WWE SmackDown Results: Cody’s Drama Engine Redlines in Barcelona While GUNTHER Books a Chilling One-Way Ticket to Italy
The final stop on the road to WWE Clash in Italy landed in Barcelona, Spain, for the May 29, 2026, edition of Friday Night SmackDown. Because apparently, nothing says “Italian Premium Live Event” quite like hosting the go-home show in Catalonia.
With WWE currently finding its new global groove, Barcelona’s Olympic Arena gave us a wild crowd, a massive dose of pre-pay-per-view tension, and a healthy reminder that Sami Zayn might actually be the most passive-aggressive friend in professional wrestling history. Here is exactly what went down on the final stop before Italy.
Jade Cargill silences Alexa Bliss (And Tries To Silence Barcelona)
The show kicked off with Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin hitting the ring to remind everyone that Jade is a big deal ahead of her massive Women’s Championship match against Rhea Ripley. The Spanish crowd, however, had entirely different plans. They booed Cargill so intensely that you could practically see the audio levels redlining on the Smackdown broadcast.
Rhea Ripley came out to remind Jade of a little historical footnote—specifically, that Mami already beat her at WrestleMania 42. When the verbal sparring devolved into Cargill calling out Ripley’s allies, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss interrupted. Bliss, dropping truth bombs with zero regard for human life, told Cargill that she has “the ego of a legend, but the resume of a rookie.”
Naturally, words turned to flying fists, and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis did what he does best: immediately booked a match on the fly.
The ensuing bout went exactly how you’d expect a matchup between a powerhouse and a returning veteran to go. Bliss got a few hope spots in, but Cargill ultimately flattened her with a Jaded for the pinfall. Just to ensure nobody forgot she is the villain in this story, Jade hit a second Jaded on Bliss onto a steel chair after the bell. Message sent, Mami.
Axiom gets a hometown hero welcome against The Miz.
In a brilliant piece of scheduling on Smackdown, local boy Axiom got a massive spotlight match against The Miz. Before the bell could even ring, Miz tried to pull a classic Hollywood elite move, whining to Nick Aldis backstage that Pretty Deadly’s Kit Wilson was stuck at customs, so the match should be canceled. Aldis, completely unmoved by Miz’s travel logistics nightmare, told him to get out there anyway. Meanwhile, Danhausen was casually setting up a “lab” in the background of the segment, because why not?
The match itself was an absolute blast for the Smackdown crowd. Axiom, fueled by pure home-country adrenaline and Nathan Frazer cheering him on at ringside, flew around the ring like a man possessed. Miz played the miserable, stalling heel perfectly, but the speed of the masked Spaniard was simply too much. Axiom caught Miz with a spectacular finish to secure the pinfall, giving Barcelona the exact pop they came for.
Bloodline drama and midcard chaos
Because it wouldn’t be a modern episode of SmackDown without Solo Sikoa’s version of the Bloodline doing something aggressive, the MFT (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) took on the bizarrely matched duo of Damian Priest and Royce Keys.
With R-Truth hovering around ringside doing R-Truth things, Priest did his absolute best to carry the load. Unfortunately, the sheer, unadulterated chaos of the new Bloodline proved too much. Tama and Talla secured the pinfall victory, continuing their path of destruction while Solo Sikoa watched on like a proud, suit-wearing mob boss.
Later in the evening on Smackdown, Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints renewed their incredibly bitter rivalry. This match was pure, fast-paced hostility from the opening bell, heavily featuring United States Champion Trick Williams guest-starring on commentary (alongside Lil Yachty, because WWE’s guest list remains wonderfully unpredictable). The action was too chaotic for a standard ring, and both men ended up brawling all the way through the arena to a double count-out. They aren’t done with each other, and Trick’s US Title is squarely in their crosshairs.
In the women’s division, Chelsea Green picked up a shocking, albeit completely tainted, victory over Nia Jax. Thanks to some heavy structural interference from Tiffany Stratton at ringside, Green managed to roll up the “Irresistible Force” for a three-count, leaving Nia completely beside herself.
Sami Zayn plays the victim and beats Matt Cardona.
The real emotional meat of the episode centered around the deteriorating relationship between Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and his supposedly close friend, Sami Zayn.
Backstage, Sami cornered Cody for a chat. If you thought Sami was going to apologize for standing by and watching GUNTHER choke Cody unconscious last week, you clearly don’t know Sami Zayn. Instead, Sami hit Cody with a masterclass in gaslighting, claiming he let GUNTHER attack him on purpose to “teach Cody a lesson” about being a bad friend. Cody, looking thoroughly exhausted by the high school drama, told Sami that once he handles GUNTHER in Italy, he’s coming to teach Sami a lesson of his own.
This backstage bickering drew the ire of Matt Cardona, who stepped up to defend his longtime friend Cody. Cardona called Sami out for being pathetic, which immediately set up a singles match for later in the night on Smacdown.
Cardona wrestled an incredibly stubborn, highly motivated match, repeatedly hunting for the Rough Ryder. He actually managed to hit it, but Zayn barely survived by getting a boot on the bottom rope. Showing the darker, more desperate edge to his character, Zayn intercepted a flying Cardona, executed an exploder suplex into the turnbuckles, and pinned him cleanly after a Helluva Kick. Cody might have a much bigger problem on his hands than just a giant Austrian.
Cody Rhodes and GUNTHER scorch the microphone.
Finally, it was time for the main event segment on Smackdown: the ultimate face-to-face between Cody Rhodes and “The Ring General” GUNTHER.
Cody came out to a monstrous ovation from the Barcelona crowd, but the savior of the American Dream didn’t get to speak long before the heavyweight challenger cut him off. GUNTHER didn’t just cut a promo; he systematically dismantled Cody’s entire existence. He pointed out that Cody spends every single show talking about himself, adding that it’s incredibly poetic that Cody calls himself the “American Nightmare” because he is the perfect symbol of the “crumbling American dream.”
GUNTHER labeled the champion a spoiled brat who only cares about what the fans think, whereas GUNTHER only cares about being the absolute best inside the squared circle.
Cody fired back, claiming GUNTHER is just desperate for the spotlight and the Undisputed Championship, promising that while the challenger will get close, he will never actually beat him.
That’s when GUNTHER took it to a chillingly dark place. He grabbed Cody, got dead in his face, and reminded the world that he made promises to Bill Goldberg, AJ Styles, and John Cena that he would end their careers by choking them out—and he did. He promised Cody that this Sunday at Clash in Italy, he is going to choke him out and walk out as the new Undisputed WWE Champion.
Smackdown went off the air with the two titans locked in an intense stare-down, leaving fans genuinely questioning if the American Nightmare’s historic run is about to hit a brick wall in Italy.
