UNSEEN: WWE Champion Attacked After SmackDown Goes Off the Air; New SummerSlam Match Confirmed

 

After the Fatal-4-Way main event of SmackDown, a SummerSlam match was made official off-air. As Finn Balor walked out victorious in the main event bout, Trick Williams was one of the three others who lost. As the United States Champion was walking out and greeting fans, he was attacked by Baron Corbin.

Not just an attack; it also led to their championship match being made official. Corbin first made a surprising attack as he came down running off the barricade. A few shots to his head, and then The Lone Wolf took Williams in the ring for further ambush. As Corbin walked out from the ring, Williams said:

"Hey, look here you big bald headed bum. Maybe where you from, it’s okay to sneak a man while he ain’t looking. Fight when he don’t know what’s about to happen. But where I’m from, you knuckle up, look a man face to face, and fight like a real man. So prove to me that you ain’t scared. Prove to me that you don’t belong in retirement. Prove to me that you ain’t a bi**h. And you fight me one on one at SummerSlam."

EXCLUSIVE: Baron Corbin attacks @_trickwilliams after #SmackDown goes off the air, leading to Williams challenging Corbin to a United States Championship Match at #SummerSlam. pic.twitter.com/7lMKaabuIn

— WWE (@WWE) July 25, 2026

The former US Champion looked happy and seemed to have accepted the challenge. An official WWE poster has not been made for it yet, but the bout seems locked in.

Similar matches have happened before, but under different circumstances: first on NXT in June 2023, in singles action, and later in a tag team match with Corbin and Bron Breakker against Williams and Carmelo Hayes in the 2024 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic final.

SummerSlam 2026 match card as of now

Liv Morgan vs. Iyo Sky would battle for the Women's World Championship. Oba Femi vs. Brock Lesnar would have their blow-off match inside Hell in a Cell. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship would be the main event of Night 2 of SummerSlam 2026.

LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Royce Keys vs. The Bloodline's Jacob Fatu, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso would be a six-man tag team match. Penta vs. Chad Gable would also face each other for the third time, but this time it would be for the Intercontinental Championship. CM Punk vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship would likely close Night 1 of SummerSlam 2026.

Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill vs. Chelsea Green vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Giulia or Lash Legend is a five-way ladder match for the Interim WWE Women's Championship. Gunther vs. Nick Aldis is a singles match stemming from their personal-turned-professional issues. Another is Danhausen vs. Dominik Mysterio, and the winner will keep the $100,000 Danhausen stole from The Judgment Day.

Other matches are: Sami Zayn vs. Finn Balor for the #1 contendership to the Undisputed WWE Championship, the Bella Twins (Brie Bella and Nikki Bella) and Paige vs. Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid, and Fallon Henley) in a six-woman tag team match. The aforementioned Trick Williams vs. Baron Corbin is for the US title.