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WWE SmackDown Results [9/25/26]: Two More Superstars Qualify for Money in the Bank

CM Punk will have the opportunity to become a three-time Money in the Bank winner next month in New Orleans after he won the main event of Friday Night SmackDown in Indianapolis.
Rick Ucchino|
CM Punk
CM Punk | WWE

CM Punk is no stranger to the Money in the Bank briefcase, and Friday night on SmackDown, he earned his opportunity to win the third of his career.

The latest episode of the Blue Brand took place inside the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, and the main event saw the self-proclaimed "Best in the World" take on Finn Balor and Gunther for one of the final two spots remaining in the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match next month in New Orleans.

Punk was able to survive a Coup De Grace after Gunther pulled Balor out of the ring on the ensuing cover, and then he managed to kick out of a thunderous powerbomb from the Ring General. Gunther then locked in a sleeper hold on Punk, but Balor came off the top with another Coup De Grace to Gunther's back to break it up. Unfortunately for Balor, Punk rolled into an immediate cover of the Career Killer and stole the victory.

Punk will now join Bron Breakker, Penta, Je'Von Evans and Trick Williams in the Big Easy two weeks from Saturday, with one final participant still to be determined.

Lash Legend is also heading to New Orleans. "The Boujee Bully" knocked off Charlotte Flair and Giulia Friday night to qualify for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match. There was also a six-woman tag team match on the show and Trick Williams defended his Men's United States Championship inside a steel cage.

Here's everything you may have missed from the latest episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

WWE SmackDown results for September 25, 2026:

Trick Williams
Trick Williams | WWE

Trick Williams defeated Baron Corbin in a Steel Cage Match to retain the Men's United States Championship. After The Nomad became the first man to ever kick out of the Trick Shot, Williams had to dig down deep to finally put his rival down for good. Trick was able to counter an End of Days attempt, and he followed that up with three consecutive Book Ends to score the decisive three count.

Cathy Kelley spoke to Nia Jax and Lash Legend ahead of the Women's Money in the Bank qualifying match later in the night.

SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis ran into CM Punk backstage and asked if he could speak to him in his office. After a commercial break, we saw Kevin Owens waiting in Aldis' office. Nick said that he cannot have their beef bleed over into the Money in the Bank qualifying matches, and he ordered Punk and Owens to stay out of each other's business.

WWE announced that WWE x AAA Worlds Collide, which will take place Saturday night in Chicago, will air Wednesday, September 30 at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) on the WWE YouTube channel.

WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green was shown backstage having a minor panic attack about eventually having to fend off the future Miss Money in the Bank. Nikki Bella showed up, called Chelsea a joke and promised that she would stop at nothing to win the women's title. Paige and Tiffany Stratton came to back up Chelsea soon after.

Lash Legend defeated Charlotte Flair and Giulia to qualify for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match. The Queen was in prime position to win the match with Legend locked in the Figure-8 Leglock, but Giulia broke up the hold. The Beautiful Madness then dropped Flair with a Northern Lights Bomb, but Legend broke up the cover and hit Giulia with a Lash Extension to punch her ticket to New Orleans.

After a commercial break, Blake Monroe approached Giulia backstage and said maybe it was time she went back to obscurity. Giulia wasted little time smacking The Glamour across the face, which sparked a pull-apart brawl. SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis appeared as security was pulling both women apart, and he announced that they will finally face each other next Friday night.

Michael Cole gave Randy Orton a sit-down interview that he demanded before SmackDown went live on the air. The Viper vowed to do whatever he deems necessary to win a 15th World Championship, and he pressed Cole to admit that he doesn't believe that Cody Rhodes will follow through on his promise to kick Orton's head off.

Johnny Gargano approached Sami Zayn backstage and again asked about the WWE Championship match that he was promised. Zayn said that he went to Nick Aldis, but the best he could come away with was a Money in the Bank qualifying opportunity for both Gargano and Candice LeRae.

Women's United States Champion Jacy Jayne and WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid defeated WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green, Tiffany Stratton and Paige. This was a fun six-woman tag team match, but Nikki Bella would get involved and trip Paige as she went for a dive to the outside. Jayne would take advantage by hitting the former Divas Champion with a Rolling Encore to pick up the win for her team.

Danhausen attempted to curse Gunther after The Ring General conducted a backstage interview with Cathy Kelley. It did not go well for Danhausen.

WWE announced the final two Money in the Bank qualifying matches for next Friday night in Denver. Tatum Paxley will face off against Tiffany Stratton and Candice LeRae for the final spot in the women's ladder match, while Cody Rhodes battles Kevin Owens and Johnny Gargano for the last spot in the men's match.

Cody Rhodes cut an in-ring promo and proclaimed himself to be the king of unwinnable situations. He also again promised to kick Randy Orton's head off his shoulders, but he couldn't promise that The Viper would the be only one.

CM Punk defeated Finn Balor and Gunther to qualify for the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match. The Ring General appeared to be closing in on a victory with a sleeper hold locked in on Punk, but Finn Balor came off the top rope with a Coup de Grace to the spine of the Ring General. Unfortunately for The PrinXe, it was Punk who took advantage of the maneuver. He rolled into an immediate cover of Gunther and scored the pinfall before Balor knew what had happened.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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