WWE SmackDown Live Updates, Results and Highlights From Aug. 21

Referee Dan Engler took a bump late in the match, introducing a wild and chaotic stretch that saw Owens have a clear win over Punk, but no one to count the fall.

From there, Sami Zayn interjected himself into the match and attacked the champion, but Punk refused to stay down. When the heel insisted Owens use the Undisputed WWE Championship to his benefit, the challenger refused.

That cost him as Zayn rocked him in the face with the title, setting up a Go To Sleep and a CM Punk victory.

WINNER: PUNK

After the match, the dismayed Zayn attacked both men and stood tall to close out the show.

A great match that would have been even better without the commercial break in the heart of it, it lived up to the hype thanks to the efforts of Punk and Owens. So much so that the idea of those two running it back on a PLE stage should be at the forefront of the creative team's mind.

The outcome protects Owens by giving him an out, reignites his rivalry with Zayn, and potentially sets up a workrate fan's dream of a Triple Threat Match.

Back from the break, Owens fired up and fought back, dropping Punk with a clothesline on the floor.

A ringside, he added a frog splash through the commentary team, drawing chants of "holy s**t" from the Canadian faithful. Looking to build on the damage done to his opponent, he added another frog splash for a near-fall.

"This is awesome!" the fans North of the Border exclaimed.

Punk fought back this time, dropping Owens, then adding a top-rope elbow drop. When the challenger kicked out, the Best in the World transitioned right into the Anaconda Vise.

KO countered that into a pinfall, but Punk released the hold at two.

Moments later, the champion hoisted his opponent up for GTS but Owens countered and applied Bret Hart's legendary Sharpshooter to a thunderous ovation.

The fans in Toronto greeted Kevin Owens with a hero's welcome, delivering the loudest ovation of the night for the No. 1 contender. They booed CM Punk out of the building during the introductions, then erupted once more when The Prizefighter rained down on The Best in the World with a flurry of rights and lefts at the bell.

He punished Punk, then cleared the announce table, teasing a big spot.

The champion took him down and worked over his opponent throughout the picture-in-picture commercial break, working over his head and targeting the previously injured neck.

A pre-taped video package saw the arrival of longtime New Japan Pro-Wrestling star Hiromu Takahashi, under the name Kyoki.

He joined Shinsuke Nakamura as his mystery partner and warned the MFTs that they are coming for the WWE tag team titles.

In a video posted exclusively to WWE social media, The Glamour said that she refused to make her SmackDown debut in a meaningless match against Giulia, instead stating that she is championship material.

She called out WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green, laying the groundwork for a rivalry over the top prize on the blue brand when the Hot Mess is cleared to compete.

Back from the break, Stratton continued to show guts and determination as she battled back from several minutes of absorbing punishment from Legend.

Ultimately, though, Legend drove her down to the mat, expelling the air from her and scoring the victory.

WINNER: LEGEND

After the match, Legend and Jax beat Stratton down, laying into her as they continued their tormenting of the former women's and United States champion.

WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green, broken orbital bone and all, rushed the ring with a kendo stick and laid into the heels, clearing them from the ring to a big pop.

Green checked on Stratton as the segment ended.

This effectively spotlighted Legend and gave her a meaningful win, created sympathy for Stratton, and furthered her partnership and friendship with Green.

The commentary team threw to a video package hyping CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens, which is next.

Nursing an obvious rib injury, former Women's United States Champion Tiffany Stratton squared off with The Irresistible Forces' Lash Legend, who was accompanied to the squared circle by Nia Jax.

Stratton weathered the early storm and built some momentum for herself. She flew through the ropes with a tope suicida, only to land in the waiting arms of her bigger, stronger opponent.

Legend slammed her onto the ring apron and posed, entering the timeout.

Commercial break.

Backstage, Kevin Owens was in the midst of an interview ahead of his championship opportunity against CM Punk when Finn Balor interrupted.

The former rivals-turned-friends had a brief, relatively lighthearted exchange before Owens uttered, "We're about to be interrupted again," and Gunther entered the picture.

The Career Killer was his typical heel self before exiting stage left and leaving the leader of Balor Club to hype up Owens.

Entering the arena to a thunderous ovation, Trick Williams and Lil Yachty made their way to the ring for a promo segment.

The former United States champion called out the current titleholder, Baron Corbin.

The Nomad acquiesced, entering the arena on a motorcycle. He joined Williams in the ring, coming face to face with the man he stole the title from back at SummerSlam.

Williams challenged him for a match tonight, but Corbin refused. The response? A cane shot to the midsection by Yachty.

Frustrated, Corbin issued a challenge for Sunday Night's Main Event, with one stipulation: Yachty has to survive five minutes against the heel. If not, Mr. Lemon Pepper Stepper does not get another shot at the gold.

Yachty accepted, and Corbin promised, "This will be the longest five minutes of your life."

This was inoffensive, but the rivalry is not clicking. Hopefully, the showdown in Atlanta spells the end of the program.

Instead of making a grand entrance or waiting for the bell to ring, Blake Monroe attacked Giulia during her entrance, beating her down at ringside and sending The Beautiful Madness into the ring steps.

Back inside the squared circle, Monroe rocked her opponent with a headbutt.

From there, The Glamour delivered a Neutralizer and left Giulia lying to close out the segment.

This was certainly a choice.

WWE booked itself into a corner by booking these two against each other, despite neither really being able to afford a loss. Instead of letting them have the match, they booked an angle that didn't land with fans because neither has been used consistently or in a way that makes the audience care about them.

It gave Monroe an edge, but beyond that, it was disappointing.

Backstage, Charlotte Flair questioned the friendship (?) between Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley until Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin approached. A verbal exchange ended with the challenge for a Six-Woman Tag Team Match.

Randy Orton interrupted CM Punk as he discussed his main event match with Kevin Owens.

A back-and-forth ended with a teased match between the two, if Punk is still champion by the end of the night.

Elsewhere, Fatal Influence did their best Mean Girls impression as they interrupted WWE Women's Champion Chelsea Green, former Women's United States Champion Tiffany Stratton, and Paige.

Finally, Jackie Redmon walked in on Blake Monroe as she prepared for her SmackDown in-ring debut against Giulia.

Back from the timeout, Priest tagged into the match and unloaded on the competition, sparking a much-needed babyface comeback for the challengers.

The size and strength of Talla, though, cut him off as he leveled the former world heavyweight champion with a big clothesline.

A charge into the corner, though, was met with a big boot from Priest, who inched toward his corner. Tama cut him off by grabbing hold of his foot. Priest kicked him off, created separation, and tagged Truth in.

Channeling his inner "Ron Cena," the veteran competitor exploded into the match, leveling his competition with the Unseen 17's trademark offense.

It was all for naught, though, as Talla broke up his pinfall following an Attitude Adjustment, then joined Tama for the Red Cross, which put Truth down and earned the heels a successful title defense.

WINNERS: THE MFTs

After the match, Priest teased mounting frustration with Truth but did not pull the proverbial trigger on a heel turn.

A good, energetic match that proved the chemistry between Priest and Truth and properly highlighted the new champions, this was a quality way to kick off the in-ring portion of tonight's broadcast.

In their first defense of the WWE Tag Team Championships, Tama and Talla Tonga defended their gold against the former champions, Damian Priest and R-Truth.

The babyfaces isolated the opposition, sending the seven-foot-tall Talla to the floor, then disposing of Tama on the other side of the arena.

Truth launched himself through the ropes and onto his opponent, laying out Tama as The Archer of Infamy teed off on the big man. The show went to the break with the heels seizing control of the match, teeing off on Truth and cutting him off from his partner.

Commercial break.

Backstage Sami Zayn pled his case to SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis for a championship opportunity, even taking a shot at Randy Orton. The Viper appeared behind him, but before he could say anything of substance, Cody Rhodes called him out to the ring.

"I'm whooping your ass in front of your family as they undoubtedly sit in the front row," Orton said as he stepped through the curtain and made his way to the ring.

Aldis expressed his frustration with the disrespect shown to him by two of his top stars and said neither could have an Undisputed WWE Championship Match if they touch each other before Sunday Night's Main Event in two weeks.

Orton and Rhodes engaged in a verbal back-and-forth, with The Legend Killer calling his rival a "good guy" and the American Nightmare responding by warning his former mentor to be careful what he wishes for.

The segment ended with an exclamation point of a line from Rhodes, in which he promised to beat Orton, "and that's not a prediction. That's a spoiler."

And there is your first tease of an impending heel turn and a clear hint that Rhodes may be aligning himself with Paul Heyman in the near future.

CM Punk and Kevin Owens arrived at the arena ahead of their marquee match-up later in the night.

A stunning aerial shot highlighted a massive audience inside the Scotiabank Arena for the show.

At ringside, Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore discussed the Undisputed WWE Championship Match, then threw to a video package recapping the recent chapters in the Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton rivalry.