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WWE SmackDown Results & Booking Grades (7/31/26): Twas the Night Before SummerSlam

The last stop before SummerSlam this weekend ran through Green Bay tonight for WWE SmackDown.
Matt Black|
Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes | WWE

Tonight's episode of WWE SmackDown took place at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Last week's episode featured an epic face-to-face encounter between WWE Champion CM Punk and Cody Rhodes to build towards their main event match at SummerSlam. Charlotte Flair and Chelsea Green also qualified for this Sunday's Ladder match to crown an Interim WWE Women's Champion.

WWE SmackDown results:

Tonight's episode kicked off with Finn Balor coming to the ring to speak with the WWE Universe. Finn Balor reflected on his first SummerSlam when he became the first-ever Universal Champion but immediately had to relinquish the title on Raw due to an injury he suffered in that match. Balor believes he's very close to getting back to where he was, but he's interrupted by Sami Zayn.

Zayn acknowledges this is an emotional time for Balor, but he has things to get off his chest. Sami believes the main event of SummerSlam should be a triple threat between himself, Cody Rhodes, and CM Punk. Zayn hopes Rhodes becomes WWE Champion again because he's already beaten him to become the champion, and he knows he can do it again.

On the other hand, Zayn said he would mind seeing Punk retain either, calling him the biggest hypocrite in the company. Zayn believes it would be a treat for him to take the title from the man who stole it from him. Sami tries to say he has respect for Balor, who tells him to grow a set and come down to the ring and say what he has to say to his face.

Zayn comes to the ring and said he has respect for Balor and that everyone knows how great he is and that he should have already been WWE Champion multiple times by now. However, Zayn believes this moment belongs to him and it's his time now. Zayn said he wants justice, but Balor questions when there's going to be justice for him, as he's been waiting ten years to get back to this moment.

Things get physical in a hurry thanks to Gunther

Balor and Zayn take jabs at each other for taking ten years to be in contention for the WWE Championship. Zayn said if Balor was anyone else, he'd drop him where he stood, but he won't because he's a good guy. Sami said he's going to walk away, but Gunther jumps in the ring and attacks Balor from behind, knocking him into Zayn and taking them both down. Gunther called them both jokes and declared he's the real number one contender.

Adam Pearce comes out and confronts Gunther, who questions what he has to do to get his title shot and threatens to attack Pearce. Balor jumps Gunther from behind and Zayn attacks as well, but they can't get along and Gunther takes care of both of them. Nick Aldis comes out and attacks Gunther. Aldis gets Gunther back in the ring and puts him in a Texas Cloverleaf as security pulls him off Gunther, who uses the opportunity to take a cheap shot at Aldis before security gets everyone separated.

Booking Grade: 8.5/10

  • Put a focus on two of the matches for SummerSlam this weekend
  • Nick Aldis showcased that he could stand toe-to-toe with Gunther
  • Finn Balor felt like an afterthought for the most part

In the first match of the evening, WWE Women's United States Champion Tiffany Stratton teamed with Chelsea Green to take on B-Fab and Michin. The finish of the match saw Stratton taken care of ringside by Jade Cargill while Michin and B-Fab hit Green with the BTA to score the pinfall victory.

After the match, Charlotte Flair comes out and distracts the trio, allowing Stratton and Green to pull Michin and B-Fab out of the ring as they brawl into the crowd. Flair and Cargill brawled, with Flair getting the better of Cargill.

Booking Grade: 6/10

  • Increases the likelihood that Green or Stratton could win the ladder match on Sunday
  • Babyfaces looked completely unprepared to handle the numbers game
  • Too much focus on Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill, who weren't even in the actual match

Backstage shenanigans

Backstage, Rey Fenix is seen talking with Fraxiom. They are interrupted by The Judgment Day, who are looking for Danhausen. A match between Fenix and JD McDonagh for the AAA Cruiserweight Championship is set up for later in the show.

A vignette airs for Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga, seemingly introducing their father, the legendary Haku, as their manager moving forward.

Back in the ring, we had Damian Priest and R-Truth taking on the War Raiders with both the WWE and AAA Tag Team Titles on the line. This is a match that has been built up for several weeks in backstage segments, only to end in a no-contest when the referee throws the match out after both teams get physical with them.

After the match, Priest, Truth, and the War Raiders brawl around the ringside until Tama and Talla Tonga hit the ring and take out both teams.

Booking Grade: 5/10

  • To build up this match for as long as they have, to have it end like that? Come on, man...
  • In a match with stakes this high, the referee looks like a real baby to throw a match out for something like that
  • Tama and Talla Tonga looked great in the post-match attack with Haku

Could we see CM Punk vs. Trick Williams this year?

Cathy Kelley speaks with CM Punk backstage. Punk believes he and Cody Rhodes have been running from this match for a long time, and now is the time for it to happen. Trick Williams interrupts and talks about how Punk is lucky he didn't win his match last week to earn the right to face him for a title shot. Punk said he's disappointed Trick didn't win because he wants new challengers, but when they do face each other, he's going to whoop that Trick.

We get a video package narrated by Nick Aldis going over his in-ring career in TNA and NWA and why he's returning to the ring to face Gunther this weekend at SummerSlam.

Trick Williams comes to the ring and tries to hype up his Baron Corbin match for the United States Championship at SummerSlam. Williams calls Corbin out to the ring and makes fun of the fact that he's bald, calling him Tommy Pickles from the Rugrats. Corbin comes out and tells Williams that his lack of patience will be his downfall. Williams wanted to do the match tonight, but Corbin declines and tells him he's taking the title on Sunday and there's nothing he can do about it.

Booking Grade: 6/10

  • I don't feel like this did Trick Williams any favors going into this weekend
  • Corbin seems much improved on the microphone since his last WWE run
  • This probably could have been a backstage segment

Another AAA Title defense for Rey Fenix on SmackDown

The AAA Cruiserweight Championship was on the line next as Rey Fenix defended the title against JD McDonagh of The Judgment Day. Dominik Mysterio was ejected from the ringside for getting involved in the match and got beaten up by Danhausen and the Minihausens for his troubles. The finish of the match saw Fenix hit McDonagh with the Mexican Muscle Buster to score the pinfall victory.

Booking Grade: 9/10

  • Easily the best match of the night so far
  • Fenix is putting together a string of wins in WWE by defending the AAA Cruiserweight Title
  • They put some fuel into the Danhausen/Dominik Mysterio match at SummerSlam

In the main event of the show, Lash Legend took on Giulia to determine the final participant in this weekend's six-way ladder match for the Interim WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam. The finish of the match saw Legend hit Giulia with the Lash Extension to score the pinfall victory.

Booking Grade: 4/10

  • WWE continuing to drop the ball with Giulia is borderline baffling
  • The match was SUPER short
  • A very underwhelming main event

CM Punk and Cody Rhodes set the stage for SummerSlam

In the closing segment of the evening, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk went to the ring to scream at one another. Rhodes said he sees through Punk and his mind games. Punk said he knew he was going to ruffle some feathers and hurt people's feelings when he came back and won the title. Punk buried the locker room, calling them crybabies, and said Sami Zayn is a bench player who wants to be a starter.

Rhodes said this is more than business when it comes to being the WWE Champion; it's personal. Punk said if it comes down to losing a friend or losing a title, Rhodes isn't gonna be happy about how things go down tomorrow. Cody said Punk wants to talk about tomorrow, but questions what he wants to do about it tonight.

Rhodes attacks Punk first and the two men brawl in the ring and then at ringside before security comes out to pull apart both men as WWE SmackDown went off the air.

Booking Grade: 6/10

  • A serious step down from their promo last week
  • Did they just give up when they realized they weren't getting the night two main event?
  • This unfortunately felt very paint-by-numbers

WWE SmackDown quick results:

  • Michin and B-Fab defeated Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton
  • R-Truth and Damian Priest vs. The War Raiders in a title-for-title match ends in a no-contest
  • Rey Fenix defeated JD McDonagh to retain the AAA Cruiserweight Championship
  • Lash Legend defeated Giulia to qualify for the six-way women's ladder match at SummerSlam
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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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