Smackdown – September 11, 2026: The Big One
Smackdown
Date: September 11, 2026
Location: Arena CDMX, Mexico City, Mexico
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
We’re down in Mexico for the first time in about fifteen years (at least for Smackdown) and it’s a big card tonight. We have multiple title matches, with the big headliner being CM Punk defending the World Title against Sami Zayn. It’s hard to imagine a title change, but Zayn has been such a wildcard lately that anything is possible. Let’s get to it.
Here is Sunday Night’s Main Event if you need a recap.
We look back at Cody Rhodes once again falling for a ploy against Randy Orton and losing as a result.
Here is Orton to a hero’s welcome and he wants to talk about Rhodes. The reality is that Rhodes is not a killer but rather a good man, husband and friend. It takes a special man to take someone’s soul and Rhodes is not a killer. Orton is though and he doesn’t care if he’s perceived as a good person or not. No one gets in the way of his fifteenth World Title so he’s coming for whomever leaves as champion tonight, with promises of an RKO.
Nick Aldis tells Chelsea Green that she loses the Women’s Title if she’ gets injured again. Tiffany Stratton comes in for quite the pep talk as Green is off to find lip gloss.
AAA Cruiserweight Title: Ricky Saints vs. Rey Fenix
Fenix is defending and of course gets a massive reaction. Fenix starts things off with a springboard armdrag and hurricanrana but gets sent outside. Saints hits a suicide DDT and goes back inside to pose as we take a break. We come back with Saints getting caught on top and chopped a few times, setting up a super springboard hurricanrana.
A top rope moonsault gives Fenix two and he walks the rope to kick Saints in the face. Back up and Fenix flips off the top into a powerbomb. That and a springboard tornado DDT give Saints two but Fenix is back with his handspring cutter. Fenix superkicks him on top and the Mexican MuscleBuster retains the title at 9:29.
Rating: B. There is something so fun about seeing Fenix in the ring and that was the case again here. He just flies around so smoothly and it’s fascinating to see what he’s going to do next. That was the case again here, with Saints feeling more like a designated victim. That’s better than nothing, and Saints looked good here, even in defeat.
Post match Saints declines a handshake.
Sami Zayn rants about how for the sake of justice, he has to be the one to take the title from CM Punk. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae come in to offer their support. Gargano insists that he’s next if Zayn wins, with Zayn agreeing.
Paige vs. Nikki Bella
Paige has to be held back before the bell and Bella misses a running clothesline to start. Some right hands and forearms put Bella on the floor, with Paige superkicking her onto the announcers’ table. Back in and Paige fires off her knees in the ropes but gets sent outside again. That’s fine with Bella, who sends Paige into the barricade. Back in and a quick ref distraction lets Bella grab a cradle with the ropes for the pin at 3:24.
Rating: C. Oh no we’re nowhere near done with this feud and that just sounds so thrilling. I’m sure we need to fill in time before the Bellas can both be healthy at the same time for their moment and all that jazz. At least we didn’t have to hear Bella trying to sound tough as it’s a miserable failure most of the time, though the slip on a banana peel ending wasn’t exactly great to see either.
Nia Jax is ready to break Chelsea Green’s face again, as she has done to others before. Lash Legend doesn’t want Tiffany Stratton to get involved either.
Here is Trick Williams, once again US Champion, for a chat and a fan gives him a soccer ball on the way in. The fans chant for a local soccer star and Williams holds up the ball, saying he kicked Baron Corbin’s head like this ball, which is then kicked into the crowd. Williams thanks Lil Yachty for helping him get the title shot on Sunday, so Williams brings him out, complete with a big hyped up intro. And never mind as here is Corbin to carry a banged up Yachty out. Williams chases Corbin off but Corbin comes back out with the Trick Stick to drops Williams from behind.
Finn Balor is in Nick Aldis’ office and says he wants the next title shot instead of Randy Orton. Danhausen comes in to clean the monitor but Aldis points Balor to Money In The Bank instead. Gunther comes in and Aldis isn’t happy, with Gunther saying Balor peaked ten years ago. As Gunther leaves, Balor says he isn’t bothered so Gunther comes back in and grabs him by the jacket. Balor drops him with a right hand and leaves, with Danhausen seemingly doing something to Gunther behind his back.
Women’s Title: Chelsea Green vs. Nia Jax
Green, with her facemask and Tiffany Stratton, is defending while Jax has Lash Legend with her. An early missed charge sends Jax to the floor, where she easily blocks a suicide dive. Green is knocked over the announcers’ table and Jax, in red white and blue, gives us a USA chant. Jax hammers away on the floor and takes her back inside for a backsplash and a near fall, with the fans approving the kickout.
Back up and Jax chokes her in the corner but gets thrown down, with Stratton playing cheerleader. Jax sends her outside and Legend loads up a right hand but Stratton runs in to take the bullet. Back in and the Annihilator misses, allowing Green to use the mask for a headbutt. The Unpretty-Her retains the title at 6:16.
Rating: C+. While it feels like a matter of time before Stratton turns on Green, I’m rather glad that it didn’t happen here. Green took so long to finally get to the title that it would have been a shame to see her lose it so soon. Let her be built up as champion a bit longer and then pull the trigger on the turn, which should make for a good moment.
CM Punk says being the champion is like winning the lottery, but he didn’t come to Mexico City to lose his title to someone who is so obsessed with his nine day title reign. Tonight, Punk is going to hit such a big GTS that Zayn’s jaw will need to be wired shut so we won’t have to hear from him again.
AAA Tag Team Titles: War Raiders vs. R-Truth/Damian Priest
The Raiders are defending and jump them to start fast. Ivar’s top rope splash gets an early two on R-Truth, who is taken into the wrong corner. That’s broken up and it’s back to Priest to strike away and hit the running corner elbows. The lifting Downward Spiral gets two on Ivar but the Raiders both bail to the floor.
That means a dive off the steps to drop them again as we take a break. We come back with R-Truth getting the tag and initiating the Cena finishing sequence on Erik, with an AA getting two on Ivar as Erik makes the save. A nasty spinning kick to the face drops R-Truth though and Ragnarok retains the titles at 8:20.
Rating: B-. That’s exactly what needed to happen as there was no reason to have the Raiders lose here. Priest and R-Truth have had their time with the titles and it should be time for them to go their separate ways. If that means Priest gets all evil again, so be it, as it’s a better fit for him anyway.
Post match Priest and R-Truth are good, with Priest handing him his sombrero. Then Priest lays him out with a clothesline, as he should have. South Of Heaven onto the sombrero leaves R-Truth laying. Yeah that needed to happen.
Alexa Bliss tries to calm Charlotte down over the mistake with Tatum Paxley. Fatal Influence comes in to mock them but Paxley pops in to remind them that they beat Fatal Influence. Paxley assures Charlotte that they’re teammates and Charlotte hopes it was just a rookie mistake. Charlotte leaves and Bliss says to give her time.
Video on CM Punk vs. Sami Zayn.
Rey Fenix is happy with his title win tonight and is ready for another defense at TripleMania. Ricky Saints comes in to say his anger got the better of him and Fenix was the better man. Saints offers a handshake and Fenix shakes it, only for Saints to jump him anyway.
Smackdown World Title: Sami Zayn vs. CM Punk
Punk is defending and starts fast by knocking Zayn into the corner for the right hands. The suicide dive connects as well and we take an early break. We come back with Punk’s knee in trouble and Zayn being smart enough to go after it. That means a chop block on the apron and the leg being wrapped around the post (with Punk on his stomach, which you don’t see very often).
Zayn punches at the knee but stops to yell at the referee, allowing Punk to score with some kicks. Punk goes after the padded wrist but the GTS is countered into a Figure Four. Punk makes it to the rope and we take another break. We come back again with Zayn having to take the cast off of his own wrist and Punk’s knee gives out on the corner bulldog attempt. Zayn’s bad wrist won’t let him try the Blue Thunder Bomb but he reverses another GTS and now the Blue Thunder Bomb connects.
Punk is back up for two and the Helluva Kick is countered with a GTS for two, with Punk not being able to follow up. That means a delayed two and here are Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae for a distraction. Zayn goes after Punk’s leg again and the Figure Four goes on, with LeRae getting on the apron. Punk reverses into the GTS for the unseen tap so Gargano comes in for a belt shot, with Punk reversing into a GTS. Cue Kevin Owens to take the title from Zayn but he hits Punk by mistake. Zayn low blows Owens and the Helluva Kick gives Zayn the title back at 13:15.
Rating: B. It felt like a big time match and I’m rather surprised at the result. While it does fit the story well enough, I’m surprised that they actually went there. Zayn winning the title and getting to run away from various challengers could be interesting and there are all kinds of people to come after the belt. It could be quite the story and Punk will be right there to chase him as well.
Zayn celebrates to end the show.
Overall Rating: B. This was a case where the crowd boosted the show even further and it wound up being a very fun night. The big title change in the end was a bit of a stunner and I can go for seeing where they go from here. What matters the most is seeing a pretty stacked show in front of a red hot crowd as it definitely brought the energy. That should be enough of a bridge to Crown Jewel and I’m rather curious to see where they go there, as the field, at least at the top, is wide open.
Results
Rey Fenix b. Ricky Saints – Mexican MuscleBuster
Nikki Bella b. Paige – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Chelsea Green b. Nia Jax – Unpretty-Her
War Raiders b. R-Truth/Damian Priest – Ragnarok to R-Truth
Sami Zayn b. CM Punk – Helluva Kick
Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:
Recent Comments