Smackdown – November 6, 2026: Their Old Formula
Smackdown
Date: November 6, 2026
Location: Barclays Center, New York City, New York
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett
It’s a taped show the night before Crown Jewel, because WWE needs that show to take place in one of the most dangerous places in the world. After all we can’t just have two big matches for the sake of bragging rights taking place in any regular spot. As for tonight, CM Punk is facing Kevin Owens in a no holds barred match, which should be no holds barredey. Let’s get to it.
Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.
The opening video looks at Punk vs. Owens, which is easily the biggest thing this week.
We look at Sami Zayn and Roman Reigns’ interactions on Raw, which ended with Zayn kicking Reigns in the face.
Here is Zayn for a chat. After asking how many of us are here to ride or die with him, Zayn brings up Reigns saying Zayn wouldn’t be champion by the time we got to Crown Jewel. Then he went to Raw and took Reigns out on Reigns’ show. As long as he has this title, no one is overlooking him again but here is Jimmy Uso to interrupt. Jimmy rants about Zayn not helping the Bloodline against the 946 on Raw but Zayn says they’re in a different world now that he’s champion.
Jimmy brings up Reigns being focused on Zayn after Raw, meaning it’s going to be a beating at Crown Jewel. Zayn: “He really said that?” Jimmy: “Loud and clear.” That’s exactly what Zayn wanted because Reigns wasn’t focused on the match. He’ll see Reigns at Crown Jewel and walks out. Cue 946 to jump Uso as Zayn looks on and then leaves Jimmy to take the big group beating.
Post break, Rey Fenix walks up to and then away from Zayn. Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae approve of what Zayn did, with Zayn still promising him a title shot. He’ll even go talk to Nick Aldis about it.
Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Tama Tonga
Kyoki, Talla Tonga and Haku are here too. Tama tackles him to start and they take turns brawling in the corner. Nakamura sends him up to the top rope for the running knee, followed by the sliding German suplex. A quick distraction lets Talla get in a big boot though and we take a break.
We come back with Nakamura fighting back and grabbing a German suplex for two. Tama hits a suplex of his own into a lifting Pedigree for two but Nakamura gives him a spinning kick to the head. Talla is kicked down by both Nakamura and Kyoki, with the latter being enough of a distraction for Kinshasa to finish Tama at 9:48.
Rating: C+. They did what they could here and it’s nice to see that Nakamura still knows how to do this on his own. He’s been a tag wrestler for the last bit and hasn’t been in many singles matches so this was a rare sight to see. We’re probably coming up on a big title match between the teams at Survivor Series, which is pretty long overdue.
CM Punk rants about how Kevin Owens can’t get over something about twenty years ago. Owens made him lose the title to a mediocre Sami Zayn and now it’s time to end all of this.
Here is Gunther to say he cleared out the freak show last week. That proved that he was absolutely right about Finn Balor, who could have tried to be serious one more time. Instead he’s spending time with Danhausen, so for now, Gunther is giving Balor one more chance to come out here and face him man to man. Cue Balor, who says he was the one who took Gunther out last week and he’ll do it again, with a demon inside of him. The brawl is on and Balor escapes the powerbomb but can’t hit the Coup de Grace as Gunther bails.
Fatal Influence mock Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley losing the Tag Team Titles so quickly. Tonight, Fatal Influence is getting the titles back.
Earlier this week, Rey Mysterio announces a Classic Survivor Series match with Team USA vs. Team Mexico. I’ve heard worse ideas.
Women’s Tag Team Titles: Fatal Influence vs. Baddies
The Baddies are defending. Reid starts with Michin and rolls her up for an early two. B-Fab sneaks in for a clothesline but gets knocked down by Henley. A choke doesn’t really work so Henley knocks Michin off the apron. That’s enough for B-Fab to come back with a double clothesline and they’re both down. Cue Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss to jump B-Fab and Henley for the double DQ at 3:30.
Rating: C. At least the buildup has been there to logically get us to the triple threat title match. Just let it be that kind of a match rather than something with some kind of gimmick. This wasn’t a particularly good match but that wasn’t the point here, which excuses quite a bit of the issues.
Post match the big brawl is on and Bayley runs in, only for Jade Cargill to take her out. Charlotte returns for the brawl with Cargill and naturally tries a Figure Four, as you do in a fight. The villains make the save and bail as I’m wondering why they haven’t just announces WarGames yet.
Kevin Owens is sick of CM Punk. Earlier this week, Shawn Michaels had Owens leave the Performance Center because Punk was showing up. Owens can’t even get his shoulder worked on because Punk might see him? Tonight, Owens is sending Punk to the past.
In the back, Bayley, Charlotte, Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley talk about going to WAR.
Here is Nick Aldis to bring out Chelsea Green for a chat. Aldis respects her and he’s glad that she’s the one going into a match this big tomorrow. Liv Morgan has made it clear that she doesn’t think much of Green, who is being given the chance to respond. A serious Green talks about how she has had trouble believing in herself, which is why what Morgan has said is getting to her. Sometimes she tells herself the same thing and she isn’t sure if she’s championship material.
Aldis insists she does but Green lists off some former champions and says she has to beat Morgan to belong on that list. Cue Morgan to mock Green’s emotions because Green didn’t beat anyone to win the title. The fans buy into her because they’re talentless losers too. Morgan on the other hand is the greatest of all time…and that’s it. If Green loses tomorrow, this company has reached a new level of dumb.
Trick Williams isn’t happy with his loss last week but if Damian Priest doesn’t like him, Priest can come find him. Simple and to the point here.
Damian Priest vs. Nathan Frazer
Frazer starts fast with some dives before the bell and a ticked off Priest gets inside as we officially get going. Priest sends him into the corner to take over but Frazer slips out of South Of Heaven. Another suicide dive is countered into a toss into the barricade though and it’s a Razor’s Edge over the announcers’ table. The referee calls it as Frazer is out at 2:20.
Post match Priest beats up Axiom for fun.
Quick recap of the John Cena Classic announcement.
Video on Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes.
Crown Jewel rundown.
CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens
No Holds Barred. Punk strikes away to start but it’s way too early for the GTS. Owens clotheslines him outside instead and chairs Punk in the back. Some hard shots knock Punk over the barricade and they fight into the crowd. Punk manages to fight back but gets sent into the barricade to land upside down. After Owens stands on a rather tender spot, they come back to ringside and Punk knocks him down, setting up a steps shot to the head. A piledriver onto the steps is broken up and of course it’s time for the table.
Punk fights back and grabs a trashcan, which Owens puts over Punk’s head. The Cannonball connects in the corner but Punk is able to backdrop him onto the trashcan. They go up to the stage where Punk gets in the GTS but it’s a long way to the ring. That means Punk has to get smart, as he grabs a cart and puts Owens on for a ride into the ring wall. The top rope elbow gets two back inside and the Anaconda Vice goes on, with Owens going to the eyes to escape.
Owens chairs him down but gets sent into a chair in the corner for two. Punk puts the chairs on top of Owens, who rolls outside before Punk can jump. Instead it’s an elbow off the barricade to put Owens through the announcers’ table and they head back inside. This time Punk wraps a chain around the knee but the GTS is countered, with Owens getting in a Swanton for two.
Owens sets up a bunch of chairs but the superplex is broken up as well. Punk slams Owens off the top for two and the kickout has Punk shocked. Owens is right back up with the spinning fisherman’s buster off the apron and through the tables at ringside. A Stunner gets two on Punk back inside so Owens loads up the chain. That earns him a quick GTS but Owens knocks him cold with the chain for the pin at 24:25.
Rating: B+. These two beat the fire out of each other and while it never quite hit that top level, it was nice to see them going at it like this. That’s how a match like this should go, as it felt like two people who couldn’t get along anymore just beating each other up. Owens winning is a surprise, even if the result felt almost like a stroke of luck rather than a big win. Both of them came out of it looking strong, but Owens vs. Zayn for the title is all but guaranteed, possibly at the Rumble.
Overall Rating: B-. This was definitely in the “here’s a big match the night before the pay per view and not much else” form, which is something that WWE has done for a good while now. In that way, the main event went well, but Green having no rebuttal to Morgan wasn’t the best look. Crown Jewel just needs to get out of the way before we move on to Survivor Series and the WarGames matches that have been teased for weeks. Rather good main event but not much else here.
Results
Shinsuke Nakamura b. Tama Tonga – Kinshasa
Baddies vs. Fatal Influence went to a double DQ when Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley interfered
Damian Priest b. Nathan Frazer via referee stoppage
Kevin Owens b. CM Punk – Right hand with a chain
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