WWE SmackDown Live REVIEW: Full Results, Grades & Highlights 06/19/18

Team Blue got shut out during the WWE Money in the Bank ladder matches this past Sunday. But, unlike Raw, SmackDown did feature a men’s world title match (ha!), which saw AJ Styles finally take the low(blow) road and defeat Shinsuke Nakamura. Their months/years long feud is likely over. The Bludgeon Brothers sustained their dominance by defeating Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, while Daniel Bryan shut up Big Cass. Moreover, we witnessed the surprise return of James Ellsworth, who distracted Asuka long enough to allow Carmella to retain her SmackDown women’s championship. Kudos to Corey Graves, who hilariously responded to an Asuka-garbed Ellsworth materializing on the apron by uttering, “It’s haunted.”

Intro: Paige appears backstage to discuss MITB victories both “stunning” and “cunning.” She reminds us we’re just four weeks away from the next pay-per-view. Tonight, five superstars will compete in a gauntlet match; the winner gets a world title shot at Extreme Rules. The participants will be Big E, Rusev, the Miz, Samoa Joe, and Daniel Bryan. Sustained applause for that last mention.

Carmella prances to the ring sans Ellsworth. She keeps it real by admitting she experienced “self-confidence issues” as a youngster. But she saw something beautiful in herself before anyone else did, and became a champion. Her takeaway is this – if any kids out there don’t feel like they’re good enough, they should look in the mirror and repeat these words:

FIGHTING WORDS: “Mella is money!” – Carmella, paying homage to Alexa Bliss and her tradition of snarking through “inspiring” life lessons

To accentuate the point, Carmella yells, “Psych!” She brags about her recent victories over Charlotte Flair and Asuka, the latter of whom she beat “all by myself.” Asuka’s music hits, and an ungainly, stiff-armed “Empress of Tomorrow” plods to the ring. I find this way too funny. The mysterious figure rips off an Asuka mask to reveal Ellsworth, who winks for good measure. Graves exclaims that Ellsworth got us twice. His level of credulity here reminds me of Lucille Bluth freaking out whenever Gene Parmesan shows up out of nowhere on Arrested Development.

Ellsworth declares, “No one was ready for Ellsworth.” He references the phrase, “If you love something, set it free,” but cannot remember the second half of that axiom. What’s important is that he’s back to serve the greatest woman in history. Ellsworth declares that Carmella is better than Flair, Trish Stratus, Beyonce, and Mother Teresa. And Asuka. This statement summons the real Asuka. Ellsworth (sporting identical arm-sleeves to those worn by Asuka) gets spin-kicked by the real deal. Carmella takes advantage by nailing Asuka with a thrust kick. She hustles Ellsworth up the ramp and taunts Asuka with the championship belt.

Becky Lynch vs. Billie Kay

Lynch tackles Kay and throws right hands. She hits the Becksploder early, sending Kay out of the ring and leaving her prey for a running kick. When Lynch pursues her opponent, Peyton Royce swipes at her leg. Lynch dodges that interference, but Kay uses the distraction to push Becky into the ringpost. Royce performs an Irish river dance as her partner slams Lynch’s face into the apron twice. Lynch blocks the third attempt and throws Kay into the apron twice. With that dispute evened out, their match moves back inside the ropes.

Kay reassumes control, grounding Lynch to the mat. Lynch breaks the hold, executing an inside cradle and going unsuccessfully for the Dis-Arm-Her. Kay defies that finisher, gripping the ropes and then snapping off an Eat Defeat for a two-count. Kay returns to her mat submission, and pelts Lynch with a forearm when Becky again fights free. Royce gets in a good strike when the referee is distracted, but Kay cannot secure the pin.

Back to the modified chinlock. Lynch feels our pain and breaks the hold by slamming Kay back-first into the turnbuckles. With the hold broken, Lynch jumps off the ropes with a flying shoulder-block. She hits Kay with two clotheslines and a leg lariat. Another suplex nets a two-count. Lynch tries to go up top, only to be forced to fend off Royce once more. She plays matador to toss Kay to ringside, then wipes out Royce with a cross-body-block off the apron.

Kay takes shelter inside the ring, then attacks Lynch upon her reentry. Becky snares her opponent with a small package, which she transitions to the Dis-Arm-Her. Kay doesn’t move an inch toward the ropes before submitting.

Result: Becky Lynch tapped out Billie Kay with the Dis-Arm-Her.

Grade: C+

We look at still photos of Nakamura getting disqualified last week against U.S. Champion Jeff Hardy, then assaulting him after the match. Then we look at the back of Hardy’s head in a pitch-black setting. Jeff says the Kinshasa “sent a shockwave through my epidermis.” Hardy turns around to display his face paint and checkered contact lenses, telling Nakamura, “I see you.”

The announce team introduces Sanity (no Nikki Cross? Boo!). Backstage, a “fire” illuminates three silhouettes on a wall. Eric Young proclaims that, “The chaos has arrived.” Well, it’s about two months behind schedule, but better late than never.

Backstage, Renee Young welcomes Bryan. She says he’ll be the first competitor to enter the Gauntlet. Bryan tells Young he won’t survive, he’ll win. Bryan should stop trying to make, “Legs, lungs, heart” happen.

The Usos enter the ring to determine what exactly has happened to them since WrestleMania. They welcome Sanity to the Uso Penitentiary. Sanity accept this welcome and make their entrance, accompanied by a lot of wonky camera work. This entrance makes me want to watch them combat the Bludgeon Brothers; their personas would mesh well with the tag-team champions, who, for once, wouldn’t look like they’re fighting a team from another reality.

Sanity hits the ring and tears into the Usos. Killian Dane drops a Vader Bomb on Jimmy, and Young and Alexander Wolfe incapacitate Jey with their back suplex/neckbreaker combination. A strong debut for Sanity that doesn’t cost the Usos an immediate loss.

Tom Phillips concedes that Paige made “an unconventional move” in granting Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson a tag-team title rematch tonight just two days after they got blitzed. In their locker room, the Good Brothers good naturedly show off their bods. In the same black pit of hell that Hardy inhabited 10 minutes ago, the Bludgeon Brothers stare at each other through their animal masks.

Nakamura scowls outside his locker room. He asks Young what a loss is, then explains that he means “loss” in a spiritual sense. Shinsuke says the referee cost him the Last Man Standing match Sunday.

FIGHTING WORDS: “He didn’t count in Japanese. Very, very unfair.” Shinsuke Nakamura blaming the official for his WWE title match loss at MITB

Nakamura heard Hardy say that his eyes were now open. If Jeff crosses him again, Shinsuke warns, he’ll close them.

SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson

We join this match in progress after a commercial break. That’s a ludicrous broadcasting decision when you’re airing a live championship match. Anderson is nowhere to be seen, so perhaps he got walloped before we came back to air. Guess we’ll have to use our imaginations. Gallows works over Rowan with lefts and rights in the corner. Harper enters and gets “dumped” to ringside by a perfunctory wave of Gallows’ right hand. Anderson surfaces to jump over the top rope onto Harper, who catches and shoves him into the ring-steps. Should’ve just stayed MIA.

Rowan hits Harper with a spin-heel kick. He perches him on the top turnbuckle for the most opponent-assisted superplex I’ve ever seen. It looked like Gallows had that move countered twice before he got flipped. Anderson breaks up the subsequent pinning attempt. His reward is getting slammed face-first onto the apron by both Bludgeon Brothers. Back in the ring, Rowan executes a running splash on Gallows for a near-fall.

Harper tags in to rip at Gallows’ eyes. Rowan tags in to drop an elbow and knee. He tries to compress the skull of Gallows with his fists. When Big LG fights out, Rowan sets him back down with a back elbow, and goes back into his fist-vice. Harper tags back in to whip Gallows into the Bludgeons’ corner. Gallows uses that momentum to rock Rowan with a running boot, then level Harper with a thrust kick.

Anderson gets the hot tag, jumping on Harper with a top-rope cross-body-block. An Anderson spinebuster nets a two-count. Rowan interferes, only to be tossed back to ringside. But that distraction costs Anderson, who runs into a Harper spinning spike slam for another near-fall.

Gallows catches Rowan’s attention at ringside, and gets booted over the barricade. This action captures the attention of Harper, who gets schoolboyed by Anderson for a two-count. Anderson ducks a discus clothesline and starts toward his own corner, only to find it empty. He turns back toward Harper, and gets alley-ooped into the tandem sit-out powerbomb.

Result: The Bludgeon Brothers beat Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson when Rowan pinned Anderson after a tandem sit-out powerbomb.

Grade: C+

As the Bludgeon Brothers retrieve their mallets, Bryan makes his entrance. He and his music pause as he comes to a halt between Harper and Rowan. They study him intently. That is not the place I would’ve stopped. His music starts up again after 10-12 seconds, and Bryan continues shuffling to ringside.

Gauntlet Match – Daniel Bryan vs. Big E

It’s interesting to watch Big E work against a babyface while he’s got his New Day swag. WWE decision-makers must be taking notice as to how he acquits himself when wrestling one of the company’s preeminent ring generals. Bryan stupidly accepts a test of strength to start. Upon losing it, he shows off some nifty counters, only to get trapped in Big E’s hip swivel and tossed onto his back.

Having failed to match Big E’s power, Bryan looks for a leg lock early. He transitions into a surfboard, incorporating a dragon sleeper into that maneuver. E frees himself, only to get lit up with kicks. Bryan applies a hammerlock, then drops knees into a prone Big E. The powerhouse counters the hammerlock, stuffs a hip-toss attempt, and throws Bryan with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. He follows up with a big splash as Bryan is splayed across the apron.

E presses the advantage, picking up Bryan and running about 40 feet to drive him into the barricade. Bryan just beats the 10 count, then kicks out of a pinning attempt. Big E lifts Bryan onto the top turnbuckles. After getting knocked off the turnbuckle, E avoids Bryan’s top-rope head-butt, getting another two-count. Big E locks in a Canadian backbreaker. Bryan frees himself and clocks E with a running clothesline.

Both men make it slowly to their feet. Bryan catches E with a drop-toehold, sending him face-first into the middle turnbuckle. He throws Yes Kicks in the corner, then executes a top-rope hurricanrana. Bryan hits two running dropkicks in the corner. Big E cuts off the third attempt with a flying clothesline. He picks up Bryan in the Canadian Backbreaker and drops him awkwardly as Bryan yells out. Not sure what move he was attempting; regardless, it gets a two-count.

Big E applies the stretch muffler submission to Bryan’s left leg. Bryan toughs it out, then uses leverage to take Big E to the mat and attempt the Yes Lock. When that move fails, Bryan locks in a triangle submission. E looks ready to fade, then deadlifts Bryan up. DB frees himself from that predicament, but cannot get the heel hook. Good counter-wrestling from both men.

Bryan catches himself on the ring apron when Big E heaves him over the top rope. That’s a Pyrrhic victory, as E takes off running and smashes Bryan with his between-the-ropes shoulder-tackle. He looks like he absolutely mauls his opponents with that move. Big E throws Bryan back inside the ring, and goes for the Big Ending. Bryan dips out the back, then suckers E into charging him in the corner. Big E hits nothing but ring-post, then eats the flying knee.

Result: Daniel Bryan pinned Big E after executing the flying knee.

Grade: B

Gauntlet Match – Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe

This match would realistically end in two minutes if a drained Bryan fought a fresh Samoa Joe, who jogs to the ring as we go to break. When we return, Joe is chopping the hell out of Bryan in the corner. Bryan’s chest looks inflamed. DB fires back with chops and kicks. When he bounds off the ropes, Joe actually runs toward him to execute a powerslam for a two-count. One minute of this match made me want to see them wrestle a pay-per-view bout. Bryan may not feel the same. The slow-motion replay shows that Bryan fell straight onto his head during that powerslam. Scary stuff considering his injury history.

Joe slows the pace, lacing into Bryan with more strikes. When Bryan tries to fight back, Joe powerbombs him, then shifts into a modified Boston crab. Failing to gain the tap-out with that move, Joe applies an STF. Bryan crawls toward the ropes, prompting Joe to go for a crossface submission. DB finally makes it to the bottom rope.

Samoa Joe toys with Bryan, measuring him for kicks. Bryan shows heart by catching one of the strikes, then ripping Joe down with a dragon-screw leg-whip. He focuses on that left knee, slamming it into the ring-post twice. When Bryan lets Joe up, though, he gets caught with an inverted atomic drop, big boot, and senton for a two-count. We go to commercial.

Fortunately, this match is ongoing when we return. It looks like it did at the start, with Joe mockingly nudging Bryan with his boot. Both men trade chops. Bryan creates separation, only to dash into the Coquina Clutch. Bryan uses his momentum to fling Joe through the ropes. He rolls to the apron, then catches Joe with a glancing blow off a flying knee. Bryan climbs the turnbuckles and nails a missile dropkick. His Yes Kicks just seem to make Joe angry. He catches Bryan’s leg on the last strike, only to get stunned with an enziguri kick.

Bryan calls for the flying knee. As he takes off, Joe rolls to ringside. Bryan tries to chase him down, only to get locked in the Coquina Clutch on the arena floor. Joe keenly watches the referee, hoping to choke out Bryan and beat the count. Bryan counters the Coquina Clutch by pushing off the barricade and back-somersaulting over Joe. He dives back inside the ring just before the 10 count as Joe gets caught on the outside.

Result: Daniel Bryan defeated Samoa Joe by countout.

Grade: B

A wide-eyed Joe is ordered to the locker room by the referee. From the announce table-side of the ring, the Bludgeon Brothers step over the barricade and enter the ring. They crush Bryan with their tandem sit-out powerbomb, then leave through the crowd. Graves references their face-to-face confrontation with Bryan when DB made his entrance prior to the Gauntlet.

Gauntlet Match – Daniel Bryan vs. The Miz

The Miz sprints to the ring like Usain Bolt, and scoops up Bryan for a Skullcrushing Finale.

Result: The Miz pinned Daniel Bryan after a Skullcrushing Finale.

Grade: D-

Gauntlet Match – Rusev vs. The Miz

We join this match in progress; Rusev welcomes us back with a high dropkick. Miz fights back and goes for his corner clothesline. Rusev catches him, and the two stare deeply into each other’s eyes while trapped in those close quarters. The Bulgarian Brute ends the intimate moment with a fall-away slam, getting a two-count.

With Miz dazed, Rusev charges toward his foe, only for Miz to pull down the top rope and send him sprawling to ringside. The A-Lister follows up with a wrecking-ball dropkick. Miz brings Rusev back into the ring, then sends him back down with a running boot for his own two-count.

Miz goes to a chinlock. Rusev pulls down hard on his left arm to try to break the hold. When he does, Miz avoids the big man’s strike and hits his backbreaker/neckbreaker combination. Miz connects on his corner clothesline, then delivers a top-rope double ax-handle for a near-fall.

Commendable cheating by Miz, even as he works a reverse chinlock. Rusev inches toward the ropes, finally grabbing the bottom strand. Building off that little victory, Rusev wins a battle of strikes, belting Miz with right hands and three big kicks. He bellows for the Machka kick. Miz side-steps it and goes for the Skullcrushing Finale. Rusev splits the hands of Miz, then lands a roundhouse kick that nearly wins the match.

Miz rolls to ringside. Rusev shoves him back inside, but gets his neck snapped over the top rope upon reentry. Miz shows killer instinct by slamming Rusev’s face into the mat, then driving him into the ring-steps. Unable to secure the pin, Miz unleashes several It Kicks. Rusev slips under the roundhouse kick, however, and trips Miz to set up the Accolade. Miz counters that attempt and scores with a DDT for a two-count.

Frustrated, Miz climbs to his feet and signals for the Bryan flying knee. Instead, he runs into a Mackha Kick. Rusev applies the Accolade for the tapout. Truly, it is Rusev Day!

Result: Rusev beat The Miz via submission with the Accolade.

Grade: B+

Styles slides into the ring and sets down the championship belt between himself and Rusev. We get a staredown and, surprisingly, a handshake. Aiden English requests his own handshake, only to rebuff Styles with a mocking hand-motion when AJ reaches out to him. So AJ reaches out again and floors English with a punch to the face.