SmackDown in Lafayette: Bliss and Paxley Win Tag Titles Before Money in the Bank

Key points

• Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley defeated Fatal Influence (Lainey Reid and Fallon Henley) to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
• Charlotte Flair was attacked backstage by Jade Cargill, Michin, and B-Fab, forcing Alexa Bliss to replace her in the title match.
• Trick Williams defeated Bron Breakker by disqualification after The Vision interfered; the match ended with Bronson Reed hitting Williams with a Tsunami.
• CM Punk, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn shared the ring to promote the Money in the Bank ladder match, with Owens and Punk trading insults.
• The show took place at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana, with all Money in the Bank competitors in attendance.
• Lash Legend won a women's trios match and subsequently attacked her partners, Jacy Jayne and Tiffany Stratton.

Background

This episode followed a series of Money in the Bank qualifier matches on RAW and SmackDown in September 2026, where competitors like Trick Williams, Bron Breakker, and Roxanne Perez secured their spots in the ladder match. The previous SmackDown on September 18 had featured similar qualifier bouts and backstage segments, setting the stage for the current week's focus on the upcoming pay-per-view. The women's tag team division had seen recent activity, with Fatal Influence holding the titles, while Charlotte Flair and Tatum Paxley had been building a partnership leading up to this challenge.

How outlets are covering it

Ringside News provided the initial spoiler lineup, noting that the women's tag title match and the main event ended without a listed finish, suggesting potential major angles. Bleacher Report confirmed the title change, grading the women's tag match a C+ and noting the experience gap between the competitors. They also graded the main event a C+, criticizing the short time allotted for the match. Sports Illustrated focused on the pre-show context, highlighting the presence of all Money in the Bank competitors and the potential for sparks between rivals like CM Punk and Kevin Owens. All sources agreed on the location (Lafayette, Louisiana) and the key outcomes, but Bleacher Report was more critical of the show's overall quality, calling it 'skippable' except for the title change.

Why it matters

The women's tag title change is significant as it introduces new champions ahead of the Money in the Bank event, potentially altering the dynamics of the women's division. The main event's DQ finish and the interference from The Vision set up future feuds and storylines. The presence of all Money in the Bank competitors on SmackDown served to hype the upcoming pay-per-view, with segments involving CM Punk, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn building anticipation for the ladder match. The show also provided updates on ongoing rivalries, such as Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, and the status of the War Raiders' tag titles.

What to watch

The next major event is the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on Saturday, where the ladder matches will take place. The new women's tag champions, Bliss and Paxley, will likely face challenges from other top women's division competitors. The feud between Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton is expected to continue, with a face-to-face meeting teased for the following week. The rivalry between Trick Williams and Bron Breakker may also escalate, with Breakker potentially targeting Sami Zayn's title if he wins the ladder match. The War Raiders' loss in a non-title match may lead to further confrontations with BAKUSAI or other tag teams.