WWE SmackDown 7/17 Results: Stipulation added to SNME tag match, interim Women’s Championship qualifying matches begin

July 17, 2026 Jason Ounpraseuth NEWS, RECOMMENDED, Show Reports
Photo Courtesy: WWE

MVP Arena — Albany, New York

Results

  • Finn Balor def. Talla Tonga (9:32)
  • Interim WWE Women’s Championship qualifying match: Tiffany Stratton def. Jacy Jayne (7:46)
  • Interim WWE Women’s Championship qualifying match: Jade Cargill def. Nia Jax via DQ (0:57)
  • The War Radiers (Erik & Ivar) def. Fraxiom (Nathan Frazer & Axiom) (10:36)
  • Cody Rhodes def. Gunther via DQ (12:52)

SNME stakes

Gunther started the show after a recap of last week’s SmackDown and was welcomed with “You Suck” chants. He noted that he’s been nothing but professional in his career, but ever since he joined SmackDown, he’s been mistreated. He wondered if Nick Aldis was jealous of him and said that he should be WWE Champion now, but Aldis prevented that and made it personal. He transitioned to his tag match at Saturday Night’s Main Event and called Sami Zayn a bum and beneath him.

Adam Pearce, who is filling in for Aldis, had enough and cut off Gunther. He told Gunther that he should be thankful and ran down everything he’s done over the past few weeks. He said if it were up to him, Gunther would be fired. However, that decision was made by those above them, and he noted that if Gunther hadn’t attacked Aldis, he would have known about the stipulation in the SNME tag match. It seemed like this was supposed to be a more dramatic reveal, but Pearce said that Gunther and Sami won, and then they would be added to the CM Punk-Cody Rhodes match at SummerSlam.

Cody came out, and after his entrance played for a bit, he ran into the ring and went after Gunther. He had had enough of the stipulations and told Gunther that he should have expected him to come attack after getting his head smashed in by a car door. He wanted a match against Gunther, and Pearce made it official for SmackDown’s main event.

Women’s Title vacated

A Pearce pre-tape was played, where he revealed that Rhea Ripley continues her recovery, but her injury timetable remains up in the air. As a result, an interim champion will be crowned at SummerSlam in a five-way ladder match, with qualifying matches to decide the participants over the next two weeks.

Talla Tonga vs. Finn Balor

This was a fine match. Talla still looks like he moves in slow motion. The biggest moment of the match came when Talla cut Finn off from the top rope. Balor countered a T-Bomb attempt with a DDT. He wiped off Tama from the apron and dodged a boot from Talla, who was stuck in the middle rope. Finn took advantage and then hit Tama with a sling blade on the outside. He hit a shotgun dropkick on Talla and won after two Coup de Graces.

Punk/Priest

Punk met up with Pearce backstage to go over the SNME stipulation and how worried he is about Gunther beating up Cody tonight. Damian Priest then approached Punk and thanked him for the shoutout. He told Punk that he’ll be waiting around after SummerSlam to come for his title if he comes out the winner. Punk told Priest that he hopes that he and R-Truth retain the tag titles because he and Cody might go after them. Truth surprised Priest, and it seemed like their segment got cut off short because there weren’t that many gags as there usually are.

A series of backstage promos featured the participants of the qualifying matches later in the show: Jade Cargill, Nia Jax, Jacy Jayne and Tiffany Stratton. Jade and Nia talked about how dangerous they were and their desire to win and become champions again. Jacy talked about how winning will help put Fatal Influence on top, and Tiffany Stratton noted she would have the home-field advantage at SummerSlam.

Jacy Jayne vs. Tiffany Stratton

Fatal Influence attacked Tiffany before the match began. Brie Bella and Paige came in for the save and sent Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley to the back. A nice, hard-hitting start before a double crossbody following a commercial break. They traded strikes, with Jacy getting the better of it with an enzuigiri. Tiffany responded with a series of lariats, a spinning elbow, and a cartwheel Alabama slam. Jacy cut Tiffany off the top rope and hit a draping neckbreaker for a two-count. Tiffany countered Rolling Encore with a springboard Stunner. She hit the rolling senton into the Prettiest Moonsault Ever for the win.

U.S. Title scene shake-up

A Baron Corbin promo played, and Corbin said that he’s been watching the shows. He said that guys think they’re tough. They think they can walk the walk and talk the talk, but he is the real deal. Corbin said that Trick Williams is the first name in a long list, and Hayes is collateral damage. He warned the locker room that if they get in his way, they’ll get knocked out. “I am Baron Corbin, and I am coming for it all.”

Jackie Redmond was backstage with Trick, who noted that Corbin dialed “1-800-Whoop-That,” but he’s a big bald-headed bitch. He said that Corbin’s problem is that Trick has the championship and more hair than him. Carmelo Hayes confronted Trick, who wanted an apology for Lil Yachty. Carmelo said that Trick found a loophole to not defend the title and that he notices that when he comes around, Trick holds the title really tight. Trick turned it back to Melo, saying he hasn’t done anything on SmackDown. Trick pointed out that he is the hottest thing and told Melo to take notes: “Mind your business while grown folks are talking.”

Top of the hour of a two-hour show, and a recap of the Brock Lesnar-Oba Femi segment played. Lesnar’s shirt wasn’t edited on USA Network.

Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax

Nia’s entrance was skipped, and this match started quickly, with Nia countering a big boot into a Samoan drop and a leg drop. She tried to go for the Annihilator, but the Baddies distracted her enough for Jade to take over with a superkick, followed up by a spinebuster. Charlotte Flair then came out of nowhere to take out the Baddies and attack Jade to get revenge for Alexa Bliss. That ended the match, and Jade won via DQ, which counted and got her into the ladder match. Noticeably, Lash Legend wasn’t ringside with Nia, despite being shown walking into the arena with her. Charlotte looked to Pillmanize Jade’s arm, but the Baddies saved her. Nia was pissed off at the result and hit Charlotte with a corner splash. Jade and the Baddies surrounded Charlotte, and Jade hit her with Jaded.

Redmond was backstage with Gunther, who said he would beat the rationale into Cody after throwing a “golden boy” dig at him. He said he doesn’t care about Sami and would win at SNME to get into the SummerSlam match. Candice LeRae came in and stood up for Sami, telling Gunther that Sami would be the fourth man at SummerSlam and that Gunther needed to focus and win the match. Blake Monroe was watching in the background and attacked Candice from behind. She told Candice that it was the perfect time to introduce herself as the new girl and that she would see her around. She walked past the planking Johnny Gargano and told him to get a haircut.

Nia and Lash were backstage yelling at Pearce. Lash said that she doesn’t know how Pearce wrote Raw, but they expect consequences at SmackDown. Pearce told Nia that she would get another match next week against Charlotte.

The War Raiders vs. Fraxiom

This was a fun match that the crowd eventually got into. At least they got into the big moves, especially when Ivar missed a moonsault on Fraxiom. Axiom hit a PK, and Frazer tagged in to hit a springboard 450 for a nearfall. Ivar leveled Frazer with a lariat and hit a big boot on Axiom. Erik slammed Ivar onto Axiom in the corner. Erik hit a powerslam that Frazer broke up. Frazer missed a suicide dive on Ivar, but Axiom nailed Ivar with his own suicide dive. Frazer got a tope con hilo on Erik, but Ivar knocked Axiom down. Axiom recovered with a step-up enzuigiri on the top rope. Fraziom hit a double superplex, and Frazer hit the Phoenix Splash, but Erik broke up the pin with a running knee. Axiom and Erik traded strikes. Axiom tried to go for a German suplex, but Axiom got hit with a reverse GTS, Frazer was taken out with a powerslam, and the War Raiders won with Ragnarok on Axiom for the win.

A clip of Fanatics Fest played with LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys talking smack (mostly Knight) about The Usos and Jacob Fatu. We then got more highlights from Fanatics Fest.

Punk met up with Cody in the locker room. Cody admitted that facing Gunther the night before SNME wasn’t a good idea, but it was something he had to do. Punk said that he would have Cody’s back, but they disagreed over whether or not Punk would be ringside or watching from the back.

We got another Raw recap. This time, the Seth Rollins-Roman Reigns contract signing.

Jackie met with Danhausen in his lair. Jackie wondered how Danhausen would deal with Judgment Day’s numbers game, especially after rejecting Matt Cardona’s help. Danhausen unveiled his secret weapon: A stuffed cat in a cage. Danhausen noted that walking past a black cat means “you are cursed.” His computer malfunctioned, and he and Jackie ran off.

Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther

Cody took it to Gunther on the ramp and attacked him all around the ring. Gunther was in control coming out of the commercial break, but Cody caught Gunther with a Cody Cutter. Cody worked on his comeback and hit a scoop slam, followed up by a Disaster Kick. Another Cody Cutter led into a Cross Rhodes attempt, but Gunther countered and nailed a chop. He caught Cody’s leg on the corner and started working on Cody’s left leg, smashing it into the corner. Punk’s music played, and he came out to support Cody. Gunther mocked Punk with the GTS taunt. Cody countered it, and both men took each other out to lead into a picture-in-picture break.

Gunther continued to wear Cody down, but he found life with a series of punches, followed up by a Pedigree. Gunther caught Cody in a half-crab after the PiP break and talked trash to Punk, who offered encouragement to Cody. Gunther tried to reapply the hold as Cody was close to forcing a rope break, and Cody escaped. He dodged a boot in the corner and went after Gunther’s right leg. He hit a dragon screw and locked in the Figure Four. Sami Zayn came out of nowhere and attacked Punk and sent him flying across the announce desk. Gunther forced a break as Cody acknowledged Sami. Gunther tried to catch Cody from behind, but he fought it off and hit a suicide dive on Sami, who retaliated and ended the match in a DQ. Sami set up Gunther to powerbomb Cody through the desk, but Punk came in for the save, and the two teams brawl, with producers and refs trying to break things up to end the show.

 

About Jason Ounpraseuth 160 Articles
Jason Ounpraseuth is a journalist from Massachusetts. He writes and reports about New England and Boston sports and professional wrestling.
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