WWE SmackDown Results & Winners (May 8, 2026): Cody Rhodes vs Gunther official for Clash in Italy; Backlash build; Jade Cargill returns to attack Rhea Ripley & more
(Courtesy : WWE.com)
Gingerbread Man resurrects to aid Trick Williams; Danhausen tries to clone himself & more!
The May 8 edition of WWE SmackDown emanated live at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The edition served as the go-home show for Backlash 2026, featuring the final face-offs and promo battles ahead of the PLE in Tampa tomorrow.
The show also continued building new storylines, even announcing a match for the upcoming Clash in Italy, which will be the next PLE after Backlash. The show also marked the return of Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab, who appeared for the first time since WrestleMania 42.
Get the full summary, highlights, results, and winners list from this Friday’s fallout show of WrestleMania 42, the 5/8 episode of WWE SmackDown.
WWE SmackDown Summary and Highlights
WWE opened the show with a tribute to Ted Turner, while back in the arena, Jacob Fatu arrived to kick off the broadcast. Fatu previews the upcoming clash with Roman Reigns, stating that he will take the World Heavyweight title. The Usos interrupted, trying to warn Fatu of the consequences when he loses, and Roman forces Fatu to acknowledge right in front of his family.
Fatu made it clear that he is not going to lose and warned the Usos that if they’re even thinking of interfering in the match, then he will “burn the family tree down to the ground.”
In a backstage segment, Royce Keys met with Jacob Fatu and hyped him up for Backlash. Solo Sikoa then arrived next and asked Keys to reconsider joining the MFTs. Meanwhile, in the first match of the show, Tiffany Stratton defended the Women’s United States title against Kiana James.
James had the former Champion and her client, Giulia, in the corner. However, miscommunication led to a failed interference, costing James as Stratton pinned Kiana to retain the title.
Backstage, Sami Zayn attended the memoriam for the Gingerbread Man, complaining to Nick Aldis about how he let it happen, with R-Truth expressing his condolences, only irking Zayn even more, who was baffled by the number of people showing up for the memoriam.
Cathy Kelley interviewed Alexa Bliss, Charlotte Flair, and Rhea Ripley ahead of their match with Fatal Influence. Flair and Ripley continued bickering, while Alexa tried to make them focus on the upcoming match. On the other hand, Damian Priest battled Talla Tonga and had asked R-Truth to stay backstage due to his injury, which the MFTs will try to exploit.
However, constant interference from Solo Sikoa and Tama Tonga forced R-Truth, who came out only to get punished by the MFTs. Priest tried to make the save but ended up losing the match. The MFTs tried to attack Truth after the match, but Royce Keys came out to make the save.
Backstage, Danhausen was auditioning for a tag partner for WWE Backlash, but The Miz and Kit Wilson mocked the whole idea. Wilson joked that the only person “toxic” enough to team up with Danhausen would be Danhausen himself. This gave Danhausen an idea to clone himself later in the show, but the machine broke down.
Backstage, Gunther, along with Paul Heyman, was in Nick Aldis’ office to sign the contract to join SmackDown. Cody Rhodes interrupted with his entrance in the arena as Paul Heyman appeared, revealing that the contract is for a title match at Clash in Italy. Gunther then tried to attack Cody again, but the Champion thwarted the attack and reiterated that he is an easy man to find but a hard one to beat.
Furthermore, Ricky Saints defeated Matt Cardona, while Sami continued to lash out at everyone who came to pay respect to the Gingerbread Man. Meanwhile, Paige and Brie Bella made an appearance, but they were quickly interrupted by Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid & Fallon Henley), who announced their intention to chase the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.
Irresistible Forces (Nia Jax & Lash Legend) then arrived and insisted they were the dominant team in the division and deserved the first shot at the titles. Jax and Legend then dropped Paige and Bella to conclude the segment.
Speaking of the Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid), they defeated Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss in a six-woman tag team match as Jade Cargill took out Ripley, helping them secure the pin over Alexa.
Cargill, along with Michin and B-Fab, then attacked Ripley, Flair, and Bliss, announcing their return in a major way. In the final match of the show, Royce Keys defeated Tama Tonga.
Sami Zayn crashes the funeral for the Gingerbread Man
In the closing moments of the show, Trick Williams held the funeral for the Gingerbread Man, who delivered a song-based eulogy with the choir’s assistance, and a video package in his memory aired. Sami Zayn interrupted, blasting Williams for running the prestige of the title and misusing the main event spot he has been given.
Zayn then cut a promo ahead of their title rematch at Backlash, and then dropped Williams with a cheap shot. Sami held the title up, when the Gingerbread Man rose up in the casket like the Undertaker and removed his head to reveal that he’s Lil Yachty.
Yachty attacked Sami with a candy cane, and Williams laid out Zayn with the Trick Shot to conclude the show and hype fans for the Backlash PLE.
WWE SmackDown 1/8 Results
- Tiffany Stratton (c) defeated Kiana James – Women’s US title match
- Cody Rhodes vs Gunther announced for Clash in Italy
- Ricky Saints defeated Matt Cardona
- Fatal Influence defeated Charlexa & Rhea Ripley
- Jade Cargill, Michin & B-Fab return
- Royce Keys defeated Tama Tonga
- Sami Zayn crashes the Gingerbread Man’s funeral
- Lil Yachty & Trick Williams laid out Sami Zayn
Who won in the main event of WWE SmackDown tonight?
Rocye Keys defeated Tama Tonga in the final match of the Backlash go-home show 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.