The road to SummerSlam took a dramatic turn on Friday night’s SmackDown from the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, as a new Undisputed WWE Champion arrived, rivalries intensified, and a shocking return stole the spotlight.
The show opened with CM Punk making his first SmackDown appearance as the new Undisputed WWE Champion. Punk was quickly confronted by Cody Rhodes, leading to a heated exchange before Gunther interrupted. General Manager Nick Aldis made the blockbuster announcement that Punk will defend the Undisputed WWE Championship against Rhodes at SummerSlam. Gunther then snapped, repeatedly attacking Aldis until Cody rushed to the ring, ending the show in chaos.
In the night’s featured matches:
Finn Bálor defeated Tama Tonga in a hard-fought singles match.
Jimmy Uso picked up a victory over Royce Keys.
Jade Cargill defeated Alexa Bliss, then brutally assaulted Bliss after the match by targeting her arm, escalating her rivalry with Charlotte Flair ahead of SummerSlam.
Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes fought to a no contest after the surprise return of Baron Corbin, who stormed the ring and attacked both competitors.
Elsewhere, Jacob Fatu’s ongoing issues with Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline continued to deepen, while backstage developments further advanced several SummerSlam storylines.
With CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes officially set for the Undisputed WWE Championship, Gunther out of control, and Baron Corbin back in WWE, SmackDown delivered a newsworthy episode that significantly raised the stakes heading into one of WWE’s biggest events of the year.
