Heading into Sunday Night's Main Event this weekend, "WWE SmackDown" focused on putting the finishing touches on the build to that event, while also setting up matches for next week's show in Mexico. As always, our Wrestling Inc. crew is here to deliver our review of the hijinks.The pre-taped episode concluded with CM Punk defending his Undisputed WWE Championship against Johnny Gargano, who seemed to awaken from his semi-catatonic state after Punk laid out a title opportunity on a silver platter. We have some things to say about that, as well as the heated interaction between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, Paige and Nikki Bella exchanging barbs, and more.As is the nature of our weekly review, not everything will be covered here. Take a look at our 9/4/2026 "WWE SmackDown" results for a deep dive on all that happened, or continue on to find out all about what we hated and loved from this week's installment.
I went into tonight's episode with the mindset of wanting Nikki Bella and Paige to prove to me why I should care about their match at this point, over a month since Bella's turn at SummerSlam. I know, of course, that plans definitely changed following Brie Bella's shoulder injury, but I just feel like the pivot to the Nikki and Paige singles feud should have been much quicker than this, and the direction they took tonight in the women's face-off backstage just wasn't it.It's simple, and it seemed like they had the premise of it down once Nikki finally got the chance to cut her own promo a few weeks ago. She blames Paige for her sister getting injured and ruining her return, and what the Bellas wanted to be their eventual run for the Women's Tag Team Championships. That's what WWE is running with right now, as we saw in tonight's backstage segment with Cathy Kelley, but it's taken a month for the feud to really get underway.Last week, we saw Nikki return and take out Paige from behind following her loss to Jacy Jayne. That's why I figured we'd really get things going tonight, and sure, they tried. Nikki started off blaming Paige for Brie's injury and ruining her comeback, but then, she pivoted into obvious references about Paige's past, calling her a "D-grade skank" who has "more passion behind closed doors" than in the ring. Yuck.I was surprised we also saw Paige in this segment, and she went just as low, which I found kind of odd for her as the babyface, when she referenced Nikki's past engagement to John Cena. Paige said Nikki's always hated her because she built her career on "hustle, loyalty, and respect." If Nikki doesn't bring it next week during their match in Mexico City, Paige promised to "end her career quicker than her last relationship." Not as low of a blow as Nikki referencing Paige's leaked explicit videos from almost ten years ago, but an overplayed line about a relationship Nikki hasn't been in for years.I went into this wanting a reason to care, and checked out of the segment on the first reference to the past. There are just some things WWE doesn't need women to bring up consistently in feuds and promos, even if they agree to it. It's tired, overplayed, and I don't want to see this match anymore than I did before, when I already knew this feud was doomed following Brie's injury.Written by Daisy Ruth
It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Tatum Paxley's, and I loved her singles victory over Michin last week. This week, I'm once again glad that she's scoring wins as a talent freshly called-up to the main roster, as we don't often see that these days, it seems (and I am once again looking at you, Blake Monroe).There also wasn't a lot to love in the women's division tonight, as I'm also skeptical about the whole face mask angle with Nia Jax and Chelsea Green, personally, so seeing Paxley get a victory alongside Flair, and "The Queen" continuing to accept her just a little bit more every week, was really fun. I loved the backstage angle where Flair thought she had a tag match alongside Bliss, only to be met by Paxley being an adorable little weirdo who was excited to touch Flair by tagging in and out multiple times throughout the match. Bliss was also smart to put Paxley in the match in her place, to give the slightly salty Flair more time to get used to the former Women's North American Champion.Sure, they got beat down after the match by Fatal Influence and their Sunday Night's Main Event opponents, Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab, but the win is really what counts here, and I thought Paxley and Flair worked really well together. It was also Paxley to score the pin on Lainey Reid off the Cemetery Drive, which is big for her. Seeing the heels get the upper hand during the beatdown was also probably necessary, as Cargill and the Baddies could very well be taking the loss on Sunday.I'm hopeful, and I'd even say slightly confident, that the team of Paxley, Flair, and Bliss get the win over Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab at SNME. There's really nothing at stake, and WWE just seems to like putting these six-woman tags on SNME shows, so there's no harm in giving Paxley another victory to solidify her relationship alongside Flair and Bliss, and it easily continues the feud between Cargill and Flair.Written by Daisy Ruth
We've seen glimmers of something special with Kit Wilson in the past. He checks most of the boxes one would want to see from a pro wrestler near the top of their industry, from comedic chops and ability to connect with a crowd to in-ring ability and athleticism. Despite all that, WWE doesn't seem interested in utilizing him as anything more than a supporting player.It was good to see Wilson wrestle on tonight's "SmackDown;" not counting "Main Event," it was his first televised match since WWE Backlash in May. In fact, in a bubble, there's not anything wrong with Wilson and The Miz being used to put over Bakusai in their debut as a tag team. The problem is Wilson has found himself in a position that many WWE wrestlers have been in before him: the dreaded Underutilized Talent.Before he was being experimented on by Danhausen, Wilson was garnering some strong reactions from WWE audiences. I'm well aware that there are only so many spots to push wrestlers, but hopefully, the company is equally aware that Wilson could be (in some ways) their male counterpart to what they have on their hands with Chelsea Green, and we've all seen how well that has turned out.Written by Nick Miller
An enjoyable aspect of the feud between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton in recent weeks has been the no-contact clause, restricting Orton from his usual violence in place of verbiage and forcing him to try and find another weakness in his opponent.Last week he came down to the ring and tried to get in Rhodes' head, calling his mother trailer park trash, his wife trashy, and then even playing at the idea that his dog, Pharaoh, was dead. None of that worked to get Rhodes to break the clause, and when all was said and done it felt as though Orton was was on the losing side of the exchange.This week, Rhodes sat down for an interview with Corey Graves, but it wasn't long before Orton was giving it another go. He reiterated what much of what he said last week in an attempt at getting under Rhodes' skin. Still, Rhodes stared and let whatever Orton had to say slide past him. So Orton went further and diagnosed Rhodes' problem, his addiction to the WWE Championship and the fact that, given he didn't react to anything he had said, he cares about it more than he does his own family. That did make Rhodes get up. But it didn't make him do what Orton wanted. He simply said to Orton that it might be true, and if it is true, then that would be a bigger problem for Orton when they get in the ring on Sunday.Orton has continually tried to get beneath Rhodes' skin throughout their exchanges and it continues to leave him more visibly worried time and time again. It's the stoic and resolute responses from the babyface that just make him seem cooler. Especially when compared to the more scattered and desperately dastardly Orton.So often it is the heel getting the better of the face through mind games and frankly making the face look stupid. It is refreshing when it is done in the other direction, like when Lex Luthor tries to outsmart Superman, or the Riddler does it with Batman or Doom with Reed Richards. It can feel cathartic for the scheme to backfire, and it can elevate the perception of the heroic character.It's also just entertaining TV, even if it was just a brief little segment. It'd be nice if more of the show was like this, but it was good for what it was.Written byMax Everett
You know that old saying: once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern? Well, we are almost veering into pattern territory here with Giulia and Blake Monroe still not having their match, because they keep taking one another out on the entrance ramp.WWE did virtually the exact same plot point on last Friday's edition of "SmackDown" with the roles reversed between the two women (despite Wade Barrett claiming it had been two weeks on commentary while it all happened), so repeating it once again on this episode made no sense to me. We had already seen it done, and it did nothing to turn up the heat in the storyline between the two women despite WWE attempting to frame it as both women being unable to wait 2 more minutes to get their hands on one another inside the ring due to how high the tensions were.I also found it unbelievable that there were only three officials that ran out to break up the brawl between Monroe and Giulia, and if it was really that tense between them, there would be a lot more people than that. It's made even worse by the fact that they have now advertised the match for the show twice in a row without following through, and I can't help but feel like us fans deserve much better than that.Written byOlivia Quinlan
Our six-month national nightmare has come to an end. Johnny Gargano is not only upright, but wrestled in a match. For a title. In the main event. Who knew all it would take was CM Punk offering him a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship in his hometown of Cleveland? When the offer was made, Gargano didn't immediately react. Punk was about to walk away when Candace LeRae stopped him to plead to give her more time to try to get him up. Suddenly, Gargano was standing up and accepted the match.Gargano was so excited for his first match since the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal that he cut his beard and trimmed it up to look like the Johnny Wrestling of old. It is truly a shame that a talent of his caliber has been wasted for months. Let's be honest, before he was planking for months backstage, they were wasting his talents. This man had the opportunity to leave WWE and chose to come back and they still treated him like this for half a year. Gargano looked great in the match and nearly got the win twice. In WWE fashion, the match was overbooked to hell.I really hope that Gargano will be an active wrestler again. He proved what WWE has been missing this whole time. They could easily put Gargano in a feud with Sami Zayn once he's cleared to wrestle (which is apparently next week in Mexico when he faces Punk for the title). Zayn and LeRae conspired to help Gargano win, but it backfired. Gargano might take offense to that and want to add his name to the growing list that wants to get their hands on Zayn. If not, find literally anyone else for him to feud with because he can't go back towhat he's been doing for months. His nickname is Johnny Wrestling for a reason.Written bySamantha Schipman
