We got a great show tonight on SmackDown, and it mostly focused on Jey Uso playing with the idea of returning to The Bloodline while Heyman kept trying to bribe him.
Charlotte Flair returned to challenge Asuka, while the WWE Women's Tag Team Champions challenged the NXT Women's Tag Champions to a title vs. title match.
- Santos Escobar defeated Mustafa Ali in a MITB Qualifier
- Bayley defeated Michin in a MITB Qualifier
- Butch defeated Baron Corbin in a MITB Qualifier
- IYO SKY defeated Shotzi in a MITB Qualifier
- Austin Theory defeated Jey Uso to retain the United States Title
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Paul Heyman and Solo Sikoa kicked off SmackDown, and before Heyman could make the introductions, Jey Uso made his entrance. Jey got in Solo's face and said that stabbing his big brother in the back was not something he was going to tolerate.
Heyman stepped in and said that it was Jimmy's fault that The Bloodline turned on him and made the decision for Jey as well. Heyman tried to tell Jey that Jimmy was eager to betray Roman since Reigns chose Jey to be his right-hand man.
Heyman told Jey that he was set to be Roman's successor and even bribed him with a United States Title match against Austin Theory. Jey said yes to the US Title match but refused to shake hands with Heyman. Jey added that he'll get back to him on the topic of The Bloodline and walked out.
WWE SmackDown Results (June 9, 2023): Santos Escobar vs. Mustafa Ali
Ali was back from NXT, and LA Knight was on commentary for the match. We got some action on the apron early on before Ali was driven into the ring post before Santos got a Frankensteiner.
Ali missed a 450 Splash, and Escobar missed a Poison Frankensteiner before the latter came back with a Phantom Driver and picked up the win.
Result: Santos Escobar def. Mustafa Ali
Grade: B-
Sami Zayn ran into Jey Uso backstage and said that his time with The Bloodline was the best, but they lost it all because of The Tribal Chief and his manipulative tactics.
NXT Women's Tag Champs Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn were out next and were interrupted by the WWE Women's Tag Champs Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. We're headed for another title unification in a winners take all bout.
Team Rousey challenged the NXT champs to a title vs. title match before a brawl broke out, and the WWE champs got the upper hand. Baszler was about to take Fyre out, but Dawn came back and took them out before the WWE champs retreated.
We got a short video celebrating the late Iron Sheik as SmackDown continued.
Bayley vs. Michin on SmackDown
Bayley started off strong but then went to mock AJ Styles at ringside before Michin blindsided her. Bayley feigned an injury but failed to get control via the distraction. Bayley came back with a sudden Roseplant before getting the win.
Result: Bayley def. Michin
Post-match, Scarlett was at ringside and walked up to AJ before blinding him with a powder of some sort. Karrion Kross came in with a Kross Jacket from the crowd and took out AJ.
Grade: C
Adam Pearce was out next to present the new WWE Women's Championship to Asuka. Charlotte Flair returned for the first time since WrestleMania and challenged Asuka to a title match right away.
Adam tried to tell Charlotte to get in line, but Asuka accepted the challenge before trying to hit her with the mist. Flair dodged it and took Asuka out before the champ retreated.
Backstage, Heyman told Jey that the latter was now allowed on Roman's private jet. He also wanted Jey to make a public acknowledgment to Reigns next week. Jey laughed at him and said that if he was back in The Bloodline, it would mean that Heyman would be kicked out.
Butch vs. Baron Corbin on SmackDown
Baron Corbin was back from NXT as well, and Trick and Melo from NXT were in the front row to watch the match. Butch went after Corbin's fingers before the latter came back with some strikes.
Corbin decided to go and trash-talk Melo and Trick mid-match before Butch rolled him up from behind and picked up the win.
Result: Butch def. Baron Corbin
Baron got into a brawl with Melo and Trick after the match, and they had to be separated by officials.
Grade: D
Backstage, Corbin tried to protest the outcome of the match before Cameron Grimes came in and took him out.
IYO SKY vs. Shotzi on SmackDown
Bayley ran distraction early on, and SKY took control of the match before missing a top rope move.
Shotzi came back with a back suplex and a cannonball in the corner before taking IYO down with a dive to the outside.
Bayley got another distraction and dropped Shotzi on the ropes before SKY got the moonsault and picked up the win.
Result: IYO SKY def. Shotzi
Grade: C
KO and Sami were backstage before every tag team on the roster came in to ask for a title match. Owens was losing his mind before Adam Pearce came in and booked a gauntlet match for the teams to decide who gets to face the champs.
Austin Theory (c) vs. Jey Uso - United States Title match on SmackDown
Jey sent Theory out of the ring early on and tossed him over the announcers' desk. Back in the ring, the two went into a slugfest before Jey hit a neckbreaker. Theory got a near fall off a spinning slam but missed the A-Town Down.
The ref was knocked down before Uso got the splash and should have won, but there was no one to count. Pretty Deadly ran in to save Austin before Jimmy Uso came in and took them out.
Solo Sikoa came in and was about to hit the Spike, but Jey stopped it. Jimmy tried for a superkick but hit Jey by mistake before Solo took him out. Austin got up and picked up the win in the confusion.
Result: Austin Theory def. Jey Uso to retain the United States Title
Grade: B+
After the match, Jimmy tried to talk to Jey, but the latter pushed him away and walked out as Heyman apologized before smiling the next moment and calling Roman Reigns to tell him the news.