WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Highlights and Analysis from June 12

The tournament to crown the new intercontinental champion came to a head Friday night on Fox as Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles battled for the prestigious title in the main event of WWE SmackDown.

Would Styles complete his rebound from a devastating loss in the Boneyard Match at WrestleMania 36 and take home a title he had never held before, or would Bryan regain a piece of gold he was forced to surrender in 2015, when a neck injury pushed him into a three-year retirement?

Elsewhere on the card, universal champion Braun Strowman teamed with Heavy Machinery to combat Dolph Ziggler, The Miz and John Morrison just two nights from a Handicap Match title defense against the former SmackDown tag team champions at Backlash.

What else went down, and how did it affect the final preparations for Sunday's pay-per-view extravaganza? Find out with this recap of the June 12 broadcast.

Jeff Hardy and Sheamus Sign the Contract for Backlash

Credit: WWE

The contract signing for Sunday's match between Jeff Hardy and Sheamus kicked off this week's show, The Celtic Warrior bringing with him a doctor in a lab coat to ensure things did not go as simple as putting pen to paper.

Before he put pen to paper, Sheamus insisted Hardy take a urine test in the middle of the ring to prove he is clean. Hardy responded, reliving his journey to sobriety before agreeing to the test.

Sheamus mockingly reminded kids not to do drugs, then added a "just say no" for good measure.

Hardy answered with an old favorite phrase, "it's better to be pissed off than pissed on" before throwing the urine sample on his Backlash opponent. Sheamus heaved as Hardy made his way to the back.

Grade

A

Analysis

Given the absolutely ridiculous, over-the-top nature of this program to this point, this was a relatively subdued angle.

It was reminiscent of something Steve Austin would have done to the evil Mr. McMahon and something Shawn Michaels actually did back in 2006 in an angle that was undoubtedly the inspiration for this one.

Hardy getting the best of Sheamus here would seem to suggest The Celtic Warrior is going over Sunday at Backlash. Given how bulletproof Hardy's character and credibility are at this point, that is probably the right outcome if there are any plans for Sheamus to return to the main event scene any time soon.

Non-Title Match: New Day vs. Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura

Credit: WWE

SmackDown tag team champions Kofi Kingston and Big E took a knee and rose a fist in the name of equality and the Black Lives Matter movement prior to their match with Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura.

The Swiss Cyborg and The Artist wrestled control of the match heading into the break, leaving the champions lying on the arena floor.

The heels worked over Big E during the break and looked to isolate him, but a big belly-to-belly created separation and allowed him to make the tag to Kingston.

The former WWE champion fought off both Cesaro and Nakamura. Big E clotheslined Cesaro to the floor and Kingston tried for a splash. Nakamura got his knees up, rolled Kingston over and scored the win.

Result

Nakamura and Cesaro defeated New Day

Grade

C

Analysis

This should have been so much better but was hurt significantly by the commercial break sandwiched right in the middle of it. There was no real heat segment, nor was there much in the way of a babyface comeback. It was action early, action late and nothing to string any of it together.

The result was a disappointing finished product, for sure, with the silver lining hopefully being the title match the last two weeks of booking has been hinting at.

Intercontinental Championship Tournament Finals

Credit: WWE

The much-anticipated finals of the Intercontinental Championship Tournament saw Daniel Bryan battle AJ Styles for the right to etch their name in the history books.

Bryan targeted the left arm early and often. An expert technician, he grounded The Phenomenal One and applied an inverted surfboard, working on the knee as he systematically picked the heel apart. A series of near-falls gave way to a mid-ring collision heading into the break.

Out of the break, Bryan continued his unflinching assault on Styles, punishing him with every twist, pull and manipulation of his limbs and joints. A blind charge into the rope, though, saw Bryan crash into the turnbuckle as Styles moved just in the knick of time.

AJ looked to take Bryan's legs out from under him, negating his arsenal of kicks, but he ate a step-up enzuigiri for his troubles. The babyface unloaded with his Yes Kicks, but Styles ducked one and downed his opponent heading into another break.

The combatants exchanged a flurry of strikes before Styles dropped Bryan with a kick to the shoulder. The babyface recovered and applied an armbreaker. Styles reversed it into a Calf Crusher. Bryan escaped and delivered a sickening kick to the head as Michael Cole put over the chess match unfolding in the ring.

A big side superplex brought both men crashing to the mat heading into the commercial.

Back from another timeout, Styles delivered a picture-perfect Pele Kick, followed by a brainbuster for a near-fall. The leader of the YES Movement responded with a German suplex for two. Styles then produced one of his own for another two-count.

Target acquired, Bryan sprinted across the ring for his running knee, but Styles caught him and downed him with the Styles Clash. He could not follow up with a pinfall attempt. The Phenomenal Forearm followed as Styles earned the hard-fought victory.

Result

Styles defeated Bryan

Grade

A+

Analysis

This was a near-flawless representation of the sport of professional wrestling.

It was scientific, it was physical, it was smart and it told a story throughout. Each competitor sought to exploit a weakness of their opponent, and in the end, it was an ill-fated attempt at his finisher by Bryan that Styles was able to capitalize on and score the win off of.

Styles winning the title was an interesting choice if only because he instantly elevates it above the Universal Championship held by Braun Strowman, who is busy with a comedic rivalry ahead of Sunday's C-level PPV.

The Phenomenal One's star is brighter, his consistency is nearly unmatched, and his credibility among fans is greater than Strowman's. Don't sleep on the possibility that Styles makes the IC strap the most coveted on the blue brand.

This match not only gave fans of the in-ring aspect of the industry a match they could really invest themselves in, but it also introduced broadcast television to the athleticism and technique of wrestling. It was wholly unlike anything else the blue brand has brought the Fox audience, and it should be interesting to see how it fares in the ratings.

If it excels, do not be surprised to see Friday nights implement a more in-ring based product.

Championship Celebration

Credit: WWE

New women's tag team champions Bayley and Sasha Banks took to the ring for a grand celebration, one week after defeating Nikki Cross and Alexa Bliss for the gold.

They bragged, they denounced the doubters and threatened to read poetry to each other before Bliss and Cross interrupted. The IIconics joined in, reminding the world of their victories over both of the teams they will compete against at Backlash.

Bliss and Cross cleared the ring of the champions, leaving the previously celebratory Bayley and Banks reeling on the floor.

Grade

D

Analysis

This was a total waste of time. It accomplished nothing and certainly did not make one want to see Sunday's Triple Threat Match any more or less than it had before. 

Moving on...

Braun Strowman and Heavy Machinery vs. Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison and The Miz

Credit: WWE

It is pretty fitting that three of the best intercontinental champions of the last decade teamed up in the main event of this week's show, the same night a new IC champion was crowned.

Those former champions, The Miz, John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler, battled Heavy Machinery and universal champion Braun Strowman in a massive Six-Man Tag Team Match.

The babyfaces rolled early, smashing Ziggler until a camerman caught up with King Corbin backstage. The heel confronted Mandy Rose and blamed her for Otis toying with his crown. Otis appeared on the scene, attacking Corbin and leaving his partners to fend for themselves.

Back from the break, the heels picked Tucker apart, cutting him off from Strowman in the process.

A big enzuigiri from Tucker dropped Ziggler, but Miz and Morrison pulled Strowman off the apron, preventing a tag.

Otis returned, and with Strowman, they bowled over the competition en route to another pinfall victory over Ziggler.

Result

Heavy Machinery and Strowman defeated Miz, Morrison and Ziggler

Grade

C

Analysis

While it is nice to see WWE firmly invested in pushing a fresh new face, it is risking overexposing Otis.

He has had more television time and has been featured more prominently than Strowman, the universal champion and supposed top-dog on the brand. As is typically the case, Vince McMahon found a guy he liked and is not wasting time shoving him down the throats of the audience.

While that works when there are no fans but paid employees in the stands, audiences will eventually dictate whether he is being overused so early in his run.

With all of that said, this still failed miserably to create even the slightest bit of interest in Strowman vs. Miz and Morrison, making that particular match one of the weakest title matches in recent WWE history.