Welcome to Wrestling Inc.’s results for “WWE SmackDown” on September 18, 2026, coming to you live from the Hilliard Center Arena in Corpus Christi, Texas!
Two more entrants in the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Money In The Bank matches will be determined tonight, as Randy Orton squares off against AAA Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix and United States Champion Trick Williams while Jade Cargill takes on Alexa Bliss and Women’s United States Champion Jacy Jayne in a pair of Triple Threat qualifier matches. Je’Von Evans and Lola Vice emerged victorious in Triple Threat Qualifiers of their own on this past Monday’s episode of “WWE Raw”, joining World Tag Team Champion Bron Breakker and Sol Ruca respectively in the 2026 Men’s and Women’s Money In The Bank matches as the latest entrants.
WWE Tag Team Champions Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga of MFT will be in action as they collide with Bakusai’s Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki in a non title match. MFT most recently successfully retained their WWE Tag Team Championship against Damian Priest and R-Truth on the August 21 episode of “WWE SmackDown”, while Bakusai defeated The Miz and Kit Wilson in their first WWE tag team match on the September 4 edition of the show.
Additionally, Sami Zayn will be making an appearance on tonight’s show after dethroning CM Punk as Undisputed WWE Champion in the main event of last Friday’s episode of “SmackDown” despite Kevin Owens foiling Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae’s attempt to interfere in the match. Cody Rhodes will also be sitting down for an interview for the first time since he came up short against the aforementioned Orton at WWE Sunday’s Night’s Main Event on September 6.
We are live! The show kicks off with a video recapping the Undisputed WWE Championship match from last Friday.
Michael Cole and Corey Graves then greet audiences at home.
We Hear From Sami Zayn
Nick Aldis is standing in the ring, and he says sometimes in his job, he has to just put on a smile. He introduces Zayn, and he makes his way out. He tells Aldis he knows how much it must’ve hurt Aldis to give him the introduction he just did, but says it feels good to call himself the Undisputed WWE Championship. He says he’s a little surprised by the negative reaction from the fans because when he said justice for Sami was never about him, he meant it. He says it meant justice for all including the fans booing him, then says justice is not the sole tenant of his belief system. He says he believes very strongly in equality and tells Aldis that he expects the people knocking on Aldis’ door to all be treated as equals.
Johnny Gargano’s music hits, and he makes his way out with Candice LeRae. Zayn thanks Gargano and LeRae for joining him in the ring, but Gargano says there’s another reason that he’s out here. He reminds Zayn of a deal they struck last week wherein Zayn promised to give Gargano a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship if he helped Zayn, but Zayn tries to dispute Gargano’s claims by saying he promised to take care of Gargano. Gargano responds by saying he’s first in line and challenges Zayn to an Undisputed WWE Championship match, but Aldis reveals he thinks CM Punk is next in line for an Undisputed WWE Championship shot.
Kevin Owens’ music hits and he makes his way out. Owens takes out Gargano with a Stunner, but Aldis tells Owens that he doesn’t reward bad behavior. Owens says Zayn screwed up many “SmackDown” main events over the past several weeks, but Zayn tries to talk Aldis out of granted Owens an Undisputed WWE Championship match and asks Aldis if he thinks he’s going to pull what he did by having Punk challenge him for the title in his first reign. Aldis warns Zayn against putting his hands on him and says no one makes the matches but him, then says Zayn just made his decision for him and makes an Undisputed WWE Championship match between Zayn and Owens official for tonight.
Zayn argues with Aldis on the entrance ramp, but Randy Orton’s music hits and he makes his way out as he shines up the Undisputed WWE Championship belt while passing Zayn. Rey Fenix and Trick Williams follow.
Trick Williams (w/ Lil Yachty) vs. Rey Fenix vs. Randy Orton in a Triple Threat Qualifier Match for the 2026 Men’s Money In The Bank Match
The bell rings and Orton levels Fenix. He locks up with Williams, but Fenix levels Williams with a dropkick and fires off strikes on Orton. Williams sends Fenix crashing into the mat chest first and levels him with an uppercut, then clotheslines Fenix out of the ring. Orton sends Fenix crashing into the announce desk spine first and does the same to Williams and Yachty when Yachty gets in his face.
During the commercial break, Williams sends Fenix crashing into the mat spine first during the commercial break. Orton blindsides Williams from behind and sends him crashing into the top turnbuckle face first, but Williams fires off stomps on Orton in the corner. Orton levels Williams with a back elbow, but Fenix pulls both Orton and Williams off the ropes. He delivers a Frog Splash to Orton off the middle rope back from the break and goes for a pin, but Orton kicks out. Orton lands scoop powerslams on Fenix and Williams before Fenix lands a poisionrana on Williams and levels him with a superkick.
Fenix looks to fly off the ropes, but Orton catches him with a RKO. Williams levels Orton with a Trick Shot knee and pins him for the win.
Winner: Trick Williams
Bakusai then makes their way to the ring. MFT follows.
MFT (w/ Haku) vs. Bakusai
Kyoki and Tama Tonga begin the action. The bell rings and Kyoki knocks Talla off the ring apron. Tama blindsides Kyoki from behind on the outside and dumps him back in the ring, but Kyoki delivers a dropkick to send Tama crashing back out of the ring and delivers a double dropkick to level Tama and Talla on the outside.
Shinsuke Nakamura and Talla Tonga tag in during the commercial break, but Tama tags in and continues to wear down Nakamura. Talla tags back in and double teams on Nakamura with Tama, but Tama then tags back in and wears down Nakamura with a submission hold.
Nakamura suplexes Kyoki on top of Talla back from the break and pins him, but Talla kicks out and Nakamura lands a kick on the back of his neck. He ascends to the middle rope and delivers a knee to Talla, but Tama pulls Kyoki off the ring apron. Nakamura delivers a hanging German suplex to him. Haku then hits Nakamura with his Tongan walking stick, causing the disqualification.
Winners: Bakusai (via disqualification)
After the match, Haku uses his Tongan walking stick to send Nakamura crashing into the ring steps throat first. Talla chokeslams Kyoki on the ring apron and delivers a chop block-big boot combination to him with Tama.
We then head backstage, where Tiffany Stratton informs Chelsea Green that she has a Triple Threat Qualifier for the 2026 Women’s Money In The Bank match and asks Green if she’s okay with that. Green insists that she is, and the pair run into Nikki Bella who puts Green on notice for his Women’s Championship.
We then head over to a sit down interview between Cody Rhodes and Michael Cole, where Rhodes reflects on his Sunday Night’s Main Event loss to Randy Orton and discussions about his morality. He promises that he won’t make the same decision he did on September 6 when the time comes again.
Jade Cargill then makes her way to the ring. Fatal Influence and Alexa Bliss follow
Jade Cargill vs. Jacy Jayne (w/ Fatal Influence) vs. Alexa Bliss in a Triple Threat Qualifier Match for the 2026 Women’s Money In The Bank Match
The bell rings and Jayne stands up on the announce desk to gloat. Bliss pulls her off and sends her crashing into it face first, but Cargill trips Jayne from outside the ring when Jayne is back inside it. Bliss levels Cargill and steps on Jayne’s spine, but Cargill pulls Bliss out of the ring over the top rope.
Jayne rains down right hands on Bliss during the commercial break and delivers a running senton to her before Bliss delivers a senton off the ring apron to level Jayne on the outside.
Jayne runs over Bliss with a knee strike and pins her, but Bliss kicks out and ascends to the top rope. She looks to fly, but Jayne rolls out of the ring. Bliss switches directions and levels Jayne and Cargill with a crossbody on the outside, then delivers a Sister Abigail to Jayne and goes for a pin. Jayne kicks out.
Bliss rains down right hands and left hands on Cargill, then sets up for a Sister Abigail on her. Cargill escapes and delivers Jaded to Bliss, but Jayne lands a boot on Cargill’s head and pins Bliss for the win.
Winner: Jacy Jayne
Kevin Owens then makes his way to the ring. Sami Zayn follows.
Sami Zayn (c) vs. Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Championship
The bell rings and Owens runs over Zayn on the outside. He delivers a couple of chops to Zayn’s chest, then dumps him back inside the ring. Zayn lands a jawbreaker on Owens and rains down right hands on him, then whips him into the corner spine first and fires off stomps on him in the corner.
Zayn ascends up the ropes, but Owens sees him coming and delivers a superkick to level him. He lands a cannonball on Zayn in the corner of the ring and follows it up with an Attitude Adjustment, then goes for a pin but Zayn kicks out.
Zayn catches Owens with a Blue Thunder Bomb and pins him, but Owens kicks out and Zayn sits him on the top rope during the commercial break. He joins him up there, but Owens knocks Zayn off the ropes and delivers a Swanton Bomb to him. He goes for a pin, but Owens kicks out.
Johnny Gargano runs out to distract the referee, opening the door for Candice LeRae to land a DDT on Owens and Zayn to connect with a Helluva Kick on him. He goes for a pin, but Owens kicks out and delivers a pop-up powerbomb to Zayn. He follows it up with a Stunner and goes for a pin, but Gargano puts Zayn’s foot on the bottom rope to break the fall.
Owens sends Gargano crashing into one of the barricades and clears the announce desk, then looks to powerbomb Gargano through it. Zayn hits Owens from behind, but Owens responds by sending Zayn crashing through the announce desk. Owens dumps Zayn back in the ring, then lands a Stunner on Gargano when Gargano looks to hit him with the Undisputed WWE Championship.
CM Punk appears to hit Owens with the Undisputed WWE Championship. Zayn pins Owens, but Owens kicks out and Zayn delivers a Helluva Kick to him for the win.
Winner (and still): Sami Zayn
After the match, Punk attacks Zayn and lands a GTS on him for the win. He lands a second GTS on Owens and happily heads up the entrance ramp as the show goes off the air.
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