WWE SmackDown Results 7/17 - CM Punk & Cody Rhodes To Appear, Balor Vs. Talla Tonga

Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage of "WWE SmackDown" emanating from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York. 

Tonight's episode will see the fallout of Gunther's attack on General Manager Nick Aldis, Aldis having been on administrative leave previously after an altercation with Gunther at Night of Champions. Gunther has been on a collision course with the GM after each loss to either Cody Rhodes or Sami Zayn with the WWE title on the line, officially coming to blows during last week's show. 

Rhodes and reigning WWE Champion CM Punk are due to team together against the pairing of Gunther and Zayn at this weekend's Saturday Night's Main Event. They are advertised to address that during "SmackDown" and it will be interesting to see how those different dynamics play out.

The only match confirmed at the time of writing is a continuation of Finn Balor's rivalry with the disbanded MFT, Tama and Talla Tonga. He had courted Tama for a Bullet Club OG reunion only for Tama to reveal he had been advised by his Elders to burn the past. Balor beat Tama in singles action last week and will now look to replicate that feat against his much taller brother. 

"SmackDown" is scheduled to begin at 8 PM ET on the USA Network for those watching domestically. For those watching internationally, "SmackDown" is available via Netflix. 

The show is underway and Gunther makes his entrance. He lets the crowd get their boos out before finally speaking. 

He says he has prided himself on being a professional throughout his career, but says since arriving on "SmackDown" he has been mistreated. He says he doesn't know if Nick Aldis jealous of him, though he would understand, but he should be the WWE Champion and everyone knows it. 

He says that Aldis is the only reason he is not WWE Champion, and now he is forcing him to team with Sami Zayn against CM Punk and Cody Rhodes. He says he will not accept it and that Zayn does not belong on the same side as him. 

Adam Pearce says enough is enough as he makes his entrance. Pearce says Gunther should say thank you to him for saving his job, citing his extracurricular attacks on Rhodes and Aldis in recent weeks. Pearce says if that happened on his show, Gunther would be fired, but Aldis fought the case that Gunther still fight this weekend at Saturday Night's Main Event – including the stipulation. 

Gunther complains that there would be a hidden stipulation set up by Aldis, but Pearce says to let him finish. He says that the stipulation is to benefit Gunther; if he and Zayn beat Punk and Rhodes this weekend, then the WWE Championship match will grow to a four-way including them. 

Rhodes' music plays and he comes down to the ring, immediately fighting Gunther when he gets into the ring. Gunther retreats from the ring, bemoaning the stipulation but saying it will not matter ultimately, because Gunther does not have it in him to beat him and Punk. 

Rhodes calls for a singles match between them tonight, turning to Pearce towards that end. Pearce declares that "It is official" and the main event will be Gunther versus Cody Rhodes.