Chairshot Wrestling News Report (10/3/2026): Owens Gets MITB, Orton Costs Cody & Tiffany Is In

Kevin Owens and Tiffany Stratton claim the final Money in the Bank spots, Randy Orton costs Cody Rhodes and Blake Monroe beats Giulia.

Kevin Owens is headed to Money in the Bank, and Randy Orton made sure Cody Rhodes will not be joining him.

Owens defeated Rhodes and Johnny Gargano in Friday’s final men’s qualifying match after Orton pulled the referee from the ring while Cody appeared to have the match won. Tiffany Stratton claimed the final women’s spot earlier in the night, while Blake Monroe finally made her SmackDown in-ring debut and defeated Giulia.

It’s the Chairshot Wrestling News Report for October 3, 2026!

Kevin Owens Takes the Final Money in the Bank Spot

Kevin Owens defeated Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano to claim the sixth and final position in the men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, but Randy Orton played a major role in keeping Cody out.

Rhodes appeared to have Owens beaten after hitting Cross Rhodes, only for Orton to pull the referee out of the ring before the three-count. Cody chased Orton and appeared ready to attempt the Punt, but Gargano interrupted with a dive before returning to the ring and hitting One Final Beat on Owens.

Owens survived and eventually caught Gargano with a Pop-Up Powerbomb for the victory while Orton prevented Rhodes from re-entering the ring.

That gives Money in the Bank a complete men’s field of Bron Breakker, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, Penta, CM Punk and Owens. It is a strong mix of established world-title threats and wrestlers WWE is actively trying to move further up the card.

For Cody, the bigger story remains Orton. WWE has spent weeks building around Cody’s hesitation to seriously hurt someone he still considers a mentor, and Friday showed what happens when Orton takes advantage of that restraint. Cody finally looked prepared to cross the line, but even that decision cost him enough time to lose another route toward the Undisputed WWE Championship.

WWE SmackDown Results — October 2, 2026

Friday’s SmackDown from Denver finalized both Money in the Bank Ladder Matches while also featuring Blake Monroe’s long-delayed in-ring debut and a six-man tag involving AAA Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix.

• Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifier – Tiffany Stratton defeated Tatum Paxley and Candice LeRae
• Ricky Saints & The War Raiders defeated Rey Fenix & Fraxiom
• Blake Monroe defeated Giulia
• Men’s Money in the Bank Qualifier – Kevin Owens defeated Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano

Stratton and Owens leave Denver with the clearest tangible gains because both now have an opportunity to completely change their championship futures next Saturday.

The rest of SmackDown was largely about pushing existing issues toward their next stage. Monroe finally got her victory over Giulia, Ricky Saints pinned Fenix in the six-man tag and Sami Zayn’s championship scene became considerably more crowded before Gunther made sure he remained impossible to ignore.

Read Steven Mitchell’s WWE Smackdown Recap, Results & Review for 10/2/2026

Tiffany Stratton Returns to Money in the Bank

Tiffany Stratton defeated Tatum Paxley and Candice LeRae to take the final position in the women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

Paxley came close after hitting the Cemetery Drive, only for LeRae to throw her from the ring and attempt to steal the pin. Later, Paxley connected with a 450 splash on LeRae, but Stratton immediately followed with the Prettiest Moonsault Ever and secured the victory.

Stratton joins Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, Jacy Jayne, Roxanne Perez and Lash Legend, completing a field that looks considerably different from many previous Money in the Bank matches. Several participants are being positioned for their first sustained run near WWE’s top women’s championships rather than simply filling the match with former world champions.

Stratton is the exception because she already knows exactly what the briefcase can do. Winning Money in the Bank helped launch her first world-championship run, and WWE immediately played with the possibility that history could repeat itself when Chelsea Green expressed support for her qualifying.

That friendship becomes considerably less comfortable if Stratton leaves New Orleans holding another contract that can be cashed in on the WWE Women’s Champion.

Blake Monroe Finally Makes Her SmackDown Debut

After months of attacks and multiple matches that never properly began, Blake Monroe finally wrestled her first official SmackDown match and defeated Giulia.

The two immediately wrestled with the aggression their rivalry required, but the finish came when Monroe knocked Giulia face-first into the ring post from the top rope and quickly made the cover.

WWE needed to deliver an actual match after repeatedly delaying the payoff. The rivalry had reached the point where another pull-apart or pre-match attack would have started feeling less like escalation and more like avoiding the obvious next step.

Giving Monroe the victory immediately establishes her on SmackDown, but Giulia losing through an opportunistic finish leaves enough room for the rivalry to continue. WWE can return to the matchup without pretending Friday settled everything between them.

Sami Zayn’s Championship Problems Keep Growing

Undisputed WWE Champion Sami Zayn found himself surrounded Friday by several wrestlers with legitimate reasons to believe they belong in the championship conversation.

Je’Von Evans, Penta, United States Champion Trick Williams and Finn Bálor all confronted Sami before Gunther entered and turned the argument physical. Gunther attacked Bálor and then dropped Sami, making sure the champion’s attention shifted back toward him before the segment ended.

The timing is useful with Money in the Bank only one week away. Evans, Penta and Trick are already in the Ladder Match, while Sami has Kevin Owens entering the field after Friday’s main event.

That means WWE does not need to identify one clear challenger immediately. The championship picture is crowded by design because Money in the Bank is supposed to create uncertainty around whoever holds the title.

Gunther remains different from the others because he does not need the briefcase to be viewed as a championship threat. His involvement gives Sami a direct problem while the six-man Ladder Match creates several potential future ones.

Ricky Saints Pins Rey Fenix

Ricky Saints teamed with The War Raiders to defeat Rey Fenix and Fraxiom, with Saints pinning the AAA World Cruiserweight Champion after catching Fenix with Rochambeau.

The victory immediately gives Saints a claim to something more significant because he defeated a reigning champion rather than simply scoring a fall over one of Fenix’s partners. WWE has increasingly used AAA championships across its regular television, and results like this create natural contenders without needing separate qualifying matches.

Fenix is already scheduled to defend the Cruiserweight Championship against Ethan Page on Raw, so Saints does not necessarily need to receive an immediate title opportunity. What matters is that WWE now has another result it can return to whenever the championship needs a fresh challenger.

The six-man also continued Fraxiom’s presence across multiple WWE brands. Nathan Frazer and Axiom remain active in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic while also working alongside Fenix on SmackDown, giving WWE flexibility with a team that can realistically fit almost anywhere.

Listen to the DWI Podcast #536: Wrestling’s Top 5 Factions 

Sheamus Officially Becomes a Free Agent

Sheamus is officially a free agent following the end of his WWE contractual obligations. Fightful Select confirmed Friday that the former WWE Champion is now free to sign or wrestle elsewhere after departing the company earlier this year.

Sheamus has also shifted toward using his real name, Stephen Farrelly, on social media and posted Friday that “all challengers” are welcome. He had been with WWE since 2006 and accumulated one of the more complete résumés of his generation, including WWE and World Heavyweight championships, the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank and King of the Ring.

There is already reported interest from AEW, with WrestleVotes Radio reporting that multiple people within the company would support bringing Farrelly in. That does not mean a contract exists, and there is no reason to present the obvious speculation as something more concrete.

For the first time in roughly two decades, however, Sheamus can realistically appear almost anywhere.

The Hardys Will Control an Entire TNA Impact Taping

TNA announced Friday that Matt and Jeff Hardy will receive full creative control of the October 13 Impact taping in Dothan, Alabama, celebrating the beginning of their 35th year in professional wrestling.

According to TNA, The Hardys will serve as matchmakers for the night, determine stipulations and surprises and remain involved on-screen themselves. The show will air October 15, making it the first Impact episode following Bound For Glory.

The concept gives TNA an unusual television hook without needing to pretend that Matt and Jeff are suddenly company executives. It is being presented as a one-night anniversary celebration tied directly to their history and longevity.

What makes the timing more interesting is that their status heading into the taping depends on Bound For Glory. The Hardys will face Syx in a Falls Count Anywhere Match two days earlier, which means their creatively controlled episode could easily be influenced by whatever happens against Joseph Sawyer and Samuel Shaw.

Read Andrew Balaz’s JCW Lunacy Episode 101 Recap, Results & Review

AEW Collision Preview — October 3, 2026

AEW Collision airs tonight with Kofi set to make his first singles appearance for the company against ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty.

• Kofi vs. Lee Moriarty

Kofi has already become one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions alongside Swerve Strickland and Austin Creed as The New Level, but Saturday gives AEW its first opportunity to present him independently of that team structure.

Moriarty is a smart opponent for that assignment because he provides a completely different style from the larger multi-man matches surrounding Kofi’s AEW arrival. The ROH Pure Champion can force the match into a more technical direction and give AEW a clearer look at what Kofi’s singles presentation will be.

Collision also represents AEW’s first regular television episode after Wednesday’s tribute to PAC. The company understandably put most normal storyline progression aside during Dynamite, meaning Saturday can begin establishing what comes next heading toward WrestleDream.

Maple Leaf Pro Northern Rising Preview — October 3, 2026

Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling presents Northern Rising tonight from Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre, the former site of Maple Leaf Gardens, with Adam Copeland wrestling in the building he grew up watching as a Canadian wrestling fan.

Copeland will face Steve Maclin in one of the show’s featured matches after their rivalry crossed into AEW television and MLP programming. The event is being promoted as Maple Leaf Pro’s biggest show of the year and sold out shortly after tickets went on sale.

• Adam Copeland vs. Steve Maclin
• MLP Canadian Championship – Josh Alexander vs. Stu Grayson

The location gives Copeland’s appearance considerably more meaning than a routine independent booking. He has spoken openly about growing up around Toronto wrestling and wanting the opportunity to perform inside the former Maple Leaf Gardens, something that never happened during the earlier stages of his career.

Scott D’Amore has built Northern Rising around that connection while also using the card to advance MLP’s weekly Mayhem television stories. The company remains much smaller than WWE, AEW or TNA, but selling out a show in such a historically important Toronto venue gives it a meaningful benchmark as it continues trying to establish a national Canadian wrestling product.

Kevin Owens now has another route toward Sami Zayn. Tiffany Stratton has another briefcase opportunity hanging over Chelsea Green. Randy Orton found another way to hurt Cody Rhodes without beating him himself, while Blake Monroe finally got the match SmackDown had been delaying for months.

One week remains before New Orleans.

The Ladder Matches are finally complete, and WWE can spend that final week making sure every person climbing toward those briefcases has a reason to believe grabbing one could change everything.

This report includes information from: WWE.com, Fightful.com, PWTorch.com, TNA Wrestling, All Elite Wrestling announcements, Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling, and POST Wrestling.