WWE SmackDown will see the addition of a new high-stakes match on the road to SummerSlam 2026.
Chelsea Green will square off against Kiana James on the July 24 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. The winner will qualify for the ladder match to determine the Interim WWE Women’s Champion at SummerSlam.
Elsewhere on the card, Charlotte Flair will take on Nia Jax for a spot in the five-way ladder match. Jax faced Jade Cargill last week on SmackDown, with the match ending in a disqualification victory for Cargill, allowing her to punch her ticket to the Biggest Party of the Summer.
It is worth mentioning that WWE Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton is already part of the SummerSlam lineup. Stratton was reportedly originally scheduled to defend the title in her hometown of Minnesota, but Rhea Ripley’s knee injury forced WWE to change its plans.
Another major change reportedly involved the originally planned match between Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair, which was reportedly scrapped following Ripley’s injury.
Regarding Ripley’s recovery, the report stated that there was a strong internal push within WWE for the champion to take the necessary time to fully heal rather than rush back for SummerSlam. There were concerns that returning too early could worsen the torn meniscus and lead to a more serious setback.
WrestleZone will provide live coverage of WWE SmackDown later tonight.
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