{"id":219222,"date":"2026-07-12T14:48:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=219222"},"modified":"2026-07-12T14:48:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T19:48:01","slug":"wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-7-12-cm-punks-new-champ-mission-statement-promo-balor-vs-tama-gunther-aldis-angle-jade-vs-bliss-royce-keys-problem-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/07\/12\/wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-7-12-cm-punks-new-champ-mission-statement-promo-balor-vs-tama-gunther-aldis-angle-jade-vs-bliss-royce-keys-problem-more\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN HITS &#038; MISSES (7\/12): CM Punk&#8217;s new champ mission statement promo, Balor vs. Tama, Gunther-Aldis angle, Jade vs. Bliss, Royce Keys problem, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1926538244\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p><strong>CM PUNK PROMO &#8211; HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CM Punk came out with good energy, looked very happy and fan-friendly, and completely mocked my pre-show prediction that he would come out and act heelish from the get-go (still, there&#8217;s time, right?).<\/p>\n<p>He also instantly made SmackDown feel more prominent than it has in a while. This was a good &#8220;new champ promo&#8221; highlighting the prospective challengers, leading to Cody&#8217;s interruption, which wasn&#8217;t unexpected but still welcomed.<\/p>\n<p>The main event of SummerSlam is set; it was a good classic setup, and with only three weeks to build some hype, it seems we may be getting a somewhat mutually respectful face-to-face run-up to the big show. What happens at the show does interest me. Could one of the wrestlers turn on the other during or after the match? Despite the love between Punk and Cody, I still see that as a possible outcome.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FINN BALOR vs. TAMA TONGA &#8211; HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As with Punk coming out to start the show, Finn Balor having his first match on SmackDown since the switch from Raw just made the show feel that much fresher. Which automatically makes you think, &#8220;Why have they not done an extended draft sooner? I\u2019m also interested to see how the Tongans fare without Solo. The MFTs had definitely run their course, so it was the right move to break them away. We will see in the coming weeks if this leads to them becoming anything more than background SmackDown players.<\/p>\n<p>The match itself was good, and they worked well together. Balor is always great and even better as a babyface; the crowd loves him. I didn&#8217;t expect a clean finish with Talla Tonga ringside, and after his distraction, I won&#8217;t lie, they got me with the near-fall on Finn following Tama&#8217;s cutthroat finisher. Finn overcomes the odds and grabs a clean win. Good match.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-950457097\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Smackdown: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/wwe-smackdown-post-show-7-3-keller-machado-react-to-sami-zayn-s-first-smackdown-as-champ-pearce-booking-defense-for-raw-trick-hayes--72814319\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cwade Keller\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN POST-SHOW (7\/3) - Keller &amp; Machado react to Sami Zayn's first Smackdown as champ, Pearce booking defense for Raw, Trick-Hayes\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=72814319&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>JIMMY USO &amp; JACOB FATU PROMO &#8211; MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First up, Jimmy gave a huge nod to his wife, Naomi, on his ring gear. Is that a nod to an impending return? Secondly, WWE has a bit of a Royce Keys problem. I actually don&#8217;t think they have done him any favors since he debuted. The way to go with him was to have him win a bunch of dominating matches, get his moves over with the crowd who may not know him, and have him progress from there. What they&#8217;ve done is have him do a ton of promos, initially focused on Solo and Jacob, and now blending into the Bloodline affair, not really getting his personality in the spotlight, so when we get him in the ring, the reaction is a bit indifferent.<\/p>\n<p>This was also a prime case of the problem of not establishing wrestlers as faces or heels, like they continue to do with all of the Bloodline. Keys really had no chance here getting the crowd on his side when he was opposite the sometimes-good guy Jimmy Uso, and the still massively popular Jacob Fatu. The crowd is not going to root for Keys when they are pretty sure they should still like Jimmy and Jacob, and both of those wrestlers are far more established with the fans.<\/p>\n<p>The lack of heat in the match made it really forgettable. I feel bad for Royce Keys; he clearly has the support of the creative team, and they want to push him, but the way they are going about it isn&#8217;t getting the crowd response they want. Plus getting beat relatively clean by Jimmy? That is not going to help.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JADE CARGIL vs. ALEXA BLISS &#8211; MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Just a short match, all about building the Charlotte vs. Jade match for SummerSlam. But it&#8217;s hard to give a six or seven minute match a Hit when there is a break involved, too. The post-match attack on Alexa fooled enough people online into thinking Jade had seriously injured Alexa&#8217;s arm, so I guess that worked well, but with that many people at ringside during the match, it&#8217;s always going to be messy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TRICK WILLIAMS vs. CARMELO HAYES &#8211; HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>So, I have mixed feelings on the new Trick belt. Having a unique take on the belt design does show he is a big deal, but does the design stray too far into ridiculous territory? Lil Yachty continues to present as a heel, so I am now more confused than ever if we are supposed to cheer a very popular Trick Williams or boo him.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3671669505\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>The match was an okay TV match, but it was obviously all about the interference at the end from a returning Baron Corbin. He looked good, and that End of Days finisher is still a thing of beauty. Corbin&#8217;s return here felt fresh, and despite some criticism of bringing him back, he will be valuable in the upper mid-card. With all the featured people here &#8211; Trick, Melo, Ricky Saints, and Corbin &#8211; it seems to point to a multi-man match soon for the US Championship.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NICK ALDIS\/GUNTHER CONFRONTATION &#8211; HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The reasoning for why Nick Aldis&#8217;s suspension was lifted so soon is a bit flaky, but this overall segment between him and Gunther, which had a show-long hook with a couple of short backstage segments, was really well done.<\/p>\n<p>The setup for the SNME tag match between Cody &amp; Punk vs. Sami &amp; Gunther was fine, and that match does feel quite old-school in putting upcoming opponents as a team, leading to dissension, so I like that, and it brings star power to the Madison Square Garden show that it badly needed without giving away a top singles match.<\/p>\n<p>The obvious big standout here was Gunther&#8217;s attack on Aldis. Nick Aldis sold the attack fantastically, and having producers and referees try to get Gunther off instead of the comedy Jazz-handed security guards helped big time. How they follow up on this is intriguing. Normally, Gunther should be suspended for attacking an authority figure, so they have some work to do to explain why he isn&#8217;t. But surely now we know that at SummerSlam, we are getting the Nick Aldis vs. Gunther match.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS:<\/strong> The show felt fresher with Punk, Finn, and Baron Corbin, and the closing angle with Aldis and Gunther was great. It still lacked a little something, though. With only three weeks till SummerSlam, you have to think that both Raw and SmackDown will crank things up as the event gets closer.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (7\/10) - WWE Smackdown w\/Wells &amp; Barnett\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/bY8JCDwrQc4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-64196389\"><div id=\"pwtor-1057455678\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>CM PUNK PROMO &#8211; HIT CM Punk came out with good energy, looked very happy and fan-friendly, and completely mocked my pre-show prediction that he would come out and act heelish from the get-go (still, <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/07\/12\/wwe-smackdown-hits-misses-7-12-cm-punks-new-champ-mission-statement-promo-balor-vs-tama-gunther-aldis-angle-jade-vs-bliss-royce-keys-problem-more\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN HITS &#038; MISSES (7\/12): CM Punk&#8217;s new champ mission statement promo, Balor vs. Tama, Gunther-Aldis angle, Jade vs. Bliss, Royce Keys problem, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":219223,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-219222","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2026\/07\/Screenshot-2026-07-12-at-2.42.03-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219222","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=219222"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219222\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":219226,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/219222\/revisions\/219226"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/219223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=219222"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=219222"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=219222"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}