WWE SmackDown Results, Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights From June 20
The build to Night of Champions in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia continued Friday night on the USA Network with the latest episode of WWE SmackDown, headlined by a showdown between Undisputed WWE champion John Cena and Ron "R-Truth" Killings.
The semifinals of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments kicked off, too, with Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Alexa Bliss, and Asuka vying to advance to the finals.
Who did, what went down between Cena and Killings, and what did it all mean as WWE embarks on a busy summer? Find out in this recap of the June 20 episode.
Match Card
1 of 11
Announced in advance of the show were:
* Ron Killings vs. John Cena
* King of the Ring Semifinal: Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn
* Queen of the Ring Semifinal: Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss
Ron "R-Truth" Killings vs. John Cena
2 of 11
R-Truth and John Cena wrote the latest chapter in their rivalry with a match that ended unsatisfactorily.
The moment the babyface got the upper hand on Cena, the undisputed WWE champion fled with his title. Not willing to let the heel escape, Truth followed him, only to suffer a title shot to the face.
CM Punk's music played almost immediately and a brawl ensued before Cena delivered a title shot to the face of his Night of Champions opponent. He retrieved a table and drove him through it.
From there, he retrieved a microphone and proceeded to cut his version of the Pipebomb Promo, scathingly criticizing Punk and dropping a few truth bombs, all to the delight of a WWE Universe that appreciated the nod to history and Cena's delivery.
He stood tall to close out the segment and show.
Cena's delivery was great, the content will likely have the WWE Universe buzzing, and it made sense within the context of the history between him and Punk.
With that said, this felt like a tonal misfire.
If the point is for Cena to be a heel, why put him in a position to be cheered like this? There is already a significant portion of the audience that has made it clear that they do not want to boo him on his way out. Why make it more difficult to achieve the desired reaction by having him deliver some cool one-liners when he is supposed to be the top bad guy in the company?
Punk will turn the tide back in his favor with his next appearance on the mic, but this felt like it was an unnecessary addition to a segment that could, and should, have ended with Cena heel heat.
Result
Truth defeated Cena via disqualification
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Truth, like Zayn earlier in the show, was more aggressive and intense with his in-ring work than fans had been accustomed to.
* Cena mocked Punk's Pipebomb promo, claiming he liked his Night of Champions opponent more than anyone else he shared a locker room with. He called him a "bulls**tter" and admitted that he was jealous of him.
* "You change your values as much as I change my T-shirts," Cena said of Punk.
* "Remember who gave you the stage for your Pipebomb, pal."
* "You're not the Voice of the Voiceless, you're a millionaire despite yourself."
LA Knight Kicked Off SmackDown
3 of 11
Days after costing "Big" Bronson Reed the Fatal 4-Way King of the Ring Quarterfinal match on Raw, LA Knight kicked off Friday's show.
He wasted no time addressing his blossoming rivalry with Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, drawing The Wise Man out to the squared circle.
Heyman to leave before something bad happened to him but Knight, ever the defiant babyface, refused. Breakker and Reed arrived but The Megastar fended them off with a steel chair, to the dismay of the heels.
This was a fairly standard opening segment that will inevitably set up a match later in the show (update: Knight vs. Reed was officially announced), but did little to further what we already know.
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* For as mishandled as he has been over the last year, it Knight is still incredibly over and should be a consistent main eventer and championship contender at this point.
* "Clearly you guys have a lot of enemies," Knight said in response to chants of "OTC" and "CM Punk."
* "You leech on, you suck 'em dry, and you move onto the next," Knight told Heyman, accusing him of always being on the look for the hottest thing.
* Reed and Breakker make such an intimidating one-two punch as henchmen for Rollins and Heyman. They were optimal choices for this role.
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Queen of the Ring Semifinal: Asuka vs. Alexa Bliss
4 of 11
Two of the most decorated Superstars in women's wrestling, and familiar foes, did battle in the first semifinal of the Queen of the Ring tournament as Alexa Bliss and Asuka did battle in the night's first in-ring action.
A back-and-forth match full of reversals and counters gave way to a late moment of hesitation by Bliss cost her dearly.
After resisting a Twisted Bliss attempt, she found herself caught in her opponent's grasp, only to recover and down Asuka once more. A failed Twisted Bliss led to her downfall as The Empress of Tomorrow scored the pinfall victory.
A solid match saw the right competitor cash her ticket to the Queen of the Ring Final. Bliss is a star and is as over as any other woman on the roster this side of Rhea Ripley, but Asuka has momentum following her return Monday night has better future prospects on Raw than Bliss does on the blue brand.
Result
Asuka defeated Bliss
Grade
B-
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Wade Barrett noted on commentary that Bliss had not been a singles champion in WWE since 2018, creating a sense of urgency for the future Hall of Famer.
* An awkward moment saw Bliss scale the ropes for Twisted Bliss but stopped, hinting that she knew The Empress of Tomorrow was playing possum. A nice teased finish from Asuka with the arm bar followed but the crowd was taken out of things for a moment.
* A great callback followed moments later as Asuka got the knees up on another Twisted Bliss attempt and set up the victory.
Ron Killings Attacks, Cody Rhodes Speaks (Or Not)
5 of 11
Before Aleister Black could square off with Kit Wilson of Pretty Deadly, Ron Killings attacked, forcing Wilson unconscious with an STF. Jamie Noble talked the unhinged babyface down to close things out and left Black wondering what just happened.
Back in the arena, Cody Rhodes took to the squared circle to address the King of the Ring tournament and his semifinal match with Jey Uso. The former world champion wasted no time joining his former tag team championship partner in the squared circle.
A brief back and forth ensued before Sami Zayn interrupted and reiterated his desire to win his first world championship. Randy Orton interrupted and vowed to win King of the Ring and challenge John Cena at WrestleMania.
Rhodes never did speak, leaving the fans with a cliffhanger with regard to what is going through his mind as he scratches and claws back into contention for a title he was screwed out of at WrestleMania.
An absurdly long segment thanks to the lengthy entrances, this was perfectly fine and segues nicely into the semifinal.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Backstage, Black interrupted Killings and asked him why he keeps getting involved in his matches. Damian Priest interrupted and implored Truth to focus his anger and hostility on John Cena later tonight.
* "On Monday night, after we go to war, please believe there's gonna be four letters, one word, YEET!"
* "Of the three of us standing in this ring, there's only one of us who has never been a world champion," Zayn pounted out, continuing his championship pursuit storyline.
* "I hope you both understand that now, it is time for me to finish my story," Zayn said.
* "Some day, Sami Zayn will be world champion. But SummerSlam's not that day," Orton said, telling his semifinal opponent that he will end his night with an RKO.
King of the Ring Semifinal: Sami Zayn vs. Randy Orton
6 of 11
For the second year in a row, Orton is headed to the finals of the King of the Ring tournament.
He cashed his ticket by outlasting a game Zayn, whose drive to be champion fueled him, bringing him within seconds of defeating the future Hall of Famer. Late in the match, he avoided one RKO attempt and set up for the Helluva Kick.
As he launched himself across the squared circle, though, The Viper struck, delivering his trademark finisher for the win.
There is a real argument to be made that Zayn was the right man to win here, setting up a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam, but the teases for Orton vs. Rhodes has been strong lately and bringing the former mentor and protege together for the first of what should be many battles while they still can is a wise creative decision with potentially long-reaching effects beyond Night of Champions.
Whether the latest heartbreak forces Zayn toward the darkness, as hinted at by Karrion Kross, now bears watching.
Result
Orton pinned Zayn
Grade
B+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Zayn showed great aggression and a willingness to answer Orton's eye poke with one of his own, showing a gradual descent into the darkness that Karrion Kross has repeatedly begged him to embrace.
* Zayn evaded the RKO by rolling out of the ring and drawing jeers. He is going to be an excellent heel when he finally embraces it.
* The finish was excellent and momentarily had fans thinking Zayn's big moment was on deck.
Naomi's Near Miss
7 of 11
Moments after WWE Women's champion Tiffany Stratton interrupted a promo from Nia Jax, coming face-to-face with her enemy and announcing a Last Woman Standing Match for next Friday night, The Irresistible Force laid out the reigning titleholder and left her lying.
Looking to capitalize on the opening, Naomi rushed the ring with her Money in the Bank briefcase, looking to cash in.
Jax stopped her, an argument ensued, and Stratton left both lying to close things out.
And with that, we have a relatively shallow tease born of a segment that revealed another showdown between Stratton and Jax in a rivalry that has lost considerable momentum compared to earlier this year.
That match should be fun, and Naomi will absolutely tease another cash-in, but the title picture on Fridays appears to be on a creative treadmill until said cash-in occurs.
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Stratton is growing more and more confident on the microphone with every passing week.
* Heel or not, Naomi's cash-in is going to draw a huge pop. The fans appreciate her and want to see her regain the top prize in the industry eight years after her last individual title win.
Charlotte Flair vs. Chelsea Green
8 of 11
Born of a backstage confrontation earlier in the night, former champions did battle as Charlotte Flair squared off with Chelsea Green.
A competitive match saw Flair weather the storm, overcoming a focused and determined opponent to submit her to the Figure Eight.
After the match, Piper Niven and Alba Fyre attacked the victor until Alexa Bliss made the save, clearing the ring and leaving her and The Queen to stare each other down,. still considerable mistrust between them, equaled only by the respect they have for the other.
Result
Flair submitted Green
Grade
C+
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Green is a national treasure and really should mean more creatively than she currently does. One of the most entertaining performers in all of WWE today.
* Has Flair ever felt less important than she does right now given how big a star she is?
* Scary moment as Niven delivered a senton to a bridging Flair, a move that appeared to injure The Queen's lower left leg. She appeared to recover fine but it was definitely a moment for concern given the devastating knee injury to the same leg.
Solo Sikoa Called Out Jacob Fatu
9 of 11
United States champion Jacob Fatu has and continued to see through Solo Sikoa's lies and manipulation, refusing his cousin's claims of love and respect, telling the Temu Tribal Chief that he only used The Samoan Werewolf to prop himself up.
Fatu challenged Sikoa to fight him for the United States Championship and when the heel attempted a sneak attack, Fatu cut him off. JC Mateo made the save for the heel, only for Jimmy Uso to even things up.
Fatu cleared the heels to close the segment.
This was a strong segment that highlighted Fatu's natural charisma and speaking ability, which only helps to further strengthen the bond with the audience. He can talk, they saw it, and the result was greater investment in a feud that will serve as the latest developments in the Bloodline story.
Grade
B
Top Moments and Takeaways
* "I didn't come out here to fight you. Jacob, I love you," Sikoa said, not convincing the fans.
* "Nobody saw the potential in you except me," Sikoa attempted to manipulate Fatu's emotions.
* "The way I see things is you been using me. You been using me to gain power...to fight your battles. You've even been using me just so you could be Tribal Chief," Fatu accused Sikoa.
* "Fight me for this U.S. title." Fatu continued, "Solo, if you every think about coming this way, you know what I'm about."
LA Knight vs. "Big" Bronson Reed
10 of 11
The result of the events earlier in the show, LA Knight squared off with the massive Australian enforcer, "Big" Bronson Reed.
What was a competitive match-up throughout ended in chaos as Bron Breakker interfered on behalf of his associate, spearing Knight and drawing a disqualification. From there, the former intercontinental champion joined his massive partner in brutalizing Knight, leaving him lying to a chorus of boos, much to the delight of Paul Heyman.
After weeks of Knight getting the best of the heels, he was leveled here, putting him in a position in which he will be forced to fight from underneath and find a way to thwart the size and numbers advantage of his opponents.
Expect him to start as soon as Monday on Raw, if not next Friday night on SmackDown.
Result
Knight defeated Reed via disqualification
Grade
B-
Top Moments and Takeaways
* Knight attacked from behind before the bell, getting the jump on his larger, more dangerous opponent, Breakker, and Heyman.
* The Megastar is a great worker. He doesn't have an expansive move set but he adds a little something to everything that he does, letting his personality shine through it all.
Overall Grade
11 of 11
As a hype show for Night of Champions, this worked.
The two tournament semifinals were quality matches and the show-closing segment, though tonally off, was a buzzworthy conclusion to the broadcast.
In between, there was some interesting story development and the crowd in Grand Rapids, Michigan was red-hot for most of the night.
While there were a few hiccups, and the three-hour format remains a major hurdle for any show, Friday's show was good enough for a thumbs up.
Grade: B
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