Tonight’s WWE SmackDown from the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, delivered the post-Backlash fallout and officially set the main event for Clash in Italy.
The headline moment came when Gunther beat Royce Keys in a main event impromptu number one contender’s match to earn the right to challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Clash in Italy on May 31 — then signed the contract to make it official. The finish saw Solo Sikoa try to interfere on Keys’ behalf despite Keys telling Sikoa earlier he didn’t want his help, and Keys responded by throwing a chair at Sikoa’s face.
Tama Tonga lost to Damian Priest in a singles match. The MFTs attacked Priest after the bell, but Royce Keys came out for the save. In a later backstage segment, Shinsuke Nakamura tried to approach Tama, but Talla Tonga jumped him and chokeslammed him onto a cargo crate. A match between Nakamura and Talla Tonga was announced for next week’s show in Lexington, Kentucky.
Trick Williams returned to Columbia — where he played college football at the University of South Carolina — for a homecoming celebration as WWE United States Champion. He was joined by Carmelo Hayes.
Jade Cargill addressed the crowd and said she would take the WWE Women’s Championship back from Rhea Ripley at Clash in Italy. A Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss tag match against Michin and B-Fab ended in disqualification when Cargill pulled Bliss from the ring, and a six-woman tag was subsequently announced for Saturday Night’s Main Event on May 23.
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