Randy Orton and Alexa Bliss both wrestled for the first time in months on Thursday night, at a WWE live event at the SNHU Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Orton’s was the longer wait. He had not had a match since night one of WrestleMania 42 on April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, when he lost to Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship and then punted him in the head after the bell. Here he met Rhodes again in a street fight that closed the show.
It went the same way. Orton put Rhodes through a table and hit an RKO, which Rhodes kicked out of. Rhodes then put him through a chair that had been wedged in the ropes and finished with Cross Rhodes. Orton also hit a low blow at one point, with Rhodes having worked the crowd up beforehand.
— QB1 Game Film 🎞️ (@QB1Tape) August 14, 2026
Orton has been back on television for a fortnight without wrestling. He returned at SummerSlam on August 1, hitting Rhodes with an RKO during the Undisputed WWE Championship match to hand CM Punk the win, and has not explained himself since. Nothing has been announced between the two, though WWE has advertised Punk, Kevin Owens, Rhodes and Orton for Friday’s SmackDown.
Bliss had been out since July 10, when Jade Cargill injured her arm on SmackDown. She teamed with Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton against Fatal Influence, the group of Jacy Jayne, Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid, with Stratton taking the pinfall for the win.
She had already been back on television. Bliss returned to SmackDown last week to help Flair in her confrontation with Cargill and to introduce Tatum Paxley as their new ally, but Thursday was her first match.
6-Woman Tag Match is set at #WWEManchester
Fatal Influence Vs Tiffy, Charlotte & Alexa Bliss
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— Lainey Reid Fan 😈🤟🏽 (@LaineyFan436) August 14, 2026
The rest of the card had a fair amount on it for a house show. R-Truth and Damian Priest retained the WWE Tag Team Championship in a three-way against the MFTs and the War Raiders.
Baron Corbin retained the United States Championship in a four-way against Carmelo Hayes, Trick Williams and Ricky Saints. Corbin took the title from Williams at SummerSlam, which is part of why Williams drew the loudest reaction of the three challengers.
The Miz came out for a promo and spent it mocking the local audience, which brought out Danhausen to curse him. The Miz attacked Danhausen, and Kevin Owens made the save. Owens then hit Danhausen with a Stunner, which was read in the building as a message to CM Punk.
Owens is the number one contender to Punk’s Undisputed WWE Championship. He returned on night two of SummerSlam after 17 months out following neck surgery, and won a four-way against Sami Zayn, Finn Balor and GUNTHER that SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis expanded from a singles match minutes before the bell. He and Punk had a face-to-face on last week’s SmackDown.
Punk told Rhodes at a live event in Fairfax last week that he could have a rematch whenever he wanted, which cuts across Owens’ position, and nothing has been settled on television.
Oba Femi and Bron Breakker also had a face-off on the show, the latest in a series of them. Attendance was described as around two-thirds of the building, with the upper bowl curtained off, and the crowd as lively throughout.
Bliss is a five-time Women’s Champion and has held the Women’s Tag Team Championship with Flair. Orton is 46 and made his professional debut in 2000 before signing with WWE the following year. He is a 14-time world champion, and his last reign was in 2020. A 15th was on the line against Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, which would have moved him past most of the field and closer to John Cena’s record.
SmackDown airs on Friday from Buffalo.
