WWE SmackDown Highlights: Two Title Changes and Key Moments Reviewed

HC GreenSun, August 16, 2026 at 5:42 AM UTC

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Another episode of SmackDown is in the books, meaning it’s time to look back at the show to identify the highs and lows of an episode that featured not one, but two title changes.

The Good

WWE / Getty ImagesChelsea Green

Green suffered a fractured orbital bone on last week’s SmackDown, and it looked like the interim champion would have to surrender her title to GM Nick Aldis. Green delivered a great, impassioned promo, though, and WWE had Aldis rethink his decision and allow her 30 days to get medically cleared and defend the title. That brought out Gunther, who was great as a smarmy heel, to continue his issues with Aldis. After the verbal jousting brought Green into the line of fire, Matt Cardona arrived “all the way from catering” to defend his wife’s honor. Eventually Tiffany Stratton, Nia Jax, and Lash Legend all entered the segment, giving the show a connected feel it too often lacks. Other highlights:

Kevin Owens and CM Punk delivered another strong promo segment, setting up their title match next week in Toronto. In a similar storyline beat to his feud with Drew McIntyre, Punk put Owens on the spot by asking him to name the friends that hate him. Owens navigated it well, mentioning “the three” (The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega) without calling them by name, and then spun it by adding that all his friends hate Punk. Good stuff.

Making Jacy Jayne the WWE Women’s United States Champion feels like the right call. Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid are already the WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, so this makes Fatal Influence as a group feel like a viable threat. It also sowed seeds for a future matchup between Stratton and Green.

The Bad

WWE / Getty ImagesCarmelo Hayes

Hayes’ time on the main roster has been hit or miss, despite what his catchphrase would indicate, but on Friday he was reduced to a background player in someone else’s feud. His match with Baron Corbin was fine, but he lost clean (no belt shot needed, which is what Corbin has used to twice top Trick Williams) and then immediately evaporated into the ether for the postmatch angle with Corbin, Williams, and Lil Yachty. Hayes is too talented to continue filling the role he’s been put in. Other lowlights:

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Sticking with Corbin, does he need to carry the furry title belt? Nothing says “he won’t be champion for long” more than walking around with another wrestler’s custom strap.

As destitute as the tag team division is, I hope Friday’s title loss marked the last time we see “Wepa Up.” Damian Priest has been majorly cooled down since moving to SmackDown, but a pseudo comedy pairing with 54-year-old R-Truth feels like a waste. Speaking of wastes, remember when R-Truth cut his hair and said he was Ron Killings? Yeah, me neither.

The Ugly

WWE / Getty ImagesCardona’s Quick Tap

In an otherwise excellent segment that had the crowd fully invested, I thought WWE missed a chance to further elevate Matt Cardona following his impromptu match with Gunther—it was a nice touch to have both men wrestle in their street clothes, and you have to appreciate that attention to detail. The finish was a bit deflating, though, with Gunther locking Cardona in a Boston crab, I’m assuming because the show was in Boston, followed by an immediate tap. Cardona was out there to defend his wife. Why not have him stay in the hold for a while? It certainly wouldn’t have hurt Gunther as that isn’t even one of his featured moves. It’s a small nitpick on an otherwise strong episode of SmackDown.

Related: WWE Raw Review: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Aug 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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