The road to SummerSlam intensified on Friday night's edition of WWE SmackDown, which emanated live from the Oakland Arena in Oakland, California. The show featured a major contract signing between Nick Aldis and Gunther, The Bella Twins reuniting with Paige, several Women's Interim Championship Ladder Match qualifiers, and a chaotic Fatal 4-Way main event that determined Sami Zayn's challenger after SummerSlam.

Gunther Powerbombs Nick Aldis After SummerSlam Contract Signing

SmackDown opened with Adam Pearce overseeing the official contract signing for the highly anticipated SummerSlam showdown between Gunther and Nick Aldis.

Pearce announced that by signing the contract, Aldis would relinquish his role as SmackDown General Manager and officially return to active competition, with Pearce taking over as General Manager of both Raw and SmackDown.

Gunther mocked Aldis throughout the signing, claiming the former NWA World Champion never succeeded in WWE because he simply wasn't good enough. "The Ring General" vowed to add Aldis to the growing list of legends whose careers he has ended.

Aldis fired back by accusing Gunther of hiding behind cheap shots and insisting the former World Heavyweight Champion never expected him to fight back. He warned Gunther that losing to his former boss would permanently damage his reputation.

The heated confrontation quickly erupted into a brawl. Aldis initially gained the upper hand before Pearce attempted to separate the two. Gunther capitalized by delivering a low blow before planting Aldis through the contract table with a devastating powerbomb to close the segment.

Sami Zayn Demands SummerSlam Spotlight

Backstage, Sami Zayn confronted Adam Pearce over what he viewed as unfair treatment following the loss of the WWE Championship.

Zayn argued that despite being champion just weeks ago, he had been pushed aside while Cody Rhodes and CM Punk received the SummerSlam title match. He demanded to be added to the championship bout as a Triple Threat.

Pearce refused, explaining that the title match would remain Cody Rhodes versus CM Punk. Instead, he announced that the winner of tonight's Fatal 4-Way between Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Trick Williams and Royce Keys would earn a No. 1 Contender's Match against Zayn at SummerSlam. Zayn reluctantly accepted the opportunity.

Brie Bella Defeats Lainey Reid; Six-Woman Match Set For SummerSlam

Brie Bella, accompanied by Paige, looked to gain revenge after Fatal Influence captured the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships at Saturday Night's Main Event.

Before the match, Jacy Jayne declared that Tiffany Stratton's United States Championship would soon belong to Fatal Influence while promising Lainey Reid would embarrass Brie.

Following a competitive contest that included Reid controlling much of the offense with a leaping cutter, Brie rallied late and countered into a quick roll-up to score the victory.

After the match, Fatal Influence attacked Brie and Paige until Nikki Bella made her surprise return to even the odds. WWE then confirmed that The Bella Twins and Paige will face Fatal Influence at SummerSlam.

Winner: Brie Bella

Chelsea Green Advances In Women's Interim Championship Tournament

Chelsea Green punched her ticket into the Women's Interim Championship Ladder Match with a victory over Kiana James.

James dominated early, throwing Green into the barricade before controlling the opening moments. Green battled back with a Russian leg sweep and eventually connected with the Unpretty Her to secure the pinfall.

Winner and Advancing: Chelsea Green

Cody Rhodes And CM Punk Exchange Heated SummerSlam Words

One of the night's most anticipated segments saw Cody Rhodes and CM Punk meet face-to-face ahead of their SummerSlam WWE Championship clash.

Rhodes admitted that his story could only truly end if he defeated Punk at SummerSlam.

Punk responded by claiming Rhodes had a habit of portraying himself as the victim while making enemies of everyone around him. He insisted that despite everything Rhodes had accomplished, he remained "the best in the world."

The verbal exchange intensified as Punk promised to break Rhodes' heart at SummerSlam. Rhodes countered by saying Punk would receive an apology only after he beat him for the championship.

Punk then took a personal shot by referring to Rhodes as "Dusty's kid," prompting Rhodes to stop Punk's entrance music and promise that his own theme would be the song playing after he left SummerSlam as champion.

The confrontation ended with both men standing nose-to-nose without throwing a punch.

Charlotte Flair Qualifies Despite Jade Cargill Chaos

Charlotte Flair battled Nia Jax in another Women's Interim Championship Ladder Match qualifier.

After a physical contest, Jade Cargill appeared alongside B-Fab and Michin, distracting Flair during a crucial moment. Jade eventually struck Flair while the referee was distracted, resulting in a disqualification victory for Flair.

Following the match, Jade delivered Jaded to Flair before Nia Jax cleared the announce table in frustration.

Despite the chaotic finish, Charlotte officially advanced to the Ladder Match.

Winner via Disqualification and Advancing: Charlotte Flair

Finn Balor Wins Chaotic Fatal 4-Way Main Event

The night's main event featured Damian Priest, Finn Balor, Trick Williams and Royce Keys battling for the opportunity to face Sami Zayn at SummerSlam for a future WWE Championship opportunity.

All four competitors traded momentum throughout the contest, with Priest showcasing his power, Trick Williams controlling stretches of the match, and Royce Keys delivering several impressive sequences in front of his hometown crowd.

Outside interference eventually erupted as Solo Sikoa appeared, prompting The Usos to get involved before LA Knight entered through the crowd to even the odds. Jacob Fatu also inserted himself into the chaos by taking out Royce Keys at ringside.

Back inside the ring, Priest nearly finished the match with South of Heaven before Keys broke up the pinfall. Moments later, Balor escaped another South of Heaven attempt, connected with Sling Blade and a Shotgun Dropkick before climbing to the top rope.

Balor finally landed the Coup de Grace on Trick Williams to score the victory.

With the win, Finn Balor earned a No. 1 Contender's Match against Sami Zayn at SummerSlam, with the winner receiving the next WWE Championship opportunity following the Cody Rhodes vs. CM Punk main event.

Winner: Finn Balor