Tag: WWE Smackdown

WWE SmackDown notes: Chad Gable, War Raiders, Giulia & Kiana James

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Notes from Friday’s WWE SmackDown.

On Friday, Sami Zayn was seen complaining backstage when Nick Aldis revealed that he had a meeting with someone, eventually revealing the returning Gable. Later backstage, Gable met with Rey Fenix and apologized for his actions under the Grande Americano mask, saying he had learned a lot while wrestling in AAA. Fenix, who won the AAA Cruiserweight title on the same night, said he accepted Gables’ apology, but he wasn’t the only one that needed an apology.

Gable lost his mask at AAA Noche de los Grandes this past weekend, losing to the second El Grande Americano in a mask vs. mask match. After his loss, Gable commended Americano’s efforts saying that while he was the original Americano, there is only one Americano now.

War Raiders return, Kiana James & Giulia split

In another segment, the War Raiders returned to television after winning the AAA Tag Team titles at Noche de los Grandes. They told R-Truth that they would be ready whenever Truth & Priest wanted to put their WWE Tag Team titles on the line.

One team that saw a split on Friday was Giulia and Kiana James. After James was pinned in her Queen of the Ring qualifying match, she chose to blame Giulia for her loss and said she was done with her client. James continued to yell and berate the former United States Champion until she retaliated, laying James out.

Gunther stipulation reveal, King & Queen of the Ring matches set for next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

New matches are set for next week’s SmackDown.

Next Friday’s show in Providence, Rhode Island will see Gunther announce his stipulation for his upcoming WWE title rematch against Gunther. Meanwhile, two more King & Queen of the Ring matches will take place.

After a confrontation with Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn at the start of Friday’s show, Gunther told Nick Aldis he was going to file lawsuits until he got what he wanted. Later, Aldis told Cody that on next week’s show, Gunther would name the stipulation for his upcoming title rematch. Cody said that was fine, but he wanted to defend the title as soon as possible, naming the June 19 show in Kansas City as the location.

Meanwhile, a match from both the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments will take place. For the King of the Ring, Finn Balor will take on Jey Uso, LA Knight, and Royce Keys. The Queen of the Ring bout will see Sol Ruca face Lyra Valkyria, Charlotte Flair, and Jade Cargill.

WWE SmackDown (June 12)

  • King of the Ring first round: Jey Uso vs. LA Knight vs. Royce Keys vs. Finn Balor
  • Queen of the Ring first round: Sol Ruca vs. Lyra Valkyria vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Jade Cargill
  • Gunther will reveal stipulation for upcoming WWE title rematch

WWE SmackDown live results: King & Queen of the Ring matches in Bologna

Posted on by Marc Quill

Days removed from Clash in Italy, WWE SmackDown emanates live from Bologna this afternoon.

Cody Rhodes retained his Undisputed WWE Championship over Gunther on Sunday, but not without some controversy attached to the result, as Rhodes’ winning pin was made while Gunther’s foot was on the bottom rope.

Rhodes is set to appear on SmackDown this evening, but Gunther will certainly have a lot to say regarding the finish.

The road to Night of Champions and the King and Queen of the Ring finals continues as we’ll see two fatal four-way bouts.

For the men, Bron Breakker, Dominik Mysterio, Trick Williams, and Damian Priest will battle for a spot in the King of the Ring semis.

On the women’s side, Kiana James, Jacy Jayne, Bayley, and Raquel Rodriguez will do battle.

We’ll find out what’s next for WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley following her successful title defense over Jade Cargill. Plus, Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints will continue their rivalry with another match.

Today’s show is airing live on Netflix overseas starting at 2 p.m. Eastern time and will air in its regular USA Network time slot later tonight.

**********

– Following the WWE signature, we got a recap of last Sunday’s Clash in Italy PLE, specifically from the SmackDown side of things. After that, we opened with Michael Cole (filling in for Joe Tessitore) and Wade Barrett as they were interrupted by an irate Gunther ripping apart the commentary tables.

Gunther wants justice

Gunther ranted about how he was the greatest wrestler in the world and that he intentionally put his foot on the bottom rope, which invalidates Cody Rhodes’ win on Sunday. As Gunther called out Rhodes, the theme of the Undisputed WWE Champion interrupted.

Rhodes said that Gunther was right, but he wondered why a twenty year veteran acted like he never had moments where he was “big mad”. Rhodes said that sometimes, you’re the hero or the cold-blooded sausage maker, and that he knew who was which between him and Gunther as he challenged “The Ring General” to have a rematch for the title tonight. Sami Zayn interrupted not long after.

Zayn started by saying he knew how Gunther felt with all the complaining he’s doing. He again called Rhodes a “golden boy” as Gunther told him to go away. Zayn noted that he might not know what being a world champion is like, but he knew a thing or two about beating Gunther. Rhodes told Zayn to calm down, but the mouthy Canadian wouldn’t take that for an answer.

Gunther shoved Rhodes into Zayn and locked him into the sleeper. Zayn hesitated but tried to help Rhodes. The two brawled outside as Rhodes went for a suicide dive. Gunther shoved Zayn in the path of Rhodes’ dive. Gunther backed off as Zayn refused to accept Rhodes’ apology.

This Zayn/Rhodes story is one of the better things in WWE right now, and I enjoy it intersecting with the Gunther title feud. Hope they can make it interesting.

*************

– Nick Aldis admonished Gunther for what he did before the break, but Gunther said he was being disrespected, threatening to drown Aldis in lawsuits until he got what he wanted.

Queen of the Ring Fatal Four-Way Qualifier: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Kiana James vs. Bayley

This match kicked off as all four women faced off in the ring. Bayley and Raquel fought it out briefly as James and Jayne tried to go after the Judgment Day’s giantess. A clothesline from Bayley took Rodriguez out of the equation, while she hit a Bayley-to-Belly on Jayne for an early near-fall. James tried to roll-up Bayley, but couldn’t get the pin.

Jayne attempted a double stack pin on Bayley and James, but the two kicked out. The action was fast and fureious in the ring as Raquel re-entered the fray with a crossbody that took everyone out as we took a commercial break.

Back from commercial as Raquel was driven shoulder-first into the steel steps by a group effort from Bayley, James, and Jayne. On the apron, Jayne took off with a diving cannonball to take out Bayley and James. Jayne threw Bayley into the ring and hit her with a neckbreaker. The throw to the ropes as Jayne stomped away on Bayley in the corner. Kick right into Bayley’s spine was followed by a Jayne senton for another near-fall. James tried to get back in the ring, but Jayne knocked her down. James recovered and had Jayne in the cornere, but she missed with the running shoulder charge. Jayne then got Bayley and James with rolling cannonball sentons. Rodriguez joined in and hit the corkscrew splash from the corner for a close two.

Raquel placed Bayley on the top rope and punched at her. Jayne pulled Raquel down and then went after Bayley herself. Frankensteiner connects as Raquel then hit a powerbomb on Bayley, throwing her right into Jayne. Double chokeslam by Raquel, but Jayne broke it up as we took another break in the action.

Back from commercial as Jayne pummelled James in the ring, but it opened her up for a knee strike from Bayley. On the top rope, Bayley hit the diving elbow on Jayne, but James broke up the count. James blocked a Bayley-to-Belly, as she then hit the Dealbreaker and a standing moonsault for a two. Outside the ring, Jayne took Giulia out, as James got the pin and used the ropes for leverage. Jayne knocked the foot off the rope as Giulia struck her down. When James recovered, she saw Giulia and yelled at her for supposedly ruining the win, but Bayley got James with the Roseplant. Rolling Encore to Bayley, but Raquel stepped in and hit the Tejana Bomb on James for the win.

After the match, James was still angry at Giulia for costing her the win, continually yelling at her and stating that she was done with Giulia. This led to Giulia snapping and attacking James for all the insults thrown at her.

Raquel Rodriguez def. Bayley, Kiana James, and Jacy Jayne via pinfall

This was a decent start to the night’s action, but the Giulia attack on Kiana should hopefully mean the beginning of righting the course, so to speak for Giulia, who many feel hasn’t gotten her fair shake on the main roster.

*************

– Sami Zayn stormed around backstage and found Johnny Gargano as he whined about Cody Rhodes some more to him. Nick Aldis appeared and warned him to stay out of Rhodes and Gunther’s business. Zayn kept whining, but Aldis said he had a very important meeting to attend to. Zayn wondered who was important enough for the meeting as Chad Gable, the former “Original” El Grande Americano appeared. Gable walked into Aldis’ office.

Royce Keys vs. Talla Tonga (w/ Solo Sikoa & Tama Tonga)

Keys stood nose-to-nose in front of Talla and got pie-faced for it. Keys responded with some strikes that barely staggered Talla. The M.F.T.s’ monster responded with a huge shoulder block. Keys attempted a powerslam, but couldn’t get Talla up as he got battered in the back. The two big men traded strikes, but Talla blasted Keys with a throat thrust that brought the powerhouse to his knees. Slam attempt was countered by Keys, as a pair of clotheslines sent Talla over the top rope, which took us to the break.

Back to SmackDown as Keys’ attempt at a slam was blocked by Talla, who dropped onto the chest of Keys. The running big boot from Talla into the corner failed to find its target, which gave Keys the opening to try and create something. Clubbing strikes from Keys rocked Talla, but not enough to ground him. Running clotheslines to no avail, as well as the slam attempt. Talla missed with a running splash into the corner, which opened him up for Keys knocking the giant off his feet with a running pounce. Finally, Keys was able to hit the powerslam on Tallla as the straps went down.

Solo Sikoa got on the apron to distract as Tama Tonga tried to instigate further. He ate a punch for his troubles at ringside. As Keys got back into the ring, he got hit with the big boot from Talla and the Talla T-Bomb for the win.

Post-match, Sikoa had Talla and Tama attack Keys until R-Truth ran in to try and make the save. The Numbers’ Game™ seemed too much as Damian Priest ran down, but not to save Keys. This left the powerhouse open for a Cutthroat from Tama, who struck with the dulled edge of an osprey.

Talla Tonga def. Royce Keys via pinfall

The Bloodline over on Raw and the M.F.T.s on SmackDown are just not grabbing my attention, and this match being more of the same when it comes to M.F.T. stuff is boring. The tease at Clash in Italy of these two factions potentially feuding is something I’m dreading and given WWE’s predilection for reheated leftovers, especially when it comes to anything Bloodline-adjacent, it’s an inevitability.

*************

– We got a vignette teasing the arrival of SmackDown’s newest arrival, Finn Balor. We’ll see him next week in a King of the Ring Fatal Four-Way where he’ll take on Jey Uso, Royce Keys, and L.A. Knight.

– Elsewhere, Damian Priest was upset about helping about someone that he doesn’t even know. Royce Keys is not someone that Priest knows, and that his priority was keeping R-Truth okay. As Priest left, the AAA Tag Team Champions, the War Raiders, appeared and said that when Priest and Truth were ready to face them, they’d be game. Truth told the Raiders that he never met either of them ever.

Rhea Ripley addresses Clash in Italy

The WWE Women’s Champion entered to a huge ovation from the Bologna crowd, fresh off of her defeat of Jade Cargill at Clash in Italy.

Ripley started by saying hello to the Bologna crowd before she talked about how she finally put the Jade Cargill chapter behind her this past Sunday. Ripley noted that she didn’t come out completely unscathed, as her knee was a little bit banged up after Clash in Italy. The Bologna crowd continued to sing their love for Ripley.

Ripley noted how Cargill came into Sunday with a gameplan to take her out, use the numbers of The Baddies against her, but at the end of the day, Cargill failed because Ripley was still the WWE Women’s Champion. As for that numbers advantage Cargill tried to play, Ripley said that she got some unexpected help in that situation as Charlotte Flair made her way down to the ring.

Flair said that she knew that Ripley didn’t ask for her help, but she had Ripley’s back because she respected her. Flair admitted after the past few weeks, she had fun teaming up with Ripley, but with the Queen of the Ring coming up in a few weeks, she knew that she was a competitor. So, for as much fun as Ripley had in teaming up with Ripley, at SummerSlam, it would be her standing in front of Ripley. That’s because Ripley still had what she wanted.

Tiffany Stratton, the WWE Women’s United States Champion interrupted things. Flair wondered if Stratton was her to apologize to her, but Stratton said she was here to call her shot for the WWE Women’s Championship. Enter Jade Cargill and fellow Baddies B-Fab and Michin.

Cargill said that since she was in the Queen of the Ring alongside Flair, she was ready to make her pay for her little sidequest on Sunday. Cargill then turned her attention to Stratton, telling her to stay out of the grown folks’ business. Cargill then said she was coming after what was her’s right now.

SmackDown’s esteemed GM, Nick Aldis cut in before Charlotte Flair said that maybe we should see her and Tiffany Stratton face off against Cargill and one of her Baddies right now. Aldis said that he never let a good idea pass her by as this match officially was made. Holla holla.

Standard setup for the Queen of the Ring fatal four-way matches involving Cargill, Flair, and Stratton happening next week. Nothing much else to say here.

*************

Charlotte Flair & Tiffany Stratton vs. Jade Cargill & Michin

Flair and Michin started off here as she got her with the rolling head-scissors before she stared down Cargill. This allowed Michin to recover and hit her with a release German suplex. Stratton tagged in and hit Michin with the running hip attack against the ropes, followed by the basement dropkick. Cargill tagged in and got Stratton with the fallaway slam, followed by the spinebuster for a near-fall.

Flair tagged in and connected with a crossbody on legal woman Michin, followed by the stepover clothesline. In the corner, Flair chopped at Michin twice before she nailed her with a big boot. Flair got Cargill and B-Fab with big boots as she hit them with a diving crossbody. This opened her up to a Michin suicide dive as we took a timeout.

Back fromt he break as Flair hit a huge back suplex on Michin to create some needed separation. Michin tried to stop Flair from making the tag to Stratton. Cargill got Flair with a cheapshot, which allowed Michin to hit the Styles Clash. One, two… Stratton broke up the count. Michin attempted a figure-four, but Flair reversed it as she sent Michin crashing into the ringpost. This allowed a hot tag from Stratton, who unleashed a back elbow on Michin and a shotgun dropkick to Cargill. Alabama Slam by Stratton to Michin as she headed up top and connected with the Swanton Bomb. One, two… Michin kicked out at two.

Pele kick from Michin allowed for the tag to Cargill, who got hit with a springboard Stunner by Stratton for the two-count. Flair and Michin took each other out, which led to Stratton and Cargill mixing it up in the ring. Cargill caught Stratton and lifted her up for the Powerbomb and the near-fall. Outside the ring, B-Fab blasted Flair with a pump-kick as Stratton got lifted up for Jaded. To no avail. On the second time around, Cargill hit Stratton with Jaded and the win.

Jade Cargill & Michin def. Charlotte Flair & Tiffany Stratton via pinfall

An alright tag match. The Cargill & Baddies faction is still doing nothing for me whatsoever, no matter how hard WWE tries with them.

*************

– Backstage, Fatal Influence attacked Paige & Brie Bella, as they interrupted a photoshoot by the WWE Women’s Tag Champions.

– A video of Cody Rhodes hanging out with contest winners at Universal Orlando’s Epic Universe was shown.

– R-Truth chatted with Royce Keys, wanting to get him to play ball with Damian Priest, or as Truth called him “D.P.”. Keys said he wasn’t willing to team up with Priest.

Ricky Saints vs. Carmelo Hayes

Saints ambushed Hayes before the bell could even ring as he attacked him in the corner before lighting his chest up with a chop. Hayes fought back and threw Saints out of the ring as he took off with the tope con hilo. In the ring, frog splash by Hayes on Saints got a near-fall. Saints wrenched Hayes’ arms and chopped him, but he got hit the springboard clothesline. A clothesline from Hayes to Saints took us to the commercial break.

We returned from the break as Saints hit Hayes with a clothesline before he kept the pressure on his foe. The running uppercut into the corner, followed by the bulldog for a near-fall from Saints. Hayes countered a Northern Lights Suplex attempt from Saints into a DDT that kept both men down. Both Saints and Hayes got to their feet and began to exchange strikes. Big Boot by Saints was met by Dirty Diana from Hayes. One, two…. 2.999999999!!!!!!! First 48 countered into a jackknife pin combination, but no three.

A bounce off the turnbuckle and the Revolution DDT by Saints on Hayes, but that wasn’t enough for the three. Powerbomb by Saints reversed into the First 48 by Hayes, but the Absolute One kicked out at two. Hayes headed up top and looked for Nothin’ But Net, as Saints used the ropes to knock his foe off balance. Out of the ring, Hayes leapt at Saints, but got hit in the gut, with the referee counting down. Hayes beat out the count as Saints argued with the referee. Hayes rolled up Saints but got only a near-fall. Hayes’ rollup was turned into a rollup by Saints, and a handful of tights got the win for Saints.

Ricky Saints def. Carmelo Hayes

I enjoy these two facing off one another and this match was another solid entry in their current duology of matches.

*************

– Trick Williams’ interview was interrupted by Bron Breakker, who stared him down. These two will be in the King of the Ring fatal four-way later on tonight.

– Chelsea Green tried to once again ask for Tiffany Stratton’s help, but got told by the Women’s U.S. Champion that she could handle it herself.

– Blake Monroe focused on Tiffany Stratton in this latest vignette heralding that she was coming soon to SmackDown (despite, again, having appeared in a brief backstage cameo two weeks ago). Monroe said that Tiffy Time was going to run into “Monroe Minutes” real soon.

Chelsea Green vs. Lash Legend (w/ Nia Jax)

Green slapped Legend in the face, as she ran out of the ring and was chased at ringside. Green slid in the ring and hit Legend with a Codebreaker. However, Legend got her with the rolling uppercut. Legend took time to play with her food as she hit the running splash on Green. Bearhug by Legend had Green ragdolled out of the ring as Nia Jax attacked with the ref focused on Legend in the ring.

In the ring, Sunset Flip by Green led to an Aloha Arn struggle, but Legend kept her balance before she absolutely tattooed Green with the big boot. Running splash by Legend was missed as Green began to try and mount a comeback., Clotheslines by Green weren’t enough to keep Legend out cold, but the top-rope-a-dope was enough to send her out of the ring. Green to the top rope and a diving crossbody onto both Jax and Legend. In the ring, Green went for another high-risk move as the missile dropkick found its target in Legend. One, two… not quite.

Un-Pretty-Her by Green, but Legend used her strength to block it and turn it into the Lash Extension for the three.

Lash Legend def. Chelsea Green via pinfall

This was decent, and the Lash Legend counter of the Un-Pretty-Her into the Lash Extension was well-executed.

*************

– We got a recap of Jacob Fatu acknowledging his Tribal Chief, Roman Reigns, on Raw this past Monday.

– Royce Keys was confronted by Solo Sikoa backstage. Sikoa said that Roman Reigns made Keys’ boy Jacob Fatu kneel like a dog, which meant Keys had nobody around. Sikoa asked if anybody checked up on him even as Keys was busting his ass. Roman Reigns didn’t. Jacob Fatu didn’t. But Solo Sikoa did. Sikoa said that they needed to get ready for war as Keyes needed to stop making it difficult, or else Sikoa would make it difficult himself.

– We got a recap of Chad Gable’s unmasking following Mask vs. Mask last Saturday in AAA. After that, AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Rey Fenix was chatting with the Fraxiom duo of Nathan Frazer & Axiom before Chad Gable showed up. Gable said that he and Fenix had an awesome match at WrestleMania, but it was under false pretenses. Gable noted that he wore the El Grande Americano mask originally as a mockery of lucha libre. Gable flew all the way from Italy and asked for Fenix’s forgiveness. Fenix said that he accepted Gable’s apology, but told him that he wasn’t the only one that he needed to ask an apology from.

– Elsewhere, Cody Rhodes was informed by Nick Aldis that he had to wait until next week for Gunther to announce the terms for the rematch for the Undisputed WWE World Title. We learned that this match would happen in two weeks in Kansas City, MO.

King of the Ring Fatal Four-Way Qualifier: Damian Priest vs. Bron Breakker vs. Trick Williams vs. Dominik Mysterio

Breakker didn’t waste time as he hit Williams with a German suplex to start. Priest then began to fight with Breakker as he got hit with a German suplex. Another German suplex to Williams by Breakker as he then flattened Priest with the super-speedy shoulder block. Outside the ring, Breakker stalked Dominik and got him with the massive shoulder tackle as we took a commercial break.

Back to our main event as Priest and Breakker stared down before they briefly worked together to hit an interfering Breakker with a superkick. With Breakker taken care of, Priest hit Dominik with a slam before he unleashed his flurry of kicks on Williams and Breakker, who both got deposited to the outside. Superkick to Dominik by Priest turned the AAA Mega Campeon inside out. Priest’s forearm was countered by Dominik, but that couldn’t keep him down for long. Breakker connected with the Frankensteiner for a pinfall, but Dominik broke it up.

Dominik tried for the Three Amigos, but Breakker reversed it into a military press World’s Strongest Slam. Williams broke up the subsequent pinfall attempt by Breakker. Williams and Breakker exchanged strikes as the U.S. Champion then hit him with the sidekick. There was one for Dominik, as he was then flattened by the clothesline. Neckbreaker to Priest by Williams, who then connected with the Book-End for a near-fall. Priest headed up top but he was met by Dominik. Williams hoisted Dominik on his shoulders as Priest got his shots in the prone Dominik. Breakker tried for another Frankensteiner, but that was blocked. Breakker and Williams briefly teamed up as they hit the double superplex and we headed to one last commercial break.

Our main event returned from the break with all four men fighting in the ring. Dominik moved out of the way of Breakker’s spear, which sent him crashing into the ringpost. Meanwhile, Dominik got taken for the Razor’s Edge ride by Priest. The cover, but Liv Morgan distracted the referee. Breakker grabbed Priest by the neck as he lifted him up and hit the uppercut on the crash to Earth. Breakker then took down Williams with a toss across the ring. Superkick by Dominik followed by the dropkick, which put him in the 619 position. Spear by Breakker on Priest, he got sent out of the ring with a Trick Shot knee from Williams. The cover on Priest, but Dominik pulled the ref out of the ring.

Breakker recovered and put Williams through the commentary table with his signature leaping apron clothesline. In the ring, Priest was dropkicked by Dominik, but he was met with a big boot. J.D. McDonagh tried to interfere, but he got dropped with South of Heaven by Priest. Dominik got choked by Priest, but Liv Morgan hit him with the low blow. 619 by Dominik, then the Frog Splash, and that’s it, over. Dominik Mysterio is on his way to the King of the Ring Semifinals…. and a date with Oba Femi.

Dominik Mysterio def. Damian Priest, Bron Breakker, and Trick Wiliams via pinfall.

*************

A good main event for an otherwise by-the-numbers edition of SmackDown. The dynamic between Dominik, Trick, Breakker, and Priest was great and it made for a fun four-man match to cap off the show.

Elsewhere, the show didn’t really seem all that exciting, and a lot of it stems from how the booking feels like it’s on autopilot right now, especially in the runup to Night of Champions. The reheated leftovers of things like the Bloodline don’t help, either.

Speaking of reheated leftovers, as good as the Sami Zayn stuff is, the same really can’t be said for Cody Rhodes vs. Gunther. The wrinkle of a title match on TV in a couple of weeks being preceded by a set of stipulations to be named by the challenger who complained of a questionable finish? That’s pretty much what the booking was for the Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre title feud from a few months back. In which case, don’t be surprised if Gunther does win in Kansas City, but through dubious means to set up the rubber match this Summer.

All in all, not really a SmackDown to write home about. Some good stuff (the main event, Saints vs. Hayes), but everything else just feels kind of there.


Spoiler on next Cody Rhodes Undisputed WWE Championship defense

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Note: This article mentions developments from Friday’s WWE SmackDown episode in Bologna, Italy that has yet to air in the United States.

After a controversial finish at Clash in Italy, Cody Rhodes and Gunther are set to face off for the Undisputed WWE Championship again.

It was announced during Friday’s SmackDown that Rhodes and Gunther will meet for the title in two weeks time. Their rematch will take place on the June 19 episode of SmackDown in Kansas City, Missouri, and there will be a stipulation this time. Gunther will choose the stipulation and reveal it next week.

Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship over Gunther last weekend at Clash in Italy, but the story made it clear that their feud would be continuing. The referee could not see that Gunther’s foot was on the rope, which led to an enraged Gunther opening today’s SmackDown and demanding justice. Rhodes was fine with giving him a rematch as soon as possible.

The Gunther-Rhodes segment from today also included SamI Zayn getting involved and potentially inserting himself into the title picture, though this June 19 match will be one-on-one.

Including the June 19 event, SmackDown has three more episodes before WWE Night of Champions takes place in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, June 27. The June 26 episode of SmackDown will be taped in advance from London, England.

WWE SmackDown lineup announced following Clash in Italy

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Cody Rhodes will appear on WWE SmackDown to discuss the fallout of the controversial title match ending at Clash in Italy. 

WWE SmackDown will take place at  Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy. It aligns with their ongoing European Tour which sparked in the week leading to Clash in Italy, and will continue till June 24. The upcoming edition of SmackDown airs at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT internationally on Netflix.

The King and Queen of the Ring tournaments continue on SmackDown with more first-round action. 

WWE SmackDown (Friday, June 5) – 

  • King of the Ring tournament continues with Damian Priest vs. Trick Williams vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Bron Breakker 
  • Queen of the Ring tournament proceeds with Bayley vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Kiana James vs. Raquel Rodriguez
  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will address fans after the controversial win at Clash in Italy 
  • WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley is set to make an appearance 
  • Carmelo Hayes and Ricky Saints collide in yet another rematch 

WWE SmackDown Start Time Tonight (06-05-2026)

Posted on by Jake Skudder

WWE Friday Night SmackDown airs tonight (June 5, 2026) live from the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy. The show goes live at 8:00 PM local time (CEST), which is 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT for fans watching internationally on Netflix. In the United States, SmackDown airs tape-delayed at 8:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM CT on the USA Network, keeping its usual Friday night slot.

WWE SmackDown live start time by time zone (June 5-6, 2026)

The table below is based on the live Netflix broadcast at 8:00 PM in Bologna. U.S. fans who prefer the USA Network airing should use 8:00 PM ET instead:

Region / CityTime ZoneLocal Start TimeDay
HawaiiHST (UTC−10)8:00 AMFri, Jun 5
AlaskaAKDT (UTC−8)10:00 AMFri, Jun 5
Los Angeles / SeattlePDT (UTC−7)11:00 AMFri, Jun 5
DenverMDT (UTC−6)12:00 PMFri, Jun 5
Chicago / DallasCDT (UTC−5)1:00 PMFri, Jun 5
New York / TorontoEDT (UTC−4)2:00 PMFri, Jun 5
São PauloBRT (UTC−3)3:00 PMFri, Jun 5
UTC / GMTUTC±06:00 PMFri, Jun 5
London / DublinBST/IST (UTC+1)7:00 PMFri, Jun 5
Bologna / Paris / Berlin / MadridCEST (UTC+2)8:00 PMFri, Jun 5
Cape TownSAST (UTC+2)8:00 PMFri, Jun 5
Athens / Cairo / MoscowEEST/MSK (UTC+3)9:00 PMFri, Jun 5
DubaiGST (UTC+4)10:00 PMFri, Jun 5
KarachiPKT (UTC+5)11:00 PMFri, Jun 5
New Delhi / MumbaiIST (UTC+5:30)11:30 PMFri, Jun 5
DhakaBST (UTC+6)12:00 AMSat, Jun 6
BangkokICT (UTC+7)1:00 AMSat, Jun 6
Singapore / Beijing / Manila(UTC+8)2:00 AMSat, Jun 6
Tokyo / SeoulJST/KST (UTC+9)3:00 AMSat, Jun 6
Sydney / MelbourneAEST (UTC+10)4:00 AMSat, Jun 6
AucklandNZST (UTC+12)6:00 AMSat, Jun 6

WWE SmackDown Preview: Confirmed matches and segments (06-05-2026)

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown takes place from the Unipol Arena in Bologna, Italy. Tonight’s episode is the first for the blue brand since the Clash in Italy PLE event, so expect the fallout from that show here.

No matches have officially been confirmed for the card as of writing, although there will likely be King and Queen of the Ring Tournament opening round matches ahead of the Night of Champions event from Saudi Arabia later this month.

WWE SmackDown Tonight

No matches have been confirmed for tonight’s show, but the following is expected to be taking place:

  • King and Queen of the Ring Tournament opening round matches
  • Fallout from the WWE Clash in Italy event

WWE SmackDown ratings down for taped show from Spain

Posted on by Paul Fontaine

Friday night’s episode of WWE SmackDown averaged 1.096 million viewers on the USA Network, down 12.9% from the previous week. It’s the lowest audience for the show since February 13th.

SmackDown averaged a 0.23 rating in the 18-49 demo. That’s down 20.7% from the prior week and ties the lowest rating the show has done in that category since January 23rd.

The show finished 4th for the night on cable, going head to head with the deciding Game 5 in the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final.

As compared to the same week in 2025 the overall viewership was down 20.8% while the 18-49 rating was down 32.4%.

Listed below are the last 11 weeks of overall viewership and 18-49 demo ratings for WWE SmackDown on the USA Network as well as the 10 week average in both categories. This week’s show was down 18.1% in overall viewers and 28.1% in 18-49 as compared to recent averages.

Date18-49Total viewers
3/20/20260.321,439,000
3/27/20260.331,308,000
4/3/20260.431,508,000
4/10/20260.361,412,000
4/17/20260.421,580,000
4/24/20260.321,267,000
5/1/20260.251,153,000
5/8/20260.291,279,000
5/15/20260.231,184,000
5/22/20260.291,258,000
5/29/20260.231,096,000
10 week average0.321,338,800

Finn Balor lists potential SmackDown rivals following WWE brand switch 

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Finn Balor has already laid the groundwork for a list of potential opponents on WWE SmackDown. 

During Raw, it was announced that he was officially traded to SmackDown. Balor shared a list of names from the brand deciding who to call a friend or rival. He listed Shinsuke Nakamura, Tama Tonga, Sami Zayn, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, R-Truth, Gunther, Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes. 

Balor’s history with Tonga dates back to their tenure on NJPW in 2013. Balor led the Bullet Club faction alongside Tonga, Kenny Omega, Karl Anderson and more. Tonga was one of the earliest recruits in the team who became more established under Balor’s guidance. 

After issues with The Judgment Day reached its peak, Balor was kicked out of the group in March. This led to a Street Fight match with Dominik Mysterio at WrestleMania. However, his former teammates – Priest and Ripley are on SmackDown which could lead to a revisited rivalry or alliance. 

Balor also challenged for the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk earlier this year. And with Rhodes making his list, it raises the possibility of an Undisputed WWE Championship pursuit. 

https://x.com/FinnBalor/status/2061836783281639883

WWE Raw & SmackDown to be held in Mexico this fall

Posted on by Bryan Rose

For the first time in over a decade, Raw & SmackDown are heading to Mexico.

It was announced during Saturday’s AAA Noche de los Grandes that WWE will be returning to Mexico this fall, including tapings for Raw and SmackDown. These shows will take place right as AAA will hold their biggest show of the year, Triplemania, that weekend. Tickets for the upcoming WWE events will go on sale this coming Friday.

The tour will include:

  • September 9: WWE Mexico Live Tour in Guadalajara
  • September 10: WWE Mexico Live Tour in Monterrey
  • September 11: WWE SmackDown in Mexico City
  • September 14: WWE Raw in Mexico City

First WWE shows to be taped in Mexico in 15 years

WWE last taped their television shows in Mexico back in 2011. Highlights include John Cena & Jim Ross defeating Alberto Del Rio & Michael Cole in a tag team match on Raw, where SmackDown featured a mask vs. mask match that saw Sin Cara Azul emerge victorious over Sin Cara Negro, who later wrestled unmasked as Hunico. Ironically, once the original Sin Cara (Mistico) left WWE, Hunico would later return under the Sin Cara mask until his release.

It was also announced during Noche de los Grandes that the first night of Triplemania will take place in Las Vegas on September 11 at the Luxor Hotel & Casino. Night two will take place on September 13 in Mexico City.

WWE SmackDown live results: The Miz vs. Axiom in Barcelona

Posted on by Marc Quill

WWE SmackDown is live from Olimpic Arena in Barcelona, Spain today.

Just one match is official for the show. WWE has announced that The Miz will face Axiom in singles competition.

WWE’s Summer European Tour kicked off in Liverpool on Thursday. After tonight’s SmackDown, WWE will be in Turin, Italy for two straight nights, first for Clash in Italy on Sunday, May 31, then for WWE Raw on Monday, June 1.

On Tuesday, WWE runs a live event in Strasbourg, France before heading to Lisbon, Portugal on Wednesday and Madrid, Spain on Thursday. Next week’s SmackDown will take place from Bologna, Italy on Friday, June 5.

After next week’s SmackDown in Bologna, WWE heads to Rome on Saturday, June 6 and Florence, Italy on Sunday, June 7 before closing out the Summer European Tour with the June 8 edition of WWE Raw in Paris, France.

Our live coverage kicks off at 2 p.m. Eastern time.

**********************************

– After the round of wrestler arrivals, we went straight to the arena as Joe Tessitore and Wade Barrett introduced themselves, as well as the Spanish team of Miguel Perez and Alvaro Carrera. We then went to a recap of the six-woman tag match from last Saturday Night’s Main Event

Jade Cargill and the Baddies kick off SmackDown

The challenger WWE Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley this Sunday at the Clash in Italy made her way to the ring, flanked by Michin and B-Fab.

As soon as Cargill got into the ring, she soaked all in as the crowd jeered. Cargill said she didn’t ask for permission and that she did what she wanted. B-Fab said that Cargill woild beat Ripley on Sunday and that the future wasn’t coming… the future was now.

The music of Rhea Ripley interrupted the proceedings, and out came the WWE Women’s Champion to a huge ovation. Ripley stepped inside despite being outnumbered three-to-one by Cargill and her Baddies and faced them down.

Ripley said that Cargill was out here every week throwing around her dominance, acting like her successes wasn’t from using people to make herself look better. Ripley pointed out that Cargill forgot one very important detail: when it came to them facing one-on-one, Ripley had her number. She beat Cargill at WrestleMania and she’d do it again this Sunday in Italy.

Cargill responded by stating that Ripley sounded stupid for saying that, claiming that the champion thought the division revolved around her. She called Ripley “weak” for wanting to work with women who didn’t even like her. That was the cue for Charlotte Flair to make her way down to the ring. Of course, Alexa Bliss wasn’t too far behind. The former Women’s Tag Champions made their way down ot the ring with mics in hand.

Flair said that Cargill was out here talking like a Hall of Famer. She respected Cargill, but she thought she got confused with her own successes. Bliss added by stating that Cargill and her crew had the egos of a legend, but they have the resumes of rookies. Bliss warned Cargill that she might end up being embarrassed before Clash in Italy.

Naturally, this brought out Nick Aldis to set up the Bliss vs. Cargill match as he called for a referee. This match would begin after the break.

An alright opening gambit, but this Rhea/Cargill and Baddies/Charlexa story is honestly not moving me one bit.

**********

Jade Cargill vs. Alexa Bliss

This opening match got underway after the commercial with Bliss going right after Cargill with strikes. Bliss leapt onto the back of Cargill, but got thrown aside. After she headed out of the ring, Bliss toyed with Cargill to get under her skin. She once again went after Cargill with strikes, but got thrown into the corner. The running splash was missed by Cargill as she headed up top. However, Cargill caught her and dropped her for a backbreaker. In the corner, Bliss hit Cargill with a boot to the face, but she was lifted overhead for a press drop down to the mat.

On the apron, Bliss tried to leap at Cargill, but she was caught once more and thrown to the barricade for a powerbomb, as we took a break with Cargill in complete control.

Back from commercial as Cargill continued to punish Bliss on the outside, with Charlotte and Rhea Ripley forced to look on. Cargill dropped Bliss onto the apron, but she took too long on a second attempt, which allowed Bliss to hit where with a dropkick. Bliss avoided a running attack from Cargill, which sent her barrelling into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Bliss mounted her comeback with the strikes to the face, followed by the dropkick. The double knees to the back of Cargill’s neck was followed by the flipping senton and the modified Natural Selection. Cargill managed to kick out at two, however.

Bliss set up Cargill for the Sister Abigail DDT, but that was countered. The Baddies and Charlotte and Rhea brawled to the back in the midst of all this. Back in the ring, Bliss headed up top and whiffed on Twisted Bliss after Cargill got the knees up. The pump kick, followed by Jaded got the three for Cargill.

After the match, Cargill grabbed a chair from under the ring and looked to do more damage to Bliss with another Jaded onto the chair. Charlotte and Rhea ran out a bit too late as a satisfied Cargill taunted her Clash in Italy opponent.

Jade Cargill def. Alexa Bliss via pinfall

Just an okay match between Cargill and Bliss. Like i said at the top of things, I am not feeling this feud, so a lot of my reactions to this will be colored by that. The actual match itself on Sunday should be decent, at the very least.

**********

– Cody Rhodes was interviewed backstage about his upcoming match against Gunther on sunday, but Sami Zayn interrupted. Rhodes said he had nothing to say to Zayn, who demanded an apology. Zayn said that Rhodes asked for that fight last week and he stated that Rhodes stuck a “knife in his back” with the Crosss Rhodes. The Undisputed WWE Champion was not gonna have any of it as he got mad at Zayn’s refusal to help him when Gunther was choking the life out of him.

Zayn tried to justify his lack of actions because it was the right thing to do, because Rhodes needed to learn a lesson. Rhodes responded, stating that maybe he was when he was done with Gunther, he’d teach Zayn a lesson of his own.

– Elsewhere, Danhausen was told by Nick Aldis that his science equipment was stuck in customs, but the ever-fascinating Danhausen decided to take matters into his own hands. While The Miz barged in to argue with Aldis, Danhausen was seen futzing around with some equipment in the background.

Axiom vs. The Miz

Axiom kept Miz grounded with some chain wrestling to start. The lights briefly went out before turning back on, presumably due to Danhausen’s experiments. Miz mocked Axiom’s agility and paid for it as he was hit with a nice drop kick. Miz decided to run out, but Nathan Frazer stopped him. Back in the ring, Miz tripped up Axiom as we took an oddly-timed break in the action.

We returned from commercial as Miz and Axiom were down and out. The masked Spaniard kipped up and hit Miz with a snap German suplex for the two-count. Axiom headed to the top as he avoided Miz’s attack. The Skull-Crushing Finale was countered, but Miz got Axiom with the DDT for the near-fall. The “It” Kicks were blocked by Axiom, who hit the Dragon Screw. Now Axiom got some kicks of his own on Miz. Flying crossbody only got the two.

Miz had Axiom in the corner as he hit the signature clothesline, but missed with the splash. Axiom turned it into a Crossface, but Miz tried for the cover attempt. Miz did not miss with the powerbomb as he headed to the top. The lights went out yet again, which allowed Axiom to hit the avalanche Spanish Fly followed by the Golden Ratio to pick up the duke in Spain.

Axiom def. The Miz via pinfall

This was a good match and it was nice to see Axiom get the win in front of his home country.

***********

– Sami Zayn continued to lament his plight to Johnny Gargano as Matt Cardona approached him. Cardona called out Zayn for acting out of line as the Canadian continued to whine about being disrespected. This led to a potential match being set up between the two.

– As Charlotte Flair was checking up on Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley met with her and said that she’d take care of Jade Cargill on Sunday. Flair warned that if Ripley couldn’t get the job done, she’d deal with Cargill herself, because she had a receipt coming.

Damian Priest & Royce Keys vs. Tama & Talla Tonga

Talla and Priest started off this match. Talla withstood Priest’s blows and threw him into the MFT corner. Tama tagged in, but Priest fought out of his predicament as Royce tagged in. Keys dropped Tama and hit a nice powerslam on his foe. A big powerhouse pounce sent Tama out of the ring. Talla entered the fray but found himself taken out of the ring by a double team effort from Keys and Priest as we took a break.

We returned from commercial as Talla had Keys trapped in a resthold. Keys powered out of the submission, but he was still isolated successfully by the MFT duo. Keys created separation with a sitdown powerbomb on Tama as Priest tagged in. Priest unleashed kicks on Tama and Talla, then nailing the two with running splashes on opposite corners. Tama got dropped by a with a Flatliner while Talla was jettisoned out of the ring.

Things broke down as Keys sent Talla put with a clothesline. Samoan Spike by Solo Sikoa with the back turned as R-Trurh ran in to even the odds. Things became chaotic on the outside as the T-Bomb by Talla on Priest got the win for the Tongas.

Talla and Tama Tonga def. Royce Keys and Damian Priest via pinfall

This feud is honestly boring and this match really added to how apathetic I am about another MFT feud.

************

– Chelsea Green tried to talk to Tiffany Stratton, who still wasn’t too receptive over her friendship just yet.

Sami Zayn vs. Matt Cardona

Zayn wrenched at Cardona’s arm as things took a methodical pace to start with neither man on top. Zayn with the arm drag on Cardona with the match still in the early feeling-out process. Cardona threw Zayn out of the ring and immediately took him down with the sliding dropkick to the outside. In the ring, Zayn got the upper hand with a series of rights to the face of his foe. The chops to the chest from Zayn as cardona turned it around with some strikes of his own. Cardona sent Zayn retreating with a missile dropkick as we took a commercial break.

Our match returned from the break as Zayn applied a chinlock on Cardona that would make Davey Boy Smith proud. Cardona got out of the hold and dropped Zayn with a facebuster. In the corner, Cardona knocked Zayn down with a punch, which led to the Broski Boot. Zayn stumbled to his feet, but he avoided the Rough Ryder. Cardona did get Zayn with the double-underhook powerbomb for the near-fall. Cardona countered a Zayn suplex into a neckbreaker, but his Rough Ryder was turned into a powerbomb from the Montreal native. Zayn went for the Helluva Kick, but Cardona finally nailed the Rough Ryder on the third try. Zayn got his foot on the ropes to avoid defeat.

Cardona put Zayn on the top turnbuckle and looked for a high-risk maneuver. However, Zayn pushed him down… Exploder Suplex into the corner, was soon followed by the Helluva Kick and the pinfall win.

Sami Zayn def. Matt Cardona via pinfall

This was a good match, and the current Zayn character is interesting. I did find it a bit odd that he won clean here instead of doing some sort of heelish things to continue that story.

***********

– Nick Aldis was seen talking to Gunther, urging him to keep things civlized when he meets Cody Rhodes later tonight. Gunther said he agrees, but suggested the next time WWE went to Spain, they’d go to Madrid instead (referencing the infamous Barcelona/Real Madrid football rivalry)

Trick Williams speaks

Trick Williams, accompanied by the Trick Stick-wileding Li’l Yachty, arrived to huge cheers from the Barcelona crowd.

Yachty introduced himself as the man with the money, the connections, and who makes it happen. He said that today was the beginning of the Trick Williams campaign. Williams took the mic and said that he was the man holding down the brand for quite some time. The crowd continued to cheer for Williams as the U.S. Champion talked about how he took out The Miz and Carmelo Hayes in the past two weeks. Williams called his shot for King of the Ring, stating that it was only right to declare himself right here in Barcelona, a place that knew a thing or two about royalty.

Carmelo Hayes interrupted Williams and said that his old rival may have been the King of the Entrance and King of the Microphone, but King of the Ring? Not quite. Hayes said once he took care of Ricky Saints, he was going to finish what he started with Wiliams last week.

Williams responded by stating that if Hayes could grow an inch for every excuse he made, he’d be left with no choice but to acknowledge that Trick Williams was better than him. Ricky Saints interrupted and said that Williams thought he’d get the upper and on him last week, but he was going to take care of Williams once he dealt with Hayes.

Saints talked some more trash and got slapped down by Williams for his troubles.

**********

Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints

This match was joined in progress during the break as Hayes hit Saints with a dropkick after a roll over. Hayes kept momentum going with his reverse legdrop on a prone Saints. A lariat from Saints stopped Hayes’ momentum cold as he took over in the corner with the stomps. Hayes recovered and hit a pair of chops on Saints, followed by the running forearm into the corner. Hayes kept the heat up with the punches in the corner, followed by an attempted springboard attack. Hayes was shoved out of the ring by Saints, who threw him into the barricades as he struck a pose in the ring and we took a timeout.

This match continued from commercial as Saints was still in control. Hayes was put on the top rope as Saints looked for a superplex. Hayes shoved Saints to the mat and lookes for the frog splash. Knees up by Saints, followed by the Northern Lights suplex for the near-fall. Hayes recovered and got the leaping DDT on Saints. Both men back to their feet as they exchanged strikes. Hayes connected with the trademark springboard clothesline. That was soon followed by Dirty Diana for the near-fall. Hayes was hit by the reverse DDT from Saints for the near-fall. Saints got sent out of the ring and hit with Hayes’ Fosbury Flop. Hayes then got on the barricade and hit Saints with the clothesline. However, this match ended with a double countout.

Post-match, Saints attacked Hayes from behind, but the ambush was turned aside as Hayes superkicked Saints and delivered First 48.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints ended in a Double Countout

I quite liked this match, and the double countout was honestly a good call. Not really much to complain about here, just a solid match between two really good workers.

**********

– We got a vignette from Blake Monroe that took a direct shot at Rhea Ripley. She said that that she was coming soon… despite the fact we saw her last week in a brief backstage cameo.

Nia Jax vs. Chelsea Green

Jax threw Green across the ring to start, but the wily Canadian soon got the advantage as she sent Jax out of the ring and took her down with a suicide dive, which was our cue for a commercial break.

We returned from commercial as Green’s Rough Ryder attempt was turned into a Jax powerbomb. Jax’s missed legdrop allowed for Green to get a momentary respite with the jumping neckbreaker. That was followed by the Rough Ryder for the close near-fall. Lash Legend tried to get involved, but she got kicked aside. However, that allowed for Nia Jax to hit Green with the Samoan Drop. Was it time for the Annihilator? No, as Tiffany Stratton’s music hit and she ended up hitting Jax with the Women’s US Title in the chaos. Green took advantage and got the pin and win.

Chelsea Green def Nia Jax via pinfall

Not really much of a match and more to advance the kinda-sorta alliance between Green and Stratton, so there’s that.

***********

Cody Rhodes and Gunther’s Final Face-Off

The Undisputed WWE Champion and his Clash in Italy foe made their way down for this final faceoff ahead of their match on Sunday in Turin.

Gunther said he wasn’t here to engage with any of the fans, but he wanted to talk to Rhodes. Gunther said that Rhodes made it all about himself, and that he was a product of the American society that birthed him. Gunther pointed out that Rhodes nickname was fitting as a descriptor of the declining American society. Gunther said his mission was to protect the sacred sport of wrestling from people like Rhodes. He called Rhodes a mark for himself.

Rhodes responded by saying that Gunther didn’t want the responsibility of being a champion and all that it implied. He pointed out Paul Heyman and what he told him to intimidate him. Rhodes said that the world title was addictive and that Gunther was as sick as he was. At Clash in Italy, Rhodes said that Gunther was going to get this close to the title, but we were all going to find out that he just wasnt going to be good enough. “Easy to find, hard to beat,” said Rhodes.

Gunther asked if Rhodes thought he was a liar. He boasted about how he beat Goldberg, John Cena, and AJ Styles. He promised to choke Rhodes out and take the title with him.

Producer credits are up, as well as hype for WWE’s America 250 special, which airs on USA tonight after SmackDown, and we’re out.

***********

I really have to say that this Clash in Italy show feels really weakly built, and that’s largely on the anemic booking WWE has been partaking in as of late. Nothing on the card grabs my interest and tonight’s go-home show kind of did a poor job in building Sunday’s show.

The WWE Title match doesn’t really feel that intriguing, and unless Gunther pulls off the upset, not sure if a likely Cody Rhodes title retention will move the needle. That being said, the closing promo tonight was an admirable effort to add some spice to this match. Gunther, I felt particularly did well to twist the knife against Cody, who came off as a bit more defensive in his response. Whether or not that will be enough to add a little intrigue on Sunday will be a wait-and-see.

Elsewhere, I do like the Hayes/Saints/Williams dynamic in the U.S. Title picture and a lot of that comes down to the strengths of Hayes and Williams, who are very charismatic and talented in the ring, to the point that they carry a lot of the interactions here.

All in all, kind of a poor final show before Clash in Italy. It’s clear WWE didn’t put their best foot forward here for the go-home show.

WWE SmackDown Start Time Tonight (05-29-2026)

Posted on by Jake Skudder

WWE SmackDown airs tonight at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT on tape delay on the USA Network in the United States. If you’re watching from outside the US, (especially in Europe) the timing changes so you can watch it live.

Tonight’s episode of SmackDown will remain on its time slot of 8:00 p.m. EST on the USA Network in the United States. However, the show is going to be on tape delay since it will be held live in Barcelona at 8:00 p.m. local time.

Where SmackDown is tonight

The May 29 edition of Friday Night SmackDown will emanate live from the Olimpic Arena in Badalona, Barcelona, Spain and it’s the go-home show before Clash in Italy.

WWE SmackDown start time tonight by timezone

The table below covers the US broadcast time (8:00 PM ET on USA Network):

Timezone / RegionStart time (US broadcast)
Eastern Time (ET) – New York8:00 PM Fri
Central Time (CT) – Chicago7:00 PM Fri
Mountain Time (MT) – Denver6:00 PM Fri
Pacific Time (PT) – Los Angeles5:00 PM Fri
Alaska Time (AKT)4:00 PM Fri
Hawaii Time (HST)2:00 PM Fri
Atlantic Time (AT) – Halifax9:00 PM Fri
Brazil (BRT) – São Paulo9:00 PM Fri
UK & Ireland (BST)1:00 AM Sat
Central Europe (CEST) – Spain, Italy, Germany2:00 AM Sat
South Africa (SAST)2:00 AM Sat
India (IST)5:30 AM Sat
Gulf (GST) – Dubai4:00 AM Sat
Singapore / Philippines8:00 AM Sat
Japan & Korea (JST/KST)9:00 AM Sat
AEST – Sydney10:00 AM Sat
NZST – Auckland12:00 PM Sat

For the live Netflix broadcast from Barcelona, UK and Ireland viewers can catch it at 7:00 PM, per WWE’s international timings.

WWE SmackDown Preview: Confirmed matches and segments (05-29-2026)

Posted on by Jake Skudder

WWE SmackDown takes place tonight from the Olimpic Arena in Badalona, Barcelona, Spain. As of writing, only one match and segment has already been confirmed for the go-home show for Sunday’s WWE Clash in Italy PLE from Turin.

WWE SmackDown Matches Tonight

As of writing, only one match has been confirmed for tonight’s show, there will likely be more announced ahead of the show or during the the broadcast itself:

  • The Miz vs. Axiom

WWE Clash in Italy 2026 confirmed match card

Here are all of the matches that have been confirmed for this Sunday’s PLE card from Turin, Italy:

MatchStipulationTitle on the line
Roman Reigns (c) vs. Jacob FatuTribal CombatWorld Heavyweight Championship
Cody Rhodes (c) vs. GuntherSinglesUndisputed WWE Championship
Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Jade CargillSinglesWWE Women’s Championship
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Sol RucaSinglesWomen’s Intercontinental Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Oba FemiSinglesNone

Axiom vs. The Miz set for next WWE SmackDown

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A singles match is set for next week’s SmackDown.

Friday’s show saw The Miz and Kit Wilson talk about their recent losses when Fraxiom came in. Axiom told Miz he assumed they were having bad luck due to being cursed by Danhausen. The Miz denied this and after he got embarassed about not supporting his basketball team told Axiom he would embarass him next week when SmackDown heads to Barcelona, Axiom’s hometown.

Miz & Wilson have continued to feel the effects of Danhausen’s curse following Backlash, where they lost to Danhausen and his mini, Minihausen, in a tag team match. Last week’s SmackDown had The Miz challenge Trick Williams in the latter’s home state of South Carolina, but came up short.

Meanwhile, Danhausen has continued to experiment with something, or someone, though it remains to be see what that would entail. Nick Aldis attempted to find out what Danhausen was up to on Friday’s show, only for the lights to go out again.

WWE begins their European tour on Thursday when they head to Liverpool, followed by Barcelona on Friday. The following Monday, Raw will be in Turin while SmackDown will be in Bologna, Italy.

WWE SmackDown (May 29)

  • Axiom vs. The Miz

Blake Monroe makes WWE SmackDown debut

Posted on by Bryan Rose

It wasn’t much of a start, but Blake Monroe has made her WWE debut.

On Friday’s SmackDown, Chelsea Green was walking backstage when she met Blake Monroe. The former NXT North American Champion introduced herself and said she had seen Green earlier in the night…but wished she hadn’t. As Monroe walked away, Nia Jax suddenly ran in and smashed Green against nearby boes. Both Jax and Lash Legend mocked Green as officials came in to break things up.

Blake Monroe has been with WWE for the past year

Monroe vignettes have been airing on SmackDown following WrestleMania 42 last month. While numerous other NXT stars have been called up, Monroe was the final one yet to appear on television. A recent PWInsider report indicated that she would be making her debut as soon as the end of the month. She wrestled a dark match on last week’s SmackDown, defeating Jordynne Grace.

The former Mariah May signed with WWE last year, making her NXT debut in June. By the end of the year, she had won the Women’s NXT North American title before losing it to Thea Hail. In the weeks leading to her call-up she had been feuding with Tatum Paxley over the title, culminating in a coffin match she lost on the April 14 edition of NXT.