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OMG!!! 12-Year Veteran Returns To WWE After 2 Years On SmackDown

By Faiz Ahmed • Published Jul 10, 2026 22:12 EDT
WWE logo over Baron Corbin
WWE logo over former wrestler - Source: WWE.com

WWE planned a massive episode of Friday Night SmackDown tonight as the show aired live from Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center. The night kicked off with a huge announcement from Nick Aldis regarding his future.

Many memorable moments took place on tonight’s show, including CM Punk’s return to the blue brand. However, he wasn’t the only one to return to the show tonight as the WWE Universe was in for a major surprise.

After their fiery interaction on last week’s episode, Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes renewed their rivalry tonight. They faced each other in a highly entertaining non-title match tonight.

Former WWE Champion returns to SmackDown tonight

Melo seemed to be headed towards a win as he went to the top rope. The former United States Champion was about to hit Nothing But Net, but was stopped by a familiar face standing on the ring apron.

It was none other than former WWE superstar, Baron Corbin, who pulled him from the top rope. He attacked Melo before turning his attention to Trick Williams as he took him out as well.

He proceeded to hit both of them with an End of Days each, before heading towards Trick’s new custom United States Championship. He lifted the belt up his head before throwing it down on Williams, indicating his future in the promotion.

Corbin spent 12 years with the Stamford-based promotion during his first spell with the company, before leaving in 2024. After spending a couple of years on the independent circuit, Corbin returned to WWE tonight with a massive chip on his shoulder.

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