SALT LAKE CITY — The final WWE SmackDown before Saturday Night’s Main Event as WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and challenger Drew McIntyre’s final face-to-face ended in destruction.

The show opened with WWE Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton demanding a fight with Jade Cargill following last week’s attack. SmackDown GM Nick Aldis enforced a no-contact rule before their title match on Saturday. Cargill vowed to end “Tappy Time,” but security kept the two apart.

United States Championship Open Challenge | Ilja Dragunov (c) defeated Nathan Frazer
Frazer accepted Dragunov’s open challenge in a fast-paced match that saw both men come close to victory. Dragunov retained after hitting a powerbomb and the H-Bomb. Post-match, Tommaso Ciampa attacked Frazer leading to a brawl with #DIY, Axiom, and Johnny Gargano.

Later backstage, Tama Tonga confronted Dragunov, signaling future tensions.

Carmelo Hayes defeated Kit Wilson
After a back-and-forth match, Carmelo Hayes scored the win with the First 48. Following the bell, The Miz ambushed Hayes and dropped him with the Skull-Crushing Finale.

Alexa Bliss defeated Nia Jax
Nia Jax dominated early, but Charlotte Flair’s distraction on the apron allowed Alexa Bliss to capitalize with a head kick and pick up the upset win.

The M.F.T.s (JC Mateo & Tama Tonga) defeated Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley)
Solo Sikoa’s distraction allowed Tama Tonga to connect with the Cutthroat for the pinfall. After the match, the M.F.T.s attacked the Machine Guns until Rey Fenix and Shinsuke Nakamura tried to make the save, but the group’s numbers advantage prevailed.

The night ended with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre signing the contract for their title match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. McIntyre initially refused due to a disqualification clause, but Rhodes agreed to new terms allowing the title to change hands by DQ or count-out.

After a heated exchange, McIntyre provoked Rhodes by mentioning his family. A brief fight ended with McIntyre flooring the champion with a Claymore Kick and powerbombing him through the table to close the show standing tall.