Ladies and gentlemen, the superstars of the World Wrestling Federation descended upon Charleston, West Virginia, tonight for a very special Halloween edition of Friday Night SmackDown, and with Danhausen overseeing the festivities, we probably should have expected things to get a little strange.
Three championships were on the line, Crown Jewel was drawing closer, and the evening promised a mixture of serious wrestling business and whatever the hell Danhausen had planned in his laboratory.
By the time everything was finished, all three champions had retained their titles, a familiar demonic presence had returned, and the Undisputed WWF Championship match had descended into the sort of chaos that makes professional wrestling such a wonderfully ridiculous institution.
But first, ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement.
THE GLAMOUR WAS ON THE SHOW!
That’s right! After expressing our displeasure at the apparent absence of Blake Monroe from tonight’s promotional material, I’m delighted to report that she made an appearance after all.
Now, was she given an entire hour of television? Unfortunately not.
Did she wrestle? Also no.
But did she remind everybody that Friday Night SmackDown is, in fact, The Glamour’s show?
YOU BET YOUR ASS SHE DID!
We’ll get to that shortly. First, let’s examine what happened inside the squared circle.
Cody Rhodes Has a Warning for Randy Orton
Cody Rhodes opened the evening by addressing his upcoming Last Man Standing Match against Randy Orton at Crown Jewel.
The American Nightmare made it clear that he isn’t approaching this contest as an ordinary wrestling match. Rhodes acknowledged the brutality of the stipulation and suggested that he intends to repay Orton for the punishment he’s suffered.
Cody even referenced the possibility of delivering a devastating punt kick of his own.
Now, I’ve watched Randy Orton deliver enough of those things over the years to know that this isn’t exactly a threat to be taken lightly.
Rhodes also suggested that the winner could emerge as the next challenger for the Undisputed WWF Championship, which would certainly raise the stakes.
Stinger’s View: I like the direction this rivalry has taken. Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton have enough history that they don’t need some convoluted explanation for wanting to beat the hell out of one another, and a Last Man Standing Match is a fitting way to settle their differences.
The possibility of a future championship opportunity gives the contest additional significance, but the personal animosity is what makes it interesting.
And Cody threatening to punt Randy Orton in the head? That’s one hell of a way to tell a man you haven’t forgotten what he’s done.
Chelsea Green Defeats Nikki Bella — WWF Women’s Championship
Chelsea Green entered tonight’s broadcast with a championship to defend and an upcoming confrontation with Liv Morgan at Crown Jewel looming over her shoulder.
Standing in her way was Nikki Bella, who certainly wasn’t interested in allowing Green to stroll into next week’s event with the championship intact.
And because this was Halloween, Chelsea decided to dress as Nikki Bella for the occasion.
Or, according to Chelsea herself, a monster.
Well, that’s certainly one way to compliment your opponent.
The match saw Nikki enjoy periods of control, including a Bella Buster and a Rack Attack 2.0 that nearly ended Green’s championship reign. Chelsea fought back with offense of her own, eventually escaping with a pinfall victory after catching Bella in an inside cradle.
Winner: Chelsea Green, retaining the WWF Women’s Championship.
The champion barely had time to celebrate before Liv Morgan arrived to remind her that their upcoming Crown Jewel encounter was rapidly approaching.
Morgan mocked Green’s credibility as champion, but Chelsea responded by planting her with the Unpretty Her.
Tiffany Stratton then attempted to take advantage of the situation, looking to cash in her Money in the Bank contract against Morgan. Unfortunately for Tiffany, Roxanne Perez and Raquel Rodriguez intervened before the cash-in could be completed.
IYO SKY eventually arrived to help drive off the attackers.
Stinger’s View: Chelsea Green continues to find ways to survive, and while an inside cradle isn’t exactly the most convincing way to establish championship dominance, a victory is a victory.
I enjoyed the Halloween costume business, although dressing as the woman you’re about to wrestle is a rather bold decision. If you lose, you’ve essentially spent the evening insulting yourself.
The post-match developments were more interesting from a storyline perspective. Liv Morgan remains a major threat, Tiffany Stratton is still lurking with that Money in the Bank contract, and Chelsea’s championship reign is attracting an increasingly troublesome collection of challengers.
And speaking of challengers, ladies and gentlemen, I happen to know a certain glamorous young woman who has expressed interest in championship gold.
But we’ll get to her momentarily.
Patience, my friends. Greatness cannot be rushed!
The Glamour Sets Her Sights on Championship Gold!
Ladies and gentlemen, please direct your attention to the most important development of the evening.
BLAKE MONROE HAS SPOKEN!
Following her victory over Giulia in last week’s Street Fight, The Glamour appeared backstage for an interview with Cathy Kelley.
And what, you may ask, is next for the magnificent Miss Monroe?
Championship gold, naturally!
Blake made it clear that she considers herself world championship material and believes Chelsea Green is struggling under the pressure of holding the title.
An interesting observation, considering Chelsea had just successfully defended that very championship.
But I’m not here to question The Glamour’s judgment. I’m here to report the facts!
Unfortunately, Paige decided to interrupt and suggest that winning one match wasn’t sufficient to establish championship credentials.
Blake responded by informing Paige that she used to be a fan of hers.
A DECADE AGO!
OH, THAT’S JUST BEAUTIFUL!
Paige warned Blake to watch her mouth, and the encounter ended with another potential rivalry beginning to take shape.
Stinger’s View: FINALLY! SOME PROPER JOURNALISM!
Blake Monroe has made her intentions clear, and I wholeheartedly support her pursuit of championship gold.
Now, some people may suggest that Paige had a reasonable point about earning opportunities. Others may question whether Blake has done enough to warrant immediate consideration.
To those people, I offer a simple response.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE GLAMOUR?!
The woman has talent, charisma, confidence, and a remarkable ability to irritate practically everybody she encounters. Those are valuable qualities in professional wrestling!
And that remark about having been a Paige fan a decade ago? Absolutely magnificent.
Of course, I realize some readers may accuse this publication of displaying favoritism toward the Monroe twins. Nonsense!
We hold every professional wrestler to the highest possible standards.
Except the Monroes. They’re wonderful.
And for those wondering about Chantel Monroe’s absence from tomorrow night’s Halloween Havoc card, our investigative department remains on the case. We have not forgotten, Mr. Hickenbottom! Rest assured, we will get to the bottom of it!
Rey Fenix Defeats Ricky Saints — AAA World Cruiserweight Championship
Rey Fenix defended the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship against Ricky Saints in their third championship encounter, following a previous match that ended in disqualification on October 16.
And ladies and gentlemen, unlike their previous encounter, this time we actually got a decisive winner!
The match opened with Fenix utilizing his tremendous speed and agility, taking control early and launching himself onto Saints with a spectacular dive to the outside.
Saints eventually turned the tables, sending the champion crashing over the announce table before attempting to ground the high-flying luchador.
Things became increasingly personal when Saints attempted to remove Fenix’s mask, an act that certainly isn’t going to endear him to anybody familiar with the traditions of lucha libre.
Saints followed with a superplex, but Fenix refused to stay down.
The champion battled back with a series of kicks and a moonsault, producing several near-falls as the match developed into an entertaining back-and-forth contest.
Saints responded with some impressive offense of his own, connecting with a Tornado DDT and a Death Valley Driver. Both maneuvers brought him close to capturing the championship, but Fenix continued to survive.
The closing stretch saw Fenix counter with a powerbomb before delivering two rolling cutters.
Saints managed to escape an initial attempt at the Mexican Muscle Buster, but the champion eventually connected with the devastating maneuver and secured the three-count.
Winner: Rey Fenix, retaining the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship.
Stinger’s View: Now THAT is the kind of championship match I enjoy! Rey Fenix and Ricky Saints were given nearly twelve minutes to tell their story, and both men made excellent use of the opportunity.
Fenix’s athleticism is always a pleasure to watch, but what impressed me was his resilience. Saints connected with several impressive maneuvers, including that Death Valley Driver, and genuinely looked capable of taking the championship.
And I have to give Saints credit. Despite coming up short, he put together a strong performance and made the champion work for every bit of that victory.
Of course, attempting to remove a luchador’s mask isn’t exactly the most honorable strategy, but nobody ever accused professional wrestlers of being universally committed to sportsmanship.
After their previous encounter ended in disqualification, I’m glad we finally got a proper conclusion. Fenix retains, Saints comes away looking like a credible challenger, and the audience gets an entertaining championship match.
That’s good professional wrestling, ladies and gentlemen!
Jade Cargill Defeats Tatum Paxley
Jade Cargill returned to singles competition against Tatum Paxley, with the powerful former champion looking to maintain momentum in a women’s division that seems to become more competitive every week.
Paxley has developed into an intriguing competitor, but Cargill’s combination of strength and athleticism proved too much to overcome.
Winner: Jade Cargill.
Stinger’s View: Jade Cargill remains one of the most physically imposing women on the roster, and victories like this help maintain her credibility as a serious contender.
Tatum Paxley has plenty of personality and an unusual presence that makes her stand out, but overcoming somebody with Jade’s physical advantages is no easy assignment.
I’m interested to see where Cargill goes next, especially with the women’s championship picture becoming increasingly crowded.
Chelsea Green is champion. Liv Morgan remains involved. Tiffany Stratton is carrying that briefcase. And Blake Monroe has announced her championship ambitions.
That’s quite a collection of personalities. And yes, before anybody asks, I would absolutely watch Jade Cargill wrestle Blake Monroe.
Naturally, I would expect the officials to demonstrate exceptional competence when evaluating any questionable tactics employed by The Glamour. We believe in fairness around here.
CM Punk and Kevin Owens Continue Their Bitter Rivalry
CM Punk and Kevin Owens have never been particularly fond of one another, and their rivalry continues to intensify as their next encounter approaches.
The two have spent weeks trading accusations and personal insults, with neither man showing much interest in resolving their differences through polite conversation.
Which, frankly, is probably for the best.
Professional wrestling would become rather dull if every disagreement ended with a handshake and an apology.
Their upcoming confrontation has been set as a No Holds Barred Match, ensuring that the usual restrictions won’t stand in the way when these two finally get their hands on one another.
Stinger’s View: This is exactly the kind of rivalry that benefits from a No Holds Barred stipulation.
CM Punk and Kevin Owens are both tremendous talkers, but the talking has to lead somewhere. Eventually, the insults and accusations need to give way to a proper fight.
Neither man strikes me as somebody particularly interested in backing down, and I expect their eventual encounter to be physical, personal, and thoroughly unpleasant.
Which, in professional wrestling terms, sounds like a pretty damn good time.
Danhausen’s Halloween Experiment Unleashes The Demon!
Danhausen spent the evening doing what Danhausen does best: being very nice, very evil, and behaving like somebody who probably shouldn’t be allowed unsupervised access to a laboratory.
Among his various Halloween activities was an attempt to trade a jar of human teeth for Tiffany Stratton’s Money in the Bank briefcase.
Now, I’ve covered professional wrestling for quite some time, and I must admit that’s one transaction I don’t recall seeing attempted before.
But the evening’s biggest surprise came when Danhausen’s bizarre experiment led to the return of The Demon Finn Bálor!
And Gunther found himself on the receiving end of the returning Demon’s aggression.
Stinger’s View: Now THAT is how you deliver a Halloween surprise!
The Demon Finn Bálor has always been a compelling presentation, and bringing him back during a Halloween broadcast makes perfect sense.
His appearance immediately adds another dimension to the situation with Gunther, and I’m interested to see whether this marks a significant change in Bálor’s direction or simply a special appearance for the occasion.
As for Danhausen, I appreciate the fact that WWF allowed him to embrace the ridiculousness of Halloween. Professional wrestling doesn’t always need to be serious. Sometimes a man attempting to trade a jar of teeth for a championship briefcase is exactly the sort of nonsense we need. Although I do have questions about where he obtained those teeth.
Actually, on second thought, I don’t believe I want the answers. And congratulations to everybody involved for managing to produce a Halloween wrestling spectacle without bringing back the electric chair from WCW Halloween Havoc 1991. We’ve made tremendous progress as an industry.
Sami Zayn Defeats Trick Williams — Undisputed WWF Championship
The main event featured Undisputed WWF Champion Sami Zayn defending his championship against United States Champion Trick Williams.
With Roman Reigns awaiting the champion at Crown Jewel, Zayn had plenty to lose.
And Trick Williams certainly wasn’t interested in allowing Sami to retain simply because the company had already begun promoting his next championship encounter.
The situation became increasingly chaotic when Johnny Gargano interfered, initially bringing the match to an unsatisfactory conclusion by disqualification.
But General Manager Nick Aldis wasn’t having it.
Rather than allowing the championship encounter to end that way, Aldis restarted the match under No Disqualification rules.
And ladies and gentlemen, once you remove the disqualification rule from a match involving competitors who already dislike one another, things tend to get rather unpleasant.
Zayn eventually resorted to a low blow and a shot with the championship belt to secure the victory.
Winner: Sami Zayn, retaining the Undisputed WWF Championship.
Stinger’s View: Sami Zayn survived, but let’s not pretend that was a particularly honorable way to retain the most prestigious championship in the company.
A low blow and a championship belt to the head? Well, I suppose that settles the question of how far Sami is willing to go to remain champion.
Now, I’m not suggesting he broke the rules. Once Nick Aldis restarted the match under No Disqualification rules, Zayn was perfectly entitled to take advantage of the stipulation. But being permitted to do something doesn’t necessarily make it admirable.
Trick Williams has every reason to feel cheated, especially after the original disqualification and subsequent restart turned the entire contest upside down. And Johnny Gargano’s involvement certainly didn’t help matters.
What interests me most is how this affects Sami’s upcoming confrontation with Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel. Zayn retained the championship, but he didn’t emerge looking like an unbeatable champion. He looked like a desperate man willing to do whatever was necessary to escape with his title. Perhaps that’s precisely the point.
And as for Trick Williams, I wouldn’t be surprised if we haven’t heard the last of his championship ambitions.
WWF SmackDown Results — October 30, 2026
| Match | Winner |
|---|---|
| WWF Women’s Championship: Chelsea Green (c) vs. Nikki Bella | Chelsea Green |
| AAA World Cruiserweight Championship: Rey Fenix (c) vs. Ricky Saints | Rey Fenix |
| Jade Cargill vs. Tatum Paxley | Jade Cargill |
| Undisputed WWF Championship: Sami Zayn (c) vs. Trick Williams | Sami Zayn |
All three championship defenses ended with the reigning champions retaining their titles.
Stinger’s View — Final Thoughts
Friday Night SmackDown delivered an entertaining Halloween edition with enough championship action, storyline developments, and outright absurdity to keep things interesting throughout the evening.
Sami Zayn’s controversial victory over Trick Williams provided the night’s biggest in-ring development, particularly with Crown Jewel approaching. The champion survived another defense, but his increasingly desperate methods raise questions about how far he’s willing to go to remain on top.
Chelsea Green also retained her championship, although the growing number of competitors circling the women’s title suggests her problems are only beginning.
Rey Fenix continues to establish himself as a credible cruiserweight champion, while Jade Cargill maintained her momentum with another victory.
Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton appear headed for a particularly violent confrontation, and CM Punk and Kevin Owens certainly aren’t planning to settle their differences over a friendly cup of coffee.
The return of Demon Finn Bálor was a welcome surprise, and Danhausen’s Halloween festivities provided the evening with the sort of ridiculous entertainment that professional wrestling should never be afraid to embrace.
But before we conclude, I must address one final matter.
THE GLAMOUR APPEARED ON SMACKDOWN!
Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot overstate the importance of this development.
After expressing our concerns earlier today, we were rewarded with an appearance from one of the finest young performers in the business.
Coincidence?
Perhaps.
Or perhaps WWF management has finally begun paying attention to the worldwide leader in professional wrestling coverage.
I wouldn’t rule it out.
And if anybody from the company happens to be reading this, we’d also like to remind you that Halloween Havoc takes place tomorrow night, and we’re still waiting for an explanation regarding Chantel Monroe.
Our investigative department is standing by. We’ve already prepared the email.
Because even when it’s shit, wrestling matters.
— Stinger, reporting from the rafters of Titanquisitor Hall, where The Glamour is always welcome and management remains under investigation.
