WWE SmackDown Results: Rusev Day Headed to Extreme Rules and Top Takeaways

WWE Money in the Bank 2018 was a big night for WWE, but its impact on SmackDown Live was not as significant as many had expected. No SmackDown Superstar walked out with a Money in the Bank briefcase, and neither major championship on the line changed hands.

This left the June 19 edition of SmackDown in an interesting space to refocus the brand. AJ Styles still held the WWE Championship after finally felling the challenge of Shinsuke Nakamura. While Carmella needed James Ellsworth to accomplish the task, she also defeated her last major challenger, Asuka.

This left a wide open space for the SmackDown roster. Anyone could step up to the challenge of capturing the top championships on the brand. This was showcased most clearly in the main-event gauntlet match as Rusev made The Miz tap out and earned his first-ever singles world title match.

Elsewhere on the card, James Ellsworth made his vaguely anticipated return to SmackDown while Sanity debuted in explosive fashion. Champions Jeff Hardy and The Bludgeon Brothers started rivalries with new opponents that will hopefully help define the brand for months to come.

These moments set up an interesting show with a host of important takeaways that may say more about SmackDown than anything that happened at Money in the Bank.

Rusev Day Will Finally Include a WWE Championship Opportunity

This week's gauntlet match was a huge story, taking up the second half of the show. While Daniel Bryan certainly stood out with his wins early in the contest, it was Rusev who ended up walking out victorious in a somewhat surprising result.

The Bulgarian Brute has never had a one-on-one world title match in his career. That's a remarkable stat for such a talented veteran. His popularity is soaring at the moment, and it is finally paying off. Rusev will truly enter the main-event scene in WWE for the very first time.

Styles vs. Rusev is a bit of an odd pairing given Rusev has slowly been turning face on the blue brand. However, there is no doubt fans will get excited for the clash. These two are among the most popular stars on the brand, and they are both excellent entertainers.

The Phenomenal One has proven he can put on a great match with anyone, and Rusev is no slouch either even if his match history is not all that remarkable. His last major singles match was against Nakamura, and it was an unexpected hit that stole the show at Fastlane 2018.

Will Rusev defeat Styles? It's unlikely but certainly not impossible. It was around this time last year that Jinder Mahal broke out, and Rusev is far more prepared for the company to get behind him than the Modern Day Maharaja was.

James Ellsworth Fits Right Back into His Old Role at Carmella's Side

Credit: WWE.com

It did not take long for Ellsworth to fall right back into his old role in WWE. The Chinless Wonder is once more standing at Carmella's side, working as her hype fan and bodyguard. This week, after mocking Asuka again by coming out in her attire, he took the brunt of Asuka's fury.

Ellsworth is not that dynamic a performer, but he certainly has the charisma for the roles he has been given in WWE. He has never been better than playing lackey to The Princess of Staten Island. His time away did not hurt that connection.

However, it is still questionable if Carmella needed him. Ellsworth was originally released because his impact had run dry. Carmella had no need of him anymore. The SmackDown women's champion has only gotten better since. While she does well having someone to protect her, Ellsworth did not need to take that spot again.

The IIconics, Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose are all fighting for screen time right now, and it would have helped either pair of women to join forces with Carmella. The jury is still out on whether Ellsworth will help Carmella stay relevant in WWE.

Jeff Hardy Has Brought Back the Face Paint Just in Time for a Feud with Nakamura

Jeff Hardy has had a rough month, dealing with a recent DWI arrest, but he looks to finally be getting back into action. While he did not make a major appearance on SmackDown this week, the week was important for Hardy, who revealed he was returning to an old look by bringing back his face paint.

His promo focused on the impact Nakamura's attack last week had on him, and it sounded like a different side of The Charismatic Enigma was returning to WWE. The veteran has often added some bizarre quirks to his character, but they always make him stand out more.

It is easy to forget that Hardy is still the United States champion, and his feud with The Artist could be what brings both Hardy and that title back to prominence. Nakamura has been phenomenal as a heel, and his interview this week continued to show how important he is to the brand.

He is one of the best villains on the roster, and he and Jeff should have easy chemistry in the ring. A newly painted Daredevil against the irreverent Nakamura could be the best story on SmackDown.

Sanity Made the Awkward NXT to Main Roster Transition Look Easy

NXT tag teams have not had an easy time making the transition to the main roster. Despite putting on consistently strong matches on the developmental brand, The Revival, American Alpha, Enzo and Big Cass, The Ascension, The Vaudevillains and maybe even The Authors of Pain have all struggled to stand out.

In one segment, Sanity made an easy transition, coming off as true threats and interesting characters in their domination of The Usos. It helps that the trio of stars have a gimmick that easily translates. They're crazy and dangerous. It's a winning combination.

Eric Young and Alexander Wolfe have the frenetic energy of the gimmick down pat. Killian Dain adds an impressive size and imposing power to the duo that could lead to Dain being the breakout star of the team eventually.

SmackDown's tag team division is packed with talent even while Sheamus and Cesaro have been missing and The New Day are competing in the main-event scene at the moment. There's not much room to stand out here especially once those teams return to the scene. However, Sanity could find its niche.

The only real disappointment here is that Nikki Cross still hasn't joined the group in the main roster transition. Cross was always the most energetic and exciting member of Sanity, and the women's division could use that unique energy.

Daniel Bryan's Next Story Will Be in the Tag Team Division

Credit: WWE.com

Bryan continues to be an integral leading member of SmackDown with his strong weekly performances. This week, he dominated the main-event gauntlet match, putting on back-to-back fantastic performances against Big E and Samoa Joe.

However, the showcase was cut short by the introduction of an interesting new rivalry. The Bludgeon Brothers, who defended their SmackDown Tag Team Championships successfully earlier in the night, attacked Bryan and allowed Miz to eliminate Bryan from the contest.

While the attack was set up by a confrontation earlier in the night, it was still a shock as it was hard to imagine Bryan's next story would be in the tag team division. The division on SmackDown is obviously stacked and just added Sanity to the mix. Bryan adds perhaps unnecessary star power.

However, a bigger questions remains: who will help Bryan in his fight with the champions? The list of opponents for Bryan was vast, ranging from Joe to Styles, but his list of allies is sparse. With a limited number of faces on SmackDown, there's just not a great option on paper.

John Cena and Randy Orton are both likely not to return for a while. Unless a member of New Day wants to ally with Bryan, the next best face options are Tye Dillinger and R-Truth, both of whom lack the star power to make Bryan's inclusion in the tag division matter.