4 Mistakes WWE Made On SmackDown After SummerSlam 2026

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Brock Lesnar advocated Oba Femi as the future of the business. A lot happened over the course of two nights, so SmackDown naturally needed to address it.

The episode did cover a lot, but also missed a lot. WWE made the next four mistakes on SmackDown after SummerSlam 2026.

#4. Only three matches in two hours

Most offerings of SmackDown have four or five matches. If one is an important showdown between two big stars or a big title contest, four is adequate. The episode immediately after SummerSlam only featured three contests.

Baron Corbin beat Trick Williams in a United States Championship rematch. Fatal Influence defeated Chelsea Green and Tiffany Stratton in tag team action. Charlotte Flair and Jade Cargill’s blowoff match closed the episode.

The main reason was for promos and backstage segments. Cody Rhodes got two in-ring segments. CM Punk and Kevin Owens exchanged pleasantries. Sami Zayn argued backstage with Nick Aldis and Owens.

Nikki Bella and Shinsuke Nakamura had pre-taped promos. Damian Priest and R-Truth had another backstage segment with the War Raiders. This week’s SmackDown featured too much talking. The action wasn’t the best either.

#3. Trick Williams gets a rematch?

Rematches in WWE have long been a point of confusion and inconsistency. A lot of stars have to earn a title shot rematch after dropping a belt. This happened to LA Knight a couple of years ago.

It never makes sense as to who does and does not receive one. Trick Williams was handed a rematch without having to earn one. Sami Zayn, who’s been with the company for over a decade, won the WWE Championship earlier this summer.

He did get an automatic rematch like Trick Williams. It’s part of the ongoing conspiracy angle with Zayn, but there isn’t any logical consistency with how they are given.

#2. Where’s Blake Monroe?

One of the most inconsistently used stars since WrestleMania has been Blake Monroe. She was hyped in several pre-taped promos, and briefly appeared backstage for about two seconds after a month of vignettes.

She then attacked Giulia in London after a match, and attacked other women backstage. Monroe hasn’t had her first official match as a member of SmackDown, and should have targeted Tiffany Stratton after SummerSlam.

Monroe wasn’t mentioned, seen, or heard. As if that wasn’t bad enough, WWE booked Nia Jax and Lash Legend to go after Chelsea Green. Officials don’t have any fresh ideas for Jax other than to pursue gold and lose. She has no character depth.

#1. Immediately burying the new WWE Women’s Champion

Chelsea Green was the fan favorite to win the Interim WWE Women’s Championship in the ladder match at SummerSlam. Her dedication to the craft and attention to the little details of facial expressions and timing endeared her to fans, even as a heel.

It’s what forced WWE officials to turn her into a face. Having the new titleholder compete after winning the belt is fine. How it was handled on SmackDown, however, was not good. Green teamed with Stratton against Fatal Influence.

It was a tag title match, and with the way the segment ended, it could have protected both teams. Green ate the finisher and was pinned in the end. Jax and Legend could have blindsided the faces to cause a disqualification.

That protects all four women who are champions. Instead, it just shows that the booking for Green as champion will probably be the same, and it shouldn’t.

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