Cody Rhodes was ambushed to start Monday's SmackDown, leaving the WWE champion battered and bruised in his tour bus. Drew McIntyre was heavily implied as the culprit behind the attack, but some believe that Randy Orton could be the real mastermind behind the mystery assailant.
Ilja Dragunov defeated JD McDonagh in a United States Open Challenge match, which saw the former take down the last person to pin John Cena on Raw. The match featured an intense spot where both men performed a suplex to the outside of the ring and worked over each other's necks before Ilja landed a powerbomb for the win.
Carmelo Hayes emerged victorious over Bronson Reed in a tournament match, despite Logan Paul interfering behind the referee's back. The match was marred by controversy after Cole and Graves described it as David vs. Goliath, given Reed's perceived size disadvantage. After a comeback from both men, Melo hit a frog splash to secure the win.
The DIY tag team duo took down Fraxiom in a match that saw Candice LeRae get involved on Axiom's behalf. Despite the distraction, Johnny Gargano was able to pull off the upset and even steal the mask off of his opponent.
Penta El Oso defeated Finn Balor in a competitive Last Time is Now Tournament match, scoring with a Mexican Destroyer as the two men went back-and-forth despite having JD McDonagh's support. The win saw Penta take a 1-0 lead in the tournament.
AJ Lee and Becky Lynch joined forces to join Women’s WarGames for WWE Survivor Series. The segment featured a brief but intense exchange between Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Iyo Sky before AJ made her surprise return to save the day. However, she was immediately attacked by Lynch, who established herself as the fifth member of the heel team.
The SmackDown main event saw Cody Rhodes vow to take down all members of WarGames unless they can defeat him in a match. He took aim at Paul Heyman and proclaimed that he's historically better than any Steiner.
Ilja Dragunov defeated JD McDonagh in a United States Open Challenge match, which saw the former take down the last person to pin John Cena on Raw. The match featured an intense spot where both men performed a suplex to the outside of the ring and worked over each other's necks before Ilja landed a powerbomb for the win.
Carmelo Hayes emerged victorious over Bronson Reed in a tournament match, despite Logan Paul interfering behind the referee's back. The match was marred by controversy after Cole and Graves described it as David vs. Goliath, given Reed's perceived size disadvantage. After a comeback from both men, Melo hit a frog splash to secure the win.
The DIY tag team duo took down Fraxiom in a match that saw Candice LeRae get involved on Axiom's behalf. Despite the distraction, Johnny Gargano was able to pull off the upset and even steal the mask off of his opponent.
Penta El Oso defeated Finn Balor in a competitive Last Time is Now Tournament match, scoring with a Mexican Destroyer as the two men went back-and-forth despite having JD McDonagh's support. The win saw Penta take a 1-0 lead in the tournament.
AJ Lee and Becky Lynch joined forces to join Women’s WarGames for WWE Survivor Series. The segment featured a brief but intense exchange between Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, and Iyo Sky before AJ made her surprise return to save the day. However, she was immediately attacked by Lynch, who established herself as the fifth member of the heel team.
The SmackDown main event saw Cody Rhodes vow to take down all members of WarGames unless they can defeat him in a match. He took aim at Paul Heyman and proclaimed that he's historically better than any Steiner.
what a wild night on Monday's SmackDown!!! I'm still reeling from the Cody Rhodes ambush 
Drew McIntyre is getting major heat for that one though lol @RandyOrton being the mastermind behind it all 
ilja Dragunov is looking 
after his US Open Challenge win and Melo hitting that frog splash was everything 
Johnny Gargano just kept on trucking and stealing faces everywhere he goes 
Penta El Oso vs Finn Balor was insane!!! AJ Lee made a huge return and Becky Lynch is giving me major drama 
Cody's WarGames challenge has me hyped 
can't wait to see what happens at Survivor Series 
Cody Rhodes got ambushed for real! Drew McIntyre is definitely getting some heat from fans, but let me tell you, Randy Orton might be more involved in this whole thing than we think. The way things went down, it seemed like a setup job to get rid of Cody. And can we talk about Ilja Dragunov's US Open Challenge win? That match was INSANE! 
Her surprise appearance had everyone talking. Now Cody's set his sights on taking down the WarGames team, and I gotta say, that promo was FIERCE 
Those guys are gonna come for him with everything they've got, and it's gonna be a wild ride. Drew or Orton might have been the one who started this, but now everyone else is gonna wanna take a swing at him. And what's with AJ? One minute you're saving the day, next minute you're right back in the trenches with Lynch... 
And can we talk about Penta El Oso for a sec? Dude's got skills, beating Finn Balor like that 
. I'm also loving the comeback of AJ Lee, finally back in action 
But I'm still waiting to see what Randy Orton's role is all about... some people say he's behind the Cody ambush 
Drew McIntyre is definitely looking suspicious, but you know Randy Orton is always good for a mastermind move 
! That powerbomb spot was insane...and poor Bronson Reed got robbed of that match 
. Melo's win over Logan Paul was crazy, but Cole and Graves being extra with the David vs Goliath thing 
. And can we give it up for Penta El Oso? that Mexican Destroyer finisher is fire 
. Cody's vow to take down WarGames is ON 
. But honestly, who doesn't love an underdog story? Ilja Dragunov taking down JD McDonagh is a big win for him 
. Meanwhile, Penta El Oso is on fire in this Last Time is Now Tournament 
. And what's with Becky Lynch being all heel now? 
The more I watch SmackDown, the more unpredictable it gets... can't wait for Survivor Series! 
and I'm still on a beach high! The scenery, the food, the people... everything was just so perfect. I swear, it made me forget all about my worries, including the WWE drama that's been going on lately