Ricky Saints made a bold first impression on the May 1, 2026 episode of WWE SmackDown, stepping straight into the spotlight against Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. He pushed the champion hard, but when it counted, Rhodes shut the door.

Saints didn’t wait around. He cut off Rhodes early in the night, calling out the champion’s condition and claiming the grind of three title reigns had taken its toll. With confidence dripping from every word, Saints declared he was there to take over. Rhodes did not hesitate to accept.

Ricky Saints falls short in SmackDown debut against Cody Rhodes
Once the bell rang, Saints tried to outsmart Rhodes with a fake handshake before firing off quick offense, including a shoulder block and slick arm drags. Rhodes regrouped, landed a knee, and looked to take control, but Saints stayed one step ahead, slipping free and keeping the pressure on.

The pace picked up fast. Rhodes knocked Saints to the floor with a sharp elbow, but Saints answered right back, sending the champion outside with a clothesline. From there, he slowed things down, working over Rhodes and even targeting his injured eye to gain the edge.

Saints kept building momentum with a hangman’s neckbreaker and a knee drop that nearly sealed it. He even walked the ropes in a nod to Old School, only for Rhodes to catch him and swing the match back with a powerslam.

Both men traded counters in a frantic closing stretch. Saints nailed a springboard tornado DDT and came close again, but when he went for Roshambo, Rhodes had the answer. A quick counter led straight into Cross Rhodes, and that was all she wrote.

Despite the loss, Saints proved he belongs, going move for move with one of WWE’s top stars in his first main roster outing. After rising quickly through NXT and capturing both the NXT and North American Championships, his arrival on SmackDown already feels like a big deal.

The night, however, ended in chaos for the champion. Moments after the match, Gunther stormed in, locked in a Sleeper Hold, and stood tall with the WWE Championship raised high, making his next move crystal clear.