Tonight’s WWE SmackDown, airing May 22, 2026, promises an action-packed night live from the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. The WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event go-home show sees Shinsuke Nakamura face MFT’s Talla Tonga in a Singles Match.
The show kicks off at 8:00 PM ET on the USA Network and is available for international fans on streaming platforms like Netflix. Ringside News will provide live, match-by-match updates and highlights throughout the night. Stay tuned to this page, refresh for the latest results as the action unfolds, and join the conversation in the comments below!
Matches & Key Moments Scheduled for WWE SmackDown on May 22, 2026
- Singles Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. MFT’s Talla Tonga
- WWE Women’s United States Championship Open Challenge Match: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. TBD
- Carmelo Hayes has a message for WWE United States Champion Trick Williams and Lil Yachty
- WWE Women’s Champion “The Eradicator” Rhea Ripley will kick off SmackDown
- What does “The Ring General” GUNTHER have in store for Undisputed WWE Champion “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes
WWE SmackDown Results (5/22/26): Live Match Updates and Highlights
The show opens up with a video package recapping last week’s SmackDown featuring a segment between GUNTHER and Cody Rhodes and The Ring General defeating Royce Keys to punch his ticket to Clash In Italy.
Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett then welcomes us to the show as we see the arrivals of Cody Rhodes, Shinsuke Nakamura, the MFTs and Tiffany Stratton.
Rhea Ripley’s music then hits and she makes her way down to the ring. Rhea then grabs a mic and she starts off by welcoming the WWE Universe to Friday Night Mami. Rhea then says she had one week off and it seemed like someone missed her. Rhea then says Jade Cargill and her crew tried to send a message, but what they did was piss her off. Rhea then says she is back and wants a fight. Rhea then tells Jade that if she wants her rematch, she will happily beat her again. Rhea then says she will take her on at Clash In Italy for the WWE Women’s Championship.
Charlotte Flair’s music then hits and she makes her way out with Alexa Bliss. Flair says she appreciates that Rhea wants to defend her title, but not to get ahead of herself because they still have a 6-Woman Tag Team Match tomorrow. Bliss then says they have to be on the same page. Flair then says she has to address the elephant in the room. Flair then says they needed Rhea’s help last week and she asks Rhea where she was last week.
Rhea then tells her she went home to go see her family. Flair then says she is happy she went home to see her family, but they needed her help. Flair then says she and Bliss have their own battles to fight. Rhea then says Flair was the one that said she didn’t need her. Flair then says she did say that against Fatal Influence, but now they need Rhea’s help with Rhea’s problem. Rhea then says she is sorry that they got ambushed, but it looked like Bliss took most of it. She then says if Flair can’t have her best friend’s back, how can she trust her with her back. Flair then says Rhea is trying to create a problem that isn’t there and to grow a wedge between her and Bliss.
Fatal Influence then make their way out. Jacy Jayne says she loves this and there isn’t anything she loves more than to see the women’s division unravel in front of her own eyes. Jacy then says this started the second Fatal Influence stepped foot on the scene. Jacy then says they have ascended to the top of the division with ease because when they see an opportunity they take it. Jacy then says they are looking at one right now. Flair then says they love their confidence, but she is not there for the back and forth. She then challenges two of them to a match against her and Bliss tonight. Jacy then says that is all she needed to hear. Flair’s music then hits.
We then take a look at Talla Tonga attacking Shinsuke Nakamura last week for talking to Tama Tonga.
We then head to the back and Cathy Kelley shows up and speaks with Solo Sikoa, Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga. Solo says Talla Tonga is ready for his match against Shinsuke Nakamura and he wants everyone to watch. Solo then looks at Tama Tonga and Solo says he wants everyone to watch what will happen to Nakamura. Royce Keys then shows up and he tells Solo that he cost him a title opportunity last week. Solo then says Keys threw the chair at his face and he is lucky they don’t hit him now. Solo then says if Keys needs someone to watch his back tonight, they can do that and they walk away.
We then see Alexa Bliss and she says she is not cleared and Flair says she was okay before. Alexa then says she is finem but she will have to team with Rhea because she is sick of being in the middle of everything.
Talla Tonga then makes his way down to the ring for the first match of the night and he is accompanied by the MFTs and Shinsuke Nakamura follows.
Singles Match: Shinsuke Nakamura vs. MFT’s Talla Tonga
The match starts off with both men locking up and Talla sends Nakamura into the turnbuckles. Talla then wants a test of strength and Nakamura teases a kick. Nakamura then hits a knee and several forearms. Talla then hits a punch and a kick to the back. Talla then hits a head butt and a kick in the corner. Talla then hits more kicks and he chokes Nakamura. Talla then hits a punch in the corner. Talla then hits a hard Irish whip. Talla then hits several knee drops and a slam. Talla then hits an Irish whip and Talla misses a splash into the corner. Nakamura then hits a kick to the back and a jumping knee off the turnbuckles. Nakamura then hits a jumping side kick and a clothesline that sends Talla over the top rope, but he lands on his feet. Nakamura then hits a kick with Talla in the ropes, but Talla hits a chop.
Talla then sends Nakamura into the ringside barrier. Talla then sends Nakamura face-first to the ringside barrier. Talla then hits a punch and he sends Nakamura into the ring. Nakamura then hits several kicks, but Talla hits a forearm to stop Nakamura. Talla then works on the neck. Nakamura then hits several punches, but Talla hits a head butt. Nakamura then hits a kick. Talla then catches Nakamura off the turnbuckles and Talla hits a short arm clothesline. Nakamura then hits several elbows from the apron, but Talla sends Nakamura back to the floor. Nakamura then hits several punches and Talla hits an uppercut and a leaping elbow drop. Nakamura then blocks a kick and Nakamura hits a round kick.
Talla then hits a power slam. Nakamura then cinches in an arm bar and he transitions into a triangle. Talla then goes for a one arm power bomb, but Nakamura counters into a guillotine. Nakamura then escapes a suplex and he kicks Talla in the back of the leg and a boot off the turnbuckles. Nakamura then hits several kicks to Talla. Talla then hits an Irish whip, but he misses a boot in the corner. Nakamura then kicks the leg and he puts Talla on the turnbuckles for a running knee to the midsection. Nakamura then hits Scorpio Rising for a near fall. Nakamura then sets up for a Kinshasa, but Solo gets on the apron and Nakamura punches him off the apron. Talla then hits a power slam and a choke slam for the win.
The winner of the Singles Match, MFT’s Talla Tonga!
After the match, Solo sets up for a Samoan Spike because Nakamura punches him and Tama stops him. Tama then hits a cutthroat. Solo then sets up for a Samoan Spike, but Damian Priest makes his way out with a chair and that means Solo, Talla and Tama leave the ring. Priest then checks on Nakamura while Solo, Talla and Tama go to the back.
We then get a video package for Tribal Combat.
