WWE Smackdown Review 16/06/23

Arran here with my review of WWE Smackdown let's dive in.

Kayla Braxton is in the parking lot waiting for The Bloodline to arrive. A truck pulls up, and Solo Sikoa hops out. Sikoa opens the door for Roman Reigns. Kayla tries to speak to Reigns, but he walks away. Heyman stops. Braxton asks him if Jey Uso is going to fall in line. Heyman scowls at her and walks away.

Undisputed Tag Team Championship Number One Contender’s Gauntlet Match: The Street Profits vs. Pretty Deadly vs. Hit Row vs. The Brawling Brutes vs. The OC vs. The LWO

The Street Profits and The Brawling Brutes start the match. The rest of the field is at ringside. Sheamus floors Ford. Ford responds with a dropkick. Ford escapes a suplex and lands a chop. Sheamus shrugs it off and lands a slam. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn are watching the match backstage. Holland tags in and suplexes Ford. Ford tags in Dawkins. Dawkins lands a spinning back elbow. Corkscrew corner splash by Dawkins. Sheamus gets a blind tag. Dawkins runs right into a Brogue Kick. Sheamus pins Dawkins.

The Street Profits have been eliminated

The OC are next. Gallows and Anderson hit an assisted neck breaker on Sheamus. Sheamus kicks out. After the break, Sheamus surprises Gallows with the Brogue Kick for the pinfall.

The OC has been eliminated

The LWO are next. Del Toro and Wilde land stereo dives. Sheamus clears the ring. Del Toro tries a springboard, but Sheamus catches him with a bicycle knee. Holland lands a version of the Storm Breaker for the pinfall.

The LWO has been eliminated

Hit Row is next. Ashante The Adonis is tossed out of the ring. Sheamus Brogue Kicks Top Dolla immediately for the pinfall.

Hit Row has been eliminated

The final team is Pretty Deadly. Butch comes to ringside to watch the match. Wilson and Prince work over Holland. Holland manages to tag in Sheamus. Sheamus lands the beats on Both members of Pretty Deadly at the same time. Sheamus lands the Celtic Cross on Wilson. Prince gets a blind tag. As Sheamus tries to pin Wilson, Prince lands a guillotine leg drop to the back of Sheamus’ head. Prince pins Sheamus.

The Brawling Brutes have been eliminated

Winner and NEW Number One Contender,

Pretty Deadly

In-Ring Segment: Pretty Deadly

Before they can say anything, Owens and Zayn interrupt. Zayn congratulates Prince and Wilson on their victory. They won the match five minutes ago and are still in the ring. Zayn tells them to hit the bricks. Prince makes fun of Zayn’s hair. Wilson says when they become the new tag champs, they will stay in the ring even longer. Owens and Zayn look very confused. Zayn asks if what they are saying is bothering him at all. Owens says yes, but he’s trying to tone it down even though he wants to go to the ring and punch Pretty Deadly in their faces. Zayn says they should do it. Owens and Zayn charge the ring. Wilson and Prince run away.

Zelina Vega vs. Iyo Sky w/Bayley

Vega offers Sky a handshake. Sky slaps Vega. Vega takes Sky down with a Thez Press and rains down punches. Sky and Vega trade strikes. Dropkick by Vega. Sky stomps on Vega’s arm before locking in a straight jacket choke on the top rope. Sky works over Vega’s arm. Vega rolls ups Sky. Sky kicks out. Rolling kick by Vega. Bayley gets on the apron. Sky rolls up Vega, but the referee is tied up with Bayley. Sky yells at Bayley. Bayley says she was trying to help. Vega surprises Sky with a 619. Vega rolls up Sky for the win.

Winner- Zelina Vega

Backstage, Bianca Belair walks into Adam Perce’s office. Pearce says he doesn’t have an answer for her right now. Belair says she went about getting her rematch for the title the right way, but she’s getting passed over. Now, she’s going to do this her way.

The Grayson Waller Effect

Waller introduces his guest tonight, Charlotte Flair. Flair joins Waller in the ring. Waller gushes over having Flair on the show. Waller asks Flair if she is going to beat Asuka. Flair says of course. Bianca Belair interrupts. Flair smugly waives at Belair as she enters the ring. Belair says Flair’s accolades speak for themselves, but she doesn’t understand what’s happening. Flair skipped the line. Belair asks if she’s tripping. Flair lets out a sigh and stands up to confront Belair. Flair says she isn’t going to apologize for getting her shot. She lost her title at WrestleMania but didn’t get a rematch, so isn’t she owed one too?

Belair says they both lost championships, but she stayed while Flair ran home. Flair says she has beaten the best and lost to the best. She’s a champion, with or without the championship. Can Belair say the same thing? Belair didn’t like that comment one bit. Belair reminds Flair that she is the longest reigning champion of this error and didn’t have to do it 14 times. Flair better put some respect on Belair’s name. The past is the past, but the future is what matters. She will be standing ringside during Flair and Asuka’s title match. She’s done waiting her turn.

Michin and AJ Styles vs. Karrion Kross and Scarlett

Kross and Styles kick off the match. Styles floors Kross with an elbow strike. Basement elbow by Styles. Michin tags in. Styles sends her into a tornado DDT to Kross. Scarlett manages to surprise Michin with a modified facebuster. Styles and Michin double-team Kross. Styles hit the Styles Clash on Kross. Scarlett breaks up Styles’ pin. Styles backs down Scarlett. Scarlett tries to entice him. Styles shows her his wedding ring and says, “I’m married, bitch”. Michin pulls Scarlett out of the ring. Scarlett and Michin facebuster each other at the same time. While Styles is distracted, Kross traps him in the Kross Jacket. Kross transitions from a pump handle into a facebuster for the win.

Winners- Karrion Kross and Scarlett

In-Ring Segment: Rey Mysterio

Mysterio says he’s proud of many things he’s done in his career. Most recently, reforming the LWO. The man he is about to introduce represents the essence of the LWO, Santos Escobar. Escobar joins Mysterio in the ring. Escobar says he loves Mysterio and will fight for him at Money in the Bank. LA Knight interrupts. Knight doesn’t say a word. He pushes Mysterio over. Escobar attacks Knight. Knight ends up hung up in the ropes. Mysterio tries a 619. Knight avoids it by rolling out of the ring.

Santos Escobar vs. LA Knight

The match started during the break. Knight rolls up Escobar and tries to hook the rope for a cheap three-count. Escobar kicks Knight’s hand off the rope, reverses the pin, and gets a three count.

Winner- Santos Escobar

After the match, Knight attacks Escobar. Mysterio runs down to the ring to make the save.

In-Ring Segment: Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman, and Solo Sikoa

Heyman is still carrying the original WWE Championship and Universal Championship. Reigns tells the crowd to acknowledge him. The Usos theme hits. Jey walks to the ring. Jey paces around the ring. Reigns says he knows what the crowd wants. They want answers. Reigns asks Jey if he’s in or out. Jey asks Reigns to tell him. Jey says it’s going to be Heyman of him. Reigns says when you are Tribal Chief, you can pick whomever you want as Wiseman. He’s not The Bloodline’s Wiseman. He works for him.

Reigns was meant to bring them to the promised land. Jey is meant to keep them there. Reigns says he’s been grooming Jey for three years. Jey is the right-hand man because he’s meant to lead, just not yet. The problem isn’t the Wiseman. It’s Jimmy. Jimmy interrupts and joins them in the ring. Jimmy says the problem isn’t Jey’s brother. It’s his cousin. Reigns isn’t grooming Jey. He’s using him. Reigns says he made them. He lifts up Jey, Jimmy drags him down.

You can’t be a Tribal Chief and a twin simultaneously. Reigns asks Heyman, who was the only person who had an issue with Jey being named the righthand man. It wasn’t Heyman. It was Jimmy. Jey turns and looks at Jimmy, who is staring at the mat. Jey asks if that’s true. Jimmy says it is. Jey asks if Jimmy has doubted him the whole time. Jimmy says it’s not like that. His whole life, he’s been told to listen to his brother.

Jey says he’s been trying to keep up with Jimmy since they were kids. He’s who he is right now because of Reigns. Jey says Jimmy is out. Reigns laughs as Jey steps in Jimmy’s face. Jey says he’s out too. Jey superkick Reigns. Heyman is shocked. The crowd goes nuts. Sikoa charges and gets super kicked by Jimmy. Jimmy and Jey start to leave. Reigns stumbles to his feet, yelling that they don’t get to touch him. Jimmy and Jey double superkick Reigns.

This was a weird show as the only thing that really matters is the big closing segment (the gauntlet match was good, but it’s 20+ minutes to get to the comedy team winning in the end).

That being said, my goodness that end segment delivered the best story WWE has told in a very long time and gets cranked up and sent in a new direction I wasn't expecting.

Money In The Bank is going to be a huge show and now you can see most of what is coming on the card. Throw in LA Knight getting some monster reactions and a good women’s segment and this could be one heck of a summer for WWE.