WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: John Cena vs. Logan Paul set for Clash in Paris

Cena vs. Paul is officially set for WWE's return to Paris

Logan Paul has the rare honor of being one of John Cena's final opponents. Cena accepted Paul's callout on WWE SmackDown, an exchange that also sets in motion Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre.

It seemed clear that WWE was moving toward Cena vs. Brock Lesnar after the events of SummerSlam. The company made a surprise pivot Friday, lining up Paul as the next opponent on Cena's retirement tour. The altercation between Cena and Paul led to a tag team match involving Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre.

While Cena vs. Paul is set in stone, WWE heavily indicated that McIntyre will soon challenge undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes. SmackDown went off the air with McIntyre leaving Rhodes unconscious after clutching onto the champ's title.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from the Centre Bell in Montreal, Canada.

Cena vs. Paul set, Rhodes vs. McIntyre on the horizon

Cena addressed Lesnar at the top of the show. Cena confessed to being scared of Lesnar, but wouldn't back down considering their history. Paul interrupted Cena, sticking his nose where it didn't belong. Paul proposed a match with Cena at Clash in Paris. McIntyre blindsided Cena before he could answer, sparking a two-on-one assault. Rhodes rescued Cena, setting up a tag team match on SmackDown and giving Cena space to accept Paul's Paris challenge.

Backstage before the main event, Cena and Ron Killings reunited. Killings showed flashes of R-Truth, giddy seeing Cena revert to his old character.

Rhodes & Cena def. McIntyre & Paul via disqualification after Paul hit Cena in the groin. Paul took the coward's way out when Cena had him in trouble. The high-profile tag team match was a standard TV main event. McIntyre and Paul effectively cut off Rhodes from his partner with momentum swinging once Cena got the hot tag. Post-match, Cena and Paul brawled backstage. Ringside, McIntyre clocked Rhodes with the undisputed WWE title before getting lost in its reflection. McIntyre placed down the title, turned around and drove Rhodes' head into the announcers' table with a nasty Claymore kick. 

A very standard television main event concluded a standard night of TV. Nothing about the main event program was bad, just very by the book. That's not a scathing criticism. You can't make gold every week. WWE efficiently worked two major matches for Clash in Paris. Giving Paul one of Cena's final WWE matches feels shortsighted. However, McIntyre looked like a killer in SmackDown's closing shot. Grade: B

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Talla Tonga & JC Mateo def. Motor City Machine Guns (Alex Shelly & Chris Sabin) via pinfall after Tonga chokeslammed Sabin.
• Sami Zayn def. Soli Sikoa via pinfall with a folding press. 
• Charlotte Flair def. Chelsea Green via submission with a figure eight leg lock. Before the match, Green crashed Alexa Bliss' birthday celebration.
• Aleister Black promised to exert violence on Damian Priest in a pre-taped vignette.