SmackDown Main Event Erupts Into Six-Man Tag With Penta

The main event of the October 23 episode of WWE SmackDown didn’t go according to plan. Sami Zayn and Johnny Gargano were originally lined up for a tag team bout, but the match was thrown into chaos when Ricky Saints inserted himself into the action and laid out Rey Fenix at ringside. That attack drew Penta out from the back to even the odds, and by the time the smoke cleared, the segment had morphed from a standard tag match into a full six-man tag team affair closing out the show.

With Trick Williams also factoring into the night’s chaos, SmackDown’s creative team opted to let the brawl spill into a bigger spectacle rather than reset for a traditional finish. It’s a familiar trick in pro wrestling booking — using run-ins and interference to escalate a two-on-two into a statement-making six-man — but it also signals that WWE is actively building toward something larger involving this group heading into the final stretch of the year.

Zayn’s presence at the center of the chaos is notable given his standing as WWE Champion. Any time the titleholder is drawn into unscheduled brawls on free TV, it tends to be a sign of a bigger program forming, whether that’s a multi-man feud, a future title defense, or simply a way to keep Zayn protected while still feeding him into high-profile television segments. Gargano, for his part, continues to be positioned alongside Zayn in these moments, suggesting WWE sees value in keeping that pairing intact as a unit rather than splitting them off into solo stories.

On the other side, Rey Fenix and Penta being pulled into the same spot together is a dynamic worth watching closely. The Lucha Brothers have each carved out distinct identities on WWE television since their arrivals, and moments like this — where one brother’s peril brings the other rushing to the ring — tend to be the connective tissue holding their characters together even when they’re not booked as a formal tag team. Ricky Saints playing the instigator who sets the whole chain reaction in motion also hints that he could be angling for a bigger spot in whatever story is coalescing here.

Six-man tag blowoffs like this one are usually a tease rather than a conclusion. Expect SmackDown to address the fallout in the coming weeks, likely with explanations for why Saints targeted Fenix and whether Trick Williams’ involvement was incidental or the start of something more defined. For now, it’s another example of WWE using chaotic, interference-heavy finishes to keep multiple stories simmering at once heading toward the promotion’s next major premium live event cycle.

As always, the real tell will be how SmackDown follows up. If this group gets addressed directly in promo segments or a rematch is teased, it’s a sign WWE is building toward a program with real stakes rather than a one-off television moment.