Tonight’s WWE SmackDown, airing October 16, 2026, promises an action-packed night live from the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. The post-WWE Money in the Bank show sees Paige take on WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella in a Singles Match. Plus, R-Truth will face Damian Priest 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 October 16, 2026
- Singles Match: Paige vs. WWE Hall of Famer Nikki Bella
- Singles Match: R-Truth vs. Damian Priest
- AAA World Cruiserweight Championship Match: Rey Fénix (c) vs. “Absolute” Ricky Saints
- “The American Nightmare” Cody Rhodes and “The Viper” Randy Orton will have a face-to-face
WWE SmackDown Results (10/16/26): Live Match Updates and Highlights
The show opens up with Corey Graves and Vic Joseph welcoming us as we get the pre-show arrivals of Cody Rhodes, R-Truth, Damian Priest, Tatum Paxley and Alexa Bliss.
Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn’s music then hits and Zayn makes his way down to the ring with Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae. Zayn then grabs a mic and starts off by asking the WWE Universe, “Who came here to ride or die with the Last Real Good Guy?” Zayn then says he hates to say he told them so, but every single one of these vultures gunning for his Undisputed WWE Championship got what they deserved. Zayn then says Je’Von Evans disrespected him and came up short. Zayn then says Kevin Owens and CM Punk came empty-handed. Zayn then says he will not waste his breath on Trick Williams.
Zayn then tells Penta to focus his energy on Roman Reigns. Zayn then says he has a history with Reigns and he will be there on Monday Night RAW to confront The OTC next week. Trick Williams’ music then hits and out comes the United States Champion, but Lil Yachty is nowhere to be seen. Zayn then asks the production team to cut Williams’ music. Zayn then asks Williams if he has got something to say. Williams then says it’s no secret that they don’t like each other. Williams then admits this is personal. Williams then says he knows Zayn can’t stand him. Zayn then says every time he sees Williams, he sees what happened to him at Backlash.
He then says he sees a real superstar in him. Williams then says he doesn’t care about Zayn’s ride-or-die fans. Williams then vows to beat Zayn’s a** because he disrespected him a few weeks ago. Zayn then says he just gave Williams a wake-up call. Zayn then says Williams had him one foot away from the ring, telling him that this is not a game. Zayn then says Williams turned everything into a joke because that’s what he is. Zayn then says Williams doesn’t know when to get serious. Zayn then says this is the jungle and Williams needs to learn how to survive. Zayn then says he thinks Williams is nowhere near his level. Williams then calls Zayn a joke. Williams then says he’s done talking and he asks Zayn to take a swing first.
Johnny Gargano then grabs the mic. Gargano says Williams is disrespecting the Undisputed WWE Champion. Gargano then says Williams has been handed opportunities that they would kill for. Gargano then says Williams doesn’t have the Undisputed WWE Championship, which is why he will show them the respect they deserve. Williams then says he worked just as hard as everybody else to be here. Williams then says he wants to beat Johnny Gargano’s a** tonight. Gargano then looks at Zayn and he tells Williams he is on. Williams then calls for a referee.
Non-Title Match: WWE United States Champion Trick Williams vs. Johnny Gargano
The match starts off with Trick Williams launching Johnny Gargano into the corner. Gargano then tries to fight back and he applies a side headlock. Williams then tweaks his knee. Gargano then works on Williams’ injured knee. He then runs into a shoulder tackle. Williams then sends Gargano into the corner with authority and hits him with a thunderous chop. Gargano then continues to work on Williams’ knee. Williams then hits Gargano with a delayed vertical suplex. Williams then goes for a Trick Shot, but Gargano rolls out of the ring. Williams then slams Gargano’s face into the announce desk.
Gargano then hits Williams with a Dragon Screw. Gargano then superkicks Williams under the jaw. Gargano then hits Williams with a suicide dive. The fight then spills outside the ring. Back in the ring, Gargano chops Williams down and hits a stomp on his injured leg. Gargano then unloads on Williams. Williams then tries to mount a comeback, but Gargano puts him down. Gargano then applies a single-leg Boston Crab on Williams in the middle of the ring. Williams then creates some separation. Both men then trade strikes in the middle of the ring. Gargano then goes face-first into the canvas.
Williams then hits Gargano with a series of kicks and he follows it up with a slapjack. Williams then pounds away at Gargano in the corner.
