WWE Smackdown Review – June 2, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Smackdown with a video of notable moments throughout Roman Reigns’ 1,000 days as Undisputed WWE Universal Champion.
United States Champion Austin Theory welcomes fans to Austin Theory Live then says tonight is special because Roman Reigns’ historic championship reign will be celebrated. He says if you combined Reigns’ run as champion with his, you would have a total of 1,209 days. He says it’s both impressive and inspiring and says he will surpass Reign’s run if they keep giving him guys like Sheamus. He says when you’re as great as him everyone gravitates to him then introduces Pretty Deadly, and their music hits.
They make their way down to the ring and each grab a mic. Kit Wilson says it was an honor to destroy Brawling Brutes and Elton Prince says Theory is a champion the people deserve. They get cut off by Brawling Brutes’ music, and they make their way down to the ring.
6 Man Tag Team Match
United States Champion Austin Theory & Pretty Deadly (Kit Wilson & Elton Prince) vs. Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch & Ridge Holland)
Ridge Holland delivers a back elbow then follows it up with an uppercut then sends him crashing into the top turnbuckle face first. Butch & Kit Wilson tag in. Wilson delivers an uppercut but Butch regains the upper hand and wears him down. Austin Theory & Sheamus then tag in as we go to a break.
After the break Prince is wearing down Butch. He lands a forearm, then tags in Theory. Theory taunts Sheamus and beats down Butch before Prince tags in and delivers a uppercut. Prince hits an suppercut, but Butch responds with a series of chops and a Tornado DDT. He then tags in Sheamus as Prince tags in Theory.
Sheamus delivers a pair of splashes to Theory in the corner, then plants him on the mat. Pretty Deadly try interfering, but Sheamus gains the upper hand and sets up for The Ten Beats of the Bodhran. Theory saves Pretty Deadly by rolling up Sheamus, but Sheamus kicks out.
Pretty Deadly gets in the ring but Sheamus levels them. Butch & Holland join Sheamus in the ring and they deliver a triple White Noise to Pretty Deadly & Theory. He follows it up with a Brogue Kick to Theory and looks to pin him but Pretty Deadly pulls Theory out of the ring before he can. Holland delivers a pair of shoulder tackles to Pretty Deadly as Sheamus ascends to the top. Sheamus then delivers a pair of clotheslines before Butch lands a moonsault as we go to a another break.
After the 2nd break Holland tags in and double teams with Butch on Prince. Sheamus becomes legal and goes flying off the top, then sets up for the Celtic Cross. Prince escapes and tags in Wilson. Theory then tags in before Pretty Deadly double teams on Sheamus. Theory plants Sheamus and goes for a pin but Sheamus kicks out. Theory rains down right hands but Sheamus responds with a clothesline and a knee.
Holland & Prince tag in. Pretty Deadly looks to level Holland but Holland plants them both. Brawling Brutes then execute The 10 Beats Of The Bodhran on Theory & Pretty Deadly before Holland plants Wilson. Theory hits Butch with A Town Down, but Sheamus clotheslines him out of the ring Theory then sends Sheamus into the ring post.
Back inside the ring Pretty Deadly swap places. Prince covers his face with the ring skirt so the referee and Holland don’t notice it’s actually him, allowing Wilson to run around the ring and blindside Holland. Prince tags in, and Pretty Deadly nails Spilt Milk then Theory tags in and pins Holland for the win.
Winners: United States Champion Austin Theory & Pretty Deadly
We then head to a video recapping what went down at Night Of Champions in the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles match.
After the break, we head to The Bloodline’s locker room. Paul Heyman tells Solo Sikoa they need to make their upcoming championship celebration special for Reigns following Night Of Champions, then says he’s going to talk to Adam Pearce to ensure that The Usos are nowhere to be found.
We then head to a video recapping the finals of the World Heavyweight Title match between Seth Rollins & AJ Styles.
Tag Team Match
Good Brothers (Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows) vs. Hit Row (Top Dolla & Ashante Thee Adonis)
Ashante Thee Adonis fires off several stomps on Karl Anderson follows it up with a clothesline, then gets in Luke Gallows’ face. Top Dolla tags in and uses Adonis as a weapon, tossing him shoulder first into Anderson. Adonis tags back in and delivers a knee to the back of Anderson’s neck before B Fab takes a cheap shot at him while the referee is distracted.
Michin & AJ Styles get in B Fab’s face before Anderson lands a spinebuster on Adonis in the ring. Gallows tags in and delivers a running back elbow then hits a slam and tags Anderson back in. Good Brothers lands Magic Killer for the win.
Winners: Good Brothers
After the match Top Dolla levels Good Brothers but turns around into a Phenomenal Forearm from Styles.
Grayson Waller welcomes fans to The Grayson Waller Effect and introduces Asuka.
The reigning Raw Women’s Champion Asuka’s music hits and she heads down to the ring.
Waller congratulates Asuka on dethroning Bianca BeAir at Night Of Champions then addresses the Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase above the ring. He tells her that she needs to keep her head on a swivel, and says BelAir will be coming for her Raw Women’s Title. Asuka mocks BelAir with fake tears, but before she can continue, Iyo Sky’s music hits and she marches her way down to the ring. She yells at Asuka and begins to complain, and Asuka gets in her face.
Bayley’s music hits and she marches her way down to the ring. She says either herself or Sky will win the Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase and dethrone Asuka.
Shotzi Blackheart’s music then hits and says she can’t wait to crush Bayley’s dreams with some cold hard steel. Lacey Evans’ music hits, and she demands respect before saying she’ll win the briefcase after defeating Zelina Vega’s music hits and she appears. She says the problem with everyone’s plan is that they’re underestimating her, and says she was so close to becoming Smackdown Women’s Champion at Backlash. She tells Evans she’ll never be half the woman she is and says the more everyone underestimates her, the sweeter her victory will be.
All the women begin arguing with one another in the ring as Waller eggs them on. Asuka, now on the ramp, tells them that no one is ready for Asuka but BelAir blindsides her and they begin brawling. Officials then run out and separate both women.
After the break we go backstage to Cameron Grimes & Adam Pearce watching Baron Corbin’s attack on Carmelo Hayes this past Tuesday on NXT. Grimes says he wants to get his hands on Corbin the next time he appears on Smackdown for what he did.
Women’s Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
Zelina Vega vs. Lacey Evans
Lacey Evans fires off stomps on Zelina Vega after already jumping her during the commercial break then she follows it up with a modified Bronco Buster before sending Vega’s head repeatedly crashing into the mat but Vega responds with a Code Red for the win.
Winner & Gets Into The Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match: Zelina Vega
After the break we head backstage and see LWO celebrating Zelina Vega’s win.
Money In The Bank Qualifying Match
Montez Ford vs. LA Knight
Match starts off with a lock up then they go back & forth with submission holds before shoving each other. Montez Ford then lands a shoulder tackle and a dropkick then delivers a right hand from the apron before Knight sends him crashing onto the floor as we go to a break.
After the break Ford & Knight deliver right hands to one another. Ford lands a shoulder tackle then follows it up with a clothesline and a sidewalk slam. Knight gets Ford up on his shoulders and plants him but Ford lands a Uranage.
Both men level one another and go back & forth with right hands before Ford hits an enziguri and ascends to the top. Knight meets up him there, but Ford delivers a headbutt to knock him off. He looks for a From The Heavens but Knight moves out of the way.
Ford then rolls him up but Knight reverses the fall while grabbing onto the middle rope for some assistance for the win.
Winner & Gets Into The Money In The Bank Ladder Match: LA Knight
After the match Knight sets up a ladder and climbs up to where the Money In The Bank briefcases hang.
We then head over to a cryptic video from NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions The Unholy Union.
Triple H says an athlete comes along that is so dominant that they change their sport. He cites Muhammad Ali & Michael Jordan as examples then says Roman Reigns is the WWE’s version of that and introduces him.
Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns’ music hits and he appears alongside Paul Heyman & Solo Sikoa.
Reigns & Heyman shake hands with Triple H before Triple H congratulates Reigns on behalf of WWE and the WWE Universe. He says no one has held onto a title for 1,000 days for almost 40 years then says it’s his honor to present him with a new Undisputed WWE Universal Title. He unveils the belt on the table next to him and hands it over to Reigns.
Reigns takes off the WWE Title and hands it over to Heyman before raising it over his head. Triple H then puts it around his waist, and Heyman hands him a mic.
Reigns tells the entire universe to acknowledge him but before he can continue The Usos music hits and they appear as we go to a break.
After the break The Usos have enter the ring and Jimmy Uso is staring down Reigns. Reigns then demands that Jey Uso kick Jimmy in the face, seeing as Jimmy did the same to him and cost him the Undisputed Tag Team Titles at Night Of Champions. He tells Jey to fix it by doing as he says but Jey is reluctant. Reigns says he won’t tell Jey to do it again and tells him to fix it.
Jimmy cuts Reigns off and says he’s the one who needs fixing. He says he superkicked Reigns because he was being a brother, and says Reigns hasn’t been a good brother lately. He asks what kind of brother hurts and betrays his own family then tells Reigns he’s gone crazy. He says Jey & Sikoa are his brothers then talks directly to Sikoa and says Reigns will keep manipulating him and putting him in the dirt.
Fans chant for The Usos & Reigns takes responsibility for doing that. He calls Jimmy an imposter for talking like he’s the leader and hands the mic over to Sikoa so everyone can hear first hand who he’s loyal to. Sikoa acknowledges Reigns but says The Usos are his brothers and hands the mic over to Reigns. He walks over to stand next to his brothers as Reigns watches on in disbelief. Jimmy asks what it’s going to be. He asks if he wants to run things with respect or stay alone on the Island of Relevancy.
Reigns tells Jimmy to shut up but Jimmy pushes his face. Jey gets in between Reigns & Jimmy. He tells them that they’re family and Jimmy asks what they’re doing. He says they’re stronger together, and says like Sikoa & Jey, Reigns is his brother too. He says they’re family and still the ones.
Reigns & Jimmy hug one another as Reigns begins to cry. He then declines Jimmy’s offer before Sikoa hits Jimmy with a Samoan Spike. Jey checks on Jimmy as Reigns & Heyman leave the ring. Sikoa stares down his brothers before joining Heyman & Reigns on the outside. On the way to the back Heyman asks Reigns what about Jey & Reigns says Jey will fall in line to close out this week’s Smackdown.
