Lineup for WWE SmackDown Tonight ft. CM Punk & Kevin Owens to appear; Chelsea Green returns as Interim Champion after SummerSlam 2026 & more

Philly hosts SmackDown after SummerSlam.

The 2026 edition of SummerSlam delivered a two-night spectacle last weekend from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Night 1 of SummerSlam saw Fatal Influence defeat the Bella Twins and Paige, after which the twins turned on Paige in a brutal post-match beatdown.

Meanwhile, in the co-main event, Randy Orton returned to attack Cody Rhodes, costing him the Undisputed title match against CM Punk. On the other hand, Night 2 saw Kevin Owens return to win the fatal four-way match and become the new number one contender for the Undisputed title.

Furthermore, Baron Corbin defeated Trick Williams to become the new US Champion, and Chelsea Green captured the Interim WWE Women’s title in the ladder match.

In the aftermath of the PLE, WWE on Friday will deliver the fallout show of WWE SmackDown, addressing the developments from SummerSlam.

What’s in store for tonight’s SmackDown?

Tonight’s edition of SmackDown will be live from the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, CM Punk, Gunther and Trick Williams are listed as featured superstars for the show.

Regarding what’s been announced, a grudge match between Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill has been confirmed for the show. Flair has been looking for some payback on Jade after she brutally attacked and injured her tag partner, Alexa Bliss.

The two brawled during last week’s show and even during the ladder match. After last week’s brawl, Flair, in a WWE social media exclusive, informed acting GM Adam Pearce that she wants to take on Jade in a one-on-one match. Pearce made the match official for this week.

With his win in the fatal four-way match at SummerSlam, Kevin Owens is now the number one contender for the Undisputed title. For the fallout show, both Owens and Undisputed Champion CM Punk are confirmed to appear.

Night 2 of SummerSlam saw Chelsea Green defy the odds to climb the ladder and capture the Interim WWE Women’s Champion, her first World title in the promotion. With Rhea Ripley recently undergoing surgery and rumblings of her relinquishing the title, Green makes her first appearance on SmackDown tonight.

• Charlotte Flair vs Jade Cargill
• CM Punk & Kevin Owens to appear
• The newly crowned Interim WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green to appear
• SummerSlam aftermath
• Kevin Owens, Cody Rhodes, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, CM Punk, Gunther and Trick Williams are listed as featured superstars

Returns expected on tonight’s show

The blue brand has already seen two major returns at the PLE as both Randy Orton and Kevin Owens made their return. Tonight, the two are expected to make their return to SmackDown, with Owens’ appearance being confirmed by WWE.

Similar to this week’s edition of Raw, fans are anticipating more returns on the show. Among the names being expected is Alexa Bliss, who was written off TV before SummerSlam after an attack by Jade Cargill.

She could likely return during the match between Charlotte Flair and Jade to aid her tag partner against Jade & Co. Other stars who have been away from programming could return with new creative direction.

Start time for tonight’s SmackDown in Philadelphia

• United States, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico: 08 PM ET, 07 PM CT & 05 PM PT (Friday)
• Canada: 08 PM ET (Friday)
• United Kingdom & Ireland: 1 AM BST (Saturday)
• India: 5:30 AM IST (Saturday)
• Bangladesh: 06 AM BST (Saturday)
• Saudi Arabia: 03 AM AST (Saturday)
• Australia: 10 AM AEST / 11 AM AEDT (Saturday)
• France: 02 AM CET (Saturday)
• Brazil: 09 PM BRT (Friday)
• Mexico: 06 PM CST (Friday)
• Singapore: 08 AM SGT (Saturday)
• China: 08 AM CST (Saturday)
• Nigeria: 01 AM WAT (Saturday)
• South Africa: 02 AM SAST (Saturday)
• Germany: 02 AM CET (Saturday)
• Japan: 09 AM JST (Saturday)
• Italy: 02 AM CET (Saturday)

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