WWE SmackDown is live taped tonight (Aug. 28, 2026) from the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and we are carrying forward on the road to Saturday Sunday Night’s Main Event.
Advertised for tonight: Cody Rhodes has a message for Randy Orton! Oooh!
Plus, Kevin Owens and CM Punk deal with the fallout from their title match last week, Paige challenges Jacy Jayne for her United States Championship, and Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton meet the challenge of the Irresistible Forces! Get ready with our preview here or check out spoilers here!
Come right back here back at the normal start time of 8 pm ET. That’s when the SmackDown live blog will kick off in the space below once the show starts on USA.
WWE SmackDown RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR AUG. 28
Exhilaration, frenzied sensation, kindred alliance connected inside. Commiseration, sonic salvation, cast out the demons that strangle your life while I liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with a recap of the WWE Undisputed Men’s Championship match between Kevin Owens and CM Punk last week, including the decisive interference from Sami Zayn.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance and gets on the mic.
He lets the crowd sing for him for a good long beat before beginning, saying this definitely isn’t the way he was hoping to come back to Ottawa. Let’s be honest, in the last twelve years he’s lost many world title matches but none of them felt as bad to lose as the one on Friday in Toronto. He says on Friday everything was perfect, after spending 17 months shelved and getting cleared in nine days of what was supposed to be a four-week process to get into the #1 contender’s match at SummerSlam.
And then to go on to the match last week to try and win the title, not just in front of other Canadians, but because he knew his parents would be able to be at that show, because you probably remember two years ago in Toronto he stood in the ring and told us his mom was being rushed to the hospital and it was serious and thankfully she kicked out and she beat it and she’s still here with us but travelling to shows is nearly impossible now.
She did last Friday what is now a huge deal for her, got in the car with dad and drove from Montreal to Toronto to see him win the title… and Sami Zayn made sure that wasn’t going to happen. He and Sami have done a lot of stuff to each other and he’s not innocent but this time, man, he can’t forgive and forget it.
He’ll never have a chance like this where the stars align– in Toronto, in front of his family, AND getting to beat CM Punk to win the title. He’ll deal with Zayn when the time comes but as for CM Punk, on that night, on Friday, everyone knows, CM knows that KO had him beat and he was better than the Best in the World. But Punk got lucky and capitalized on Sami’s actions, and if he thinks they’re done, he’s dead wrong, bitch, they’re just getting started.
Owens is going to keep coming after him until he wins that title.
Enter CM Punk.
He says he doesn’t need Sami Zayn’s help, he had him dead to rights with the GTS and he’ll fight him again right now.
General manager Nick Aldis rushes down behind Punk to defray the tension and Punk tells him to make the match–
Enter GUNTHER.
He says if he keeps listening to this his ears are going to start to bleed, but he thinks he’s figured out why Punk and Owens hate each other so much– when they look at each other they see their own arrogant, obnoxious, opinionated self. So the Ring General is here to remind them what matters here and now while they whine about things that happened twenty years ago.
GUNTHER says he’s glad Kev’s mom kicked out, but on Friday, he didn’t, which gets a nice angry “I don’t like it but I get it” round of applause from the Ring General. He turns to Punk–
Enter Finn Balor.
The Ring General calls him the ghost of himself and Finn tells him to shut his mouth because we’re all sick of it. He loves Owens but he had his chance and neither of them have beaten him so if there’s a line for title matches, it starts here with him, with Finn Balor.
Nick Aldis says there’s nothing to discus and books a three-way #1 contender’s match between Balor, Owens, and GUNTHER.
Tiffany Stratton rolls up on Chelsea Green backstage and congratulates her on how cute her protective facemask is but asks if she’s sure she wants to wrestle tonight and risk her title reign. Green says she appreciates the concern but she’s not gonna leave Tiffany to the wolves and tells her to go ahead out there and she’ll be right along.
The Irresistible Forces make their entrance ahead of our opening contest and send us to break.
Back from commercial, Tiffany Stratton makes her entrance, followed shortly therafter by Chelsea Green in her bedazzled protective facemask to get us going.
Chelsea Green & Tiffany Stratton vs. Irresistible Forces (Lash Legend & Nia Jax)
Stratton and Legend to start, Tiffany throws a dropkick that gets sidestepped and ends up in the bear hug! I can hardly bear it! Slip out, dropkick puts Lash into the ropes, she gets to her feet, swinging backbreaker, cover for two! Cheap shot to Green, back to Stratton, drawing her up, goozle, float over, off the ropes, blind tag, a Stunner puts Legend into position for a Zig Zag from Chelsea and the babyfaces celebrate!
Tag to Jax, double dropkicks put her in the ropes, double knees to the back from Green! Nia catches her on a followup, off the ropes, fireman’s carry, Chelsea slips out, enzuigiri, Killswitch blocked and Jax throws a vicious headbutt that sends Green scrambling, screaming and clutching her broken face! Tag to Tiffany and we go to break!
Back from commercial, Jax attacks Green’s face again, ringside medics rush to check on her while Legend draws up Stratton back into the bear hug! Spinning her out into a takedown, cover for two, tag to Nia! Headbutt, whip to the corner, body avalanche, set her up on the opposite corner, Tiffany sidesteps and windmill punches her but Jax explodes out of the corner with a lariat… NO DEAL!
Quick tags, working Stratton over, she manages to sit up to avoid the leg drop, kicks off of Nia for a shiranui as Chelsea is helped to the back by the medics! Tiffany crawls to the apron, Green sees her and shoves the medics away and runs back to make the tag! Missile dropkick to Jax, cutting Lash off in the ropes, dropkick sends Nia to the floor!
Diving crossbody to the floor, Chelsea is obviously hurting, adjusts the mask, back inside, Killswitch blocked, Green makes the best of the shove by knocking Legend to the floor! Lash slams Tiffany into the barricade, Nia lands a palm thrust right to the broken face of Chelsea, dragging her to the corner…
Irresistible Forces win by pinfall with a Banzai Drop from Nia Jax on Chelsea Green.
Nick Aldis is on the phone when Danhausen rolls up and calls him Suit Guy.
He says it’s nice to have him back and he could be the mascot of SmackDown, it’d be very profitable!
GUNTHER rolls up, Danhausen his happy to meet him and offers a handshake but the Ring General ignores him. He’s here to make sure Aldis isn’t gonna add anybody else to the triple threat tonight, and Nick says he isn’t. GUNTHER is pleased but complains that he keeps being made to jump through hoops.
Aldis ignores that and reiterates that there’s not gonna be any shenanigans tonight and GUNTHER leaves.
Danhausen asks if GUNTHER can see ghosts before asking Nick to add him to the match tonight, which the general manager declines to do.
Paige makes her entrance ahead of our next contest and sends us to break.
Back from commercial, Fatal Influence make their entrance to get us going.
Jacy Jayne (c) vs. Paige (WWE Women’s United States Championship)
Circling, Jayne bails to the apron for a huddle with Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. Back in, she cuts Paige off, mat slam sets up a senton, fired up and talking trash, Paige rolls away from another senton, kicks her, headbutt, throws Jacy to the apron for knee lifts to the midsection and then chucks her to the floor! Jayne stumbling at ringside, disoriented and Paige lands a cannonball senton off the apron!
Reid runs interference and lays Paige out to send us to break!
Back from commercial, both women go for lariats at the same time and end up down and out! Jayne back to her feet first, they slug it out with great big staggering punches, Paige gets the better of her, Paige Turner… NOT ENOUGH! Back and forth, sidestep a boot, Jacy kicks out of a schoolboy at two! Paige with a headbutt, hooking her for the capture DDT but Lainey runs interference and Paige takess her out!
Fallon eats a hip attack when she gets up on the apron, back over, Jayne catches her…
Jacy Jayne wins by pinfall with a small package, retaining the WWE Women’s United States Championship.
The Fatals scramble up the ramp smug… AND NIKKI BELLA BLINDSIDES PAIGE!
Bella lays her out and puts boots to her, Paige awkwardly pulls her baggy vinyl pants down over her hips as she struggles but Nikki manages to hit Rack Attack 2.0 on her anyway.
We get a recap of Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton business from last week including Nick Aldis telling them that if they lay a hand on each other before Saturday Sunday Night’s Main Event, they’ll neither of them ever get another WWE Championship match.
Cody Rhodes is shown backstage in contemplation wearing an eyesearing magenta suit when Finn Balor rolls up and asks if he’s good.
Rhodes says he wishes he was and he’s not sure what to say or do right now. Balor tells him to keep his cool out there tonight and Randy’s trying to goad him down a dark path. Finn’s been down that path and his advice is to not do anything he can’t come back from. And hey he’s gonna be #1 contender after tonight, so let’s both handle our business and he’ll see Cody on the other side.
Rhodes agrees, they shake hands, and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Trick Williams rolls up to talk with Lil Yachty about his match against Baron Corbin.
For everything Corbin lacks in hair, he makes up for in being a ferocious monster and he’s gonna go to Nick Aldis to do something– Yachty cuts him off and says he’s not gonna stand for the disrespect. Baron put him through a table on ESPN! But he’s gonna last the five minutes and then Trick’s gonna come down and win the title.
Lil Yachty heads off to go get his pump on and Trick says he’ll be right there.
Williams turns around to see Baron Corbin standing right there.
Corbin says this is why he doesn’t have friends around here and he’s gonna whoop that Trick. Williams says he’s heard that before, and Baron says he’s the champ, he doesn’t have to be entertaining.
“American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes makes his entrance.
He asks Ottawa what they wanna talk about and says as much as he wants to beat Randy Orton senseless here and now he doesn’t know if that accomplishes the whole “killing the Legend Killer” thing. A lot of discussion has been around the number fifteen. Last he checked, fifteen isn’t a record. Eighteen, sure, but that’s probably not in the cards for Orton anymore.
But if anyone was gonna beat that record, it would have been Randy, but we all know every time Randy goes up, he screws up. Every crossroads he approaches he goes the wrong way, and you hear this backstage, “That’s Randy being Randy,” “That’s Randy beating Randy,” there’s always excuses. He got do-overs and slaps on the wrists where other guys would have been sent packing and his shoulders can’t holster the accountability of his actions.
So at Saturday Sunday Night’s Main Event, it won’t be Randy beating Randy, it’ll be Cody killing the–
Enter Randy Orton.
Orton says you wanna talk about accountability? Cody’s right. He made bad decision after bad decision when he was younger and Rhodes had a front row seat– a driver’s seat, because he needed to be driven town to town. He needed a babysitter, a bitch, and Cody took him from town to town and tucked him in every night and does he resent him a little for that? Is he at a crossroads?
If Randy was Rhodes he’d punch him in the face right now, just take a swing. Cody declines wordlessly and Orton switches to talking about the title. He talks about coming back at SummerSlam specifically to make sure Cody wouldn’t win the title back from CM Punk and doesn’t that piss him off? Doesn’t he want to take a swing?
Cat got your tongue? Nah, Rhodes is more of a dog guy, and what was that dog’s name he brought with him? Pharoah? Is that dog dead, did his daughters have to bury that dog in his back yard? Cody gets more upset and takes his jacket off as Randy continues, saying he’s gonna beat him in his back yard in front of his family and how do you like that, Codeman?
Come to think of it, is Cody gonna make sure his trailer trash mom is gonna be sitting front row when he beats his ass? Rhodes loosens his tie and unbuttons his shirt, fury intensifying and Randy asks if his trashy-ass wife is gonna be there and offers his chin up. Cody breathing hard, fighting to keep control of himself and he steps back.
Rhodes says he knows what Orton is doing and this was what he was gonna try to do, anything to get out of their match. He’s counting the days until Atlanta, when they find out if Randy really is a once-in-a-lifetime generational superstar like Dusty was or is he a first-class screw-up like Cowboy Bob was?
Now Cody smugly asks if Randy wants to hit him as Orton fumes and says that’s too far.
Tatum Paxley is interviewed backstage.
She whispers something in Jackie Redmond’s ear that sends her scampering off and turns to see Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss standing there.
Paxley apologizes for last week saying the blood was probably a little far, Flair says three’s a crowd but Bliss says she’ll have to deal with it because they’ve got a trios match at Saturday Sunday Night’s Main Event. Tatum is overjoyed at this and Alexa adds that they’ll be at ringside for her match and Paxley brings Charlotte in for an adorably awkward hug as we go to break.
Back from commercial we get a hype reel for Penta el Zero M vs. Rey Fenix in the finals to the WWE Men’s World Championship #1 contender’s tournament finals on Monday.
Byron Saxton interviews Rey Fenix backstage.
He says he loves his brother but this is his moment and he’s gonna be world champion.
“Absolute” Ricky Saints rolls up to mock him and try to fast-forward to the part where he loses and comes back to SmackDown with his tail between his legs, stops ducking him, and gives him a shot at the AAA Cruiserweight Championship.
Fenix tells an opposite story of him winning the tournament, winning the title, and coming back to SmackDown and shutting Ricky up.
Jade Cargill and her Baddies make their entrance ahead of our next match.
Then Tatum Paxley makes her entrance, joined by her pals Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair to get us going.
“Michin” Mia Yim vs. Tatum Paxley
Circling, Yim with a pieface and some trash talk, Paxley just stares a hole in her. Mia with a waistlock, hanging onto it, Tatum sits down to break her grip, backflips over her into a front chancery in the middle of the ring! Wrenching it in, Michin breaks away, slap, Paxley ducks a kick, off the ropes, leapfrog, drop down, Yim hangs in the ropes for a breather and low-bridges Tatum to the floor!
Penalty Kick off the apron, Mia goes to the floor, talking trash at Flair and Bliss, Paxley cuts her off with a dropkick, moonsault off the apron, she’s fired up and runs over to hug her pals and Charlotte tells her she’s doing a good job as we go to break.
Back from commercial, Yim choking Paxley in the ropes, trading elbows, Mia lays her out, takes a walk around the ring, kneeling on her back, rolling back, double knee cross-leg bow-and-arrow in the middle of the ring! Tatum pops out into a cover for two! Sidestep a cannonball in the corner from Michin, Flair and Bliss cheering her on, O’Connor roll for two!
Mia blocks a kick but eats a superkick on the rebound, Tatum getting fired up, charging elbows, arm wringer kick, enzuigiri, Michin back body drops her to the apron and Paxley drops to the floor to lay her out with a kick! Back inside, kick caught, Yim lifts her up for a Liger Bomb, calling for the Styles Clash but Tatum counters with a back body drop!
Spinning Wheel Kick connects…
Tatum Paxley wins by pinfall with Cemetery Drive.
Post-match, Jade Cargill and B-FAB hit the ring to attack Paxley but she bails and her pals Charlotte and Alexa raise her hands in victory at the base of the ramp.
Jackie Redmond interviews Blake Monroe backstage.
She scoffs the notion that she jeopardized her debut because the match was beneath her. She should ask Nick Aldis why a superstar like her was put in a match like that instead–
GIULIA ROLLS UP TO BEAT ASS! She throws Monroe into a garage door and referees arrive to break them up!
Kevin Owens is walking backstage when he suddenly slows down and grimaces as he sees Randy Orton.
Orton says he hates to admit it but he was right about Cody. KO is excited somebody finally agreed with him and Randy says it doesn’t mean he forgets about Kevin dropping him on his head. Owens says that’s fair and they’ll work on it later and we go to break.
Back from commercial the MFTs cut a video promo.
Tama Tonga says they put Damien Priest and Ron Killings down, and Talla Tonga says Shinsuke Nakamura is threatening them after he beat him up so bad last time? Tama says Kyoki isn’t in Japan anymore and his sempai brought him to their territory just to get put in the dirty. Haku tells his sons not to underestimate their foes and they must destroy their enemies because they’re the Motherfuckin’ Tongans!
Killings and Priest are in the locker room and Ron is excited about getting the titles back. Damian says it’s been a great summer but he’s taking the loss as a sign to move on. Truth hugs him close and begs him not to but Priest says he’ll still have his back.
War Raiders roll up and mock Truth and Priest for giving up and Damian says they’re acting tough for guys that were in those matches. Ron says Priest wants gold and challenges them to a match for the AAA Tag Team Championship. War Raiders agree for Mexico City and walk off.
Damian is momentarily upset at Killings disregarding what he said but Truth pitches it as one last ride and Priest agrees.
Irresistible Forces roll up on Nick Aldis so Nia Jax can complain about a title match. Aldis says Chelsea Green has to be re-evaluated medically, Nia says she’s got two weeks or she’s gonna take the title herself.
The Miz and Kit Wilson roll up to complain about getting electrocuted on Nick’s watch as general manager and they own him. Aldis says they can have a match next week against Bakusai, the team of Shinsuke Nakamura and Hiromu “Kyoki” Takahashi, and the two heels agree.
Kevin Owens makes his entrance ahead of our main event and sends us to break.
Back from commercial, GUNTHER makes his entrance and then Finn Balor finishes our trio and gets us going.
Finn Balor vs. GUNTHER vs. Kevin Owens (WWE Undisputed Men’s Championship #1 Contender’s Match)
GUNTHER sends Balor to the floor, Owens cuts him off and takes him to the corner to stomp a proverbial mudhole in him, charging out of the corner, Ring General with a big boot, Finn back in, sunset flip for two! Float over a slam, Kev cuts him off with a superkick and lands a senton on GUNTHER! Up top, diving senton atomico… BALOR BREAKS IT UP!
Chop to the ropes, whip across, back body drop, roll through, basement dropkick to KO and GUNTHER cuts Finn down with a single chop! A boot keeps Owens out of the ring, the Ring General stalking, talking trash at the crowd, Balor rolls him up for two but another big chop cuts him back down! Finn floats out of a powerbomb, low bridge sends GUNTHER to the floor, elbow sends KO off the apron, Ring General back in, Gojira Clutch, Finn sends him to the floor and dives on him to send us to break!
Back from commercial, Owens wading in with punches to GUNTHER, a chop sends him flying, Balor eats a boot, one for Kev too, KO with superkicks for both guys, Pele Kick from Finn and all three men are down and out! Balor with a kick from the apron, off the top, Ring General rolls away from the Coup de Grace!
Owens with lariats to both men, cannonball on GUNTHER, Finn cuts him off with Sling Blade, kicks the Ring General aside, shotgun dropkick to Kev, up top but KO gets to his feet and cuts Balor off! Jockeying for position in the turnbuckles, GUNTHER pulls Owens down and clobbers him with a lariat before chopping Balor clean to the apron!
Gojira Clutch locked in… FINN BREAKS IT UP WITH COUP DE GRACE! Float out of a bodyslam, inverted headlock elbow drop connects, Balor fired up, shotgun dropkick, up top… COUP DE GRACE CONNECTS BUT SAMI ZAYN PULLS FINN OFF THE COVER! Zayn throws Balor over the announce desk as referee Dan Engler admonishes him… SAMI DECKS ENGLER!
Owens hits a Stunner on GUNTHER but there’s no referee! Darryl Sharma rushes down the ramp… AND SAMI ZAYN LAYS HIM OUT TOO!
CM PUNK IS HERE!
He and Zayn brawl in the aisle, Punk bounces him off the barricade and into another one, grabbing him by the head and yelling at him, punching him, throwing him bad wrist-first into the post! More punches, CM grabs the title belt but Zayn rolls into the ring to avoid him! Punk slides in after him but KO is up and at ‘em and he and CM go hammer and tongs with each other!
Zayn blasts Kev with the title belt! One for Balor too! GUNTHER grabs the Gojira Clutch on Sami but Zayn manages to nail him with the belt too! Punk back on his feet and Zayn hits him with the title and now the champion and all three prospective challengers are down and out as Sami raises the title high!
Sami stalks around the ring talking trash at all four men, title in hand.
The match is a no-contest, presumably.
That’s the show, folks.
