WWE Smackdown 8/21/2026

WWE Smackdown 8/21/2026

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2026/08/wwc-superestrellas-de-la-lucha-libre_02073840413.html

We are in Toronto, Canada. Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore are on commentary.

We see various wrestlers arrive. 

The hosts talk about Punk/Owens tonight.

We see clips of Orton and Cody's feud. 

Sami Zayn complains to Nick Aldis in the back. He says he should be defending the WWE Title out tonight in his home country. He says it's due to Nick. He then complains about Nick wanting him to wrestle with his injured wrist. He asks what business Orton has getting involved when he lost to Cody.

Randy Orton comes in and says to continue. Cody Rhodes then gets on the mic in the ring and calls Orton out. Nick leaves and Sami keeps complaining. Orton then heads to the ring. Nick goes out and tells Cody we aren't doing this right now.  

Randy Orton comes out. Orton says they have a day and time at Sunday Night's Main Event. He says he's beating his @ss in 2 weeks. Cody says what's stopping them from doing it now. Nick says no. Nick says if either of them touches the other one, neither will get a WWE Title shot again. Orton says he won't jeopardize himself "becoming a 15x world heavyweight championship " (yes he said it that way). 

Orton says Cody was about to finish him off last week. He says if Cody swung that chair at him, he couldn't live with himself. Orton said when he did it, he had no regrets. Orton says he knows how to be the worst version of himself. He says Cody is and always will be a good guy. He says he's the American Daydream, not the American Nightmare. Orton says Cody asked who will kill the legend of Randy Orton? He says Cody didn't answer the question as it won't be him. 

Cody says Orton will maybe break the title record but says Orton will still come back to him. He says it's not a prediction but a spoiler.

MFT talk in the back. Tama says he doesn't them talking trash now. Talla says the tag titles belong to them and they dare anyone to step up and challenge them. Tama tells Priest and Truth to come get the titles if they want them. Haku comes in and talks in his language. He says we will show them who the mother f*cking Tongan here.

WWE Tag Titles - MFT (Tama and Talla Tonga) (c) vs Damian Priest vs R-Truth

MFT attack at the start. RT is sent out. Tama hits shots on DP. They trade shots and DP flying forearms him. DP hits him in the corner. The War Raiders watch in the back. Tama back elbows DP then DP facekicks him down. 

RT corner splashes Tama. Talla and Tama get sent out to the floor. RT slingshot plancha's Tama. RT punches Tama. Tama stun gun's him. Tama low lariats him for 1. Tama then hits mounted shots. 

RT is thrown out. We go to PiP break and return. DP ear claps Talla then spinning high kicks him. RP headlock drivers Talla. DP top rope diving lariats Talla for 1. DP and Talla grab each other by the throat. Talla lariats DP down. Talla boots him and foot chokes him in the corner. 

Talla misses a corner charge. Tama blocks DP's tag and DP spinning high kicks him. RT tags in. RT flying shoulderblocks Tama. RT blue thunders Tama. RT then hits a five knuckle shuffle. RT AA's Tama for 2. 

DP lariats Talla over the top. DP jumps off the steps and double axe handles Talla. DP is knocked off the apron and Talla chokeslams DP on the apron. RT rolls up Tama for a close 2. RT hits punches on Tama. Tama swinging neckbreakers him. RT takes a high/low and is pinned.

Thoughts: The finish went as expected with Truth dropping the fall. There was no reason to have MFT lose here. It was fine but nothing too memorable. I have to think this is the end of the Truth/Priest team.

Priest gets in the ring and is mad. He helps Truth up and hugs him. 

CM Punk is interviewed in the back. Punk says he thrives in pressure situations and hostile territories. He says KO is fighting ghosts in his head. He says he has changed while KO hasn't. He says he sees the same guy in KO from 20 years ago. Randy Orton then walks in. Orton says Punk looks good. Punk says after he whoops Cody's @ss, he'll be coming for #15. Punk says he's looking forward to it. 

Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton talk in the back. Green says she will take her out to dinner for what happened last week. Tiff tells her not to come out tonight. Green says hi to Paige. Paige says she should be proud of herself. 

Fatal Influence come in. Jacy says not to take advice from people who don't know how to keep a title. Jacy says it's a matter of time until they take the World Title. Paige says she wants gold and says she could take Jacy's US Title. Tiff has tape on her waist and Jacy says she can wrap tape around it while Jacy wraps gold around hers.

Blake Monroe is interviewed. She says she thinks she is star material and should debut in a title match. She says she will do what she does best and make everyone talk about her.

Blake Monroe vs Giulia

G = Giulia

BM nails G as she makes her entrance. She sends her into the floor and clubs on her. BM stomps on her and boots her. G is sent into the steps. BM headbutts her down and knee lifts her. BM neutralizer's her. BM's music hits and she leaves without this ever officially starting or ending.

Thoughts: Yeah, it wasn't really a match and Giulia just got beaten up here. But hey Giulia didn't lose, she just got jumped.

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair talk in the back about getting drinks. Bliss wants to bring Tatum Paxley along. Tatum comes in and says she can't wait to hang out with them. She makes a joke about bloody mary's. Jade Cargill's crew comes in. Jade says Flair needed a freakshow to bail her out of the match. Tatum asks if they will come to brunch with them and asks which one of them is Mary as she needs their blood. Michin challenges Tatum to a match next week. Tatum is excited and says she would love it. Tatum then says Flair defended her.

Trick Williams and Lil Yachty come out. Trick says he has his dog back but not his title back. He says Baron Corbin doesn't want to face him 1v1. He says Baron is bald and walks around like a cue ball. Trick challenges him to come get this trick shot.

Baron Corbin comes out on a motorcycle. Trick says Baron is the one he is looking for and is the one Baron cheated out of the title. Trick challenges him for the title right now. Baron says the title is getting a haircut. He says Trick isn't getting another title shot as he lost. Baron says it's not happening tonight or anywhere. He says Trick and his friend can get out of his face. Yachty hits Baron with the trick stick. Baron goes out.  Baron challenges him for Sunday Night Main Event, but says he wants Lil Yachty for 5 minutes in the ring. He says if he lives, Trick gets his title shot. He says if he beats Yachty, they are done for good. Yachty says Baron is on. Baron says it'll be the longest 5 minutes of his life.

Kevin Owens is interviewed. He says it's great to have a title match here. Finn Balor walks in. Finn says he was glad to see him at Summerslam but says a heads up would have been nice. Gunther walks in. Gunther says tonight's the night he can win the title and get back at Punk in front of his people. Gunther says not to worry about Finn as he's a shadow of himself. He says KO has to worry about him. Finn tells him to worry about winning the WWE Title and says he'll be waiting for him on the other side.

Tiffany Stratton vs Lash Legend

Tiff dropkick her in the knee and the chest. Tiff handspring back elbows her and Lash euros her over. Lash knees her in the gut. Lash slams her for 2. Lash bearhugs her. Lash blocks a sunset flip. Tiff clips her in the knee and backcrackers her. Tiff's tope is caught and Lash rams her back into the post. 

We go to break and return. Tiff hits forearms and Lash forearms her down. Lash suplexes her. Lash misses an elbow drop. Tiff hits lariats and hurricanrana's her into the buckles. Tiff handspring stunner her. Tiff misses a top rope swanton. Tiff crucifixes her for 2. 

Tiff is crotched on a double jump moonsault attempt. Lash hits a lash extension and pins her.

Thoughts: Big upset here. It made sense as Tiff flipped around, Lash caught her and slammed her. It was acceptable enough.

Nia legdrops Tiff after. Tiff takes a sandwich bodyblock. Chelsea Green comes out with a kendo stick. She hits Lash and Nia and sends them out. 

Shinsuke Nakamura does a promo. He says he warmed MFT for weeks and they didn't listen. He says what's in the dark has finally come to light. We then see Hiromu Takahashi who says he is now Kyoki. He says he traveled the world and has come to WWE. He says the stronger they are, the more fun he has. Nakamura says Kyoki doesn't fear gold but enjoys it. Kyoki says he wants more gold and madness. Nakamura says MFT has championships for now. He says there will be an explosion when strong style and madness collide.

Thoughts: I'm not a big Kyoki/Hiromu Takahashi fan. He doesn't seem like a WWE guy at all and I don't expect this to work.

WWE World Title - CM Punk (c) vs Kevin Owens

They hockey fight to start. KO gets the edge on him and running lariats him. KO lariats him over the top. KO lays him on the top rope and punches him. KO chops him.

KO sentons Punk in the ring. Punk counters a stunner with a neckbreaker. We go to PiP break and return. KO hits punches and chops. KO drops him with a lariat. 

KO hits punches on Punk and stomps him. KO lariats him outside. KO corner cannonballs him for 2. KO superkicks him outside. KO then splashes him from the rail through the commentary table. KO top rope swantons him inside for 2. 

Punk hits kicks on him and high kicks him for 2. KO step up knees him in the corner and corner lariats him. KO top rope elbow drops him for 2. Punk puts him in the anaconda vice. Punk swinging neckbreakers him twice. 

KO blocks a go to sleep and sharpshooters him. Punk pulls KO's throat down over the top rope. KO and Punk both get pushed into the ref and the ref goes out. KO stunners Punk but the ref is out. Punk hits a GTS on KO for 2. Punk goes for the pin but the ref is out. 

Sami Zayn comes out as Punk tries to get the ref in. Sami sends Punk into the post. Sami throws Punk in. KO stunners Punk for a close 2. Sami slides the title in the ring for KO. Sami begs KO to use it on Punk. KO says no and gives him the belt back. Sami hits KO with the belt. Punk hits a GTS on KO and pins him.

Thoughts: I always hate when they do Owens face runs. He always gets booking situations like this where he does things that goes against the character like refusing to use the title on Punk. It was a good match otherwise. KO really brought the fight to Punk and worked hard. They had a nice pace and it was an exciting bout. I thought this was good.

Sami then hits Punk from behind with the title after. Sami then hits Owens and Punk with it again. Sami says Punk stole the title from him. He then raises it. 

Overall thoughts: The WWE Tag Title match was fine. Blake beat up Giulia and it never started. Lash Legend beat Tiffany Stratton in an upset. I thought the main was good. It was an alright show overall and I'd give it a 6 out of 10. The main event is maybe worth checking out here.