WWE SmackDown June 02 edition was a fall-out episode of WWE Night of Champions. WWE advertised Roman Reigns’ 1000 days celebration as WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion. There was a new exciting progression in the Bloodline story. WWE announced Money in the Bank qualifying matches for the show. Let’s see what happened at the June 2nd episode of WWE SmackDown.
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The Brawling Brutes vs. Austin Theory and Pretty Deadly
The show opened with a video package as a tribute to Roman Reigns’ 1000 days of Universal Title reign. The US Champion, Austin Theory, kicked off the show. He claimed he could go for 4000 days as champion if WWE kept giving him opponents like John Cena and Sheamus. Pretty Deadly arrived with a new theme music. The Brawling Brutes interrupted, leading to a 3-man tag match. It was a fun match. Sheamus is giving awe-inspiring performances, and the crowd is firmly behind him. We saw triple White Noise executed by all three members of the Brawling Brutes followed by triple 10 Beats of the Bodhran. Sheamus hit Theory with a Brogue Kick, but Pretty Deadly saved the match. In the end, Austin Theory stole the victory.
Winners: Austin Theory and Pretty Deadly
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Grade: B+
Analysis
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WWE is slowly building Pretty Deadly on the main roster. Theory opening the show will have made him relevant as his stock went down for a few weeks. The one-on-one contest between Theory and Sheamus will be exciting. WWE put Pretty Deadly in a good feud as Brawling Brutes are top workers in the wrestling division, which will surely give good momentum to Pretty Deadly.
The OC vs. Hit Row
Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows of The OC battled Ashante “Thee” Adonis and Top Dolla of Hit Row. A weird diss track by Hit Row led to this match. It was a short match, and The OC won using The Magic Killer. After the match, Top Dolla tried a sneaky attack only to be flattened by Styles with a Phenomenal Forearm.
Winners: Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
Grade: C-
Analysis
WWE needs to give AJ Styles a good feud following his World Heavyweight Championship match against Seth Rollins. On the other hand, Hit Row is still failing to connect with WWE Universe.
A backstage segment was aired after that featuring Adam Pearce, in which he talked about doubling the security. He also mentioned that The Usos flight was canceled.
The Grayson Waller Effect with Asuka
The new Raw Women’s Champion, Asuka, was a guest at The Grayson Waller Effect. The champion talked in Japanese a bit. Soon, there were rainy interruptions. Bayley, Iyo Sky, Zelina Vega, Shotzi, and Lacey Evans interrupted The Empress of Tomorrow. Every woman said their point. Bayley was there with a reminder that she already has won the MITB briefcase. In the end, Bianca Belair attacked the Champions after her trademark line, “No one is ready for Asuka!”. WWE Referees and Officials separated both superstars.
Grade: C
Analysis
Clearly, the feud between Asuka and Bianca Belair is far from ending. Notably, Asuka was getting cheered despite her presentation as a heel superstar. WWE must decide how long they can stay without turning Bianca Belair’s heel.
Zelina Vega vs Lacey Evans
Zelina Vega and Lacey Evans battled it out for a spot in the Women’s Money in the Bank match. Evans attacked Vega before the match. WWE is booking Zelina as an underdog, and she is getting the crowd behind her. Lacey mostly dominated the match, but Zelina Vega won with a Code Red.
Winner: Zelina Vega
Grade: C
Analysis
It is suitable for Vega to be involved in the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. She is slowly building to a mega-star. She has all the tools to be the breakout star of the WWE women’s division.
LA Knight vs Montez Ford
Next up was a match to join Shinsuke Nakamura and Ricochet in the Men’s MITB Ladder match. LA Kight was battling Montez Ford of the Street Profits. It was a good match. Knight did an excellent job of matching the pace of Montez. In the end, LA Knight used a heel tactic to win when he rolled Ford to pin using the ropes.
Winner: LA Knight
Grade: B
Analysis
LA Knight was thoroughly cheered, and fans chanted his name throughout the match. Ford was booed, which is a rare sight. Knight is seemingly ready for a mega-push that can start at Money in the Bank. Street Profits must revisit their heel character to get over the WWE Universe again.
The Bloodline Segment
Triple H was there to present Roman Reigns with the new Undisputed WWE Universal Title. It is like the old WWE Title but with a golden background. The Usos interfered in the proceedings. Roman ordered the right-hand man Jey Uso to attack his brother Jimmy, but he refused. Jimmy told Roman that he needed to be fixed. Roman and Solo deceived Jimmy and Jey and played a trick on them. Sikoa acted like he was siding with his brothers. Roman also acted like a good guy. When Jimmy seemed to have fallen for the Bloodline, Roman said, “No,” and Solo laid out Jimmy. Paul Heyman questioned Jey Uso. Roman Reigns told him that Jey would fall in line as he had before.
Grade: A+
Analysis
Roman Reigns has established himself as one of the Greatest to step foot inside a squared circle. He is a legendary storyteller. Tonight’s segment was just a glimpse of his greatness. It is slowly building to the rumored match between Roman and Solo against The Usos, probably at the MITB premium live event. However, singles matches in the upcoming SmakcDown episodes will be a treat.
Overall, this was a good episode of WWE SmackDown. The deserving names qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match. The Bloodline segment fully elevated the show, as always. The hype is real now for this match. There are mixed opinions about the New Title. It will be wise to comment on this title after we see Roman holding it at different shows.
