WWE SmackDown Results 10/23/26: New Women's Tag Champions, Blake Monroe Defeats Giulia, and Cody Rhodes Challenges Randy Orton
Friday Night SmackDown rolled into the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, on October 23, and apparently somebody decided the women's division needed a little extra chaos before Crown Jewel.
We had a championship change, a Street Fight that involved more furniture than your average moving company, Tiffany Stratton returning with her Money in the Bank briefcase, and Cody Rhodes challenging Randy Orton to a Last Man Standing match.
Oh, and Sami Zayn spent part of the evening reminding everyone that being WWE Champion doesn't necessarily mean everybody in the locker room is impressed with you.
So, yes. We had ourselves a Friday night.
With three of the four originally advertised matches featuring the women's division, there was plenty worth discussing beyond the usual championship picture.
Sami Zayn Has a Trick Williams Problem
SmackDown opened with Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn, accompanied by Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae, addressing his recent confrontation with Roman Reigns.
Zayn emphasized what holding the championship meant to him, but Rey Fenix wasn't particularly interested in listening to the champion's self-congratulations.
Fenix confronted Zayn over his recent comments about Penta, prompting Trick Williams to join the conversation.
And Trick wasn't exactly there to exchange pleasantries.
Williams made it clear that he wanted an opportunity at Zayn's championship, but the champion dismissed him. Zayn eventually delivered a cheap shot to Williams, and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis arranged a tag team match between Zayn and Gargano against Williams and Fenix later in the evening.
Now, here's what I appreciate about this particular dynamic.
Trick Williams has the kind of confidence that can either make a wrestler magnetic or completely insufferable, depending on who's standing across from him.
And Sami Zayn isn't exactly suffering from a shortage of confidence himself.
Sometimes the most entertaining thing you can do is put two people in the same ring who are absolutely convinced they're the smartest person in the building.
Because sooner or later, somebody has to find out they're wrong.
Chelsea Green Retains, Tiffany Stratton Returns, and Liv Morgan Has a Problem
WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green defended her title against Roxanne Perez, who entered the match with a previous non-title victory over the champion.
Considering Perez had already demonstrated she could beat Green, there was a legitimate reason to wonder whether Chelsea's championship reign was about to end.
The match featured competitive exchanges before Raquel Rodriguez attempted to influence the outcome.
IYO SKY intervened, confronting Rodriguez and preventing The Judgment Day from completely controlling the situation.
Green capitalized, connecting with the Un-Pretty-Her to secure the pinfall.
Winner: Chelsea Green defeated Roxanne Perez to retain the WWE Women's Championship.
But apparently, retaining a championship wasn't enough to guarantee Chelsea a peaceful evening.
Liv Morgan arrived afterward, joining Perez and Rodriguez in attacking Green and SKY.
Then Tiffany Stratton returned.
And suddenly, the situation became considerably more interesting.
Stratton helped Green and SKY fight off The Judgment Day before attempting to cash in her Money in the Bank contract on Morgan.
Unfortunately for Tiffany, Perez and Rodriguez pulled Morgan to safety before the cash-in could become an official match.
So the briefcase remains in Stratton's possession.
And Liv Morgan now has another problem to worry about.
What I appreciate about this segment is that these women weren't simply interchangeable bodies standing around a championship.
Chelsea wanted to keep her title. Roxanne wanted to take it. Liv wanted to establish control. Tiffany saw an opportunity to become champion.
And honestly, that's how it should be.
I've spent enough time in wrestling locker rooms to know that the most interesting divisions aren't necessarily the ones filled with performers who wrestle the same style.
They're the ones filled with personalities who want different things.
And occasionally, those personalities collide spectacularly.
Blake Monroe Defeats Giulia in a Street Fight That Gets Personal
Giulia and Blake Monroe continued their increasingly hostile rivalry in a Street Fight that apparently came with an unofficial invitation to destroy whatever happened to be nearby.
And they certainly made use of it.
The encounter featured kendo sticks, steel chairs, trash cans, the ringside barricade, the entrance-stage screen, and a fire extinguisher as both women took advantage of the no-disqualification stipulation.
Eventually, the fight moved backstage into the makeup area.
Monroe sprayed Giulia in the face with hairspray, but Giulia responded by throwing Monroe through a mirror.
Back in the ring, Monroe delivered a superplex onto a pile of chairs before connecting with the Neutralizer to secure the victory.
Winner: Blake Monroe defeated Giulia via pinfall in a Street Fight.
And here's where I get particularly interested.
I've been involved in enough physical matches to know there's a difference between making something look violent and making an audience genuinely believe two people want to tear each other apart.
You can introduce every chair, table, and kendo stick in the building.
But if the hostility doesn't feel believable, all you've really accomplished is creating a particularly expensive cleanup job.
The violence needs a purpose.
And that's why character work matters so much in matches like this.
Giulia and Monroe have very different presentations, and I appreciate that neither woman needs to become a carbon copy of the other to make the rivalry work.
Monroe has now defeated Giulia twice on SmackDown.
And let's be realistic.
Losing to someone you despise once is irritating enough.
Losing twice?
Well, that's how you end up reconsidering your entire evening.
The question now is whether Giulia finally moves on or whether Monroe has made herself an even bigger target.
Personally, I wouldn't be particularly comfortable assuming Giulia has forgotten anything.
Cody Rhodes Wants Randy Orton in a Last Man Standing Match
Randy Orton addressed Cody Rhodes following last week's attack on Baron Corbin, questioning whether Rhodes truly possessed the willingness to use the punt kick against him.
Rhodes interrupted and accused Orton of becoming a coward.
And if there's one thing I wouldn't recommend doing, it's questioning Randy Orton's willingness to become dangerous.
The confrontation escalated until Nick Aldis intervened, announcing that Rhodes and Orton would meet at Crown Jewel on November 7.
But Cody wanted something more.
A Last Man Standing match.
Orton accepted.
And this is exactly the kind of situation where a stipulation should feel like the natural next chapter of a rivalry.
I've always believed that wrestling psychology is about giving the audience a reason to care about what happens next.
A Last Man Standing match shouldn't simply be a regular match with more furniture and a referee counting to ten.
The entire purpose is to establish that these two men have reached a point where pinning somebody isn't enough.
They want to leave their opponent unable to stand.
And when you consider the history between Rhodes and Orton, that makes considerably more sense than simply announcing another singles match.
Both men understand how to make the smallest details matter.
Orton can communicate an extraordinary amount through a facial expression or a carefully timed pause.
Rhodes has built much of his presentation around emotional investment and the audience's connection to his character.
Those approaches are different, but they complement one another.
Now the challenge is delivering a match that feels as personal as the rivalry surrounding it.
Because if you're going to advertise Last Man Standing, the audience had better believe neither man wants the other getting back up.
Michin and B-Fab Become New WWE Women's Tag Team Champions
Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley entered Friday's SmackDown as WWE Women's Tag Team Champions.
They left without the championships.
And considering their reign lasted only two weeks, that's certainly one way to make sure nobody gets too comfortable.
Michin and B-Fab challenged the champions with Jade Cargill accompanying them to ringside.
And, wouldn't you know it, Jade eventually became a factor.
With the referee out of position, Cargill struck Paxley from ringside, creating an opening for Michin to connect with a Styles Clash and secure the pinfall.
Winners and NEW WWE Women's Tag Team Champions: Michin and B-Fab.
Now, I have mixed feelings about exceptionally short championship reigns.
On one hand, professional wrestling needs unpredictability.
On the other, championships need enough stability for audiences to develop an emotional investment in the people holding them.
And two weeks isn't exactly an eternity.
But that doesn't mean the decision can't work.
The important part is what WWE does with Michin and B-Fab now.
I've shared enough locker rooms and worked enough tag team matches to know that putting two talented wrestlers together doesn't automatically create a good team.
Sometimes the chemistry is instantaneous.
Other times, you're watching two people who look like they've never met trying to remember whose turn it is to be legal.
And believe me, the audience notices.
Tag team wrestling requires communication, timing, trust, and the ability to make two individual personalities feel like one cohesive unit.
Michin and B-Fab now have an opportunity to establish that identity as champions.
But I hope WWE doesn't make Jade Cargill's involvement the defining characteristic of their reign.
Because winning the titles is one thing.
Convincing the audience you deserve to keep them is another.
And for Bliss and Paxley, this loss could create an opportunity to develop their partnership beyond the championships.
Sometimes adversity tells us considerably more about a team than success.
MFT and Bakusai Apparently Forgot They Had a Scheduled Match
WWE Tag Team Champions Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga were supposed to face Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki in a non-title match.
Supposed to.
Because apparently, somebody decided the opening bell was merely a suggestion.
The situation escalated when Kyoki stole Haku's staff, sparking a confrontation that quickly became a brawl.
Officials attempted to restore order, but the competitors continued fighting.
The match never officially began.
Result: MFT vs. Bakusai did not take place.
And honestly, I don't mind this kind of angle when it serves a purpose.
Sometimes allowing two teams to lose control before the bell rings communicates more hostility than having them wrestle a standard match.
But here's the catch.
Eventually, you need to deliver the confrontation.
You can't keep promising a fight without giving the audience the payoff.
And when these teams finally meet, the match needs to reflect the level of aggression they've already established.
Otherwise, what was all the chaos for?
CM Punk and Kevin Owens Exchange Words Ahead of Brooklyn Showdown
CM Punk and Kevin Owens also exchanged insults during an intense interview ahead of their upcoming match in Brooklyn, scheduled for two weeks from Friday's broadcast.
And when you have two performers with personalities as outspoken as Punk and Owens, sometimes the verbal confrontation is every bit as interesting as the physical one.
Both men have built careers around convincing audiences that what they're saying is exactly what they're thinking.
And that authenticity, whether audiences love it or hate it, can be incredibly valuable.
I've always believed that the strongest wrestling characters aren't necessarily the loudest personalities in the room.
They're the ones who understand how to make people believe them.
Punk and Owens have spent years demonstrating that ability.
Now they'll have an opportunity to settle their differences inside the ring.
Trick Williams Closes SmackDown With a Statement
The evening's main event began with Sami Zayn and Johnny Gargano facing Trick Williams and Rey Fenix.
But the match didn't remain a traditional tag team encounter for long.
Ricky Saints interfered, attacking Fenix and causing the disqualification.
Winners via disqualification: Trick Williams and Rey Fenix defeated Sami Zayn and Johnny Gargano.
Penta arrived following the interference and requested a six-man tag team match.
The contest was restarted with Zayn, Gargano, and Saints facing Williams, Fenix, and Penta.
And with several rivalries intersecting, the match provided an opportunity for multiple performers to establish momentum.
Williams ultimately secured the decisive fall, connecting with the Book End on Saints to win the match for his team.
Winners: Trick Williams, Rey Fenix, and Penta defeated Sami Zayn, Johnny Gargano, and Ricky Saints.
And that brings us right back to the beginning of the evening.
Trick Williams opened SmackDown demanding an opportunity at Sami Zayn's championship.
Then he closed the show securing the winning fall.
And now he'll get his opportunity.
Trick Williams is scheduled to challenge Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Championship on next Friday's SmackDown, October 30.
That's a significant development, particularly with Crown Jewel approaching.
Now, did Williams pin the champion Friday?
No.
And that's an important distinction.
But he did accomplish something that matters in professional wrestling.
He gave the audience another reason to take him seriously.
And that's how you build momentum.
Not simply by telling everybody you're important.
By giving them something to remember.
And next week, Williams will have the opportunity to make an even bigger statement.
Complete WWE SmackDown Results — October 23, 2026
WWE Women's Championship: Chelsea Green (c) defeated Roxanne Perez via pinfall following the Un-Pretty-Her.
Street Fight: Blake Monroe defeated Giulia via pinfall following a superplex onto chairs and the Neutralizer.
WWE Women's Tag Team Championship: Michin and B-Fab defeated Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley (c) to become new champions following Jade Cargill's interference.
Non-Title Tag Team Match: MFT (Tama Tonga and Talla Tonga) vs. Bakusai (Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki) did not take place following a pre-match brawl.
Tag Team Match: Trick Williams and Rey Fenix defeated Sami Zayn and Johnny Gargano via disqualification following Ricky Saints' interference.
Six-Man Tag Team Match: Trick Williams, Rey Fenix, and Penta defeated Sami Zayn, Johnny Gargano, and Ricky Saints. Williams pinned Saints following the Book End.
Major Developments: Tiffany Stratton returned and nearly cashed in her Money in the Bank contract on Liv Morgan; Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton agreed to a Last Man Standing match at Crown Jewel; CM Punk and Kevin Owens exchanged insults ahead of their Brooklyn showdown; and Trick Williams will challenge Sami Zayn for the Undisputed WWE Championship on October 30.
Final Thoughts
Friday's SmackDown delivered a little bit of everything.
A championship change.
A Street Fight.
A surprise return.
A Money in the Bank tease.
A couple of teams apparently incapable of waiting for the referee to ring the bell.
And a WWE Champion who now has several people making it abundantly clear that they're interested in taking what belongs to him.
But what stood out to me most was the women's division.
Chelsea Green retained her championship. Blake Monroe defeated Giulia. Michin and B-Fab captured the Women's Tag Team Championships. And Tiffany Stratton returned with her Money in the Bank contract still very much in play.
That's a substantial amount of movement for one evening.
And as someone who spent years inside the squared circle, I appreciate seeing women given opportunities to develop distinct characters and meaningful rivalries.
But opportunity alone isn't enough.
The stories need follow-through.
The characters need consistency.
And the championships need to feel important.
Because professional wrestling has never been simply about who can perform the most impressive move.
It's about making people care enough to remember what happened after the show ends.
And with Crown Jewel approaching, WWE has several opportunities to accomplish exactly that.
Now let's see what they do with them.
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