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WWE SmackDown Results & Booking Grades (7/17/26): Cody Rhodes Takes on Gunther

Were Cody Rhodes and CM Punk on the same page tonight on WWE SmackDown ahead of their tag match this weekend at Saturday Night's Main Event?
Matt Black|
Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes | WWE

Tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown took place at the MVP Arena in Albany, New York.

Last week's episode featured CM Punk's SmackDown debut and set the stage for a huge match against Cody Rhodes next month at SummerSlam for the WWE Championship.

WWE SmackDown results:

Tonight's episode of SmackDown kicked off with Gunther making his way to the ring to speak with the WWE Universe. Gunther said he's been mistreated since coming to SmackDown, and he should be WWE Champion right now. Gunther puts all the blame on Nick Aldis, claiming he made this personal.

The Ring General complains about tomorrow's match at Saturday Night's Main Event. Adam Pearce interrupts and tells Gunther he should thank Nick Aldis for saving his job. Pearce said that if it were his call, he'd fire him, but Aldis went to bat for Gunther to make sure the match on Saturday would happen. If Gunther and Zayn defeat Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, the match at SummerSlam becomes a fatal four-way.

This brings out Cody Rhodes, who goes right to the ring and beats down Gunther. Rhodes said there's no logic to Gunther getting another stipulation match and declared that Gunther won't make it to the Garden tomorrow. Cody challenges Gunther to a match tonight and Pearce makes it official.

Booking Grade: 5/10

  • Made Gunther look like a weak crybaby
  • This match tonight wasn't needed when they face each other again tomorrow
  • Cody Rhodes' "ENOUGH!" tagline is growing stale

WWE will crown an Interim Women's Champion at SummerSlam

The announcement that WWE made earlier this evening on social media reiterated that Rhea Ripley won't be cleared to compete at SummerSlam. Due to this, an Interim WWE Women's Champion will be crowned in a five-way ladder match at SummerSlam.

In the opening contest of the evening, Finn Balor went one-on-one with Talla Tonga. The finish saw Balor hit Tonga with two Coup de Grâces to score the pinfall victory.

Booking Grade: 10/10

  • Another big win for Finn Balor overcoming the numbers game
  • No 50/50 booking with Balor and the Tongans
  • One of Talla Tonga's better in-ring performances in WWE

CM Punk speaks with Adam Pearce backstage about the stipulation for Saturday Night's Main Event. Pearce said it wasn't his decision, but it is official. Punk said he's worried about Gunther trying to injure Cody tonight and he's going to go speak with him. Punk runs into Damian Priest, who teases a friendly future match against each other. R-Truth sneaks up on Priest afterward and scares him.

Tiffany Stratton punches her ticket to SummerSlam

A video package airs and we hear from Jade Cargill, Nia Jax, Jacy Jayne, and Tiffany Stratton regarding their ladder match qualifying matches this evening.

Back in the ring, Tiffany Stratton defeated Jacy Jayne of Fatal Influence to qualify for the ladder match to determine the Interim WWE Women's Champion at SummerSlam. Fatal Influence got involved early, but Paige and Brie Bella helped even the odds. The finish saw Stratton hit Jayne with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to score the pinfall victory.

Booking Grade: 8/10

  • Babyfaces smart enough to even the odds
  • Tiffany Stratton has the star power needed for SummerSlam
  • Good match from both women

We get a quick video package from Baron Corbin, who makes it clear that Trick Williams is his first target. Jackie Redmond speaks with Trick Williams, who called Corbin a bald-headed b---. Carmelo Hayes interrupted and got under Trick's skin as he continues to try and get a shot at the US Title.

Some really bad booking on WWE SmackDown

The next matchup barely got started as Jade Cargill defeated Nia Jax via disqualification to qualify for the Interim WWE Women's Championship Ladder match at SummerSlam. Moments after the match began, Charlotte Flair attacked Michin and B-Fab and then proceeded to attack Cargill as well, leading to the disqualification.

After the match, Flair tried to break Cargill's arm with a chair, but Michin and B-Fab pulled Cargill out of the ring before anything could happen. An angry Nia Jax attacked Flair after the match.

Booking Grade: 2/10

  • Charlotte Flair literally handed her most hated rival a shot at the title at SummerSlam
  • This made Flair look incredibly stupid
  • A complete waste of a match

Backstage, Gunther speaks to Jackie Redmond before running into Candice LeRae and a planked-out Johnny Gargano. Once Gunther left, Blake Monroe attacked LeRae from behind because, apparently, it's easier to book her backstage attacking people than actually letting her wrestle.

Another opportunity for Nia Jax next week

Backstage, Nia Jax and Lash Legend complain to Adam Pearce about how Jax's match just went down. Pearce agreed to give Jax another chance to qualify next week in a match with Charlotte Flair.

The next match saw AAA World Tag Team Champions The War Raiders in action, who picked up an impressive victory over Fraxiom. This was easily the match of the night.

Booking Grade: 9/10

  • Very entertaining match
  • A good win for the War Raiders, who are on the hunt for Damian Priest and R-Truth
  • Fraxiom didn't look weak in defeat

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes speak in the locker room. Punk is concerned about Gunther trying to injure Rhodes tonight ahead of their tag match this weekend. Rhodes said he'll take care of Gunther tonight. Punk said he wants to be at ringside to have Cody's back tonight, but Rhodes tells Punk he can watch from a monitor in the back.

Danhausen has a secret weapon for Saturday Night's Main Event

Backstage, Jackie Redmond speaks to Danhausen in his laboratory. Redmond questions Danhausen about turning down help from Matt Cardona in a no-DQ match with JD McDonagh and the Judgment Day. Danhausen teases he has a secret weapon for his match tomorrow. Here's a hint about what that weapon might be.

Before the main event could get underway, Cody Rhodes attacked Gunther from behind in the aisle to get an early advantage in the match. Once Gunther took control of the match and attempted to injure Rhodes' knee, CM Punk made his way to the ringside despite Cody's wishes. Eventually, Sami Zayn came to the ringside and attacked Cody Rhodes, leading to a DQ finish. All four men continued to brawl as security tried to separate them, with WWE SmackDown going off the air.

Booking Grade: 6/10

  • DQ finishes in main events are the worst
  • Before the interference, the match was progressing nicely
  • Did just enough to build intrigue for tomorrow's tag match

WWE SmackDown quick results:

  • Finn Balor defeated Talla Tonga
  • Tiffany Stratton defeated Jacy Jayne to qualify for the Interim WWE Women's Championship ladder match at SummerSlam
  • Jade Cargill defeated Nia Jax via disqualification to qualify for the Interim WWE Women's Championship ladder match at SummerSlam
  • The War Raiders defeated Fraxiom
  • Cody Rhodes defeated Gunther via disqualification
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Published
Matt Black
MATT BLACK

Matt Black got involved in the wrestling media industry over two decades ago, covering WWE video games released by Acclaim, THQ, and 2K. He has been covering professional wrestling for multiple digital outlets since 2019. He is the former Senior Editor of WrestleZone and has extensive knowledge of the entire wrestling industry. In his spare time, Matt enjoys cheering for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Lakers. He's also a diehard comic book movie fan and doesn't pick sides when it comes to the endless debates of Marvel versus DC.

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