WWE SmackDown (May 8, 2026): Gunther appears; Gingerbread Man's funeral; Rhea Ripley teams up with Charlotte Flair & more set for next week
(Courtesy : WWE)
More matches announced for WWE Backlash 2026.
The May 1 edition of Friday Night SmackDown emanated from the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cody Rhodes kicked off the show, revealing that he has been medically cleared. Ricky Saints then confronted him, leading to a non-title clash later in the show.
On the other hand, Jacy Jayne defeated Charlotte Flair, while Damian Priest and R-Truth defeated Fraxiom (Axiom & Nathan Frazer) to retain the WWE Tag Team titles.
Furthermore, Royce Keys defeated Angel in singles action. Meanwhile, Paige and Brie Bella defeated The Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) to retain the Women’s Tag titles. The main event clash between The MFTs (Solo Sikoa & Talla Tonga) vs The Usos (Jimmy & Jey Uso) ended in DQ as Jacob Fatu attacked.
Gunther will appear next week after attacking Cody Rhodes
During this week’s show, WWE announced multiple matches and segments for next week’s show. After ambushing the Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes and putting him to sleep, Gunther is set to make an appearance next week, likely to explain his actions.
On the other hand, WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley will team up with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss to take on the common enemy in Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) in a six-woman tag team match.
The match came about after Jayne defeated Flair in a singles match, and Lainey and Henley launched a post-match attack. While Alexa tried to help, she was outnumbered until Rhea arrived to even the odds.
Furthermore, the newly crowned WWE Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton will defend the title for the first time against Giulia’s manager, Kiana James.
Additionally, WWE will also hold a funeral for the Gingerbread Man after Sami Zayn ripped him to pieces on this week’s show, bagging the US title rematch against Trick Williams at Backlash in the process.
The May 8 edition of WWE SmackDown is set to take place live at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The edition will serve as the go-home edition for Backlash 2026.
Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre, Jade Cargill, Tiffany Stratton, and Randy Orton are listed as featured superstars for the show.
Announced for WWE SmackDown next week (May 8, 2026)
- Gunther to appear
- Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid)
- Tiffany Stratton (c) vs Kiana James – Women’s United States title match
- A funeral for the Gingerbread Man
When and where will SmackDown take place next week?
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, will host the next week’s edition of SmackDown.
When and where will Backlash 2026 take place?
The 2026 edition of Backlash will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026, at the Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida.
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.