Cody Rhodes to stand face-to-face with Randy Orton

In the latest chapter of his volatile rivalry with Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes has demanded that SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis produce The Viper. The American Nightmare will come face-to-face with Orton, tonight!




— Corey Graves and Vic Joseph greet audiences at home as Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn makes his way to the ring with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae.

Zayn asks the live crowd who came to ride or die with him tonight. He says he hates to say he told the fans so, but every one of the vultures circling him and looking to come after his Undisputed WWE Championship got what he deserved: Je'Von Evans did not win the 2026 Men's Money In The Bank briefcase, CM Punk and Kevin Owens came up empty handed, and he won't be wasting his breath on Trick Williams. He says Penta became the 2026 Men's Money In The Bank briefcase holder and suggests he focus his energy on Roman Reigns.

Williams' music hits and he makes his way out. He says it's no secret himself and Zayn don't like one another, then says he thought it was a ten month time but now he sees it's personal. He promises to beat Zayn, but Zayn he told Williams that he would not tolerate disrespect. He says Williams tried turning everything he said into a joke because Williams is a joke, then says Williams can't take inventory of the moment and has no idea whether to be serious or to joke. He says those are survival skills and Williams needs to learn those if he wants to survive in his jungle.

Williams makes it clear he's being serious, but Gargano intervenes to tell Zayn that he's disrespecting Zayn. He says Williams was handed opportunities that himself and Zayn would kill for, then says Williams has it but not the Undisputed WWE Championship belt. Williams challenges Gargano to a match, and Gargano accepts when Zayn encourages him to.

Trick Williams vs. Johnny Gargano (w/ Sami Zayn and Candice LeRae)

The bell rings and Williams sets up for a delayed vertical suplex on Gargano. Gargano fights his way out with a series of knees to Williams' head, but Williams still lands a vertical suplex on Gargano and sets up for a Curb Stomp. Gargano rolls out of the ring, then lands a Dragon Screw on Williams' leg using the middle rope and rocks Williams with a superkick to his face off the ring apron on the outside of the ring. Gargano sends Williams crashing over the announce desk with a suicide dive and hugs Zayn after Zayn has joined Corey Graves and Vic Joseph.

Back from the break, Williams rocks Gargano with a pop-up right hand. Gargano responds with a kick to Williams, but Williams runs over Gargano with a spinning pump kick and follows it up with a Falcon Arrow to him. He goes for a pin, but Gargano kicks out. Williams then lands a Book End on Gargano and pins him for the win.

Winner: Trick Williams

— We get a video package recapping the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match from this past weekend, which saw Tiffany Stratton emerge victorious. Backstage, Nick Aldis confronts Blake Monroe over her recent actions and announces that she will face Giulia in a Street Fight next week.

Monroe expresses her displeasure before Chelsea Green arrives, allowing Blake to leave the conversation. Green asks Aldis about the get-well basket sent to Tiffany Stratton as she recovers from her injuries. Their conversation shifts from there.

They discuss Green's recent dealings with Judgment Day on Raw and Roxanne Perez's upcoming WWE Women's Championship opportunity. Nikki Bella approaches and takes issue with the discussion, making several remarks about the champion before walking away.

— Back at ringside, Paige makes her way out. Nikki follows.

Paige vs. Nikki Bella

The bell rings and Nikki dumps Paige out of the ring. She sends her crashing into one of the barricades spine first, but Paige repeatedly sends the back of Nikki's neck crashing off another barricade and dumps her inside the ring.

Nikki looks to head to the back, but Paige sends her crashing into the barricade and levels her with a kick and traps her in the ring skirt. She fires off forearms on the back of Nikki's neck, then fires off knees on Nikki as Nikki is draped through the middle rope. Nikki then pulls Paige off the ring apron spine first.

Back from the break, Paige levels Nikki with a pair of clotheslines and delivers a suplex to her. She follows it up a pair of German suplexes and looks to mock Nikki with a Five Knuckle Shuffle, but Nikki cinches in a Fearless Lock on Paige. Paige crawls over to the bottom rope to break the hold and connects with an Attitude Adjustment on her before Nikki almost accidentally sends Paige crashing into the referee. Paige stops her momentum, but Nikki rolls up Paige. Paige counters into a pin of her own with her feet on the ropes for the win.

Winner: Paige

— We head backstage for an interview with R-Truth. R-Truth addresses his upcoming match against Damian Priest, reflecting on their former friendship. He makes it clear that their friendship is over.

He promises to get the better of Priest when they meet in the ring tonight. Truth walks off as we prepare for his match against Priest, which is scheduled for next. On that note, we shift gears and head into a quick pre-match commercial break.

— We return to a video package looking back at the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match, which saw Penta emerge victorious this past weekend. Backstage, Kevin Owens is being examined in the trainer's room when Nick Aldis approaches to check on him.

Owens admits he is banged up but says his neck is fine. He adds that while he didn't win Money in the Bank, he is satisfied knowing CM Punk didn't win either. Punk enters the room and confronts Owens, leading to another heated exchange between the two. Aldis steps in and discusses the possibility of booking a match between them.

Owens expresses interest, but Aldis warns both men to save their issues for the ring and stay out of each other's way. Owens tells Aldis to deliver that message to Punk, accusing Punk of following him around. He then walks away, tossing a crumpled paper towel in their direction as the show continues.

— Back at ringside, R-Truth makes his way out. Damian Priest follows.

Damian Priest vs. R-Truth

Truth knocks Priest off the ring apron as Priest is making his entrance. He lands a dive on Priest through the ropes, but Priest gets inside the ring and the bell sounds. Priest then levels Truth with a kick and fires off stomps on him in the corner of the ring before landing a back elbow and a Broken Arrow on him.

Priest wrenches back on Truth's arms to wear him down with a shoulder submission, but Truth escapes and rocks Priest with a kick to his face using the ropes. He follows it up with a flying shoulder tackle to Priest, but Priest regains control of the match and lands an elevated flatliner on Truth.

Truth ascends up the ropes to land a missile dropkick on Priest, but the referee checks on Truth and calls off the match.

Winner: N/A

— After the match, Priest grabs a chair and slides into the ring. Before he can use, it Nathan Frazer and Axiom slide into the ring to check on Truth with other medical officials.

— We see a video recapping the ongoing issues between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton ahead of their scheduled face-to-face confrontation later tonight. We then head to another commercial break. We return with footage from the world premiere of Street Fighter with Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns.

— Now we see a video recap of Gunther's recent attack on Danhausen and Finn Balor's involvement in the situation. Backstage, Gunther enters Nick Aldis' office and defends his actions against Danhausen, claiming Danhausen doesn't belong in a WWE ring and that he did him a favor.

He also addresses Finn Balor, warning that what happened to him is the result of interfering in Gunther's business. Danhausen suddenly turns around in Aldis' chair and confronts Gunther about his actions. He reminds Gunther that he never actually pinned him during their previous encounter.

Gunther responds by grabbing Danhausen and warning him that while he doesn't celebrate Halloween, he intends to make it a special night for him.

— Back at ringside, the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley, make their entrance and head to the ring.

Bliss says Flair wanted to be in their Women's Tag Team Championship match against Fatal Influence last Friday and says Flair has been an amazing friend. She says she stepped aside for Paxley and encourages the fans to congratulate Paxley on her first main roster title.

Paxley says she's thankful to be standing in the ring with Bliss and says she has a very special gift waiting for Flair. She whispers what it is to Bliss, but Fatal Influence's music hits and Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley, and Lainey Reid make their way out.

Jayne calls Paxley and Bliss' speech 'wonderfully cringey' and says everyone should be talking about how Tiffany Stratton stole her Women's Money In The Bank briefcase from underneath her. Henley says Flair doesn't care about Paxley and Bliss, and Reid says Flair obviously thinks Paxley is weird. She says Bliss can't possibly think Flair is happy that Bliss is a champion while Flair isn't, and Jayne says the only reason Flair is Bliss' friend is because it's convenient for her. She says Bliss will go right back to being in Flair's shadow when Henley and Reid win back the Women's Tag Team Championship. Paxley says herself and Bliss don't mind playing with Fatal Influence if they want their Women's Tag Team Championship back, and Jayne says she doesn't think she can do anything tonight. She says Henley and Reid can and orders them to attack Paxley and Bliss.

Paxley and Bliss dump Henley and Reid out of the ring and attack Jayne. They retreat out of the ring before Fatal Influence can attack back.

— Backstage, Rey Fenix discusses his upcoming AAA Cruiserweight Championship defense against Ricky Saints. He also begins congratulating his brother Penta on winning Money in the Bank before Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn approaches.

Zayn offers some words of encouragement before asking whether Fenix knows what Penta intends to do with his Money in the Bank briefcase. Sami brings up Penta's recent loss to Roman Reigns in Mexico City and wonders whether his brother plans to target Reigns.

Fenix thanks Zayn but admits he has no idea whether Penta intends to cash in on Roman Reigns or Sami himself. He wishes Zayn good luck before walking away as we head to a commercial break.

— We return with a video package revisiting SummerSlam and the ongoing issues between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton ahead of their confrontation later tonight.

Backstage, Jade Cargill and The Amazing Baddies confront Fatal Influence, mocking the group for failing to take out the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions. The two groups exchange words before SmackDown continues.

— Rey Fenix makes his way to the ring. Ricky Saints follows.


AAA Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rey Fenix (c) vs. Ricky Saints

Saints immediately goes after the champion.

Fenix counters with a head-scissors takedown before sending him onto the apron. Fenix follows with an Adios Amigo that knocks Saints to the floor. Fenix keeps the momentum going with a dive to the outside, taking out Saints at ringside as the action continues into a picture-in-picture commercial break.

During the picture-in-picture break, Saints takes control by attacking Fenix as he returns to the ring. Ricky sends the champion into the corner and connects with several right hands before launching him across the ring. Fenix fights back on the turnbuckles and knocks Saints to the canvas.

Fenix attempts a senton, but Saints catches him with a powerbomb for a two-count as we return from the break. Ricky continues the offense in the corner, but the champion eventually fights back and escapes an attempted Roshambo before connecting with a cutter.

Saints blocks a tiger driver attempt, but Fenix sends him into the corner and connects with a kick. The champion follows up with a frog splash for a nearfall before Saints manages to regain control and begins pulling at Fenix's mask.

Fenix breaks free and catches Saints with a kick to the face before attempting a Mexican Muscle Buster. Ricky escapes, but Fenix takes him down with a hurricanrana off the turnbuckles. The champion heads back up top, only for Saints to shove the referee into the ropes, causing Fenix to lose his balance.

Saints attempts a pinfall, but the referee refuses to count after being deliberately shoved into the ropes. Ricky argues with the official and shoves him a second time, prompting the referee to call for the bell and disqualify the challenger.

Saints becomes furious with the decision and continues attacking Fenix after the match. Additional WWE officials rush to the ring to intervene and put a stop to the assault.

Winner via DQ and STILL AAA Cruiserweight Champion: Rey Fenix

— After the match, an angry Saints delivers another Roshambo on Fenix.

— We then get a video package looking back at September's Sunday Night Main Event, highlighting the escalating issues between Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes ahead of their face-to-face confrontation tonight.

— Backstage, Nick Aldis approaches Cody Rhodes ahead of his confrontation with Randy Orton. Rhodes asks Aldis whether Orton is already waiting in the ring, but the SmackDown General Manager admits he hasn't seen him.

Rhodes tells Aldis that he understands the GM has done everything he can to handle the situation. Cody makes it clear that he intends to head to the ring and take matters into his own hands before walking away. We head to another break.

— Cody Rhodes makes his way to the ring for his scheduled face-to-face confrontation with Randy Orton.

Rhodes wastes no time grabbing a microphone and setting up a chair in the ring. He says the live crowd and himself were promised a face-to-face, then says he'll sit in the ring until Orton appears.

Baron Corbin's music hits and he makes his way out. He says he told Rhodes a long time ago he doesn't see what everyone else does in Rhodes, and that hasn't changed between the past and the present. He says one thing that stays the same is Rhodes whining about something in the ring whether it's finishing the story, his friends stabbing him in the back, or Orton not thinking Rhodes has a killer instinct. He says some people don't have it while others are born with it, then says he destroyed everyone in the ring on his first day back in WWE and won the United States Championship in his first WWE match back at WWE SummerSlam.

Corbin says signing autographs and shaking hands doesn't matter because all that matters is him getting back where he belongs at the expense of Rhodes. Rhodes throws the chair out of the ring, then lands an open palm strike on Corbin to send him crashing out of the ring.

With time remaining in the broadcast, Rhodes calls for a referee and challenges Corbin to an immediate match. An official makes his way to ringside as we head into a commercial break.

Cody Rhodes vs. Baron Corbin

Back from the break, the bell has rung and both men are down. Rhodes and Corbin exchange right hands with one another, but Rhodes connects with a scoop powerslam on Corbin and delivers a Bionic Elbow on him, but Orton pulls Rhodes out of the ring and sends him crashing into the ring steps face first to cause the disqualification.

Winner: Cody Rhodes (via disqualification)

Orton looks to send Rhodes crashing into the announce desk face first, but Rhodes reverses and sends Orton crashing into the ring steps face first. Orton sets up for a punt on Rhodes, but Rhodes catches Orton with a Cody Cutter.

Rhodes lines up for a punt on Orton, but Orton slides out of the ring when Corbin slides into the ring and lands a splash on him in the corner. He delivers a kick to Rhodes' spine, but Rhodes levels Corbin with a Cody Cutter off the top rope and out of the corner of the ring. Rhodes (who is inside the ring) stares down Orton (who is on top of the entrance ramp) and lands a punt on Corbin, then continues to stare down Orton as the show goes off the air.