The road to WWE King And Queen Of The Ring 2024 winds down tonight.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown returns this evening at 8/7c on FOX with the WWE King And Queen Of The Ring 2024 “go-home show” from the Jeddah Super Dome in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
On tap for tonight’s taped installment of their weekly WWE on FOX blue brand show is Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax in the semifinals of the 2024 WWE Queen of the Ring tournament, as well as Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga in the semifinals of the 2024 WWE King of the Ring tournament.
Also scheduled for the show is Bayley vs. Chelsea Green, The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins & Montez Ford) vs. The Bloodline (Tonga Loa & Solo Sikoa), as well as AJ Styles confronting SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis.
Featured below are complete WWE Friday Night SmackDown results from Friday, May 24, 2024. The following report was written by PWMania.com reporter Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) as the show aired from 8-10pm EST. on FOX.
WWE FRIDAY NIGHT SMACKDOWN RESULTS (5/24/2024)
The “WWE Then. Now. Forever. Together.” opening signature gets us started and then Corey Graves welcomes us to the show on commentary. He mentions tonight being the first SmackDown to air from The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia here at the Jeddah Super Dome.
Queen Of The Ring Semifinals
Bianca Belair vs. Nia Jax
We see the announcement from Paul “Triple H” Levesque from earlier this week regarding the winners of the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments earning world title shots at this year’s WWE SummerSlam. We hear the sounds of Bianca Belair’s theme and out comes “The EST of WWE” to kick off this week’s show.
As Belair settles in the ring, Graves and Wade Barrett have their first on-camera appearance at the commentary desk. They introduce the Saudi Arabian commentary team beside them for tonight’s show. The theme for Nia Jax hits and out she comes to find out who will move on to face Lyra Valkyria in the finals of this year’s Queen of the Ring.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. Jax starts off strong, but Belair quickly takes over. She mocks Nia at one point and then knocks her out to the floor, where she hits a dive and splashes onto her opposition at ringside as we shift gears and head into a mid-match commercial break.
When we return, we see Jax beginning to take over the offensive lead in the bout. She goes for a couple of pins, but Belair keeps kicking out at two. She gets closer and closer but then her knee gives out and Jax capitalizes, hitting her finisher and picking up the win to advance. She is interviewed in the ring after the match and vows to win QOTR and become the new champ. We then head to another break.
Winner and ADVANCING to the Queen of the Ring finals: Nia Jax
The Grayson Waller Effect: Championship Edition
When we return from the break, Belair talks about coming up short backstage when Chelsea Green and Indi Hartwell mock her. This leads to Jade Cargill coming up and defending her, before heading off to find Nick Aldis to get a match made. Back in the arena, Austin Theory and Grayson Waller are in the ring, which is decked out with The Grayson Waller Effect set.
The A-Town Down Under duo talk some trash to get things started and then as they are building up the introduction of their guest, who is scheduled to be LA Knight, instead out comes Carmelo Hayes. Hayes bickers back-and-forth with the tag champs about their history in NXT and then LA Knight’s theme cuts them off and he does a Stone Cold “BMF” walk to the ring, vest-and-all, to a big pop from the Jeddah crowd.
“The Mega Star” wants to “talk to-ya!” and does so, only to be cut off by Hayes and the A-Town Down duo. He tells them he didn’t remember asking them a damn thing. The brawl quickly broke out among the guys, prompting The Street Profits to come out and help Knight with the numbers disadvantage. We head to another break.
LA Knight & The Street Profits vs. Carmelo Hayes & A-Town Down Under
When we return, a “Lyra Valkyria is coming soon to SmackDown” vignette airs. Back live, the bell sounds and we’re informed by Graves and Barrett that Nick Aldis made an impromptu six-man tag match, and the bell sounds to start it off.
Montez Ford and Hayes kick things off for their respective teams, as it’s LA Knight and The Street Profits taking on Carmelo Hayes and A-Town Down Under.
We see some good fast-paced back-and-forth action between these two teams as we shift gears and head into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues. When we return, LA Knight finally gets the hot tag and the crowd goes wild as he begins shifting the offensive momentum to his team’s favor.
Knight tackles Hayes over the commentary desk at ringside on the floor as Ford and Dawkins hit their double-team finisher in the ring for the pin fall victory. Exciting action in this one.
Winners: LA Knight & The Street Profits
Cody Rhodes, Logan Paul Face-To-Face One Final Time
Highlights of Logan Paul’s brass knuckles promise from WWE Experience in Riyadh this week is shown and then we see a live shot of Cody Rhodes arriving to the building. He is stopped by Randy Orton, who greets him. The two shake hands and he continues towards the building as Wade Barrett informs us he is coming up next. We head to another break.
When we return, Cody’s theme hits and “The American Nightmare” makes his way to the ring. He talks about his upcoming title defense against Logan Paul at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring 2024 tomorrow. Logan’s theme hits and out comes the U.S. Champion. He settles in the ring and talks about giving Michael Cole his brass knuckles.
Cody thinks Logan is a scared young boy that probably has another set of brass knuckles on him right now. Logan asks if Cody is calling him a liar. Cody tells the referee at ringside to pat Logan down and see if he’s a man of his word. He does and he ends up finding a set. Logan claims the pants he’s wearing aren’t even his.
He says he wasn’t being 100% truthful but now he will be. He says he vowed not to use them in the match tomorrow and didn’t know if he’d need to defend himself tonight. He says Cody is holding them now so maybe security should rush him. He tells Cody to keep them. Cody hands them off and says that’s the difference between the two of them.
He says the title is his whole life. It’s all he ever wanted to be. Cody says until Logan stops doing this part-time, he’ll never be on Cody’s level. He calls him a kid and assures him he will lose tomorrow at WWE King And Queen Of The Ring. He holds the title high and his theme hits again to end the segment.
Bayley vs. Chelsea Green
Backstage, Randy Orton is interviewed about his King of the Ring semifinal tournament bout later in the show against Tama Tonga of The Bloodline. We then see Nia Jax walk past Bayley and tell her to keep the title warm for her. Bayley’s theme hits and she makes her way out to the ring for scheduled non-title action.
When we return from the break, we see The Street Profits with their red solo cup and B-Fab backstage celebrating their win earlier tonight. They talk briefly with DIY and then we return inside the Jeddah Super Dome.
Chelsea Green’s theme hits and out she comes with Piper Niven for our next match of the evening. The bell sounds and off we go. After some initial back-and-forth action, we shift gears and head into a mid-match break. When we return, Bayley is in the lead until Green starts to take over.
She hits a Rough Ryder for a two-count. Literally seconds later, however, Bayley takes over and picks up the quick win. Piper Niven hits the ring and attacks her after the match.
Winner: Bayley
AJ Styles Pleads With Nick Aldis For One More Chance At Universal Title
We shoot backstage and we see AJ Styles entering the office of SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis. “The Phenomenal One” pleads with Aldis to give him one more chance at becoming WWE Universal Champion. He asks for the winner of Cody Rhodes vs. Logan Paul.
Aldis says he respects him and if it was a personal choice, he’d say yes. He says it’s not and it’s something he’s gotta earn. He says that takes time. Styles says he doesn’t have time like that. Aldis says that’s nothing he can help him with. We head to another commercial break.
Backstage With Andrade & Legado Del Fantasma
When we return, we see a look at Andrade. He talks about being a third generation lucahdore and says he has this in his blood. He says he’s not only here to show that he is a luchadore from Mexico, he was born to do this.
Because he has been judged his entire life, they have criticized him. Andrade continues and says limiting expectations doesn’t control his destiny. He controls his own destiny. He says he knows who he is and he knows what he wants.
Now, he will show everyone who Andrade is. Humberto says he doesn’t like Andrade but Angel says he could help them out. Santos Escobar says to let bygones be bygones and think about things.
King Of The Ring Semifinals
Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga
We see a video package looking back at the King of the Ring tournament action leading up to tonight’s semifinal between Randy Orton and Tama Tonga of The Bloodline.
Speaking of The Bloodline, Paul Heyman is shown and says Solo Sikoa knows that Tanga Loa is not here because they couldn’t get him across the border. Paul says he can’t get people to clear customs. These are dangerous people you are recruiting into the Bloodline.
Solo says he knows. Paul says that is why they haven’t been brought in previously. Paul says until Roman comes back and Solo says he is in charge until Roman comes back and he tells Paul to fix whatever problems there are.
Heyman goes to speak some more, but is scared when Tama appears next to him. Tama stares him down and says he was recruited specifically because he is dangerous. He finishes by saying per orders of The Tribal Chief, a new King is coming back to The Bloodline.
Back inside the Jeddah Super Dome, Randy Orton’s theme hits and the crowd sings along as “The Viper” heads to the ring. We head to a quick pre-match commercial break on that note.
When we return, the crowd is still loudly singing Orton’s theme as he finishes his entrance in the ring. We see current 2024 WWE King of the Ring Finalist GUNTHER sitting in the crowd to get a closer look at tonight’s semifinal between Orton and Tonga to see who he will face tomorrow afternoon.
Graves and Barrett run down the advertised lineup for WWE King And Queen Of The Ring 2024 tomorrow afternoon. After that, the theme for Tama Tonga hits and out he comes accompanied by “The Wise Man” Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa. He settles in the ring and it’s now main event time.
The bell sounds and Tonga charges across the ring and jumps into the early offensive lead, drilling Orton with repeated punches as he covers up on the ropes. Orton finally clears the cobwebs and hits a huge fall-away slam before sending Tonga shoulder-first into the ring post on both sides of the ring.
Orton does the ten-punch spot on Tonga in the corner as the Saudi crowd counts along with each shot that lands. Tonga tries to re-group at ringside, but Orton heads out after him and bounces his dome off the commentary desk.
Soon after that, we head into a mid-match commercial break as this high stakes KOTR semifinal bout continues. When we return, we see Tonga in the offensive lead as the fans try and rally behind “The Viper.” The action spills out to the floor where Orton finally starts to take over.
He bounces Tonga off the commentary desk again. We see a shot of GUNTHER watching on with a big smile on his face. Back in the ring, we see vintage Orton, as he hits the draping DDT off the ropes for a big pop from the Saudi crowd. He stalks Tama for an RKO.
Solo takes his jacket off at ringside. Orton goes for it, but Tama shoves him into the ropes where Solo hits him with a cheap shot. Tama tries to roll him up off of that, but Orton kicks out and pops up for an RKO for the win to advance. Solo and Tama attack afterwards, but Kevin Owens runs out to make the save. That’s how this week’s show goes off the air. Thanks for joining us!
Winner and ADVANCING to the Queen of the Ring finals: Randy Orton
