Gunther Powerbombs Aldis Through Table to Set Up SummerSlam Clash

The road to SummerSlam took a violent turn on SmackDown, which aired Friday, July 24 from Oakland, California, as Gunther and Nick Aldis made their showdown official with a contract signing that ended in a table-breaking powerbomb.

Adam Pearce presided over the signing and confirmed that once Aldis put pen to paper, he would step down as SmackDown General Manager and return to full-time competition, with Pearce assuming GM duties over both Raw and SmackDown going forward. Gunther used the moment to needle his opponent, telling Aldis he simply wasn’t good enough to make it in WWE and vowing to add him to his long list of ended careers. Aldis shot back that Gunther was hiding behind cheap shots and warned that a loss to his former boss would be a permanent stain on his reputation. The exchange boiled over into a brawl, with Aldis getting the better of it before Pearce tried to intervene — only for Gunther to deliver a low blow and put Aldis through the table with a powerbomb.

Elsewhere, Sami Zayn made his frustrations known to Pearce over being left out of the WWE Championship picture despite holding the title just weeks earlier. Pearce held firm that Cody Rhodes and CM Punk would meet for the title at SummerSlam, but sweetened the deal for Zayn by making the night’s Fatal 4-Way a No. 1 Contender’s qualifier for a shot at him. Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Trick Williams and hometown competitor Royce Keys collided in a chaotic main event that spilled outside the ring when Solo Sikoa, The Usos, LA Knight and Jacob Fatu all inserted themselves into the fray. Amid the interference, Balor escaped a South of Heaven attempt, hit Sling Blade and a Shotgun Dropkick, then finished off Trick Williams with a Coup de Grace to punch his ticket to a SummerSlam match against Zayn — with the winner of that bout in line for a future title opportunity.

The rivalry between Rhodes and Punk also intensified in a tense face-to-face segment. Rhodes said his story only ends properly if he beats Punk, while Punk accused Rhodes of playing the victim and making enemies, insisting he remains the best in the world. Punk twisted the knife by calling Rhodes ‘Dusty’s kid,’ prompting Rhodes to cut off Punk’s entrance music and promise his own theme would be the last thing heard at SummerSlam.

On the women’s side, Brie Bella picked up a win over Lainey Reid of Fatal Influence, with Paige in her corner, only for Fatal Influence to jump her after the bell — until Nikki Bella made a surprise return to make the save. WWE followed up by confirming The Bella Twins and Paige will face Fatal Influence at SummerSlam. Chelsea Green also punched her way into the Women’s Interim Championship Ladder Match with a win over Kiana James, while Charlotte Flair advanced via disqualification after Jade Cargill interfered in her match against Nia Jax, laying out Flair with a Jaded afterward.

With SummerSlam’s card rapidly filling out, WWE now has Gunther-Aldis, Rhodes-Punk, Zayn-Balor, and a stacked women’s tag and ladder match all building toward the summer’s biggest show. The power shakeup with Pearce taking over both brands adds another wrinkle worth watching as the roster jockeys for position heading into the event.