Tonight on SmackDown, Cody Rhodes and Gunther look to lock in their massive title showdown for Italy, United States Champion Trick Williams makes an emotional return to his college football hometown, the Bloodline's internal warfare reaches a boiling point after Jacob Fatu's shocking assault on Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley prepares for a dangerous multi-front war while Jade Cargill addresses her attack on Ripley, Damian Priest takes on Tama Tonga, B-Fab & Michin battle Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss, Ricky Saints and Carmelo Hayes go at it, the Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton kicks off the opening hour to see who steps up next to challenge her and more.
Check back for live results at 8/7 C.
Cody Rhodes with his Clash in Italy contract that Gunther hasn't signed, Damian Priest & R-Truth, MFTs (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga & Talla Tonga), Jade Cargill, Michin & B-Fab, Alexa Bliss & Charlotte Flair are all shown backstage - we then cut to the Williams Bricks Stadium where Trick Williams walks on the field decked in his fur coat and lemon steppers.
We then cut to clips and highlights from Backlash.
At ringside, Trick Williams makes his way out to the ring with Little Yachty and the mascot for the South Carolina Gamecocks, Cocky. Williams cuts his music and says he's back home and he's here representing the University of South Carolina. Williams talks about the memories he has from Columbia and talks about dropping lemon pepper sauce on his shoes from eating wings and that's why they're called his lemon pepper steppers. Williams talks about his family being in the arena tonight and tells South Carolina to look at the star they've created. The Miz and Kit Wilson come out and interrupt Williams. The Miz talks about how this is a homecoming for Williams and mocks him. The Miz talks about Williams having a Gingerbread Man and now Cocky the Fighting Rooster and asks Williams if he thinks this is Sesame Street. Little Yachty tells The Miz he has some nerve interrupting Williams and says this is the reason The Miz is cursed. The Miz says he isn't cursed and Wilson tells Williams to wake up and decides to relay The Miz's message to Williams via poetry. Wilson says he'll lyrically mess up Williams and Yachty. Wilson recites his poem and calls the Gamecocks toxic. Yachty responds to Wilson with a rap/poem and says The Miz has tiny balls. Everyone chants "Tiny Balls" and The Miz crashes out and says they're not bringing "Tiny Balls" back and that he isn't cursed and says he can't wait to leave Columbia after he whoops Williams' ass. Williams strikes Wilson and The Miz. Williams sends The Miz and Wilson out of the ring and then he poses in the ring as we cut to a commercial break.
Match 1: The Miz w/Kit Wilson -vs- Trick Williams w/Little Yachty
We get the bell and Williams and The Miz lock up. The Miz gets Williams in the corner and Williams pushes The Miz to the mat. The Miz is chopped in the corner and Williams takes The Miz down with a flying forearm. The Miz guillotines Williams and then climbs the ropes. The Miz jumps at Williams who punches The Miz and then strikes him some more. The Miz gets Williams on the mat and kicks him. Williams is choked on the ropes and then kicks Williams on the back of his neck. The Miz taunts Williams' parents in the front from the ring, and then starts kicking Williams. Williams dodges a kick and hits a neckbreaker and then punches The Miz in the corner. Williams boots The Miz over and over again in the corner. The Miz rolls out of the ring and Williams chases after him. The Miz gets back in the ring and goes to fly out onto Williams but Williams punches him and then beats him up around the ring. Williams sends The Miz back in the ring and as the ref is distracted, Wilson hits Williams with a spinning elbow. The Miz kicks Williams off the apron as he tries to get in the ring and then gets in the face of Yachty and we cut to a commercial.
Back to the Smickity Smacks, The Miz has Williams on the mat and tries to suplex Williams. Williams counters and suplexes The Miz to the mat and both men are laid out. Williams and The Miz trade punches in the middle of the ring, Williams then uppercuts The Miz - kicks him and slams him to the mat. Williams slams down The Miz with a Bossman Slam and covers The Miz for a near fall. The Miz strikes Williams and goes for The Skull Crushing Finale but Williams counters and rolls up The Miz for a near fall. The Miz hits a DDT and covers Williams who kicks out at two. The Miz kicks Williams several times as the crowd sings "Tiny, Tiny Balls". Williams knocks The Miz to the mat and Wilson distracts Williams. The two trade pinning attempts and both kick out. The Miz hits The Skull Crushing Finale and Williams kicks out at two. Wilson gets on the apron and distracts the ref. The Miz gets a Kendo Stick and gets in the ring and Yachty takes the stick from The Miz, Wilson gets off the apron and runs to Yachty. Yachty strikes Wilson with it outside the ring. The Miz watches all this and Williams hits Trick Shot and gets the win.
Winner: Trick Williams
Cathy Kelley talks to Carmelo Hayes backstage. Hayes says he's been gone for a month and he's watched everyone make a mockery of the United States championship. Ricky Saints comes by and tells Hayes that he hasn't even said hello to him and since Hayes was gone for a month the landscape has changed. Saints tells Hayes to ask people about him and Hayes says this place has a way to humble people and that's absolute. Saints says he has to teach Hayes a lesson tonight.
Rey Fenix and Nick Aldis talk backstage and Aldis commends Fenix on his work in AAA. Fenix leaves and Sami Zayn approaches Aldis. Zayn wants a rematch for The United States title. Aldis tells Zayn he's had his rematches and he now has to earn a title shot. Zayn gets pissed that people forget what he's done and Aldis says he hasn't forgotten anything and tells Zayn to deal with whatever is going on in his head. Aldis leaves and Zayn spazzes out. Fenix comes back and tells Zayn he doesn't even recognize who he is anymore.
Cathy Kelley talks to Brie Bella and Paige backstage. Kelley asks them about their thoughts with so many teams coming for them and let us know they're fighting Judgement Day (Roxanne Perez & Raquel Rodriguez) on Monday at RAW. Bella and Paige says they're ready for anything. Nia Jax & Lash Legend come in and tell them they're rooting for them because they want to beat them at Saturday Night's Main Event. Jax continues talking and Bella's music hits and she tells them they have to leave because they have somewhere to be and leave. Jax and Legend feel disrespected.
Match 2: Brie Bella & Paige -vs- Giulia & Kiana James
James and Bella start the bout. James sends Bella into the corner right off the first lock up. James kicks Bella in the gut and Bella strikes James back and slams her down. Paige is tagged in and James is double teamed. Bella hits a bulldog and Paige kicks James and covers her for a two count. James tags out and Giulia comes in and kicks Paige. Giulia kicks Paige into the corner and then unleashes some strikes to Paige. Paige is suplexed to the mat and covered and she kicks out at two. Paige kicks Giulia and slams her down and then kicks Giulia to the mat. Paige gets on the apron and kicks Giulia through the ropes. James takes Paige out on the apron when the ref has her back to them and Giulia then sends Paige into the ringpost outside the ring and we get a commercial.
Back to the match, Giulia slams Paige's head into the turnbuckles and then James is tagged in. James slams into Paige in the corner and Giulia is tagged back in. Paige dodges a crossbody and starts punching Giulia. Giulia is able to get Paige on the mat and gets her in an arm bar submission hold. Giulia slams down Paige and then sits her on the top rope in the corner. Giulia punches Paige and climbs up with Paige. Paige punches Giulia and hits a Sunset Flip Powerbomb from the top rope on Giulia, laying them both out. Bella and James are tagged in and Bella hits a missile dropkick on James and then Bella attacks Giulia. Bella hits her Brie Mode Running Knee strikes on both James and Giulia and follows up with some Yes Kicks on both. Bella hits a BellaBuster on James and covers her and Giulia breaks the pin. Giulia is tossed out of the ring and James kicks Bella. Giulia is tagged back in and James hits a Lungblower and Giulia hits a Northern Lights on Bella and Paige breaks the pin. Paige is knocked out of the ring and James is tagged in. They go to double team Bella and Paige knocks Giulia out of the ring and takes herself out too. Bella and James go back and forth. Paige is tagged in and she hits Rampaige on James and gets the win.
Winners: Giulia & Kiana James
Cody Rhodes walks backstage and we cut to a commercial break.
Cathy Kelley is backstage with Tiffany Stratton. Kelley asks Stratton how she feels about flying solo. Behind her Kiana James and Giulia argue and Stratton says she's fine on her own. Chelsea Green comes in and Stratton tells her she doesn't like to be partnered up. Green says she agrees with James and Giulia as examples. Green says that won't be them and Stratton says they're not meant to be a team and leaves. Green is disappointed and tells Kelley that "that's so us" and that's how Stratton and her talk to each other.
We cut to ringside and Cody Rhodes comes out to the ring with the binder that has his match contract in it because he needs Gunther to sign it. Rhodes tosses two chairs and a table into the ring to make a makeshift contract signing set up. Rhodes gets on the mic and says he has all the ingredients ready for a contract signing and that's what he's here to do. He calls out Gunther to sign the contract. Gunther comes out and asks Rhodes if he knows what all needs to happen for this match to happen. He says he has to switch rosters and make so many changes and Rhodes, as always, makes this about him. He tells Rhodes that like a typical American if things don't go his way he cries and whines. Gunther says this is his match and Rhodes has his title. He asks Rhodes to be professional and address Gunther nicely and to say please. Rhodes says Gunther had Paul Heyman make this happen and Gunther is making it weird. Rhodes says the contract is in this binder and Gunther needs to sign it and says please and then tells Gunther he'll get his ass kicked at Clash in Italy. Gunther wants Rhodes to say "please Mr. Gunther" and Royce Keys comes out with a mic and stands beside Gunther and doesn't look at him. Keys says if Gunther won't sign it, he will and slams his mic into Gunther's chest and marches to the ring. Gunther runs into the ring and grabs the pen from Keys before he can sign it. Keys and Gunther get in each other's faces and Nick Aldis comes out. Aldis says the process was simple but Gunther hasn't signed it and Gunther has overplayed his hand and the title shot is up for grabs. Aldis issues a match with Royce Keys -vs- Gunther and the winner gets to sign the contract. Gunther leaves the ring and goes to Aldis and yells at him. Aldis and Gunther leave and Rhodes tells Keys that he's easy to find but hard to beat.
MFTs are backstage watching on the screen. Solo Sikoa says the tag titles can wait, and asks Tama Tonga if he understands the assignment and tells Tonga to take out Damian Priest. Sikoa and Talla Tonga leave to talk to Aldis. Shinsuke Nakamura comes by and starts talking to Tonga and Talla Tonga comes back and beats up Nakamura and chokeslams him through a table backstage.
Gunther and Nick Aldis argue backstage. Aldis tells Gunther all he had to do was sign his SmackDown contract and he'll get the match but Gunther played games and now he has to earn it. Gunther is pissed.
Match 3: Carmelo Hayes -vs- Ricky Saints
Saints attacks Hayes at the bell and chops Hayes all over the ring. Hayes takes Saints down with some arm drags. The two dodge some moves and Hayes then dropkicks Saints to the mat. Saints is chopped in the corner and then Hayes slams Saints' head into the turnbuckles. Saints kicks Hayes and hammers down on his back. Saints walks the ropes and strikes Hayes coming off the ropes. Hayes is chopped and Hayes gets Saints on the apron and hits a springboard leg drop off the ropes onto Saints who is draped over the middle rope. Saints ends up outside the ring and Hayes flies over the ropes and takes out Saints and we get a commercial.
Back from a commercial break, Saints and Hayes are on the top rope. Saints is tossed off the ropes and Hayes comes off the top rope and hits a Frog Splash. Saints is covered and he kicks out at two. Hayes goes for 1st48 but Saints punches Hayes and hits a driver and covers Hayes for a near fall. Saints locks Hayes in a sleeperhold and then transitions to a headlock submission. Hayes gets on his feet and tosses Saints. Hayes kicks Saints a couple times and then superkicks Saints to the mat. Hayes hits a springboard clothesline levelling Saints. Hayes hits Dirty Diana and covers Saints for a two count. Saints counters a suplex and rolls up Hayes but Hayes kicks out. Saints slams down Hayes and covers him for a two count. Saints kicks Hayes and tries for The Revolution DDT but Hayes counters and hits 1st48 and covers Saints who kicks out at two. Hayes climbs the ropes and comes down on Saints who gets out of the way. Saints hits the Revolution DDT and Hayes kicks out. Saints goes for Rochambeau and Hayes counters but gets sent face first into the turnbuckles. Saints covers Hayes but uses the ropes as leverage and gets caught. Saints argues with ref and Hayes rolls up Saints and uses the ropes as leverage and gets the win.
Winner: Carmelo Hayes
Royce Keys is backstage getting ready for his match. R-Truth comes by and thanks Keys for his help against MFTs. Truth invites Keys to the new clubhouse and Keys says he'll think about it and leaves. Damian Priest comes by and asks Truth what is up with Keys. Priest says MFTs are attacking everyone but Keys so he doesn't trust Keys. Truth tells Priest that he was right and him being out there for his match last week made him lose his match. Priest tells Truth he's staying backstage for his match tonight and leaves. Truth tells Priest he loves him.
Danhausen causes chaos backstage and gets on a phone and talks about his experiment with the minihausens. Danhausen has another experiment and wheels in a cadaver and gets on a computer. Things start to short circuit and he gets to work on the computer.
