WWE SmackDown Recap & Reactions (Aug. 28, 2026): The Sami Zayn Show

In latest weeks, SmackDown has was The Sami Zayn Present. Nonetheless pissed that his first WWE Championship reign was minimize off on the knees after solely 9 days, Sami as soon as once more made positive that no person else was going to get close to the WWE Championship till he will get his come-up. Early on on this dabbling on the heel facet that Sami has accomplished these days, it was nonetheless a little bit troublesome to be mad at him. Punk being magically dropped right into a WWE Title match in Chicago earlier in the summertime, objectively, wasn’t actually truthful to the Final Actual Good Man. Having Kevin Owens and Gunther added to his #1 contender’s match at SummerSlam, once more, in all probability didn’t give Sami a good shake.

However now we’re attending to the a part of this system the place Sami will get totally enveloped by the darkness. 1000’s of Canadians booed their fellow countryman final week when Sami nailed Kevin Owens with the WWE Championship and value him his title match in opposition to CM Punk. It’s the continuation of a sample with Sami, the place as a substitute of simply venting to Nick Aldis or Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Resting backstage, he’s seeing pink and ensuring to get himself concerned each time the WWE Championship is even a small a part of the equation.

Which brings us to tonight’s SmackDown.

Kevin Owens kicked off the present and addressed what occurred final week along with his long-time, on-again, off-again frenemy. Owens opened up and talked about how his return at SummerSlam took place. He then pivoted to speaking about how his mother, who handled well being issues a couple of years again, was truly in a position to make it to Toronto final week to observe him compete for the WWE Championship. All the pieces was going in accordance with plan, and Sami ruined that. He mentioned Zayn ruining that night time for him is unforgivable, and he’ll take care of Sami finally, however first, he needs one other shot at CM Punk and the WWE Title.

Punk, who truly benefited from Sami’s shenanigans final week, stormed right down to the ring, letting KO know that he’s received no downside combating Owens once more. Aldis sprinted in between them to maintain the peace, however earlier than something may go down, Gunther joined the fray. After hurling a couple of one-liners at KO, Gunther was minimize off by Finn Balor, who claimed that neither Gunther nor Owens has crushed him, so the road for the WWE Championship ought to begin with him. Nick Aldis then wasted no time reserving the night time’s important occasion, a triple menace #1 contender’s match!

In the principle occasion, Gunther received the festivities going early, attacking Finn Balor earlier than he may even take his ring jacket off. The tempo was frantic on the outset, with all three cats seeking to finish the match early. In typical Gunther trend, the Ring Basic took management and slowed the match down, as he’s wont to do. With three execs like KO, Gunther, and Finn, there have been a number of dope sequences as you’ll anticipate. It seemed like Finn was on his strategy to a win after hitting a Coup de Grace on Gunther, however Sami pulled Finn off the quilt at a 2-count. Sami then despatched Finn flying over the announce desk and dropped referee Dan Engler, who was down on the ground making an attempt to interrupt issues up. KO then gave the impression to be on the doorstep himself, hitting Gunther with a Stunner. Referee Darryl “don’t-call-me-Adrian-Butler” Sharma ran down, and Sami was there to chop him off on the go.

With two referees and the three opponents all down, CM Punk got here down and made a beeline for Sami. Their brawl ended up again within the ring, the place Punk and Owens crossed paths once more. After a fast trade of blows, Sami hit for the cycle and took out Owens, Balor, Gunther, and Punk in succession, with WWE Title pictures to the cranium. Zayn was the final one standing, WWE Championship belt in hand, as SmackDown went off the air.

Response: Sami’s slippin’, man. Gunther briefly wrapping him in a Sleeper had 1000’s of Zayn’s fellow Canadians cheering louder than that they had for nearly the entire SmackDown broadcast. I get the end result they had been striving for right here, however having the principle occasion of your present, which featured solely 4 matches, finish with a non-finish when there shouldn’t have been any disqualifications is just a bit unsatisfying. It looks like the meat between Finn and Gunther is constructing to a showdown, which makes me suppose we may be heading in direction of a Punk/Zayn/Owens triple menace. That is additionally a time after I want WWE wasn’t so inflexible with a few of their stipulation-centered PLEs, as a result of this example is about up completely for an Elimination Chamber match. Subsequent week’s present will function a go-home for Sunday Evening’s Predominant Occasion, however I’d think about any main matches involving these 5 can be pushed again to later in September or held off till Cash within the Financial institution in October.

Cody & Randy get private, don’t contact one another

Earlier than Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton had their scheduled face-to-face within the ring, and after a video bundle recapped their previous few weeks of confrontations and reminded us that they aren’t allowed to the touch one another earlier than their match, a pensive American Daydream Nightmare was approached backstage by Finn Balor. Cody and Finn vowed to deal with their respective enterprise and see one another on the opposite facet, with the WWE Championship up for grabs.

A couple of minutes later, Kingdom serenaded the Ottawa crowd, and Cody Rhodes requested them what they wished to speak about, trying dapper in a checkered pink swimsuit. Rhodes wasted no time addressing the Viper, calling out younger Randy Orton’s errors and accusing the 14-time champ of not having broad sufficient shoulders to take any accountability for his errors. Proper as Cody was about to emphatically say he was going to kill the Legend Killer subsequent weekend, Orton interrupted and joined Rhodes within the ring.

Orton flat-out admitted that he didn’t take any accountability when he was youthful. He mentioned how Cody principally volunteered to be his bitch all these years in the past, ensuring Randy was tucked in safely in each city they traveled to. Then, figuring out that Cody couldn’t contact him, Randy took the gloves off. Hoping to push Rhodes over the sting, Orton introduced up Cody’s (still-living) canine Pharaoh, his trailer-park trash mother, and his trashy-ass spouse, Brandy. Randy’s phrases, not mine! Along with his face redder than the Uncooked brand, Cody confirmed that he may play Randy’s recreation and, after casually citing how his dad was a legend, referred to Orton’s dad as a screw-up. In spite of everything that, no bodily contact, and the match remains to be on for subsequent Sunday night time.

Response: I’m on board with Randy being hell-bent on ensuring Cody doesn’t win the WWE Title once more. That angle is smart in a whole lot of methods. As for tonight’s angle, I’m not normally an enormous fan of creating issues so private by cheaply citing one another’s households, however with the no-touch stipulation, it is smart that they went down that path. It in all probability serves the story they’re making an attempt to inform a bit higher than a protracted, drawn-out promo battle would have. With that being mentioned, my stage of pleasure for the Orton/Rhodes match is at a few 6 proper now, and I’m undecided what they’ll do subsequent week to convey that any larger.

Nia Jax pins the Interim Ladies’s Champ

Virtually as shortly as she grew to become the Interim WWE Ladies’s Champion at SummerSlam, Chelsea Inexperienced suffered a damaged orbital bone in a tag match on SmackDown lower than per week later. Inexperienced put her comedic chops apart and minimize an impassioned promo the next week when GM Nick Aldis regretfully made the choice to strip her of the title as a result of that harm. Chelsea’s plea satisfied Nick to provide her a while – 30 days, to be actual – to get medically cleared so she may defend her title, a lot to the delight of Chelsea, the 1000’s of individuals within the area, and most of the people watching at house. Then, final week, Chelsea ran right down to the ring (sporting loopy stilettos no much less) to avoid wasting her newfound bestie, Tiffany Stratton, from an Irresistible Forces beatdown.

Tonight, Inexperienced was medically cleared sufficient to workforce up with Tiffy to tackle Nia and Lash in a tag workforce match. Proper earlier than heading down, Tiffany expressed concern about Chelsea wrestling earlier than her face had an opportunity to utterly heal, giving her companion an out if she wished it, however the interim Ladies’s Champ insisted on competing.

Between the bells, Tiffany Stratton spent more often than not within the ring for her workforce. Early on, after Chelsea had tagged herself in, Nia hit her with an enormous Samoan headbutt to the champ’s bedazzled face masks, visibly rocking Inexperienced. A bit later, after Chelsea received within the ring to interrupt up a pinfall, Nia drove her knee into Chelsea’s face, sending her painfully to the surface. Medical employees got here to ringside to verify on her, which left Tiffany to principally compete in a handicap match. Simply when it appeared the choice had been made to tug Chelsea, Inexperienced sprinted again to the ring and tagged herself in with a head of steam, taking out each Nia and Lash and giving Tiffany a a lot wanted reprieve.

Moments later, although, Jax and Legend proved to be an excessive amount of. Lash worn out Tiffany exterior the ring, and Nia landed an Annihilator on Chelsea inside to select up the win. Nia dropped in on Nick Aldis’ workplace later within the night time and threatened to take the Ladies’s Title by pressure if she’s not given a title match in opposition to Chelsea within the subsequent two weeks.

Response: Whereas I really recognize the trouble being put into constructing Chelsea up as a big-time babyface, I’m simply not thrilled about her getting pinned in one other tag workforce match, the second time within the 4 weeks she’s been champion. I get it. Reserving 101 says that you just construct up a heel challenger in order that the babyface champion beating them means one thing, so I’ll be affected person with this one. It’s trying like Nia’s lined up for a title shot within the coming weeks, and I’ll maintain out hope that Inexperienced prevails in that one, however I nonetheless hate seeing Chelsea lose like this.

Jacy retains, Nikki returns

Paige returned to the blue model final week after being turned on by the Bellas at SummerSlam. After partaking in a multi-week pre-taped promo battle with Nikki whereas ready for the lone wholesome Bella to point out up in individual, Paige got here face-to-face with the 2 girls who beat her for the tag titles at SummerSlam, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid, in addition to the brand new Ladies’s United States Champion, Jacy Jayne. That confrontation led Jayne to conform to defend her title in opposition to Paige, and the match was signed for tonight’s present.

Paige was in a position to get a little bit of offense in on Jacy, who as soon as once more appeared to decide on her ring gear from the 90’s Heartbreak Child assortment, however that rattling numbers recreation proved to be an excessive amount of. Fallon and Lainey each received up on the ring apron on reverse sides and distracted Paige, permitting Jacy to roll her up and choose up the win to retain the Ladies’s United States Title.

As Deadly Affect celebrated and retreated up the ramp, Nikki Bella lastly made her return and jumped Paige from behind, focusing a bit on Paige’s surgically repaired neck. After taunting the gang and hitting a Rack Assault 2.0, Nikki mounted Paige and put her hand on her neck once more, seeming to concern a warning to the previous Divas Champ.

Response: Oof. First, the positives. Deadly Affect got here out of this section trying fairly good. All of them have a presence and a sure charisma that makes them plausible as heels. Placing gold on all three of them, I believe, goes to develop into a reasonably good reserving resolution. Then, there’s the Paige/Nikki feud. I’m in all probability center of the highway in relation to these two being featured performers within the 12 months 2026. I don’t hate it, however I’m not clamoring for it both. I can’t assist however marvel what the plan was for this feud earlier than Brie received harm, as a result of a Paige/Nikki Bella match isn’t one thing I’m notably excited for.

There wasn’t a nasty exhibiting from the blue model, however I can’t assist however suppose that some segments and angles simply don’t get a lot of an opportunity to breathe within the two-hour format. It’s the identical factor that repeatedly afflicts NXT for me, in that they’ve lots to cram into two hours, and every part feels a little bit bit rushed. The factor that drops this to C territory for me was the ending of the principle occasion. I’m on board with Sami’s present story, however a non-finish like that in a match that’s presupposed to haven’t any disqualifications simply doesn’t sit proper with me. They might’ve completed an analogous finish purpose in different methods. I additionally don’t suppose the gang helped. They had been high-quality on Uncooked on Monday, however tonight’s two hours had been taped after that present, and you possibly can inform that the gang was fairly drained by the tip of SmackDown.

Star of the Evening: Tatum Paxley

It was Tatum Tuesday on a Friday, as the most recent addition to the SmackDown roster wrestled in and gained her first match on the blue model earlier than Blake Monroe may do the identical, regardless of Blake having a few month’s head begin.

Now it’s your flip, Cagesiders! When will Sami Zayn get one other WWE Title shot? Excited for Sunday Evening’s Predominant Occasion subsequent weekend? Tell us what you suppose within the feedback under!