Hall’s WWE Smackdown Review 7.17.26

Smackdown
Date: July 17, 2026
Location: MVP Arena, Albany, New York
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the night before Saturday Night’s Main Event and the big story continues to be the setup for CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes in a little over two weeks at Summerslam. Gunther and Sami Zayn are less than thrilled with this situation and that means it is time for their final push towards tomorrow’s tag match. In addition, Gunther is having issues with GM Nick Aldis, which feels like a Summerslam match in the making. Let’s get to it.

We open with a recap of the World Title situation and Gunther vs. Aldis.

Here is Gunther to get things going. He prides himself on being a professional but since he joined Smackdown, he has been treated horribly. Nick Aldis is the one who made this personal, and he made it worse by putting him in a tag match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. This brings out Adam Pearce, who says Gunther only owes Aldis for saving his job

Aldis has made sure that the match is still on and that the stipulation (this is new) is still on: if Gunther and Zayn win, they’re added to the Summerslam title match and it’s a fatal four way. Gunther absolutely approves but here is Cody Rhodes for the brawl. Rhodes yells about how Gunther had to know this was coming so he wants a match tonight. Pearce makes it official.

Earlier today, Pearce announced that Rhea Ripley is injured and will not be able to compete at Summerslam. There will be an Interim Women’s Champion crowned in a five way ladder match at Summerslam, with Ripley getting the shot against the winner when she gets back. Qualifying matches begin tonight. I’m really not wild on the interim thing, but if Ripley is going to be back relatively soon, it’s fine enough.

Finn Balor vs. Talla Tonga

Talla has Tama Tonga with him. Balor knocks him into the corner to start and gets choked on the ropes for his efforts. Talla gets tossed to the floor but comes back with a clothesline and we take an early break. We come back with Talla’s running powerslam getting two but he misses a charge into the corner. Balor knocks him down and goes up, where Talla’s chokeslam is countered into a DDT. Tama offers a distraction but gets crotched (and bounced) on the top, allowing Balor to dropkick him into the corner. The Coup de Grace finishes Talla at 9:35.

Rating: C+. Balor is getting a nice start to his run on Smackdown, at least after losing in the first round of King Of The Ring. He very easily could be a B show pay per view World Title challenger and they very well may be leading up to that. The Tongas are in the middle of nowhere at the moment but at least they’re putting people over.

CM Punk confirms the Saturday Night’s Main Event stipulation with Adam Pearce. Damian Priest comes up and says if Punk is retaining, he’ll be coming for the title. That works for Punk, who leaves in peace. R-Truth comes up to ask what that was about. Priest: “Dude, you were here the whole time.”

Various women are ready to win the ladder match.

Women’s Ladder Qualifying Match: Tiffany Stratton vs. Jacy Jayne

Non-title and the rest of Fatal Influence is here with Jayne. The three of them beat Stratton down but Brie Bella and Paige run in for the save. With the four non-participants gone, Stratton strikes away to officially start and gets two off a basement dropkick. We take an early break and come back with Jayne hammering away until they hit stereo crossbodies. Stratton is up with an Alabama Slam but gets crotched up top. The Rolling Encore misses though and it’s a Regal Roll into the Prettiest Moonsault Ever to give Stratton the win at 7:45.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here but there is something to be said about Jayne having gotten so far that I could have seen her pulling the upset here. It is nice to see her doing so well on the main roster thus far and it should be interesting to see if she finds a way into the ladder match. Stratton has to be a favorite though, as she’ll be in her home state.

Baron Corbin talks about his return last week. He attacked Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes because he’s sick of hearing people pretending to be tough.

Williams wants some of Corbin, because he’s a big bald b****. Hayes comes in and argues a bit but seemingly wants Corbin as well.

We look at Oba Femi and Brock Lesnar’s near brawl from Raw.

Women’s Ladder Qualifying Match: Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax

B-Fab and Michin are here with Cargill. Jax wastes no time in knocking her down but misses a middle rope elbow. Cue Charlotte to go after B-Fab and Michin though, followed by a big boot to Cargill for the DQ at 57 seconds.

Post match a ticked off Jax lays out Charlotte, allowing Cargill to give Charlotte Jaded.

Gunther is ready for the main event and runs into Candice LeRae, with Johnny Gargano. LeRae wants Gunther to win for Sami Zayn’s sake tomorrow so Gunther says Zayn needs to show up. Blake Monroe runs in to jump LeRae and tells Gargano that he needs a haircut.

Lash Legend and Nia Jax yell at Adam Pearce over the DQ and Jax gets Charlotte next week as a result.

War Raiders vs. Fraxiom

The Raiders’ AAA Tag Team Titles aren’t on the line. Ivar drives Frazer into the corner to start but it’s off to Axiom for some running forearms. Frazer’s dive to the floor is cut off though, leaving Axiom to moonsault onto both of them. We take a break and come back with Ivar cleaning house, including the spinning powerslam to Frazer.

Ivar’s moonsault misses both of them but Erik drives Ivar into Axiom into the corner. Back up and the dives take out the Warriors on the floor, setting up the superplex into the Phoenix splash to Ivar. Erik makes the last second save though and the Raiders have had it, with Frazer getting crushed. Ragnarok finishes Axiom at 10:30.

Rating: B. I was expecting a squash here (Fraxiom were in the ring for the Raiders’ entrance) and wound up getting a heck of a match. The impressive thing about Fraxiom is that they have been able to do this time after time. They were able to make this work in NXT and they’re doing it again here and it would be nice to see them getting a better chance than what they’ve been doing lately.

We look at LA Knight and company being fired up at Fanatics Fest about their six man tag at Summerslam.

Video on Fanatics Fest.

CM Punk comes up to Cody Rhodes to talk about the Saturday Night’s Main Event stipulation. Punk will have Rhodes’ back tonight, but they’ll also see each other tomorrow and at Summerslam.

Video on Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

Danhausen is reminded about his match with JD McDonagh at Saturday Night’s Main Event and has a black cat…but accidentally curses his computer. An evacuation is recommended.

Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

Rhodes jumps him at the entrance to start fast and they get inside for the opening bell. Gunther cuts off a springboard and shoves Rhodes to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Gunther missing a clothesline and getting caught with the Cody Cutter. Another Cody Cutter drops Gunther but he’s back up to wrap the leg around the post. Cue CM Punk as they clothesline each other down.

We take a break and come back with Gunther holding a half crab but Rhodes slips out. Gunther misses a boot in the corner and Rhodes starts in on the leg, with a dragon screw legwhip bringing Gunther out of the corner. Rhodes grabs a Figure Four but here is Sami Zayn to go after Punk. That’s enough for Rhodes to let go of the hold and dive onto Zayn. The brawl is on and Rhodes gets posted for the DQ at 12:30.

Rating: B. This was getting going near the end but as usual, the two of them just do not get to have that big match. Granted in this case that wasn’t the point, as this was about pushing tomorrow’s tag match and that part worked. You also don’t want either of them losing a fall and the DQ made perfect sense here. Nice job.

The big brawl is on and can’t be broken up as the show ends.

 

Results
Finn Balor b. Talla Tonga – Coup de Grace
Tiffany Stratton b. Jacy Jayne – Prettiest Moonsault Ever
Jade Cargill b. Nia Jax via DQ when Charlotte interfered
War Raiders b. Fraxiom – Ragnarok to Axiom
Cody Rhodes b. Gunther via DQ when Sami Zayn interfered

 

 

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8.5

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

Yeah this worked, if nothing else because I wasn’t bored out of my mind as the show went an extra hour. This show was focused around two big ideas, with the ladder match having to be set up in a hurry and the much bigger issue of the stipulation for Saturday Night’s Main Event Main Event. That was a great example of what happens when you make a match more important, as Saturday Night’s Main Event has gone from ho hum to having a match that could make a big impact on Summerslam. I want to see where that match goes now and that’s an important upgrade for tomorrow night. This show did what it needed to do with a pair of hot matches to wrap it up. Well done here, though Saturday’s show is only looking so important outside of the main event.