WWE Friday Night SmackDown rolls into the MVP Arena in Albany, New York, tonight for the final stop before Saturday Night’s Main Event takes over Madison Square Garden tomorrow night. Although WWE has announced only one match and two featured storyline developments, the blue brand is carrying several unresolved issues that could reshape both Saturday’s event and SummerSlam. GUNTHER’s violent attack on Nick Aldis has left SmackDown without its general manager, Cody Rhodes must explain how he intends to coexist with the man he will challenge for the Undisputed WWE Championship, and Sami Zayn remains the painfully overlooked figure in a title story that has quickly moved forward without giving his nine-day reign any room to matter.
Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show
- The fallout from GUNTHER’s vicious attack on SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis
- Cody Rhodes addresses teaming with Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk at Saturday Night’s Main Event
- Finn Bálor battles Talla Tonga
That is an unusually thin lineup for a live SmackDown, especially one airing less than 24 hours before a major event at Madison Square Garden and just over two weeks before SummerSlam. WWE is clearly relying on storyline movement rather than a loaded match card, but that puts tremendous pressure on tonight’s talking segments. There is no room for ten-minute entrances followed by vague threats and carefully rehearsed catchphrases. The Undisputed WWE Championship situation has become too complicated, GUNTHER’s assault was too severe and Sami Zayn’s demotion has created too much backlash for WWE to spend another week circling around the actual conflict.
The main focus will be Cody Rhodes’ response to being forced into an alliance with CM Punk. Tomorrow night, Cody and Punk will team against GUNTHER and Sami Zayn before facing each other for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam. WWE wants the immediate question to be whether Punk and Cody can coexist, but that is only the surface-level issue. The more interesting question is whether either man understands how fortunate he has been throughout this entire situation.
Sami defeated Cody and GUNTHER at Night of Champions to win his first WWE Championship. Cody then defeated Jey Uso to become the No. 1 contender and was scheduled to challenge Sami on Raw. Before that match could happen, GUNTHER attacked Cody and left him unable to compete. CM Punk returned in Chicago, replaced Cody and defeated Sami in the first defense of a championship reign that lasted only nine days. Four nights later, Cody confronted Punk, and the two immediately agreed to meet at SummerSlam.
Cody technically earned a championship opportunity, but he earned it against Sami. WWE simply transferred that opportunity to Punk after the title changed hands, treating Cody’s contendership like a permanent claim to the championship regardless of who held it. Meanwhile, Sami lost once—under circumstances created by GUNTHER and WWE management—and was immediately removed from the SummerSlam title match.
That imbalance is why tonight’s Cody segment cannot just be about mutual respect, competitive spirit and whether he trusts Punk as a partner. Cody should have to answer for the uncomfortable reality that he has lost the championship, been physically removed from a scheduled rematch and still received another title match at WWE’s second-largest event of the year. Sami won the championship and was discarded after one defense.
The backlash has not been about CM Punk being undeserving of a major match or Cody lacking star power. Punk versus Cody is a legitimate stadium-level attraction and one of the biggest matches WWE can present. The criticism is about how WWE reached that destination. Coverage and fan discussion have repeatedly framed Sami as a transitional champion whose victory existed primarily to move the championship from Cody to Punk while creating two separate hometown moments. Sami received the celebration in Saudi Arabia, Punk received the championship victory in Chicago and Cody received the SummerSlam main event. Sami was the only person who did not receive a meaningful follow-up.
WWE’s booking has become increasingly dependent on moments that produce enormous crowd reactions and viral clips. Sami winning his first WWE Championship was a great moment. Punk returning and winning the title in Chicago was another great moment. Cody challenging Punk created a third. The problem is that memorable moments are not automatically compelling stories. Without consequences, development and emotional continuity, they become disconnected highlights WWE can place in video packages rather than chapters in a coherent championship narrative.
Sami’s absence from last week’s SmackDown made everything worse. Punk received a championship celebration. Cody received his next title opportunity. GUNTHER received the closing angle. Sami was reduced to an off-screen phone conversation with Aldis and an explanation that he was taking a storyline mental-health break. WWE then inserted him into tomorrow’s tag match without allowing him to appear and demand answers from the three men whose actions destroyed his reign.
Sami is scheduled to compete tomorrow night, so tonight represents WWE’s final opportunity to bring him back into the center of the story before Madison Square Garden. He should not return as GUNTHER’s reluctant partner and nothing more. Sami has legitimate grievances with everyone involved.
GUNTHER attacked Cody and created the situation that forced Sami to defend against an unannounced replacement.
Punk accepted an opportunity he did not earn through a match and defeated Sami cleanly.
Cody immediately reclaimed his championship position without acknowledging that Sami never received a conventional rematch.
Adam Pearce insisted that Sami defend the championship that night instead of postponing the match until Cody was medically cleared.
Every major figure benefited from the chaos except the champion who was forced to defend.
Tomorrow’s tag match needs stakes beyond the tired question of whether future opponents can coexist. Sami pinning Punk or Cody should force WWE to reconsider the SummerSlam championship match. A victory over Punk would justify a rematch. A victory over Cody would undermine Cody’s claim that he remains the rightful No. 1 contender. Adding Sami to SummerSlam would not completely fix the rushed title change, but it would at least restore his agency and prevent his championship reign from existing solely as a bridge between two larger stars.
Cody’s character could also become considerably more interesting if WWE allows him to show entitlement rather than presenting him as morally flawless. Cody can sincerely believe he earned his opportunity while failing to understand why Sami views the situation as unfair. That does not require a sudden heel turn. It only requires Cody to display the blind spot of someone who has become so accustomed to receiving championship opportunities that he no longer notices when the rules benefit him.
Punk should face the same scrutiny. He did not cheat to defeat Sami, but winning cleanly does not erase the circumstances that created the match. Punk returned, received an immediate championship opportunity in his hometown and walked directly into a SummerSlam main event. Candice LeRae already challenged his self-image last week by arguing that Sami, not Punk, had become the true voice of overlooked wrestlers. That thread should continue because it gives Punk’s championship reign substance beyond being another feel-good return story.
Then there is GUNTHER, whose punishment for attacking Nick Aldis must be addressed tonight. Aldis had only recently been reinstated before GUNTHER trapped him in multiple sleeper holds and repeatedly attacked him while officials attempted to intervene. Cody eventually made the save after the televised portion of SmackDown, but the damage was already done. Raw General Manager Adam Pearce is temporarily overseeing the blue brand tonight while Aldis remains absent.
A suspension would be the logical response in any normal workplace, but that would also remove GUNTHER from tomorrow’s main event and stall one of SmackDown’s most important stories. WWE is more likely to turn the punishment into a match, stipulation or confrontation. The obvious destination is GUNTHER versus Aldis, especially after months of growing hostility between them, but WWE has not officially announced that match for SummerSlam.
That potential match has real intrigue because Aldis has spent his WWE tenure operating strictly as an authority figure despite his extensive in-ring background. GUNTHER has now made the conflict physical enough that Aldis can no longer solve it through fines, suspensions or carefully worded announcements. Still, WWE needs to avoid allowing the Aldis story to further marginalize Sami. GUNTHER attacking Aldis cannot become the only consequence of the championship chaos while Sami’s lost title reign is treated like old news.
Finn Bálor versus Talla Tonga is the only match officially announced for tonight. Two weeks ago, Tama Tonga and Talla attacked Finn backstage. Bálor answered last week by defeating Tama after wiping out both brothers with a suicide senton and finishing Tama with the Coup de Grace. Tonight, Finn must confront the much larger Talla without allowing Tama’s presence to dictate the match.
The match should be structured around speed, positioning and Finn’s ability to dismantle a larger opponent. Talla will likely attempt to cut off the ring, force Finn into the corners and use his size to prevent Bálor from creating the separation needed for the sling blade, shotgun dropkick and Coup de Grace. Finn’s best path is attacking the legs, using quick strikes to draw Talla forward and forcing the bigger man to repeatedly reset.
The problem is that WWE has already established the numerical disadvantage. Even after Finn neutralized both Tongans last week, Talla’s interference nearly changed the result. Another distraction finish would make tonight feel like a repeat rather than an escalation. Either Finn needs to defeat Talla decisively and move forward, or WWE needs to reveal who will stand beside him if this rivalry becomes a tag-team program.
This match also carries larger significance for Bálor. A victory over Tama followed by a meaningful performance against Talla can begin rebuilding him as a credible singles threat. A loss caused by predictable interference would send him back into the same repetitive cycle WWE has placed him in for years: receiving just enough television time to remain relevant without ever advancing toward a significant championship program.
Several major stories remain unadvertised but cannot be ignored. Baron Corbin returned last week and attacked United States Champion Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes, ending their non-title match without a winner. Corbin made an immediate impact, but WWE must explain why he targeted them and whether he intends to pursue the championship. Ricky Saints already has unresolved business with Trick, while Carmelo’s history with the champion gives him the strongest personal claim. Adding Corbin creates interest, but throwing every contender into one multi-man match would be the easiest rather than the most thoughtful direction.
Jade Cargill’s attack on Alexa Bliss also pushed her rivalry with Charlotte Flair beyond competitive tension. Jade defeated Alexa with help from Michin and B-Fab before trapping Bliss’ arm inside a steel chair while Charlotte was restrained and forced to watch. The obvious SummerSlam direction is Jade against Charlotte, but that match has not yet been added to the card. WWE now needs Charlotte to react with more than another pull-apart brawl. Jade deliberately injured someone close to her, which should force the rivalry into a more personal and violent stage.
The Bloodline conflict already has its SummerSlam destination. Jacob Fatu and The Usos will face LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys in a six-man tag-team match. Last week, Jacob rejected Jimmy Uso’s assumption that they were automatically united, later helped him defeat Royce and then attacked his longtime friend when Royce interfered in Jacob’s fight with Solo. The alliances are official, but the relationships remain unstable. Nobody on Solo’s team completely trusts one another, and Jacob has made it clear that sharing blood does not mean Jimmy can control him.
That gives SmackDown several legitimate paths toward SummerSlam, but tonight must begin turning those paths into actual matches. With only six bouts currently announced for the two-night event, the blue brand still needs to establish its women’s championship direction, settle the United States Championship picture, advance Jade against Charlotte and determine whether GUNTHER will face Aldis or another opponent.
Current Saturday Night’s Main Event and SummerSlam cards
Saturday Night’s Main Event — Saturday, July 18
- Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk and Cody Rhodes vs. GUNTHER and Sami Zayn
- Paige and Brie Bella (c) vs Fatal Influence (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
- Danhausen vs. JD McDonagh (No Disqualification Match)
- Bayley vs. Lyra Valkyria
- World Heavyweight Champion Roman Reigns appears alongside New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson
SummerSlam — Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2
- CM Punk (c) vs Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Championship)
- Roman Reigns (c) vs Seth Rollins (World Heavyweight Championship)
- Brock Lesnar vs. Oba Femi (Hell in a Cell Match)
- Liv Morgan (c) vs IYO SKY (Women’s World Championship)
- Penta (c) vs Chad Gable (Intercontinental Championship)
- Jacob Fatu and The Usos vs. LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys
Final Thoughts
Tonight’s SmackDown is not being carried by its advertised match card. It is being carried by consequences. GUNTHER attacked the general manager. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk are being positioned as respectful partners before becoming SummerSlam opponents. Sami Zayn lost a championship he spent his career chasing and was removed from the main event picture before his reign had time to breathe.
WWE has the pieces for a layered championship story involving privilege, opportunity, resentment and the difference between earning a match and benefiting from circumstances. It also has the ability to waste all of that by reducing tomorrow’s tag-team main event to another predictable coexistence angle.
Sami needs to return with anger and purpose. Cody needs to explain why his opportunity should survive every change in circumstance. Punk needs to confront the reality that his victory came through an opportunity WWE would rarely create for anyone else. GUNTHER needs to face consequences that advance his story rather than simply removing him from television.
With Saturday Night’s Main Event less than 24 hours away and SummerSlam approaching quickly, tonight must do more than promote what is coming next. It must finally explain why everything that has already happened matters.
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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?!