WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results and Recap: Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn Clash (May 22, 2026)

• Talla Tonga def. Shinsuke Nakamura via pinfall
• Tiffany Stratton def. Lash Legend via pinfall to retain the Women's United States Champion
• Trick Williams def. Carmelo Hayes via pinfall to retain the United States Championship
• Rhea Ripley & Charlotte Flair def. Fatal Influence via pinfall
• Solo Sikoa def. Damian Priest via pinfall
• Cody Rhodes def. Sami Zayn via pinfall

Here Are Your Key Moments From WWE Friday Night SmackDown for May 22, 2026

• WWE Women's Champion Rhea Ripley opens the show, taking aim at Jade Cargill after her comments about her last week. Ripley acknowledges that Cargill tried to send her a message, but they just made her mad, and she's ready for a match. She tells Cargill if she wants her rematch, she's got it at Clash in Italy. Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss comes to the ring, and Flair tells her not to get ahead of herself due to their match at tomorrow's Saturday Night's Main Event. Flair asks Ripley directly where she was last week when they needed her. Ripley reminds Flair that she was the one that told her she didn't need her, and Flair says she needs her help with her problem now. Ripley and Flair have a back and forth about the issues that happened with Alexa Bliss until Fatal Influence appears. Jacy Jayne says she loves seeing the division unravel, and it started once Fatal Influence arrived. Flair interrupts and tells Jayne that she and Bliss will face two of them tonight on the show.
• Nick Aldis is backstage and is joined by Cody Rhodes, and he tells Rhodes that the contract is still unsigned because Gunther isn't there yet. Rhodes wants the contract, but Aldis says he'll handle it. Sami Zayn appears. He says he knows Rhodes is dealing with Gunther, and he knows him best, but Rhodes declines his help. Aldis tells him time is tight and he may not have a spot for him, and he continues to take shots at Rhodes. Rhodes reappears and tells him he's got a match now tonight, but with him.
• Nick Aldis continues to figure out where the power issues are coming from, and he finds Danhausen in his lab working on his new clone. Aldis asks him to stop doing it, but Danhausen hits the enter key on the keyboard, and sparks fly. Danhausen disappears and as Aldis tries to look underneath the cover, Danhausen yells at him to stop.

Have We Witnessed The Full Sami Zayn Turn?

It's been brewing since the untimely death of the Gingerbread Man (may he rest in peace), but tonight put what felt like extra emphasis on the Tale of Sami Zayn. As Gunther choked out Cody Rhodes in the ring, Zayn left without assisting Rhodes, and although appearing conflicted, he did nothing to stop it.

Zayn's arc has been one of struggle and unrelenting frustration for him, and perhaps he's ready to take the Drew McIntyre route, beginning to only worry about himself and, by proxy, potentially win the WWE Undisputed Championship. It's an unfourtnate change in direction for Zayn, but if you can't make it to the top using babyface appeal, a heel turn doesn't seem all that bad.