WWE SmackDown aired from Cleveland on Friday, September 4, 2026, headlined by CM Punk defeating hometown challenger Johnny Gargano to retain the WWE Championship. Gargano revived his NXT "Rebel Heart" entrance for the title opportunity, and the closing stretch drew in Finn Balor, Kevin Owens and Gunther around ringside before Punk secured the win.
After the match, Punk challenged Sami Zayn to a WWE Championship match on September 11 in Mexico City. Elsewhere on the card, Nia Jax defeated Tiffany Stratton, Charlotte Flair and Tatum Paxley beat Women's Tag Team Champions Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid in a non-title bout, and the debuting Bakusai pairing of Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki defeated The Miz and Kit Wilson.
In other news, WWE released former Speed Champion Jasper Troy from his NXT deal on Friday. Troy, the first men's winner of WWE LFG, signaled the move on social media referencing his 30-day non-compete, which would make him a free agent in early October.