SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
WWE SATURDAY NIGHT’S MAIN EVENT RESULTS
JULY 18, 2026
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
STREAMING LIVE ON PEACOCK (U.S.) AND YOUTUBE (INTERNATIONALLY)
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Lilian Garcia
-Preshow: Joe Tessitore and Stephanie McMahon previewed the matches from an announce desk at the top of the stage.
(1) TRICK WILLIAMS vs. LAREDO KID
Trick Williams immediately established himself as the aggressor, ripping Laredo Kid’s crown from his head before shoving him to the mat in a disrespectful display. Trick used his size and strength advantage to dominate the opening minutes until Laredo shifted the momentum with a missile dropkick from the top rope. Trick quickly regained control with a spinning kick and a standing suplex.
Laredo answered by escaping the ten punches in the corner, causing Trick to crash face-first into the turnbuckles before connecting with a superkick and consecutive spinning moonsaults. Trick avoided another kick and landed his jumping neckbreaker, leaving both men down. As the match entered its closing stretch, Trick fired back with a side kick, a flapjack, and his signature Trick Slap. Laredo countered a Book End attempt into a near-fall before sending Trick over the top rope and following with an impressive dive off the ring post to the floor. Back inside the ring, Laredo attempted a corkscrew moonsault, but Trick rolled clear. Williams capitalized immediately, delivering the Trick Shot to score the victory.
WINNER: Trick Williams in 7:00.
(Hubbard’s Analysis: This was a straightforward, basic opener. Trick Williams was an arrogant bully at times. Laredo’s taunting drew a negative reaction from the crowd. Portions of the match felt as though they were being performed at half speed. The noticeable size difference between the two competitors occasionally made the exchanges appear awkward. Even so, the action was solid, the crowd responded as expected, and the match served its purpose of giving Trick a decisive win in his first appearance at Madison Square Garden)
-Oba Femi’s music played and he entered MSG to a big pop. Stephanie McMahon asked Oba about his upcoming match against Brock. He ran through his catch phrases and the crowd popped big.
-WWE opened the show with a video package celebrating the history of Madison Square Garden, mixed with highlights from the New York Knicks’ recent NBA Championship celebration. Joe Tessitore then welcomed viewers as aerial shots of New York City played before previewing the night’s card with footage of the featured superstars arriving at the arena.
(2) BRIE BELLA & PAIGE vs. FATAL INFLUENCE (Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid) – WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
Lainey Reid opened aggressively by charging Paige, but the champions quickly took control with a double Codebreaker and a double bulldog. Fatal Influence turned the momentum with a wheelbarrow hot shot into a German suplex to begin the heat. Paige escaped a double-team attempt and tagged in Brie Bella, who entered with a pair of clotheslines, Yes Kicks, running knees, and a missile dropkick. Brie locked Fallon Henley in the Yes Lock, but Fallon reached the ropes before countering with a bulldog.
Paige reentered the match, but Fatal Influence regained control with a sliding German suplex. Reid missed a moonsault, allowing Paige to connect with a superkick. JC Jane distracted the referee, enabling Fallon to illegally enter and clothesline Paige. Brie neutralized the interference by taking out Reid on the floor, but JC once again influenced the finish by shoving Paige during a roll-up attempt. Reid capitalized with a roll-up of her own to score the pinfall and capture the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
WINNERS: Fatal Influence in 7:00.
(Hubbard’s Analysis: The layout and construction of this match were smart, with logical momentum shifts and effective use of the hot tag. The execution, however, was inconsistent. Much of Brie’s offense lacked impact, and several sequences suffered from mistimed spots. Despite those issues, the crowd remained engaged throughout, and the match never completely lost its rhythm, making it an acceptable title change overall.)
-Before the Match: WWE aired a slickly produced, rustic-style video package introducing Danhausen before cutting backstage to an interview with The Judgment Day.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Smackdown: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
(3) JD McDONAGH (w/Dominik Mysterio) vs. DANHAUSEN – No Disqualification Match
JD McDonagh immediately avoided Danhausen’s curse by rolling to the floor. Dominik Mysterio distracted the referee, allowing JD to attack from behind. With Dominik’s assistance, McDonagh controlled the early going, repeatedly slamming Danhausen’s head onto the announce table before continuing the assault inside the ring. Danhausen’s brief comeback was halted when JD escaped the ten punches in the corner and connected with a Brainbuster.
McDonagh mocked the New York crowd by confiscating Danhausen’s Knicks jersey, disrespecting it before laying it on Danhausen. Danhausen turned the tide after JD missed a moonsault, putting on the Knicks jersey and mounting a comeback with an atomic drop, a Northern Lights suplex on Dominik, and a counter into a cutter. As Danhausen prepared for his reverse DDT, Dominik interfered again, allowing The Judgment Day to double-team him.
The duo retrieved a table and threatened to powerbomb one of several miniature Danhausens, who had run to ringside to aid the fan favorite. The distraction gave Danhausen time to unveil his “clone machine” on the entrance stage. After placing a stuffed cat inside, New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns emerged from the machine to a huge ovation. Towns entered the ring and chokeslammed JD McDonagh before sending Dominik crashing through a table with another massive chokeslam. Danhausen capitalized by delivering his reverse DDT to pin McDonagh.
WINNER: Danhausen (12:00)
(Hubbard’s Analysis: The Madison Square Garden crowd absolutely loved the finish, but this style of wrestling just isn’t for me. JD McDonagh did everything he could to hold the match together, but Danhausen’s offense still comes across like that of a celebrity guest rather than a polished wrestler. His punches lack impact, and his movement doesn’t feel particularly athletic. The clone machine and mini Danhausens were played strictly for laughs, but the segment dragged on longer than necessary. That said, Karl-Anthony Towns’ appearance generated a tremendous reaction, and both JD and Dominik deserve credit for taking two impressive chokeslams to create a memorable ending.)
-Before the match WWE highlighted several celebrities seated at ringside before cutting backstage to an interview with Lyra. Bailey was interviewed backstage as well.
(4) LYRA VALKYRIA vs. BAYLEY
Lyra debuted her new look and entrance music as the two competitors opened with an aggressive lockup and a series of scrappy exchanges. Early in the match, Bayley accidentally caught Lyra flush on the nose, busting it open. As blood poured from Lyra’s face, the referee stopped the action to put on gloves and check on her before allowing the match to continue.
The interruption disrupted the flow of the contest. Lyra regained control with a hangman across the top rope, but Bayley answered by sending her to the floor and connecting with a suicide dive. Lyra fought back with a hip toss and knee drop. Bailey regained control with a sunset flip from the corner that transitioned into a Boston Crab. When Bayley climbed to the top rope, Lyra cut her off and drove her into the exposed metal turnbuckle with a neckbreaker variation before following with a leg drop onto Bayley draped across the top rope.
The pace picked up late with a strike exchange. Bayley countered a kick into a backdrop suplex before delivering a Sunset Bomb into the corner and locking in a crossface. After a series of counters, Lyra attempted the Night Wing, but Bayley escaped. Lyra used Bayley’s momentum to send her throat-first into the top rope. The competitors had a brief standoff and attack before Lyra countered a belly to belly suplex before trapping her in the Bully Choke, forcing Bayley to pass out.
WINNER: Lyra (11:00)
(Hubbard’s Analysis: Once Bayley accidentally busted Lyra’s nose open, the match never fully recovered. The stoppage clearly disrupted both wrestlers, and for the next several minutes they struggled to regain their rhythm. The crowd responded with a mixture of confusion and indifference as several sequences felt hesitant and disjointed. To their credit, they pieced together a strong closing stretch and executed many of the planned high spots, but by then the audience had largely checked out. Accidents happen in wrestling, but with a veteran like Bayley, I expected a better adjustment to the circumstances. Instead, the match remained uneven from the injury until the finish.)
-After the match Lyra continued her assault after the bell, attacking Bayley on the floor and locking in the Bully Choke once again to further establish her new, more ruthless persona.
-Before the Main Event: WWE aired a video package chronicling the rivalry leading into the night’s main event before conducting separate backstage interviews with Cody Rhodes and CM Punk. Both emphasized that a victory was crucial to maintaining momentum heading into SummerSlam’s main event.
(5) CODY RHODES & CM PUNK vs. GUNTHER & SAMI ZAYN
Before the opening bell, all four competitors erupted into a brawl. Cody Rhodes and CM Punk briefly controlled the action before Gunther and Sami Zayn isolated Punk in their corner. Gunther punished Punk with a series of crushing chops, sent him to the floor, and delivered a belly-to-back suplex onto the edge of the ringside barricade. Back inside the ring, Zayn continued the assault, busting Punk open slightly during the exchange. Punk eventually escaped by leaping from the top rope with a crossbody to make the hot tag.
Cody entered with tremendous energy, unloading with strikes, a powerslam, Disaster Kick, and a Cody Cutter before diving onto Sami on the floor. He returned to the ring and connected with a top-rope Cody Cutter on Gunther for a near fall. Sami countered a Cross Rhodes attempt with the same roll-up that won him the championship two weeks earlier, but Cody kicked out. Zayn followed with a Blue Thunder Bomb before missing a Helluva Kick, allowing Punk to tag back in.
Punk unloaded with a flying clothesline, a swinging neckbreaker, the running knee, a bulldog, and a top-rope elbow drop before applying the Anaconda Vise. Gunther attempted to break the hold but was trapped in Cody’s Figure Four Leg Lock. With all four men in the ring, Gunther raked Punk’s eyes to escape the submission.
The action intensified as Zayn delivered an Exploder Suplex into the corner and charged for the Helluva Kick, only for Cody to intercept him with Cross Rhodes. Gunther answered with a thunderous clothesline before Punk leveled him with the Go to Sleep, leaving all four men laid out as the Madison Square Garden crowd rose to its feet.
The closing minutes featured nonstop chaos. Gunther locked Punk in a sleeper hold before Punk escaped and tagged Cody. Rhodes connected with Cross Rhodes on Gunther, but Sami broke up the pinfall by sending Punk crashing into the referee. Punk answered with a Go to Sleep on Zayn, leaving Gunther alone with Cody. Cody accidentally struck Punk with a misfired Disaster Kick, allowing Gunther to grab the championship belt. He blasted Cody with it before planting him with a massive powerbomb. As a replacement referee sprinted to the ring, Nick Aldis pulled the official to the floor. Gunther confronted Aldis, only for Aldis to crack him with the championship belt, sending Gunther backward into Punk’s shoulders. Punk capitalized with a Go to Sleep, and covered Gunther for the victory.
WINNERS: Cody Rhodes & CM Punk (14:00)
(Hubbard’s Analysis: This was a very entertaining, well-constructed, and effectively executed main event. All four competitors were given meaningful opportunities to shine, and the match told multiple compelling stories without sacrificing its pace. The intensity rarely let up, with momentum constantly shifting through believable counters and dramatic near falls. I especially appreciated that the accidental misfires between Cody Rhodes and CM Punk didn’t immediately lead to dissension, allowing that story to simmer rather than boil over. Nick Aldis’ interference won’t be for everyone, but within the context of Gunther’s recent actions, I found it to be a satisfying payoff. Overall, this was an excellent main event that left the crowd energized heading toward SummerSlam.)
-After the Match: Cody Rhodes and CM Punk celebrated together in the center of the ring, showing no outward signs of tension. However, as Punk casually tossed the championship belt over his shoulder, it inadvertently grazed Cody’s face. Punk didn’t notice, but Rhodes briefly looked annoyed before joining in the celebration, planting another subtle seed as SummerSlam approaches.
-Jalen Brunson Celebration: WWE aired a video package celebrating the New York Knicks’ NBA Championship before following Jalen Brunson as he made his way through the backstage area, greeting fans and WWE personnel. Upon arriving at Gorilla Position, Brunson was met by Roman Reigns. Reigns’ music hit, and the two made a deliberate walk to the ring as the Madison Square Garden crowd alternated between “Jalen Brunson!” and “OTC!” chants.
Roman spoke about Madison Square Garden being the home of WWE and praised Brunson as a true champion before asking the crowd to “Acknowledge Us!” Just as the show appeared ready to end, Seth Rollins’ music interrupted. Instead of Rollins, Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton appeared on the stage, drawing a chorus of boos from the New York crowd. The distraction allowed Rollins to attack Reigns from behind. After a superkick, Rollins prepared to deliver a Curb Stomp onto a steel chair, but Brunson stepped in front of Reigns to shield him. The delay gave Reigns enough time to recover, leap past Brunson, and level Rollins with a Superman Punch before finishing him with a Spear to send the Madison Square Garden crowd home celebrating.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Outside of the excellent 15-minute main event tag match, this was a largely forgettable edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. The show felt less like a nationally televised special and more like a glorified house show designed specifically for the Madison Square Garden audience. If you’re a New York Knicks fan or were in attendance, the heavy emphasis on local celebrities and Knicks references likely made for a fun night. For everyone else, however, the final 25 minutes revolved around hometown fan service that added very little to WWE’s larger storylines. The live crowd clearly enjoyed it, but as a television product, this was one of the weaker Saturday Night’s Main Event specials.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.