5 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE SmackDown (31 July - Results & Review)

1. Physicality Saves The Show Closer

Cody Rhodes and CM Punk chewed through a lot of the same stuff on the mic before things got physical. In fact, before that happened, Punk being confronted by Trick Williams behind the curtain was the most interesting thing the WWE Champ did on the night. However, then a frustrated Cody cut through the noise to suggest they just fight.

Anyone else a big fan of his attire choice as well? Rhodes was the man in all black here, and his facial expressions before throwing the first punch were awesome. He looked at Punk with such disdain. Surely this was a teaser for heel Cody to come. It has to be. Just has to be. That’d open up his character so much, and he can always loop back around to the babyface role eventually.

He and Punk had to work a pull apart on Friday, because simply talking again and repeating the same old stuff wouldn’t have cut it. One got the sense that the live crowd thought they'd tease fisticuffs then cool off before SummerSlam, but no. That surprise element is perhaps why the arena came unglued and the pop for all of the brawling was so loud. It's nice to give an audience something they don't think they're going to get sometimes.

It'd be sweet if these title rivals picked right back up where they left off from the opening bell in Minneapolis. No "feeling out process" or "slow burner" needed. Simply let them tear strips off one another and let the fists fly like they did here.

What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more wrestling, check out WWE SummerSlam 2026: 12 Things That NEED To Happen and WWE SummerSlam 2026: 10 Nightmares That Could Come True!