WWE SmackDown Winners, Grades and Reaction From June 19
The Queen and King of the Ring tournaments are still taking place, but we're coming up on the end with the PPV next weekend at Night of Champions.
Heading into Friday's show, Iyo Sky and Oba Femi had already secured their spots in the finals of the women's and men's brackets.
SmackDown saw the two remaining semifinal matches determine their opponents, but those weren't the biggest bouts.
The WWE Championship was on the line when Gunther challenged Cody Rhodes, but this time, Sami Zayn was serving as the special guest referee.
Let's take a look at how everything went down on Friday's show.
Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther (WWE Championship)
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Starting the show with the match many believed would be the main event is always an interesting choice, especially on a show that almost always begins with a long promo segment. This week, WWE got right to the action.
Gunther's choice of Zayn as the official made things a little more interesting due to the friction he has with both competitors in this bout. He has beaten Gunther for a title, and he wants to beat Cody for one eventually, so he didn't come into this with any perceived bias.
This match was more about the story than the wrestling, but Rhodes and Gunther did a good job making it feel competitive. It wasn't as hard-fought as their previous encounter, but it had its moments.
Zayn being the ref made it obvious that some kind of shenanigans would take place, but how everything went down wasn't what we expected, and it definitely gives Gunther ammunition to demand another rematch after being screwed over again.
All in all, this wasn't a bad match, but it's easy to see why this was the opener instead of the main event. WWE knew it wasn't going to be as good as their last match, so it tried to do something completely different.
Result: Rhodes defeated Gunther
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
- Having Zayn willingly shake Gunther's hand before the match was an interesting choice.
- WWE said this match was presented commercial-free, but it lasted until about the same time most of the opening segments would, so it didn't exactly feel like a big deal.
- The Cody Cutter from the top rope looked great.
- The second match barely lasted two minutes before Zayn ended it with a kick.
Damian Priest and R-Truth vs. The Tongas (WWE Tag Team Championships)
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The tag titles were on the line in the second match of the night when Talla and Tama Tonga challenged Damian Priest and R-Truth for the belts. Before the match, the challengers told Solo Sikoa to stay backstage because his Bloodline problem is getting in the way of their success.
The match played out as expected. Both teams got in a little offense, Sikoa showed up despite the request from his allies, and that ultimately led to their downfall. It all felt very copy and paste.
The match itself was fine, but nobody will be putting it on a pedestal. Truth and Priest are still over with the crowd, so having them retain was the right call.
If you're looking for things on the show you can skip to save time, this might be one of them. The most interesting thing happened after it was over when Tama and Talla turned their backs on Solo.
Result: Priest and Truth defeated the Tongas
Grade: C+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Talla rarely gets to speak, but we heard him during the backstage segment with Solo.
- We got another video package for Blake Monroe that was focused on Giulia.
- Tama and Talla's entrance was kind of cool. WWE went heavy on the fire effects.
Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints
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Not only was this match for a shot at the United States Championship, but it was also the rubber match between these two since they each had a previous victory in their feud.
Saints and Hayes immediately turned this into a fast-paced contest, which was a nice change from the two matches that came before it on this show.
In fact, it was almost shocking how much more entertaining this match was than what came before it. Melo and Saints are both talented performers, and WWE seems to have found a great combination with them.
Saints got the win, but he did it by using the exposed turnbuckle, which protected Hayes in defeat. It wasn't an ideal ending, but it fit with the heel character Saints has been playing.
This is the kind of match WWE needs to put on more often. It was exciting, showcased two talents who deserve the spotlight, and it gave us a somewhat surprising ending.
Result: Saints defeated Hayes
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- Saints looked like he took an unintentional low blow early in the match, but they moved past it quickly.
- The way Hayes went for his springboard leg drop made it very clear he knew he was not going to hit it.
- The springboard no look DDT from Hayes was awesome. It's a tricky move, but when he hits it, it looks incredible.
Jey Uso vs. Je'Von Evans
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The King of the Ring tournament continued with Uso and Evans competing to see who would go on to face Femi in the finals next weekend.
To say this was a physical match would be an understatement. It might just be the most competitive match Jey has had in all of 2026, to be honest.
Both guys looked great and worked well together to put on a fun show for the fans in attendance and watching at home. They were given plenty of time, and they used it wisely.
Evans was the standout for his physicality, but Uso looked better than he has in quite some time. Having him pick The Young OG up and raise his hand after the match was a nice way to end a competitive semifinal KOTR match.
If you have been critical of Jey's recent performances, take some time to check this one out. He looks like he has renewed focus, and Evans made a fantastic dance partner.
Result: Uso defeated Evans
Grade: B+
Notable Moments and Observations
- How insulted would you be if someone called you "Unc?"
- Evans has one of the better dropkicks in WWE today. He makes it look so easy to jump that high.
- The fall Evans took from the top rope into the barricade looked cool.
Charlotte Flair vs. Liv Morgan
5 of 6The last match on the show was the semifinal QOTR bout between Liv Morgan and Charlotte Flair, but before it got started The Queen was attacked backstage by Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin.
The entire story of this match revolved around her injured leg. Flair was made to look like a valiant but shortsighted competitor by continuing to compete despite the injury.
Having Aldis, Bliss and the medical team try to talk her out of continuing more than once added to the drama, and The Queen did a great job selling the emotion of what was going on.
Unfortunately for her, Morgan prevailed by making her tap out to advance to the Queen of the Ring finals. They put on a decent match, but it was hindered a little by the story they were trying to tell.
Limiting what one of your most athletic competitors can do by having her sell an injury is always a gamble. They did a good job with it, but the match as a whole became predictable as a result.
Result: Morgan defeated Flair
Grade: B-
Notable Moments and Observations
- The mics were not turned on for the backstage segment, so most of what Cargill and Flair said was inaudible.
- Morgan's entrance music might not be a great song, but it fits her character really well, especially since she is singing it.
- Morgan's powerbomb from the corner looked brutal. Flair landed on her upper shoulders.
- Having Flair lose by submission was a surprise. She hasn't tapped out many times in her WWE career, so this felt rare.
The Final Word
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Friday's SmackDown felt like it addressed a lot of ongoing storylines, which was good, but we ended up getting less in-ring action.
If you only have five matches on a three-hour broadcast, you're not using your time efficiently, even if a couple of those matches are on the longer side.
Too many backstage segments and promos took the place of what could have been a sixth match in the middle of the show.
Uso and Evans did a good job in their KOTR semifinal, and so did Morgan and Flair, but Hayes and Saints stole the show with their bout.
Much like Hayes and Ilja Dragunov, WWE seems to have found another great combination that never fails to deliver a great performance. After Saints is done with Trick Williams, it wouldn't be shocking to see Melo come after him again.
Grade: B
