Smackdown 6/13/2025

After WWE’s signature open, we got the rundown for tonight’s King and Queen of the Ring qualifiers, as well as the arrivals of Jacob Fatu and Naomi to the arena. We then went to Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett at the commentary table as they teed up a recap of Money in the Bank and all that transpired last Saturday night.

John Cena opens SmackDown

The Undisputed WWE Champion entered the scene to the usual gamut of cheers and boos from the crowd. He instructed ring announcer Mark Nash to give him a very enthusiastic announcement before getting started with his promo.

Cena started off by talking about “Wrestling’s Mount Rushmore”, which he said consisted of nothing but him. He said that yes, there have been great wrestlers and great talkers, but that nobody in the past, present, or future is comparable to him. Cena said that he will always outmaneuver people not because he doesn’t give up, but because he’s smarter than us. Cena claimed that he was always a thousand steps ahead of everyone because he had six months to scout out his foes for his retirement tour. He knew that even if he lost the Royal Rumble, he could just use his seniority to guarantee himself a spot in the Elimination Chamber, and his unpredictability led to his WrestleMania victory. Cena suggested that he used the time teaming up with Logan Paul to force CM Punk into a corner by making him admit himself as a “hypocrite” (alluding to Punk’s infamous refusal to wrestle in Saudi Arabia).

Cena said that he wins matches before they even started and that he has cracked every puzzle and crunched every code, and that we wouldn’t appreciate him until three years after he was gone. He said that the math says that there will be nobody worthy to ever hold the WWE Title ever again. Enter Cody Rhodes.

The American Nightmare entered the ring and took a mic, as he started by facetiously asking Cena if everything he claimed he was about being smart “was true”. He said it was distressing that everything Cena said was right about his claims, and that while he had a grand master plan, Cena didn’t account for getting pinned last Saturday. Rhodes said that he wasn’t part of Cena’s plan, but that Cena was part of his own plan. “So, John Rushmore, where does that leave you and I?” asked Rhodes. The theme music of Randy Orton interrupted as the man himself walked down to a great ovation.

Orton said thad everyone who watched Backlash in St. Louis saw that he had Cena beaten and ready to be punted, right up until somebody “saved the day”, and it made him realized that he had to do whatever it takes to get Number 15. He said he loved Cody as a brother, but if it came down to things, he wouldn’t hesitate to put his friend down. Now it was LA Knight’s turn to interrupt proceedings.

Knight said that all week long, he heard the whole world saying “we want L.A. Knight” and that he was looking right at WWE’s “establishment” in the ring. Knight said that Cena’s master plan didn’t include him and he was going to throw that plan out the window. Knight said that he was going to drop Orton, Rhodes, and a “genius balding bitch” in Cena, with everybody saying “L.A. Knight, yeah!” Cena thought himself above all this and decided to make his exit.

As Cena left the ring, Ron Killings ambushed him from the stage as he laid into his former hero with blow after blow. Officials entered the scene to separate Killings from Cena, who was left down and out by the former R-Truth’s assault.

As a way to set up potential King of the Ring winners, this segment wasn’t bad in establishing Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and LA Knight as favorites to win in a couple of weeks. Of course, I kind of expect some twists to be thrown along the way, particularly with Rhodes’ chances, as WWE might feel like delivering a curveball for his inevitable rematch against Cena.

I do have to address the implication of CM Punk’s morals being used as a storyline beat with Cena attempting to get Punk to admit he was a “hypocrite” by facing him in Saudi Arabia, however. To say it’s a “dicey” proposition to invoke the controversial nature of WWE’s Saudi Arabia shows as a storyline would be an understatement. I’m not sure how to feel about it in the grand scheme of things.

Backstage, John Cena was seen arguing with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis about Ron Killings’s actions from before the break. We couldn’t hear a word said, but it was clear that Cena was certainly incensed with what happened to him at the hands of Killings.

King of the Ring Qualifying Fatal-Four Way Match: Randy Orton vs. LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Aleister Black

***

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The bell rang as Hayes and Black faced off with one another as Knight and Orton just looked on briefly before they mixed it up in the ring. As Knight was fighting with Orton in the corner, Hayes attempted a roll-up pin, but Knight kicked out. Black threw Hayes out of the ring and fell victim to an apron moonsault from Black. Orton and Knight traded finisher attempts, as Black couldn’t connect with Black Mass. This led to a break in the action.

We returned with Hayes getting dropped by Knight, as he was then stomped in the corner by the former United States Champion. A prone Orton also suffered the same fate at the hands of Knight. Hayes bounced back and kicked Knight as he then twisted Black and connected with a springboard legdrop on Knight. Hayes was on fire with a Fosbury Flop on Black outside the ring. Orton made his way outside and hit his announce table backdrop on Black, but got shoved into the apron by Knight.

In the ring,. Knight propped Hayes up the top rope as the two dueled with strikes. Knight got the better of Hayes and tried for a superplex. Hayes blocked it and shoved Knight aside. Orton stepped in but also got pushed aside by Hayes. Black drilled Hayes with a knee, which appeared to open him up for a superplex, but Hayes once again got the advantage as he then hit a Frog Splash on Knight. One, two… Black broke up the pin, which led us to another break.

SmackDown returned from commercial with all four men in the ring. Knight rolled up Orton as he attempted a BFT on Black that couldn’t connected. Black opened things up with a knee and kick to the face of Hayes. Orton cut Black off at the pass as he delivered his signature offense, including a barrage of powerslams on his three opponents. Orton dragged Hayes over to the apron and looked to deliver his draping DDT. He held Black in position as he wanted to hit a double DDT, but Knight snuck up on Orton and hit a jumping neckbreaker for the close near-fall.

WIth all four men back in the ring, Knight connected with the BFT on Black. Hayes managed to break up the pin, but he paid for it with a slam from Knight. Up on the top rope, Knight tried to deliver his diving elbow, but Bronson Reed cut him off, as Bron Breakker hit a spear on Knight. Hayes looked to capitalize on the opportunity with a diving, but he caught by Orton for an RKO that sent Hayes crashing onto Knight. Orton with the cover on Knight and this one’s done. Randy Orton will now face Sami Zayn in the King of the Ring semifinals

A very fun opening fatal four-way and the involvement from the two Brons from Seth Rollins’ faction in attacking LA Knight certainly does spice things up.

Jacob Fatu appeared backstage as we’d hear from him after the break.

Jacob Fatu addresses his Money in the Bank actions

The United States champion entered to a great ovation from the Lexington crowd as we got a recap of last week’s SmackDown and Solo Sikoa’s insulting remarks that led to the “I HATE YOU!” heard ’round the world at Money in the Bank a night after.

As the fans chanted for him, Fatu started off by saying that they were going to keep it 100. “Just because you’re family, don’t mean that you could go behind their back and try to snake ’em,” said Fatu. He noted that Solo Sikoa’s attempt to take all the credit for his success was exactly why he had to remind Sikoa at Money in the Bank what happens “when you don’t get in where you fit in,” Before Fatu could go on any further, Solo Sikoa interrupted on the Titantron.

Sikoa claimed that he brought Fatu in and made him into a superstar by helping him become the champion he could be. Sikoa said that next week, he was willing to take Fatu back next week and that he needed to hear four words from him: “I love you, Solo.” Sikoa warned Fatu that he brought him into this world, and that he could take him out of it just as easily.

Whether or not this segment between Sikoa and Fatu next week will bring the debut of another Bloodline member or the return of the Tongans to perhaps align against Fatu will be interesting, to say the least.

Nick Aldis was backstage with Chelsea Green’s Secret Hervice of Alba Fyre and Piper Niven, as Green herself was FaceTiming and not in the arena. Aldis said that he was putting Fyre in Green’s place for the Women’s King of the Ring Qualifier match later tonight After Fyre and Niven left, Zelina Vega entered and wanted to face off with Giulia next week.

Queen of the Ring Qualifier Fatal-Four Way Match: Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax vs. Michin vs. Piper Niven/4

**1/2

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As Jax and Cargill faced off, we got Niven and Michin duking it out as well. After Cargill and Michin took out their respective foes, they entered the ring and got themselves into a lockup. Cargill caught Michin for a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, as she tried for a suplex. Michin avoided hit and delivered a running hurricanrana on Cargill followed by a dropkick. Niven pulled Michin out of the ring and slammed her right to the floor, along with a running senton on her fallen foe.

In the ring, Jax recovered and went to work on Cargill, who tried to fight from underneath. Jax dropped Cargill with a Samoan Drop as Niven entered and hit a running senton on Cargill. As Jax and Niven faced off, they agreed on a truce against Cargill. That alliance seemed to go nowhere as Cargill fought both off. With all three fighting it out at ringside, Michin saw this as an opportunity to hit a moonsault from the apron as we went to a break.

Back from commercial as Niven and Jax’s alliance was starting to pay dividends at the expense of one Jade Cargill. The two women continued to punish Cargill with a flurry of running hip drops on her. Their truce broke down as Niven’s pinfall attempt was stopped by Jax. Their argument allowed Michin to enter the fray with hurricanranas on Jax and Niven. Michin tried for a rana on Cargill, who blocked that and turned it into a powerbomb for the two-count.

After Niven took out Cargill, Michin caught her with Sliced Bread. Jax broke up the count successfully, however. Niven and Jax saw Cargill prone outside the ring and once again teamed up as they threw her right into the commentary table, as Wade Barrett got inadvertently taken out in the process! In the ring, Michin tried her luck at fighting the two titans facing her, but she got dropped by a double chokeslam from Jax and Niven.

Jax turned against Niven with a headbutt to the cranium as she had Michin at her mercy with the Annihilator. Niven broke up the count, which led to her and Jax brawling it out at ringside. Niven used her strength to send Jax through the barricade. Inside the ring, Niven hit a Viper Bomb on Michin, but Cargill stepped in at the last second to finish things off with Jaded. One, two, three. This one’s done.

With Cargill’s victory, she will now face Roxanne Perez in the Queen of the Ring semifinals.

Naomi speaks about her Money in the Bank victory

Ms. Money in the Bank said that we were all looking real surprised, and real shocked but she didn’t know why. She said that she took what she deserved and now she had the Money in the Bank contract. Naomi talked about how throughout all the time she was fighting Nia Jax for the WWE Women’s Championship, Tiffany Stratton was there to target her. And now she was out for payback, and it was going to feel so good when she hits Stratton with the Money in the Bank Briefcase to become the new WWE Women’s Champion. This brought out Tiffany Stratton herself to interrupt Naomi.

Stratton said that Naomi talked a big game, and asked why she doesn’t just cash in that title right here and now. She said that Naomi was all talk and no action, and that it was her chance to prove everyone wrong. “Do I look stupid to you?” asked Naomi, as she said that she was going to cash in when Stratton least expect it. In the meantime, though, she was going to enjoy making Stratton’s life hell, as she then told her to “proceed with caution”.

As Stratton watched Naomi leave, Nia Jax attacked the WWE Women’s Champion as she then took her out with the Annihilator. Naomi looked like she was going to cash in, but Jax scared her off.

Not sure how I feel about another retread of Tiffany Stratton versus Nia Jax as hinted here, mainly because it’s a feud that’s kinda been run into the ground at this point, especially with Stratton having beaten Jax multiple times now.

Earlier today, Nick Aldis met with SmackDown’s tag division regarding what needed to be done with the Wyatt Sicks. We learned that we’d see the Motor City Machine Guns take on the Sicks in tag team action.

Motor City Machine Guns (Chris Sabin & Alex Shelley) vs. The Wyatt Sicks (Dexter Lumis & Joe Gacy)

**3/4

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Gacy and Lumis started off fast with tandem offense that left Sabin flat-footed. As the legal man, Lumis dropped Sabin with a back suplex as Gacy entered the match and continued the Sicks’ advantage. Springboard moonsault by Gacy on Sabin maintained the attack against the tag veteran. Gacy and Lumis looked to have double team move, but Sabin avoided calamity as Shelley was tagged in. The Motor City Machine Guns took over with stereo crossbody presses on Gacy and Lumis as SmackDown took a commercial break.

We returned from the break with both Shelley and Gacy down in the ring as the former got the hot tag on their partner. A dropkick by Sabin sent Gacy back to his corner with Lumis tagging himself in. Sabin kept control over Lumis with a series of dropkicks as he then tagged in Shelley. On the apron, the MCMGs hit a double-team dropkick on a stunned Lumis outside the ring. Shelley and Sabin looked to have the Skull and Bones, but Lumis escaped as Gacy hit the Machine Guns with his springboard double clothesline.

Sabin escaped the clutches of the Sicks as he tagged Shelley back in. The veteran Motor City Machine Guns ratcheted in with a double team dropkick on Lumis as they once again appeared to have Skull and Bones lock and loaded. Gacy saved Lumis at the last second as the two looked towards Uncle Howdy for instructions. Lumis then headed up top for a legdrop on Sabin to score the victory for the returning Wyatt Sicks.

Backstage, John Cena confronted Jimmy Uso and asked if he saw Ron Killings. Cena said that he was on the way to the ring right now as he told Jimmy to tell Killings to meet him in the ring.

John Cena calls out Ron Killings; CM Punk appears

For the second time of the night, John Cena was out in the ring with a purpose. He got right to it as he said that there was a level of disrespect he could tolerate. Cena said that R-Truth crossed some lines as he then challenged him to fight right now. However, instead of Ron Killings, the static of CM Punk’s theme music interrupted. Punk himself appeared not long after to a great reaction from the Lexington crowd.

“Is it it great to be alive on a Friday night in Lexington, Kentucky or what?” asked Punk to start off his promo. He said that the people were tired of being disrespected by Cena and that with a microphone in his hand, there are levels of disrespect that haven’t been reached.

Maybe Punk was acting too much like Obi-Wan Kenobi looking for Anakin Skywalker inside Darth Vader, but that he was ready to put that aside so that Cena could give this great Lexington crowd a happy ending.

“Why?” asked Cena, as he said it would be a waste of his time. Cena said that the people don’t matter, basketball didn’t matter, and horse racing didn’t matter, only being champion mattered. Punk said that for the record, he did give Cena an out, but he chose to do things the “CM Punk Way” ironically. Punk said that he was going to get real right now and that the disrespect was about to begin.

“You tell a strong man a lie to offend him,” Punk noted, stating that it pissed him off when Cena called him a hypocrite. “Conversely you tell a weak man the truth, and that offends him,” Punk continued as he said Cena couldn’t beat him and if Cena was out to ruin wrestling, he was going to save it instead.

Punk talked about he might not be as confident a man dressed like he struck out at t-ball (as Cena is apparently dressed as tonight), which he pointed out made him sound like PG John Cena. He then dug further and said Cena’s talk about “ruining wrestling and taking away the title” made him sound like CM Punk, ironically enough.

Punk said that he was going to follow Cena to Mars or Hell just to beat his ass for the title. He said that he sees right through Cena and that he always has, and that was the truth.

And speaking of the Truth, Ron Killings once again snuck up on Cena and struck him from behind. Killings applied a STF on Cena as Punk mocked him, “and the Truth hurts.” Security and officials poured in to keep Killings away from Cena as the Champ retreated.

A good promo from Punk, but again, I’m not entirely too sure about the idea of his previous reluctance to wrestle in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent negative connotations about these WWE/Saudi shows being used in-story.

Ron Killings was pacing back and forth backstage as Nick Aldis admonished him for his attacks on John Cena. Aldis asked Killings what it is that Killings wanted, as the former R-Truth answered that he wanted a match against John Cena next week. Aldis obliged and made it official: John Cena vs. Ron Killings next week on SmackDown.

Queen of the Ring Fatal-Four Way: Alexa Bliss vs. Alba Fyre vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Candice LeRae

***

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LeRae went after Bliss as Fyre targeted Flair in the early goings of this match. Flair fought off Fyre and threw Bliss onto LeRae in the corner before she tossed her out of the ring. Flair teed off on Fyre and LeRae with cascading chops, but the two ended up taking advantage as they teamed up on Flair. The two showed some surprising teamwork for a bit, but Flair managed to fight them off. Bliss re-entered the fray with a diving crossbody on Flair. An attempted Sister Abigail by Bliss was broken up by Fyre and LeRae as we got a break in the action.

Friday Night SmackDown returned with Flair on the top rope as LeRae and Fyre intercepted her at the pass. Bliss emerged and we got the Tower of Doom superplex that took everyone save for Bliss out on the canvas.

Bliss stood up first as she went to town on her competitors up until a codebreaker by LeRae stopped her advance. In the ensuing chaos, Flair hit Natural Selection on Bliss as she locked in the Figure Eight. LeRae broke it up with a springboard Lionsault as Fyre dropped Flair with a reverse facebuster. The cover, but Bliss broke it up in the nick of time. Bliss dropped Fyre with a DDT as she headed up top and connected with Twisted Bliss. One, two… Flair stops the count just in time! LeRae rolled up Flair, but to no avail. A spear by Flair on LeRae nearly had the match won. Flair locked in Fyre in the Figure Eight, but Bliss hit LeRae with Sister Abigail. The cover by Bliss and the three is enough as Fyre didn’t tap out in time.

Backstage, CM Punk wished Cody Rhodes good luck in his main event King of the Ring qualifier match coming up next.

King of the Ring Qualifying Fatal-Four Way Match: Cody Rhodes vs. Damian Priest vs. Andrade vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

***1/4

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The bell sounded and all four men simply sized each other up before Nakamura rolled out of the ring, but Rhodes took exception as he dove through the ropes to take him out. Andrade would then dropkick Rhodes to the outside as he and Priest duked it out in the ring. Priest hit a Broken Arrow on Andrade, which allowed Rhodes to strike. Outside the ring, Nakamura attacked both Priest and Rhodes as Andrade headed up top. An impressive moonsault from the post by Andrade took out Priest, Rhodes, and Nakamura as we got ourselves a commercial break.

Our main event returned with Nakamura sending Andrade to the outside, as he then hit a nice sliding German suplex on Priest. In the opposite corner, Nakamura stomped away on Rhodes, but missed out on a running knee strike, which opened him to a figure-four from the American Nightmare. Off the top rope, Andrade splashed onto Rhodes to break the hold, while Priest went to work on both men. Priest headed outside and leapt off the steel steps to hit an axe handle on Nakamura.

Priest tried to go for Old School, but Rhodes cut him off, which gave Nakamura a chance to break up the hold. Armbar by Nakamura is broken up by Rhodes, as the former Undisputed WWE Champion pulled out the Slim Jim-branded table and set it up at ringside. Rhodes grabbed Andrade and looked to deliver a superplex, but couldn’t. Priest joined in, but Nakamura stopped the attempt. Nakamura then dropkicked Rhodes from the apron, which sent him right into the Slim Jim table, whcih took us to the final commercial break of the night.

We returned from break with Andrade and Nakamura in a standoff at the top rope until Priest interrupted the proceedings. After Priest dropped Nakamura with a slam, Andrade soared with a moonsault as Nakamura recovered to kick Andrade in the face. At that moment, Cody Rhodes recovered and went on a tear against his three opponents. Disaster Kick to Andrade, followed by an attempted Cross Rhodes on Nakamura, but that gets countered. Modified Kinshasa by Nakamura wasn’t enough as Andrade broke up the pin.

With Nakamura in the corner, Andrade hit the running Meteora. He tried to do the same to Priest, but he was interecepted. Spinning elbow by Andrade on Priest was followed by The Message. Nakamura, however, broke up the pin attempt by Andrade. As Rhodes stirred back up, Nakamura and Andrade dueled, which opened them up for a double Cody Cutter. Priest’s Razor’s Edge was reversed into a Cody Cutter. Rhodes delivered Cross Rhodes onto Andrade as Nakamura snuck up on him and looked to finish off the American Nightmare. Rhodes escaped and hit Cross Rhodes. One, two, three, and that’s it, over. Cody Rhodes wins and advances to the King of the Ring Semifinals.

Certainly an expected outcome in SmackDown’s main event, but it was at least a fun one. The unpredictability will come if Cody advances to the King of the Ring finals and faces either Orton or Sami Zayn.

All in all, a standard SmackDown show that was at least engaging at some points, with some entertaining in-ring action and a nice followup on the Ron Killings/John Cena story. The build towards King of the Ring is looking a bit predictable, but it should be interesting if there’ll be a curveball or two thrown our way to spice things up.

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