The road to WWE Clash In Italy continues tonight in “The Horse Capital of the World.”
WWE SmackDown is live at 8/7c on USA Network this evening from Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY., with the last show before tomorrow night’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, and second-to-last blue brand show heading into the upcoming WWE Clash In Italy premium live event.
Road To Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther Continues
‘WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.’ kicks things off as always. We then head directly into a recap video package showing the story between Cody Rhodes and Gunther continuing to unfold heading into their Undisputed WWE Championship showdown at WWE Clash In Italy.
From there, we see the usual Superstar arrivals backstage, including Cody Rhodes, Shinsuke Nakamura, Solo Sikoa and The MFTs and Tiffany Stratton. We then get our first look inside Rupp Arena as the camera pans the massive crowd as Joe Tessitore welcomes us to the show on commentary.
Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss & Fatal Influence Kicks Things Off
“This is My Brutality” hits the house speakers, the lights go down low and the strobe light spotlights hit the stage. Rhea Ripley emerges and the crowd roars as the WWE Women’s Champion makes her way out to kick off this week’s show.
Rhea says Jade and her crew tried to send a message but what they did was piss her off. She says she is back and wants a fight. She tells Jade that if she wants her rematch, she will happily beat her again. Rhea says she will take her on at Clash in Italy for the WWE Women’s Championship.
Charlotte Flair’s music hits and out she comes with Alexa Bliss. Flair says she appreciates that Rhea wants to defender her title but not to get ahead of herself because they still have a six woman tag team match tomorrow. Bliss says they have to be on the same page.
Flair says she has to address the elephant in the room. She says they needed Rhea’s help last week and she asks Rhea where she was last week. Rhea tells her she went home to go see her family. Flair says she is happy she went home to see her family but they needed her help.
She says her and Bliss have their own battles to fight. Rhea says Flair was the one that said she didn’t need her. Flair says she did say that against Fatal Influence but now they need Rhea’s help with Rhea’s problem. Rhea says she is sorry that they got ambushed.
She says but it looked like Bliss took most of it. If Flair can’t have her best friend’s back, how can she trust her with her back. Flair says Rhea is trying to create a problem that isn’t there, to grow a wedge between her and Bliss. Out come Fatal Influence.
Jayne says she loves this and there isn’t anything she loves more than to see the women’s division unravel in front of her own eyes. And this started the second Fatal Influence stepped foot on the scene. She says they have ascended to the top of the division with ease because when they see an opportunity, they take it.
She says they are looking at one right now. Flair says they love their confidence but she is not there for the back and forth. She challenges two of them to a match against her and Bliss tonight. Jayne says that is all she needed to hear. Flair’s music hits. The opener wraps up on that note.
Backstage With Solo Sikoa, The MFT’s & Royce Keys
Now we head backstage, where Cathy Kelley is standing by with Solo Sikoa and The MFTs duo of Talla and Tama Tonga. Solo says Tola Tonga is ready for his match against Shinsuke Nakamura. And he wants to make sure that everyone is watching.
Sikoa looks at Tama Tonga says he wants everyone to watch what will happen to Nakamura. In comes Royce Keys and he tells Solo that he cost him a title opportunity. Solo says Keys threw the chair at his face and he is lucky they don’t hit him now. Solo says if Keys needs someone to watch his back tonight, they can do that. We head to a break.
Backstage With Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss
Backstage, we see Alexa Bliss playing peacemaker, telling Charlotte Flair she’s sick, and pretending to cough, before telling her that she’s tired of she and Rhea Ripley bickering. She says they’re going to have to get along tonight.
Talla Tonga vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Inside the arena, we see Talla Tonga inside the ring and ready to rock and roll. Speaking of rock and roll, the rock violins for Shinsuke Nakamura hit, the crowd singing accompanies it and out comes “The King of Strong Style” for opening singles action on this week’s show.
The bell sounds and this one gets officially off-and-running. Talla used his strength to push Nakamura away to start off, but the King of Strong Style briefly dodged a strike from the big man. Talla took over with a clubbing strike to the chest as he then stomped at his smaller foe in the corner.
Talla threw Nakamura hard into the opposite corner, which left him down and out. That was followed by a scoop slam to the mat. Just as Talla charged into the corner, Nakamura dodged and began trying to hit him with kicks to the chest.
As Talla staggered back against the ropes, Nakamura clotheslined him out of the ring. That advantage was all but fleeting, as Nakamura got taken out and thrown into the barricade as we head to break. We returned from commercial, Nakamura was slammed again by Talla.
A chokeslam attempt by Talla was turned into a triangle choke by Nakamura, who transitioned it into a guillotine choke. Nakamura escaped the grasp of Talla as he battered him with a strike to the back of the big man’s knee. Nakamura again avoided a running attack from Talla, which left his foe trapped in the corner.
On a kneeling Talla, Nakamura connected with the Scorpio Rising kick for the near-fall. Nakamura had Talla lined up for Kinshasa, but Solo SIkoa got on the apron to create enough of a distraction. This led to a running powerslam and a chokeslam by Talla for the three.
Once the match wraps up, Sikoa and Talla looked like they were gonna finish Nakamura off, but Tama Tonga interrupted. After some hesitation, Tama hit Nakamura with the dulled, not-so-hidden blade of the Cutthroat. Just as Sikoa was going to hit the Samoan Spike, Damian Priest ran down with a chair.
Winner: Talla Tonga
Backstage With Nick Aldis, Cody Rhodes & Sami Zayn
Backstage, SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis is dealing with flickering lights. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes shows up, apparently Gunther still hasn’t signed for Clash in Italy. Because we’re just dragging things out. Aldis says he’ll handle Gunther, and asks Cody to let him do so.
Rhodes is willing to let him. Cody turns into Sami Zayn, Sami knows what it takes to beat Gunther and offers to help Cody, Cody says thanks but no thanks. Sami gets offended by this then asks Aldis what he’s doing tonight. Aldis says time is tight tonight, which is a bald faced lie, and he might not have space for him.
Zayn asks for respect and wants to know what he did so wrong. Cody shows up as Sami is whining about Cody getting preferential treatment. Sami tries to apologize, Cody says Sami has a point, he should have time tonight, he’s ready for a match tonight so Cody will take him on tonight.
WWE Women’s United States Championship (Open Challenge)
Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Lash Legend
Inside the arena, it’s Tiffy-Time, as the WWE Women’s U.S. Champion comes out for her open challenge defense of her title. The show returns and we see Tama Tonga talking with Solo. He says Solo is weak. That’s why everyone’s coming at them.
He says Solo has to handle Priest on his own, and prove the family isn’t weak. Solo agrees and heads out to talk to Aldis. Back to the ring and Tiffany’s challenger will be Lash Legend. Legend has Nia Jax with her. Jax says tomorrow she and Lash are winning the women’s tag titles, but first, Legend is gonna win the women’s U.S. title.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this women’s title tilt. They tie up and Lash overpowers Tiffany a few times. Lash tosses Tiffany around but runs into a corner kick. Tiffany cartwheels away from a slam then hits a dropkick only to be run over by Lash.
Lash wanders around, misses a pump kick then Tiffany with a couple of chop blocks to send Lash out of the ring. Tiffany with a plancha, she gets caught up in the ropes doing it and they wind up tumbling to the floor. Pretty sure Lash was supposed to catch Tiffany there but failed.
Lash with a chokeslam to Tiffany onto the apron. Chelsea Green moves down to check on Tiffany and try to support her while we head to break. The show returns and we see Tiffany back in the ring. Lash retains control. Tiffany jumps at Lash but gets caught and Lash with Snake Eyes.
Lash runs through a few of her usual spots then has some corner work going as we rejoin the broadcast. Lash puts Tiffany up top, Tiffany tries for a Sunset Flip, but only gets a 2 count. Hard elbow from Lash drops Tiffany but she only finds a 2 count. Chin lock from Lash, Tiffany fights free with a jawbreaker.
Slow motion low bridge from Tiffany, then Lash posts herself back in the ring. Tiffany with some clotheslines then a sloppy Stunner to counter a chokeslam. Handspring back elbow from Tiffany then a handspring Stunner for a two count.
Legend avoids the low double stomp then takes a hurricanrana before stalling out an Alabama Slam and hitting a falling powerbomb for a two count. Tiffany avoids the Lash Extension with a Crucifix Bomb for a near fall. Jax ties up Tiffany on the top so she misses.
Lash with a pump kick but gets distracted by Chelsea Green ramming Jax into the ring post. Lash grabs Green, but Tiffany rolls her up for the win to retain.
Winner and STILL WWE Women’s U.S. Champion: Tiffany Stratton
Backstage With Nick Aldis & Danhausen
Backstage, SmackDown G.M. Nick Aldis is stopped by someone. That person tells Aldis that the power issues are coming from that door. Aldis enters and it’s Danhausen. He is doing a scientific experiment and Aldis tells him they keep losing power.
Danhausen says he is doing a science experiment and a fuse box goes off. Aldis turns around and Danhausen disappears. Aldis sees a body with a white sheet on top of him. Aldis goes to grab the sheet but we hear Danhausen say don’t touch it.
Backstage With The Miz, Kit Wilson & Fraxiom
Cathy Kelley is with The Miz and Kit Wilson. Miz says he is not cursed and he doesn’t care what is going on with Danhausen. Kelley says the Cavaliers are losing and Miz says there is no curse. In come Fraxiom who say that The Miz is cursed. Miz says that Danhausen is causing his Cavaliers playoff matches.
Kelley asks Miz if he is such a big fan, why isn’t he courtside. Miz says he is superstitious. Miz challenges Axiom to a match next week in his home town. Axiom speaks in Spanish and walks away. The Miz asks Kelley if she understand Spanish and Kelley says “un pocito”. The show moves on from there.
Trick Williams, Lil Yachty & Carmelo Hayes: “Let’s Talk About It …”
The show returns inside Rupp Arena, where the lights go down low. The horns hit and a deafening “Whoop that Trick!” chant spreads throughout the building as reigning WWE United States Champion Trick Williams emerges with hip-hop star Lil Yachty.
Williams says he thinks the people in Lexington like some Trick and Yachty and Lil Yachty says especially after what he did last week to The Miz. Trick says Miz is a future Hall of Famer. Lil Yachty says that is debatable. Trick says seven time tag team champion, Lil Yachty says he was carried.
Lil Yachty says if you come out and interrupt the Champion, you get the lemon pepper steppers. Out comes Carmelo Hayes. He tells Trick let’s talk about it. They both knew this day was going to come. He says Trick needs to do the right thing because if he wants to admit it or not, Trick screwed him out of his title.
And if it weren’t for Trick, he would still be Champion. The fans chant “Whoop that Trick” and Hayes says to listen to the people, he did that. He says Trick came in, he took over, he rose to the top in record time and he applauds him. He says he always believed in him, he always knew he was capable of that.
But there is a huge difference between carrying a title and being Champion. He defended that title, he won the people over with hard work and effort. He tells Trick to give him what he wants, to give the people in Lexington what they want. He says Trick against Melo for the United States Championship tonight.
Lil Yachty says Trick would like to give him the title match but when you’re a champion like Trick Williams, you have a schedule. Lil Yachty takes out a note book. He says he has to get his hair twisted in 45 minutes, a pedicure in about a hour, his muscles massaged too. Hayes asks if anyone understands what Lil Yachty is saying.
Hayes says if Trick can find time between his hair appointment and nail appointment, he can defend his title. But that is only if his secretary allows it. He says they go way back, the old Trick Williams would not let someone tell him what to do. But Trick was always better at playing second fiddle.
Williams tells him to mind his business when grown folks talk. He doesn’t eat no dirty rice and chew his cabbage twice. That means he doesn’t play with his leftovers. But since they are in Lexington and the people want to see it, tonight, it’s Trick against Melo.
“Let’s talk about it,” he says. Trick says the open challenges were done, the moment he won the title. But because he likes him and he respects what they did, he will get his match tonight but the ass whooping is on the house. Trick asks for a referee. The crowd roars.
WWE United States Championship
Trick Williams (c) vs. Carmelo Hayes
That match is up next when the commercial wraps up. We return and we see things underway, as Hayes connects with a drop kick. Hayes with a chop to the chest. Trick grabs Hayes and goes for a chop but Hayes moves out of the way.
Hayes with a chop to the chest. Hayes goes a chop but Trick with a right hand. Trick with a Trick slap. Trick goes for a kick but Hayes with a kick to the side of the head. Hayes to the ropes but Trick with a side kick to the face. Trick throws Hayes to the ropes.
Hayes goes for a springboard but Trick with a slam. He goes for the cover but Hayes kicks out. Trick with a suplex. Trick goes for a side kick but Hayes moves out of the way and Trick falls to the outside of the ring. Hayes to the ropes again.
This time he goes for a splash but Lil Yachty is standing in front of Trick. Hayes stops and doesn’t jump to the outside. On that note, the show shifts gears and settles into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues. When the show returns, we see things start to pick up.
We see Williams with a head lock but Hayes with a jaw breaker counters it. Trick with a right hand and Hayes with a right hand. Trick with a jumping neck breaker. We see Ricky Saints at ring side. Trick goes for a kick to the side of the head but Hayes with a springboard clothesline.
Hayes with a Dirty Diana. He goes for the cover but Trick kicks out. Hayes with a kick to the face and he goes for another kick but Trick with a kick. He goes for the cover but Hayes kicks out. Trick goes for the Trick Shot but Hayes with a First 48.
He goes for the cover but Trick kicks out. Hayes climbs the top rope and Saints gets close to the ring apron, that distracts Hayes. Trick pushes Hayes down to the outside. Trick to the outside and he pushes Saints down. Trick gets in the ring.
Saints gets on the ring apron and that distracts the referee. Hayes rolls Trick but the referee is distracted. Hayes hits Saints with a right hand. Trick with a Trick Shot. He goes for the cover and gets the pin for the victory to retain his United States Championship.
Winner and STILL WWE United States Champion: Trick Williams
Backstage With Sami Zayn & Johnny Gargano
Backstage, we see Sami Zayn. He is hitting water bottles down. He sees Johnny Gargano laying down on a piece of equipment. Zayn says he is glad to see him. He says Cody is his friend and now Cody wants to fight him. Even when Zayn was going through is own stuff, he was still there for Cody.
He says Gargano is the last real good guy left. He says Gargano always does what is right in his heart, he doesn’t let anyone change who he is and Zayn walks away. Gargano pushes a water bottle down. On that note, the show heads into another commercial break.
Backstage With Ricky Saints & Carmelo Hayes
When the show returns, we shoot backstage where Cathy Kelley is standing by with Ricky Saints. She asks him why he was at ringside. He says he is new but not new. He says Carmelo Hayes needs to learn but in comes Carmelo who hits Ricky Saints. He tells him to stay out of his business.
Rhea Ripley & Charlotte Flair vs. Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid
Now we head back inside the ring where the ring entrances begin for our women’s tag-team tilt, with WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley joining forces with Charlotte Flair, with Alexa Bliss at ringside, to take on Fatal Influence duo Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid, with Jacy Jayne at ringside.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. Flair and Henley start things off for their respective teams at the onset. Flair with a clothesline and she hits Reid off the ring apron. Flair with a chop to the chest and Rhea tags herself in.
Ripley and Flair argue. Reid is tagged in and Rhea with a drop kick. Rhea goes for a splash in the corner but Reid moves out of the way. Reid climbs the second rope and goes for a cross body but Rhea catches her. Rhea with a fall away slam.
Flair tags herself in by tapping her hand onto Rhea’s head. Jayne gets on the ring apron and Flair with a big boot. Reid throws Flair to the outside of the ring and Henley is tagged in. Henley slams Flair onto the announce table. On that note, we head into a mid-match commercial break.
The show returns and we see the action still in progress. Flair and Reid in the ring. Flair gets on the ring apron and hits a big boot onto Henley. Reid distracts the referee and Jayne trips Flair on the ring apron. Reid tags Henley in and Reid with a twisted suplex.
In comes Henley and Reid is tagged in. Henley climbs the second rope but Flair kicks her down. Reid gets back in the ring and Flair with a big boot. Rhea is tagged in and Rhea with a clothesline onto Reid. In comes Henley and Rhea with a drop kick.
Ripley connects with a German suplex onto Henley and a kick to the side of the head onto Reid. Rhea with the Razor’s Edge and a running kick. She goes for the cover but Henley breaks it up. In comes Flair and she hits Henley with a big boot. Flair gets on the ring apron and lands a cannonball onto Henley and Jayne.
In the ring, Reid goes for a big boot onto Rhea but she moves out of the way. Reid hits Flair down. Rhea goes for the Rip Ride and Flair tags herself in. Rhea with the Rip Tide and in comes Flair, she lands the Natural Selection for the win. Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin attack. Fatal Influence do, too. Cargill hits Ripley with Jaded.
Winners: Rhea Ripley & Charlotte Flair
Backstage With Cody Rhodes
Now we cut backstage where Cathy Kelley approaches Undisputed WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes. He tells her that he and Zayn are friends but he doesn’t recognize Zayn much. He understands the anger, this passive aggressiveness.
He says after a while, it gets to be too much. He says 10 years ago, he felt all of those things. He says tonight, he will make Zayn accountable. For Gunther, he can take a front row seat, he can be on commentary. But one thing Gunther is not in control of is his match against him at Clash in Italy. We head to a break.
Backstage With Jade Cargill, Michin, & B-Fab
When the show returns, Cathy Kelley is backstage with Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab. Michin says that wasn’t a message, that was the truth. She says they are the best. B-Fab says after what they did tonight, Flair, Rhea and Bliss can save embarrassment and not show up. Jade says at Clash in Italy, luck won’t be on Ripley’s side.
Damian Priest vs. Solo Sikoa
Back to the ring we go for our next match of the evening. As Solo is getting in the ring, Priest hits him with a right hand and Solo falls to the outside of the ring. Priest with a double axe handle and he throws Solo into the ring steps. Priest throws Solo into the ring.
Solo with a right hand and he throws Priest into the turnbuckle. He throws Priest to the ropes but Priest with a spinning elbow to the face. Priest on the ring apron and he kicks Solo in the face. Solo distracts the referee, Tama distracts Priest and Solo with a Samoan drop.
On that note, the show shifts gears and heads into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues, When the show returns, we see Priest with a suplex off the second rope. Priest and Solo with right hands. Priest with a running right hand.
He lands a splash in the turnbuckle. Priest with a broken arrow and he goes for the cover but Solo kicks out. Tama Tonga distracts Priest and Talla Tonga with a right hand onto Priest. Solo with the Spinning Solo Slam. He goes for the cover but Priest kicks out.
Solo goes for the running hip attack but Priest with a kick to the face. Priest with a clothesline. Tama Tonga gets on the ring apron and Priest hits him with a right hand. Solo goes for the Samoan Spike, however he doesn’t get it, as Priest instead hits a flatliner.
From there, we work our way into the finishing sequence. Talla Tonga gets on the ring apron and Priest with a kick to the side of the head but Talla Tonga stays on his feet. Priest to the ropes but Solo with the Samoan Spike. He goes for the cover for the victory.
Afterwards, Talla and Tama Tonga get in the ring. Out comes Royce Keys. He hits Tama Tonga with a right hand. Keys with a right hand onto Talla. Keys and Solo are face to face but Solo leaves the ring. Keys helps Priest back up but Priest grabs Keys for a chokeslam. Keys pushes him away. We head to another break.
Winner: Solo Sikoa
Backstage With Chelsea Green, Blake Monroe & The Irresistible Forces
The show returns and we head backstage. Chelsea Green is stopped by Blake Monroe. They pose together and introduce each other. Green tells Blake that Blake already knows who she is. Blake says she wishes she didn’t and walks away.
From there, we see in walking former women’s tag-team champions The Irresistible Forces duo of Nia Jax and Lash Legend who push Chelsea into WWE equipment backstage. Nia tells Green that she just made enemies. In come WWE officials who break it up.
Backstage With Royce Keys & Damian Priest
Backstage, Royce Keys asks Damian Priest what his problem is because it was Damian’s partner who asked him to have his back. Priest says he doesn’t care who asked him, he was jumped and someone grabbed him. He asks Keys what he would have done. Keys tells him anyone can get it and he walks away.
Cody Rhodes vs. Sami Zayn
It’s main event time!
We get the ring entrances for the two participants competing in our main event of the evening, and then the bell sounds to get things officially off-and-running. At the onset, Zayn offered a handshake to Rhodes, who accepted and then the two began getting after it.
We see an arm-drag by Zayn was followed by another handshake, but Rhodes seemed annoyed by it. Rhodes slid under a Zayn dropkick as he then hit him with the drop-down uppercut. Standing suplex was followed by Rhodes now offering a handshake of his own.
Zayn refused it as the two traded chops to the chest in the corner. Zayn ran Rhodes and got hit with the powerslam. Rhodes tried to go for maybe a Cody Cutter, but Zayn tripped him up as we head into our final mid-match commercial break of the evening.
The show returns and we see things still in progress, with the action quickly starting to pick up as the crowd comes to life in the background inside Rupp Arena. Cody with a suplex. Cody with right hands and the bionic elbow. Cody’s left knee is in pain. Cody with the Cody Cutter.
He goes for the cover but Zayn kicks out. Cody holds onto his left knee. He goes for the Cross Rhodes but Zayn gets out of it. Zayn throws Cody onto the ring apron and he pushes Cody off the ring apron onto the announce table. Cody gets back into the ring.
Zayn goes for the Helluva Kick but Cody moves out of the way. Cody with a super Cody Cutter. He goes for the cover but Zayn kicks out. Cody grabs Zayn but Zayn with the Blue Thunder Bomb. He goes for the cover but Cody kicks out.
Zayn kicks Cody’s left knee and he gets Cody in the figure four leg lock. Cody reverses it but Zayn gets to the bottom rope. Cody with a right hand and Zayn with a right hand. Cody with the Disaster Kick. Gunther gets on the ring apron and with the referee distracted, he gets Cody in a sleeper. Zayn pushes the referee.
Zayn goes for the Helluva Kick onto Cody but he moves out of the way and Zayn kicks Gunther. Cody with the Cross Rhodes. He goes for the cover and gets the pin. Gunther gets in the ring after the match and he powerbombs Cody. In comes Zayn and he is face to face with Gunther.
Zayn looks at Cody and Gunther gets Cody in the sleeper hold. Zayn leaves the ring but he looks back at the ring. Gunther lets go of the sleeper hold. He lifts the Undisputed title in the air and Gunther’s music hit. Gunther gets on the second rope and that’s how this week’s show wraps up. Thanks for joining us!
Winner: Cody Rhodes