WWE SmackDown Live Updates, Results and Highlights Before Sunday Night's Main Event

With Superstars laid out at ringside, Punk delivered Go To Sleep to Gargano and retained the title.

WINNER: CM PUNK

After the match, as Aldis argued with Zayn, Punk grabbed the microphone and officially challenged his rival to a match for the Undisputed WWE Championship on next week's show from Mexico City.

This was the same repetitive chaos we have seen in recent weeks, with the added drama of Gargano coming within a second of capturing the gold.

A good match with a hot crowd and the added element of a jam-packed title picture made this an entertaining watch, even if the Zayn interference is becoming a bit much.

Next week's show from Mexico City is jam-packed, with the following scheduled for the broadcast:

Punk gained control of the match during the break, grounding Gargano.

He made his way to the top rope and asked, "Where's Sami Zayn?" That momentary lack of focus allowed the challenger to fight his way back into the match, ducking a wild kick and rocking the champion with a superkick for a near fall.

"Is he ever responding right now?!" Joe Tessitore asked on commentary as Gargano fired off that heart and determination that defined him in NXT once upon a time.

The back-and-forth action of the night's marquee match-up continued, with Punk teasing Go To Sleep. Suddenly, Sami Zayn appeared from out of nowhere, looking to impact the main event.

LeRae attacked Punk at ringside and Gargano followed with a springboard DDT for a dramatic near-fall.

Kevin Owens attacked Zayn, Gunther appeared and wiped out The Prizefighter, and Finn Balor took him out. The Last Real Good Guy offered a replay from last week, blasting all with the championship belt.

Back inside, LeRae distracted the referee after a Go To Sleep from Punk, and Zayn rocked the champion with his own title. Gargano covered, but the resilient Punk kicked out at two.

Taking the ring to "Rebel Heart," Gargano and LeRae hit the ring for the night's main event, featuring two of the most influential indie wrestlers-turned-WWE Superstars.

Mark Nash delivered the championship intros, with Gargano receiving a monster pop as the hometown hero, and Punk being greeted with a slightly more mixed reaction.

The challenger started red-hot, taking the fight to Punk as if he had not been lying motionless and unresponsive for the last six months. He delivered a cross body block to the arena floor, wiping Punk out as the show headed to break.

Commercial break.

As Johnny Gargano and Candice LeRae finished preparations for the former's title match main event against CM Punk, Sami Zayn interrupted.

He admitted it is not safe for him to be around, considering how many people are looking for him. He implored Johnny Wrestling to seize any opportunity he gets, insinuating that he should cheat.

He also added that if Gargano gets the title off of Punk, Zayn is first.

"I'm first, right, Johnny?"

If you thought we were getting Giulia vs. Blake Monroe on tonight's show, you were wrong.

Backstage, Cathy Kelley interviewed Blake Monroe, who once again insinuated that the former Women's United States Champion was beneath her.

The Beautiful Madness attacked The Glamour, beating her out into the arena and finishing her off with the Arrivederci, leaving her lying and ending any shot of the two having their match this week.

The heels dominated throughout the break until a hot tag to Kyoki sparked the babyface comeback.

The former Hiromu Takahashi unloaded on the heels and wiped both men out on the arena floor.

Looking to slow the onslaught down, Miz sent Nakamura to the arena floor. Kyoki fended the former WWE champion off long enough for The Artist to blast The Hollywood A-Lister with a Kinshasa.

Kyoki capitalized, delivered a reverse stunner to Wilson, and earned the win for his team.

WINNERS: BAKUSAI

After the match, WWE Tag Team Champions The MFTs appeared and stared their prospective challengers down.

Shinsuke Nakamura and Kyoki made their first appearance as a team, squaring off with the egotistical, big-mouthed duo of The Miz and Kit Wilson.

The newcomers frustrated Miz and Wilson early, leaving the heels with no answer for anything they threw at them.

A cheap shot by Wilson that left The Artist on the floor turned the tide in their favor as the show heading to timeout.

Commercial break.

A video package highlighted the "intense" training Lil Yachty has undergone ahead of his match with United States Champion Baron Corbin at Sunday Night's Main Event.

The Nomad interrupted Yachty and Trick Williams backstage and claimed he would slaughter the rapper, then reminded the former champion that his hopes and dreams of regaining the gold lie with his friend.

Inoffensive final hype for a match that will probably be plenty offensive Sunday night in Atlanta. Or, perhaps, it exceeds expectations and surprises as the next great celebrity in-ring appearance.

Randy Orton interrupted a sit-down interview Corey Graves was conducting with Cody Rhodes and repeated last week's insults, calling his wife "trashy" and talking about his dog, Pharaoh.

Orton called The American Nightmare an "addict," claiming he was addicted to the WWE title. "You're sick."

Rhodes stood up, looked his former mentor in the eyes, and said that if he was sick, at least he knew it. If that's the case, this Sunday, The Viper is screwed.

This was great and frustrating, if only because this is the feud we could have had heading into WrestleMania, before the Pat McAfee ridiculousness.

Kevin Owens told Byron Saxton that he will never respect CM Punk or anything he does, but if he is right, and Sami Zayn does make an appearance in tonight's main event, "he will not be alone."

Back from the commercial break, Stratton attempted a head scissors, but Jax powered her down. The former US champion brought her off the middle rope, caught her with a pair of stunners, and added a crucifix bomb for a two-count.

Jax recovered from the furious onslaught, though, and delivered a Samoan Drop.

She dragged Stratton to the corner, scaled the ropes, and delivered the Annihilator for the win.

WINNER: NIA JAX

After the match, Jax pulled the mask off of Green's face and taunted her with it from the squared circle as chants of "Chelsea" broke out. The defiant champion came face-to-face with her top contender before checking on Stratton.

A solid match that featured some great fire from the babyface, this was a good warmup for Jax, even if it is still odd to see Stratton suffering as many losses as she has of late.

SmackDown general manager Aldis was joined in the ring by a doctor to help address WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green's broken orbital bone.

The Hot Mess joined her boss in the ring but said there would be no waterworks this week. Instead, he was getting a pissed-off champion. She dared anyone to try and take the title off of her because she's not worried about her health, she's worried about her legacy.

The doctor revealed that, in his medical opinion, if Green wears a facemask, she is cleared to compete.

This brought Nia Jax out.

The Irresistible Force said she would either get a title shot tonight or Green's next injury would be her last. With Lash Legend closing in from behind, Tiffany Stratton made the save.

Aldis said Jax could have her shot at Green next week in Mexico City, but tonight, she can face Stratton.

After a shocking betrayal and weeks of buildup, Paige will battle Nikki Bella next week in Mexico City. Tonight, she approached the confident, cocky Hall of Famer and vowed to beat her on next Friday's show.

Paige said she rose to prominence through hustle, loyalty, and respect while Bella just "slept with it."

Seems to be the only insult that anyone can hurl at Bella these days.

Back from the break, Flair took the fight to the heels, rebuilding the babyface momentum.

A tag to Paxley led to the former NXT Women's Champion launching herself from the top rope and onto both opponents on the floor.

Jayne attempted to interfere, but Bliss wiped her out, preventing any chicanery.

Back in the ring, Paxley delivered Cemetery Drive to Reid and scored the pinfall victory.

WINNERS: CHARLOTTE FLAIR AND TATUM PAXLEY

After the match, Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin hit the ring and beat down the babyfaces before a momentary, tense staredown with Fatal Attraction.

The heels continued their beatdown, with Michin and B-Fab delivering the BTA to Paxley and Cargill, flattening Flair with Jaded.

A solid, if unspectacular, segment that set up Flair and Paxley as potential challengers for Fatal Attraction's gold while serving as final hype for the six-woman tag match at Sunday Night's Main Event.

Backstage, Alexa Bliss revealed to Charlotte Flair that there has been a change in plans and that The Queen will be teaming with Tatum Paxley to battle Women's Tag Team Champions Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid, accompanied by Women's United States Champion Jacy Jayne, in non-title action tonight.

The reluctant Flair made her way to the squared circle with Paxley, then watched from the apron as the champions took her partner down and targeted her shoulder.

Commercial break.

Punk and Gargano, a wrestling fan's dream match, headlines tonight's show.

Backstage, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis approached CM Punk about the need to find a new No. 1 contender, but the Undisputed WWE Champion had other plans.

He approached Johnny Gargano, lying on his avil case, and asked, "Are we still doing this?"

He put him over as the proud son of Cleveland and reiterated his desire to see Johnny Wrestling back.

When he got no reaction, he rejoined Aldis. Candice LeRae stopped him from leaving, just in time for Gargano to rise up, approach the champ, and utter, "Let's do it."

With that, a main event was made.

A great moment that paid off months of depressive Gargano lying around and doing nothing, just in time to potentially steal the show in his hometown.

Gunther kicked off the show and threatened to hold the show hostage, stating it would not continue until Sami Zayn came out to join him.

Zayn did, keeping his distance while touting his broken hand. "The WWE champion should be a good guy," the heel claimed before running down CM Punk as a hypocrite and the scum of the earth.

The Last Real Good Guy said this is how SmackDown is going to be from now on. "Nobody gets theirs until I get mine," he said. He claimed there would be no more No. 1 Contender matches, and no one would sleep until he slept.

Gunther threatened to come and drag Zayn back to the ring before Finn Balor stopped him and said he was going to get justice for himself.

Kevin Owens joined the fray, chasing Zayn to the back to close out a segment that continued to portray the heel as the central figure of the main event picture.

Friday's show kicked off with a recap of last week's broadcast, where Sami Zayn once again interfered in a main event, left everyone lying, and stood tall with the Undisputed WWE Championship in-hand while preaching for justice.

Ahead of Friday's SmackDown, Royce Keys issued a warning to the WWE Universe and officially named his group with OTM, "946."