MEXICO CITY — September 11, 2026 — WWE SmackDown delivered a dramatic night from Arena CDMX, highlighted by Sami Zayn defeating CM Punk to become Undisputed WWE Champion for the second time. The show also featured multiple championship defenses and a major betrayal by Damian Priest.
Randy Orton Sends a Warning
Randy Orton opened the night by addressing his ongoing rivalry with Cody Rhodes. Following his victory over Rhodes at Sunday Night’s Main Event, Orton said Cody had demonstrated that he was a good man—but insisted that Orton himself was willing to do whatever was necessary to win a 15th world championship.
Orton then made his intentions clear: whoever left Mexico City as champion would have to deal with him.
Rey Fenix Retains AAA Cruiserweight Championship
Rey Fenix def. Ricky Saints — AAA Cruiserweight Championship
Fenix and Saints delivered a fast-paced lucha-style contest, with Fenix using his speed and aerial offense to counter Saints’ power.
Saints survived several spectacular attacks, including a moonsault, but Fenix eventually connected with the Mexican Muscle Buster for the three-count.
Winner: Rey Fenix by pinfall
Result: Fenix retained the AAA Cruiserweight Championship.
Afterward, Fenix offered Saints a handshake. Saints initially refused, but the rivalry remained unresolved.
Nikki Bella Steals a Victory Over Paige
Nikki Bella def. Paige
Paige attacked Nikki immediately after the bell, turning the match into a personal fight rather than a traditional wrestling contest.
Paige dominated portions of the match and repeatedly attacked Nikki around ringside. However, Nikki eventually used the ropes for leverage while stacking Paige up and stealing the victory.
Winner: Nikki Bella by pinfall
Time: 3:00
The controversial victory did little to settle the bad blood between the two women.
Trick Williams Celebration Ends in Disaster
New United States Champion Trick Williams celebrated his championship victory and praised his friend Lil Yachty.
The celebration quickly turned ugly when Baron Corbin appeared with an injured Yachty and attacked Trick with a kendo stick. Corbin made it clear that his issues with Williams were far from over.
Chelsea Green Survives Nia Jax
Chelsea Green def. Nia Jax — WWE Women’s Championship
Chelsea Green entered the match wearing a protective mask after suffering an orbital injury. Nick Aldis had warned Green that if the mask came off and she suffered further damage, WWE could be forced to strip her of the championship.
Nia Jax immediately targeted Green’s injury and repeatedly battered the champion around the ring.
The situation became even more dangerous when Lash Legend attempted to attack Green. Tiffany Stratton intervened and absorbed the blow intended for Green.
Jax eventually removed Green’s protective mask, but Green fought back, put the mask back on and caught Jax with Un-Pretty-Her to score the pin.
Winner: Chelsea Green by pinfall
Time: 6:00
Result: Green retained the WWE Women’s Championship.
War Raiders Retain — Damian Priest Turns on R-Truth
The War Raiders def. Damian Priest & R-Truth — AAA World Tag Team Championship
Erik and Ivar retained their AAA Tag Team Championship after defeating Priest and Truth in an eight-minute battle.
Truth showed flashes of offense, but the champions regained control and finished him with the Ragnarok combination, allowing Erik to score the pinfall.
Winners: The War Raiders by pinfall
Time: 8:00
Result: War Raiders retained the AAA Tag Team Championship.
The real story came after the match.
Priest helped Truth back to his feet and appeared to comfort his longtime partner. Instead, Priest suddenly attacked him with a clothesline before delivering a South of Heaven chokeslam.
The betrayal officially ended their partnership and established Priest as one of SmackDown’s major new threats.
Sami Zayn Captures the Undisputed WWE Championship
Sami Zayn def. CM Punk — Undisputed WWE Championship
The main event was built around Zayn’s determination to reclaim the championship he had lost to Punk.
Punk controlled the early stages, but Zayn identified the champion’s injured knee and relentlessly attacked it. Punk fought through the damage and nearly finished Zayn with the Go to Sleep, but Zayn kicked out.
The closing minutes descended into chaos.
Johnny Gargano appeared at ringside and distracted Punk. Candice LeRae also became involved, preventing Punk from immediately capitalizing when Zayn was caught in the Anaconda Vise.
Then Kevin Owens entered the ring.
Owens attempted to strike Zayn with the championship belt, but Zayn moved and Owens accidentally struck Punk instead. Zayn took advantage, hit Owens with a low blow and then connected with the Helluva Kick on Punk.
Zayn covered Punk.
One… two… three.
Winner: Sami Zayn by pinfall
Time: 15:00
Result: Sami Zayn won the Undisputed WWE Championship for the second time.
Fireworks erupted as Zayn celebrated with the championship while Punk remained down in the ring.
Final Assessment
SmackDown’s biggest moment: Sami Zayn’s championship victory over CM Punk.
The title change completely reshapes the SmackDown main-event picture. Zayn now has potential challengers coming from several directions, including Johnny Gargano, Kevin Owens, Gunther and Finn Bálor, while Randy Orton has already announced that he intends to target the winner.
The other major development was Damian Priest’s betrayal of R-Truth, which gives SmackDown a fresh singles storyline and immediately puts Priest in a more dangerous position.
With Sami Zayn back on top, the biggest question is who will challenge him first. Johnny Gargano has already made his intentions known, while Orton, Owens, Gunther and Bálor remain firmly in the championship conversation.
And after his shocking attack on R-Truth, Damian Priest has officially entered a new chapter of his WWE career.
SmackDown leaves Mexico City with a new Undisputed WWE Champion—and a dramatically different landscape at the top of the blue brand.
