WWE SmackDown Fallout Begins After Night of Champions

WWE wasted no time capitalizing on the action at Night of Champions 2026, as the company filmed a special episode of Friday Night SmackDown immediately following Monday Night Raw in Atlantic City. With WWE skipping the July 3 event due to Independence Day, the special episode of the long-running program became one of the most anticipated shows of the week, as it featured the historic triumph of Sami Zayn over Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship.

Sami Zayn Faces New Challenge After WWE Title Victory

The main story on a special episode of Friday Night SmackDown featured the new WWE Champion Sami Zayn, who was the first to talk and address the fans, apologizing for losing their support after so many exciting victories over the past few weeks. Cody Rhodes entered the ring and quickly interrupted Sami’s rant, openly congratulating him on the title victory. However, the moment did not last long, as Jey Uso stepped forward and declared that he wanted the championship for himself, immediately demanding a match. Jey’s interruption led Adam Pearce to set up a number one contender’s match for later in the night, with the winner facing Sami on next week’s Raw in Chicago.

Women’s Division and AAA Action Heat Up on SmackDown

Meanwhile, drama continued to erupt in the WWE women’s division as Alexa Bliss confronted Charlotte Flair over her apparent vendetta against Jade Cargill. Later, the two teams, with Flair, Tiffany Stratton, and Chelsea Green vs. Cargill, Bianca Belair, and Jade Cargill, saw action in a six-woman tag team match that saw Cargill pin Green after some hard-hitting action. In a notable match on the cruiserweight scene, Rey Fenix picked up a win over El Hijo Del Vikingo, continuing the company’s long-standing relationship with AAA talent.

Cody Rhodes Earns Big Rematch in SmackDown Main Event

Meanwhile, WWE’s women’s division saw more drama as Alexa Bliss directly confronted Charlotte Flair over her ongoing conflict with Jade Cargill. Finally, the biggest upset came during the main event as Cody Rhodes picked up a surprise victory over Jey Uso. Despite early reports of an ankle injury, the injury apparently did not keep Uso out of the match, and the win sets up a highly-anticipated rematch for the WWE Championship between Rhodes and Sami Zayn on next week’s Raw.