Selection to Cargill off the middle rope for the win.

Winner: Charlotte Flair

— After the match, Flair raises Paxley and Bliss' arms as the three women stand tall inside the ring and the show goes off the air.

[LionDen]

Scheduled so far:

- Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk responds to Kevin Owens return and now #1 Contender.

- Cody Rhodes responds to Randy Orton returning and interfering in Rhodes Undisputed WWE Championship Match.

- United States Championship: Baron Corbin (c) vs. Trick Williams.

- Charlotte Flair vs. Jade Cargill.

- Chelsea Green returns to SmackDown as Interim WWE Women's Champion.

- SummerSlam Fallout.