By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Friday Night Smackdown
Taped earlier today in Orlando, Florida at the WWE Performance Center
Aired June 26, 2020 on Fox
[Hour One] Smackdown opened with an Undertaker montage… Inside the WWE Performance Center, babyfaces and heels stood on the stage together and chanted “Thank you, Taker” and clapped while the broadcast team of Michael Cole and Corey Graves introduced the show.
Cole and Graves sat at ringside and spoke about Undertaker briefly before setting up Taker’s first appearance in WWE. Highlights aired from the November 22, 1990 Survivor Series match… Graves hyped the airing of the Boneyard Match and labeled it the final match of the Undertaker and said it was coming up next… [C]
Powell’s POV: So we’re going to pretend like Undertaker officially retired even though he never actually did during The Last Ride finale? Keep in mind that Triple H has been in the same “In case of emergency, break glass” mode that Undertaker put himself in. Don’t get me wrong, Taker is great and I’m cool with them paying tribute to him, but he didn’t actually retire. Meanwhile, I wish I could say that can’t believe the show opened with a group of wrestlers standing on the stage together given the COVID-19 outbreak in WWE, but nothing this company does regarding the pandemic truly surprises me anymore.
A Taker montage aired with John Cena and Roman Reigns speaking about his greatness…
Undertaker vs. AJ Styles in a Boneyard Match from WrestleMania 36 aired. There was a commercial break during the match, and when they returned there was another Taker montage with comments from Edge followed by more of the Boneyard Match. Another commercial break aired.
Cole and Graves sat at ringside and once again labeled the Boneyard Match as the final match of Taker’s career. They set up another video package, which featured comments from Kane and Ric Flair, and the airing of the Boneyard Match resumed.
A Raw ad touted that Drew McIntyre and Asuka will share the ring with their Extreme Rules opponents Dolph Ziggler and Sasha Banks, and hyped more of the Mysterios vs. Seth Rollins feud.
The conclusion of the Boneyard Match aired with Undertaker getting the win…
Powell’s POV: Let the record show that if this actually turns out to be Taker’s final match, then his last finishing move as a pro wrestler was using a tractor to pour dirt onto his opponent.
King Corbin stood in the ring and heeled on Undertaker. He accused him of kissing the ass “of a certain family” for thirty years. He said there was once a kiss my ass club and claimed that Taker was a founding member. Corbin said Taker lasted thirty years because he was coddled by the owners.
Corbin took issue with all the legends singing Taker’s praises and the wrestlers who stood on the stage earlier and thanked him. The mask wearing spectator wrestlers chanted “thank you, Taker.” Corbin said he wanted to leave Mark Calaway with one final thought – you suck. Jeff Hardy attacked Corbin from behind and quickly cleared him from the ring… [C]
Powell’s POV: It’s a shame that it took a COVID-19 outbreak for WWE to allow the spectator wrestlers to wear medical masks while at ringside behind the plexiglass, but at least it’s finally happening. Meanwhile, I guess the retired Taker has his next opponent in Corbin.
Another Undertaker montage aired with Steve Austin and Kurt Angle offering comments about him…
Jeff Hardy was shown walking backstage when he was approached by Sarah Schreiber. Hardy spoke of Taker being a mentor and said that everyone in the company owes him a debt of respect. Hardy said he got his diploma from Deadman University and he would unleash the knowledge it took him a lifetime to acquire on Corbin…
Sasha Banks and Bayley made their entrance and joined the broadcast team on commentary…
1. Alexa Bliss vs. Nikki Cross vs. Lacey Evans vs. Dana Brooke in a four-way to earn a Smackdown Women’s Championship match at WWE Extreme Rules. Bliss and Cross worked together on their opponents to start the match. They met in the middle of the ring and hugged, then Cross rolled up Bliss for a two count.
[Hour Two] A short time later, Evans and Brooke fought in the ring while Bliss and Cross were down at ringside. Brooke performed a top rope senton and had the pin, but Cross returned to the ring and broke it up. Late in the match, Brooke went for a handspring move and ended up eating a Woman’s Right from Evans, who was rolled up and pinned by Cross. Bliss celebrated with Cross afterward…
Nikki Cross beat Lacey Evans, Dana Brooke, and Alexa Bliss in 5:20 in a four-way to earn a Smackdown Women’s Title shot at Extreme Rules.
Powell’s POV: I like the idea of Cross getting a title shot and it will be interesting to see if this leads to friction between her and Bliss. It’s worth noting that not all the spectator wrestlers are wearing masks.
The broadcast team hyped Jeff Hardy vs. King Corbin for later in the show, and more on the Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt feud…
Backstage, Big E, Kofi Kingston, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik bickered with The Miz, John Morrison, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura while Cole hyped an eight-man tag match… [C]
The next Taker montage featured Triple H and Shawn Michaels praising him. Triple H spoke about Taker’s loyalty to Vince McMahon and how he’s a locker room leader. “There will never be another,” Triple H said…
2. Big E, Kofi Kingston, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik vs. The Miz, John Morrison, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura in an eight-man tag match. The heels had the advantage going into a commercial break. [C] A Dwayne Johnson ad aired regarding COVID-19 and plasma donation. In the end, Metalik walked the ropes and dropped an elbow on Miz before pinning him…
Big E, Kofi Kingston, Lince Dorado, and Gran Metalik defeated The Miz, John Morrison, Cesaro, and Shinsuke Nakamura in 11:10.
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised to see Lucha House Party get the win. I figured they would double down by having Cesaro or Nakamura win the match for their team since they beat New Day in a recent non-title match.
Backstage, King Corbin was asked about Jeff Hardy saying Taker was a mentor. Corbin mocked Hardy for being in and our of jail. Corbin said Hardy should follow in Taker’s footsteps and hang it up. Corbin said Hardy would rest in peace…
WWE Universal Champion Braun Strowman was shown walking backstage while some Bray Wyatt flashes occurred on the screen… [C] A sponsored ad recapped last week’s Strowman and Wyatt segment…
Braun Strowman made his entrance for an in-ring promo. Strowman said he experienced fear the first time he met Wyatt. He said it was the type of fear that makes a grown man tremble. Strowman said they were sitting on the edge of “that disgusting swamp” and when he looked into the water, a water monster slithered out of the water toward Wyatt’s lantern.
Strowman said he wanted to stop the water monster, but Wyatt told him no because the monster was his friend. Strowman said Wyatt knelt down and went face to face with the monster, which bit Wyatt’s face. Strowman said Wyatt laughed while the snake bit him over and over again. Strowman said he knew he was in the presence of evil because Wyatt didn’t bleed or flinch, he just laughed.
Strowman said he knew in that moment that Wyatt was the devil himself. Strowman said Wyatt was the serpent. Strowman said he was overcome with emotion and he ended up doing the devil’s work. He said the bad thing about it all was that he loved every second of it. Wyatt imagery flashed on the screen.
Strowman said part of him still loves it, but he’s done everything in his power to lock that side of himself away. Strowman said he can’t go on living like this. Strowman asked Wyatt to go back to the swamp and that “miserable hell you call a home.” Strowman said he’s either coming out of it as the most evil SOB or with the satisfaction that he spit in the devil’s face.
Strowman said he would drag Wyatt to the swamp and let the alligators take him. Strowman asked Wyatt if he wanted to go home. He said he would turn it into the place of Wyatt’s destruction. Additional Wyatt imagery flashed. The Wyatt laugh track played. Strowman laughed along with it… [C]
Powell’s POV: Just how much acid did they drop at the Wyatt Family Compound? Brace yourselves for the next WWE cinematic experience.
A Taker montage aired with comments from Batista and Mick Foley…
Jeff Hardy made his entrance while the broadcast team hyped that Sheamus would deliver his toast to Hardy next week (it was originally advertised for this episode). Corbin made his entrance…
3. Jeff Hardy vs. King Corbin. Corbin was the early aggressor, but Hardy rallied by whipping him over the broadcast table at ringside. Back inside the ring, Corbin regained offensive control and then knelt down and struck an Undertaker pose. [C]
Coming out of the break, Matt Riddle, Drew Gulak, New Day, Strowman, Bliss, Cross, Jimmy Uso, Evans, Brooke, Metalik, and Dorado were all at ringside cheering for Hardy (none wore masks for those keeping score at home).
Hardy rallied with a pair of jawbreakers. Hardy performed some of his signature moves on Corbin and covered him for a two count. Corbin came back with a Deep Six and got a near fall of his own. Hardy eventually got the better of Cobin and put him down with a Swanton for the three count.
Jeff Hardy defeated King Corbin in 12:10.
After the match, Corbin attacked a celebrating Hardy from behind. Big E made the save and put Corbin down with a Big Ending. Big E motioned for Strowman, who entered the ring and hit Corbin with his powerslam finisher. Hardy motioned for Riddle, who went to the ropes and performed the Floating Bro move on Corbin. An image of Undertaker appeared on the big screen. Hardy knelt down and struck a Taker pose while looking at the big screen. The wrestlers chanted “Thank you, Taker” to close the show…
Powell’s POV: I guess that means WWE is standing by Matt Riddle. Part of me was waiting for Taker to show up and chokeslam Corbin. It will be interesting to see if Corbin taunts Taker again at some point to set up a match or if it was just for tonight. Overall, it was a unique show with the Taker tribute. WWE has yet to release any numbers, but it was hard not to worry about the Smackdown regulars who didn’t appear on the show given the COVID-19 outbreak at the WWE Performance Center.
I will be back shortly with my same night audio review for Dot Net Members. Let me know what you thought of the show by assigning it a letter grade in our post Smackdown poll available on the main page. Have a great weekend (and check out the latest season of “F Is For Family” on Netflix if you haven’t done so already).
I hope they’ll hang the belt on Nikki but Bayley is such a great heel champ I doubt it. I also wish Alexa would return to her pest heel role because she’s so good at it.
I was very disappointed that they did not have a Firefly Fun House interruption of Strowman’s rant. I know the Wyatt creepy cult thing isn’t everybody’s cup of (mushroom) tea but I have Loved it from the get-go. It’s been the most interesting storyline, for me, since he came in.
asuka will defend her belt no matter what