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WWE SmackDown Match Card [May 8, 2026]: Cody Rhodes To Address Gunther’s Brutal Attack; Tiffany Stratton Defends Women’s US Title And More (Image Source: X)
WWE Backlash 2026 journey will make its last stop tonight, Friday, May 8 2026, as live SmackDown broadcasts from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. This final edition before the show is full of top-level stress, the main event being the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, who is going to face the consequences of a very surprising attack. Since the title will be at stake and a “Dream Team” of women’s legends is ready to throw down, the blue brand is gearing up to present a huge, unexpected lead-up to Saturday’s Premium Live Event in Tampa.
| Match / Segment | Participants | Stipulation / Note |
| Undisputed Title Segment | Cody Rhodes and Gunther | Cody addresses Gunther’s brutal attack from last week |
| WWE Women’s US Championship | Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Kiana James | Stratton’s first title defence after winning gold |
| Six-Woman Tag Team Match | Rhea Ripley, Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss vs. Fatal Influence | Icons unite to take down Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley & Lainey Reid |
| Psychological Warfare Segment | Trick Williams and Sami Zayn | A formal “Funeral for the Gingerbread Man” hosted by Trick |
| Tag Team Grudge Match | Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair vs. The Unholy Union | Showdown before the Women’s Tag Title clash |
| Singles Match | Randy Orton vs. TBA | The Viper looks to build momentum before Backlash |
| Country | Platform / Network | Local Start Time | Date |
| India | Netflix / Sony Sports Network | 6:30 AM IST | May 9 (Saturday) |
| USA | USA Network / Netflix | 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT | May 8 (Friday) |
| UK | Netflix / TNT Sports | 1:00 AM BST | May 9 (Saturday) |
| Canada | Sportsnet / Netflix | 8:00 PM ET | May 8 (Friday) |
| Saudi Arabia | Netflix / Shahid | 5:00 AM AST | May 9 (Saturday) |
The WWE Universe is still shocked by what happened last week when “The Ring General” Gunther threw a very purposeful and violent blow at Cody Rhodes. Gunther’s statement was very clear as he was lifting the Undisputed WWE Championship high above the defeated “American Nightmare.” Rhodes will be speaking about the assault and Gunther’s latest “Ring General” command tonight. Supporters are preparing for a fight because these two men want to get the best psychological advantage over one another only 24 hours before their confrontation at Backlash.
Tonight, debuting as the WWE Women’s United States Champion, Tiffany Stratton will be defending her newly won title for the first time. In an unexpected twist, “Tiffy Time” did not face the ex-champion Giulia but instead decided to give the title challenge to her partner, Kiana James. Stratton feels unbeatable now, but don’t forget that James’s ring skills are just like a business where she is very ruthless and efficient. Besides, this fight here will totally be a deciding factor for the newly created championship, and with Giulia probably hiding behind, the “Centre of the Universe” will have to come up with something better than her Prettiest Moonsault Ever just to keep the championship.
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