Tonight’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown feels less like a normal weekly stop on the road to Night of Champions and more like a loaded checkpoint where several major directions can either lock into place or completely fall apart. Cody Rhodes defending the Undisputed WWE Championship against Gunther would already be big enough on its own, but adding Sami Zayn as the special guest referee turns the match into something far more unpredictable than a basic title rematch. SmackDown is also carrying both King and Queen of the Ring semifinal matches, a WWE Tag Team Championship defense, and a United States Championship No. 1 Contender’s Match between Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints. That is a lot of business for one episode, and honestly, it needs to be, because WWE is still trying to sell Night of Champions while half the card does not really feel like a “Night of Champions” card at all.
Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show
- Cody Rhodes (c) vs Gunther (Sami Zayn as the special guest referee for the Undisputed WWE Championship)
- Charlotte Flair vs. WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan (Queen of the Ring Semifinal)
- Jey Uso vs. Je’Von Evans (King of the Ring Semifinal)
- Damian Priest and R-Truth (c) vs The MFTs (WWE Tag Team Championship)
- Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints (United States Championship No. 1 Contender’s Match)
Last week’s SmackDown was built around Gunther revealing his stipulation for the Undisputed WWE Championship rematch, but the show ended up being just as much about Sami Zayn’s emotional spiral as it was about Cody Rhodes and Gunther. Cody came into the night trying to present himself like the steady champion who could handle anything, but the cracks started showing immediately. Jey Uso made it clear that if he wins King of the Ring, he is coming for Cody’s championship, and Cody fired back by questioning whether that was Jey’s decision or Roman Reigns’ decision. That one line was small, but it connected Cody’s title reign to the Bloodline story and reminded everyone that the Undisputed WWE Championship is still the center of the entire SmackDown universe.
The Queen of the Ring Fatal 4-Way between Charlotte Flair, Jade Cargill, Lyra Valkyria, and Sol Ruca gave SmackDown’s women’s division a big spotlight, even if the match itself showed how crowded and chaotic the division currently feels. Charlotte advanced by making Lyra tap to the Figure Eight, but Jade still felt heavily protected. Sol got her athletic moments, Lyra got enough offense to avoid feeling like filler, and the involvement around Jade, Tiffany Stratton, Alexa Bliss, B-Fab, and Michin made it clear WWE is trying to keep multiple women moving at once. The problem is that the division is active but not completely clean. There is talent everywhere, but the direction is cloudy because Rhea Ripley’s injury situation has thrown the top title picture into uncertainty.
That uncertainty matters tonight. Rhea is still the WWE Women’s Champion, but her status has clearly forced WWE to adjust. Tiffany Stratton being positioned more heavily in Night of Champions promotion makes the Women’s United States Championship feel more important, and Jade Cargill staring down Tiffany’s title after laying her out last week felt like a real pivot. That is not a bad thing. Jade vs. Tiffany could easily give the Women’s U.S. Title its biggest spotlight yet. But it also says a lot that the Women’s Champion is in limbo, the Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan is in Queen of the Ring, Charlotte is chasing another crown, and Jade may already be drifting away from the world title picture. The division has star power, but it needs a clearer lane before it starts feeling like everyone is just floating around waiting for the next injury update.
The Cody Rhodes, Gunther, and Sami Zayn story is the best thing SmackDown has going right now because it is not just a wrestling match. It is personal, uncomfortable, and layered. Cody beat Gunther at Clash in Italy in controversial fashion after Gunther’s foot was under the rope, so Gunther had a real argument for a rematch. Instead of choosing a violent stipulation, Gunther chose something smarter. He chose Sami Zayn as the referee. That is the kind of move that fits Gunther perfectly because it is not loud or flashy. It is cold, strategic, and designed to make Cody fight two battles at once.
Sami’s issue with Cody is not random. Over the past few weeks, Sami has kept getting caught in Cody’s chaos, and in Sami’s mind, he keeps paying the price for trying to do the right thing. Cody sees accidents. Sami sees disrespect. Cody sees the pressure of being champion. Sami sees a friend who has started treating him like another obstacle. That is why last week’s in-ring confrontation hit the way it did. Sami called Cody out and wanted honesty. Cody gave him honesty, but it was the kind that cuts deep. When Cody told Sami he was sorry that he had the championship and Sami never would, that was the line that turned a tense conversation into a real problem.
The slap exchange between Cody and Sami was the turning point. Sami slapped Cody, immediately regretted it, apologized, and tried to calm it down. Cody slapped him back and acted like they were even. They were not. Sami grabbing that chair and almost returning to the ring showed exactly where his head is. He still wants to believe he is the good guy, but he is close enough to the edge that Gunther could see the opening from a mile away. Tonight, Sami does not even have to blatantly screw Cody for the story to work. A slow count, a missed call, a hesitation, or even Cody simply not trusting him could be enough to change everything.
That is what makes Cody vs. Gunther so interesting match for match and hold for hold. Gunther is going to grind Cody down, force him to sell, force him to survive, and make every rope break, every count, and every referee decision feel uncomfortable. Cody is going to have to wrestle like champion Cody while also watching Sami’s face after every near fall. Gunther does not need Sami to be on his side. He just needs Cody to think Sami might be. That is the trap.
The United States Championship picture is also quietly one of the more important parts of tonight’s show. Trick Williams is champion, but his reign has become more about presentation, confidence, and aura than a long list of defining defenses. That is not automatically a bad thing because Trick has star quality, but Melo exposed the weakness in the act last week when he basically called him out for hiding behind catchphrases. Ricky Saints, meanwhile, has forced his way into the picture by getting involved in Melo’s business and earning enough momentum to make this a real three-man issue.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints works because it is not just a random No. 1 contender’s match. Melo and Trick have history that will always make a title match between them feel personal. Ricky is the outsider who has made himself impossible to ignore. Trick is the champion watching two hungry challengers fight over the right to come see him. If Melo wins, Night of Champions gets the deeper emotional match. If Ricky wins, WWE gets a fresher challenger and a chance to prove Saints is more than just a disruptor in someone else’s story. Either way, Trick needs the winner to push him because the U.S. Title picture cannot just be aura forever.
The tag title match is the one part of the advertised card that feels the least exciting on paper, even though Damian Priest and R-Truth have been a surprisingly effective odd-couple team. Priest gives the team credibility, Truth gives it personality, and somehow it works better than it should. Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga challenging for the titles gives the MFTs another chance to look dangerous, but WWE has to be careful here. If the MFTs keep getting big opportunities without enough strong character work behind them, fans are going to keep seeing the push before they feel the connection. A title change would be a statement, but Priest and Truth retaining would probably keep the division more stable.
Jey Uso vs. Je’Von Evans is another match with more story than the surface suggests. Je’Von has the athletic upside, the explosiveness, and the freshness to make the semifinal feel alive. Jey has the experience, the connection with the crowd, and the bigger story because Roman Reigns has already told him he needs to win the tournament on his own. The problem is that Jey’s first-round win came after Bloodline interference, which immediately undercut the entire point. Tonight has to answer whether Jey can actually advance clean or whether WWE is using this tournament to show that he cannot escape the Bloodline’s shadow, even when he wants to.
Charlotte Flair vs. Liv Morgan is interesting for a different reason. Liv is already Women’s World Champion, so having her still alive in Queen of the Ring creates a weird dynamic. If she wins the tournament, she is basically earning a future world title shot while already holding world title gold. That is not impossible to explain, but it does make the tournament feel less clean. Charlotte winning would give WWE a more traditional tournament finalist against IYO SKY, but Liv winning would continue WWE’s effort to present her as one of the most dominant women in the company. The match itself should be strong, but the booking question is whether WWE wants the Queen of the Ring final to crown a challenger or add another accolade to a champion who already has one.
The road to Night of Champions is where WWE’s branding problem becomes impossible to ignore. The show is called Night of Champions, but right now the card is not built like a true championship-heavy event. Yes, Trick Williams is scheduled to defend the United States Championship. Yes, the King and Queen of the Ring finals lead to SummerSlam title shots. But that is not the same thing as a card full of champions defending championships. WWE can dress it up however it wants, but fans are not wrong to question why the event name keeps being used when the original identity of the show has been watered down.
The issue is not that the matches are bad. Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker in a Steel Cage sounds important. The King and Queen of the Ring finals matter. Trick’s U.S. Title defense matters. But when Cody vs. Gunther is happening on SmackDown, the WWE Tag Team Titles are being defended on SmackDown, Rhea Ripley’s title picture is unclear, and Liv Morgan may be tied up in the tournament instead of defending her own championship, the Night of Champions name starts to feel more like branding than an actual concept. WWE is giving fans important matches, but it is also asking fans not to notice that the title of the PLE does not fully match the card.
That is why tonight’s SmackDown is so important. It has to carry the energy that Night of Champions itself is still trying to earn. Cody vs. Gunther with Sami as referee can either deliver a major championship moment or blow the whole top story wide open. Hayes vs. Saints decides Trick’s next challenger. Charlotte vs. Liv and Jey vs. Je’Von complete the tournament finals. The tag titles are on the line. The women’s division needs direction. SmackDown has a lot to accomplish, and for once, the advertised card actually feels strong enough to accomplish most of it.
Current King and Queen of the Ring Tournament Standings
- Oba Femi vs Jey Uso or Je’Von Evans (King of the Ring Final)
- Jey Uso vs. Je’Von Evans (King of the Ring Semifinal
- IYO SKY vs Charlotte Flair or WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan (Queen of the Ring Final)
- Charlotte Flair vs. WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan (Queen of the Ring Semifinal)
Current WWE Night of Champions Match Card:
- Oba Femi vs. Jey Uso or Je’Von Evans (King of the Ring Final)
- lYO SKY vs. Charlotte Flair or WWE Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan (Queen of the Ring Final)
- Trick Williams (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes or Ricky Saints (United States Championship)
- Seth Rollins vs. Bron Breakker (Steel Cage Match)
WWE Night of Champions takes place Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WWE lists the local event time as 7:00 PM, while the U.S. stream is being promoted for 1:00 PM ET / 10:00 AM PT.
Final Thoughts
Tonight’s SmackDown has the kind of card WWE should be putting together this close to a major event. Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther with Sami Zayn as the referee is the obvious centerpiece because it has everything: championship stakes, controversy, friendship falling apart, and a challenger smart enough to use emotions as a weapon. That is the match that can change the entire direction of SmackDown in one night.
But the rest of the show cannot just exist underneath it. Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints needs to make Trick Williams’ United States Championship reign feel hotter. Jey Uso vs. Je’Von Evans needs to either prove Jey can stand on his own or push him deeper into the Bloodline mess. Charlotte Flair vs. Liv Morgan needs to make the Queen of the Ring final feel important instead of confusing. And the women’s division as a whole needs a stronger sense of direction because Rhea Ripley’s injury situation has left WWE scrambling.
This is one of those SmackDown episodes where the card looks stacked, but the real test is whether it actually moves stories forward instead of just giving fans a busy night. WWE has the pieces. Cody, Gunther, Sami, Trick, Melo, Ricky, Jey, Je’Von, Charlotte, Liv, IYO, Jade, Tiffany, Priest, Truth, and the MFTs all have something to gain or lose. Now WWE has to make it feel like all of this is building to something bigger than just another themed PLE with a name that no longer fully matches the card.
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I’m the quiet one until the bell rings then I’ve got takes. I live for WWE NXT and TNA, I want every promotion to succeed, and I will absolutely roast the bad decisions on sight (because someone has to). Anime taught me to respect long-term storytelling; wrestling taught me that sometimes the plan is “we panicked” and called it “unpredictable.” The Miz got me into all of this, so yeah I appreciate confidence, commitment, and the art of talking like you’re already the main event. Now I bring that same energy to the page as the main writer for Late Night Crew Wrestling because if you’re not here to be must-see and tell the truth, why are you here?!