WWE SmackDown airs Friday, August 28, but this week’s show won’t be live.
WWE taped SmackDown Monday night following Raw at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. The unusual schedule is part of WWE’s plan to give talent and crew some time off around Labor Day weekend. The company will continue the adjusted schedule Friday in Cleveland, where next week’s Raw and SmackDown are both scheduled to be taped in advance.
That means spoilers are already available for Friday’s show — and the biggest development continues the increasingly chaotic WWE Championship picture.
Spoilers follow below.
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Sami Zayn Wrecks WWE Championship No. 1 Contender’s Match
Kevin Owens opens SmackDown following Sami Zayn’s shocking interference in his WWE Championship match against CM Punk last week. Punk, Gunther and Finn Bálor eventually join Owens, setting up a Triple Threat Match between Owens, Gunther and Bálor to determine Punk’s next challenger.
Unfortunately for Punk, he doesn’t get one.
Zayn interferes again, preventing both Bálor and Owens from winning before Punk gets involved. Zayn ultimately gets his hands on the WWE Championship and lays everyone out to close the show.
I like the direction here. What initially looked like another chapter in the Punk-Owens rivalry has quickly become a much bigger championship story, and Zayn suddenly feels like the most unpredictable person on SmackDown.
Elsewhere, Nia Jax and Lash Legend defeat Tiffany Stratton and Chelsea Green, while Tatum Paxley picks up a win over Michin.
Jacy Jayne also successfully defends the Women’s United States Championship against Paige, but the bigger story comes afterward when Nikki Bella returns and attacks Paige.
Trick Williams appears in the ring with Lil Yachty, and United States Champion Baron Corbin gets involved. The segment is designed to build their match at Sunday Night’s Main Event, where Trick is scheduled to challenge Corbin for the U.S. title if Lil Yachty survives five minutes with Corbin.
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton also meet ahead of their WWE Championship match at Sunday Night’s Main Event. With Nick Aldis banning them from getting physical before the match, Orton instead gets extremely personal, taking shots at Cody’s mother and wife, Brandi Rhodes.
WWE SmackDown airs Friday, August 28, at 8pm ET/7pm CT on USA Network.
