Cody Rhodes defeated Baron Corbin by disqualification in the main event of Friday Night SmackDown on October 16 in Sacramento after Randy Orton interfered, and Rhodes closed the broadcast by punting Corbin, according to WWE.com. No title changed hands on the show. Rey Fenix retained the AAA Cruiserweight Championship, also by disqualification.
WWE.com wrote that Corbin interrupted Rhodes and the two went toe to toe. Right after Rhodes hit a Disaster Kick on Corbin, Orton interfered, attacking Rhodes to force the disqualification. Corbin stopped Rhodes from hitting the punt on Orton, but Rhodes turned it around and landed the punt on Corbin in direct view of The Viper. Fightful reported that Orton pulled Rhodes out of the ring, that Orton and Rhodes brawled before Corbin got involved, and that Rhodes punted Corbin after Orton escaped to end the broadcast.
In the show's only title match, Fenix defeated Ricky Saints in the AAA Cruiserweight Championship bout. WWE.com said Fenix evaded a Rochambeau attempt and connected with a handspring cutter before Saints shoved the referee into the ropes, which cost Fenix his footing on the top rope. Saints then hit Rochambeau from the top rope, but referee Charles Robinson refused to count the pinfall. Saints got in Robinson's face and nearly headbutted him, and Robinson disqualified Saints. WWE.com added that Saints kept beating down Fenix after the match.
Also on the show, Trick Williams defeated Johnny Gargano in a non-title match. Williams had interrupted an address by Sami Zayn to Gargano, and the match followed. Williams won with the Trick Shot into a Book End, and Fightful described the bout as impromptu. Paige defeated Nikki Bella in a rematch after Bella cheated to win a few weeks earlier. WWE.com said Bella locked in the STF and Paige escaped to the bottom rope, then Paige hit an Attitude Adjustment but could not get the three count. She won by reversing a Bella pin attempt with help from the ropes. Damian Priest defeated R-Truth by referee stoppage after Truth appeared to hurt himself on a top-rope dropkick, according to WWE.com and Fightful.
Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley, the new WWE Women's Tag Team Champions, fended off an attack from Fatal Influence, WWE.com reported. Fightful wrote that Fatal Influence demanded a rematch and that a heated brawl followed before Paxley and Bliss left the ring. Fightful lists a Women's Tag Team Championship bout among the matches set for the October 23 SmackDown.
Fightful also reported that Nick Aldis told Blake Monroe she will face Giulia in a Street Fight, which Fightful lists for October 23, and that Nikki Bella challenged Women's Champion Chelsea Green to a title match on the October 30 SmackDown. WWE.com's results page logs a segment in which Bella warns Green but does not carry the date.
A match between Rhodes and Orton has not been announced. As the October 16 broadcast ended, Rhodes had the win over Corbin, Fenix still held the AAA Cruiserweight Championship, and Saints had taken a disqualification loss.
