On the eve of SummerSlam 2026 weekend, WWE SmackDown emanates from the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
A couple of matches and a huge segment have already been announced on WWE.com.
- Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk comes face-to-face with No. 1 contender Cody Rhodes ahead of their SummerSlam match.
- Damian Priest and R-Truth (c) vs. The War Raiders for the WWE Tag Team Championship
- Giulia vs. Lash Legend for the final spot in the 5-Way Ladder Match for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam
Tonight’s show is scheduled to start at 8:00 p.m. It will be televised on the USA Network in the United States and streamed on Netflix internationally.
WWE SmackDown Preview – July 31, 2026
GettyCM Punk and Cody Rhodes speak onstage during WWE Summer Slam Kickoff at Fanatics Fest NYC 2026 at Jacob Javits Center on July 19, 2026 in New York City.
Things between CM Punk and Cody Rhodes have reached a boiling point ahead of their Undisputed WWE Championship match at SummerSlam. It hasn’t turned overly physical yet, so it won’t be surprising if Punk and Rhodes brawl tonight to hype their match on Night 1.
For the first time since June 19, Damian Priest and R-Truth will put the WWE World Tag Team Championship on the line. They are set to face reigning AAA World Tag Team champions, The War Raiders. Erik and Ivar defeated Fraxiom in a tag team match two weeks ago on SmackDown.
Giulia and Lash Legend will look to qualify for the 5-Way Ladder Match at SummerSlam to determine the Interim WWE Women’s Champion. It’s an interesting dynamic since both superstars have lost momentum over the past few months.
WWE SmackDown Results Last Week
Here are the full results from last week’s WWE SmackDown:
- Gunther and Nick Aldis sign the contract for their match at SummerSlam. Things turned physical after a war of words, with The Ring General putting the former SmackDown GM through a table.
- Brie Bella w/ Paige def. Lainey Reid w/ Jacy Jayne and Fallon Henley. Fatal Influence attacked Brie and Paige before Nikki Bella returned and made the save. Nikki challenged them to a six-woman tag team match at SummerSlam.
- Chelsea Green def. Kiana James to qualify for the 5-Way Ladder match for the Interim WWE Women’s Championship at SummerSlam.
- Cody Rhodes and CM Punk trade words in a heated segment.
- Charlotte Flair def. Nia Jax via disqualification to qualify for the 5-Way Ladder match after Jade Cargill, Michin and B-Fab attacked Charlotte.
- Finn Balor def. Damian Priest, Royce Keys and Trick Williams to earn a No. 1 contender’s match against Sami Zayn at SummerSlam. The Bloodline, LA Knight and Solo Sikoa got involved in the match due to Keys. Baron Corbin also attacked Trick Williams after the match when SmackDown went off the air.
SummerSlam 2026 will be another two-night event on August 1 and 2 at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There are 12 total matches, with six matches per night.
It will be streamed on the ESPN App in the United States and on Netflix internationally.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post WWE SmackDown Preview for July 31, 2026: Punk-Rhodes, Matches Announced & More appeared first on HEAVY.