Welcome to the Fightful.com live discussion & coverage for the 6/30/2023 edition of Friday Night SmackDown on FOX.
We will bring full results and breakdowns for every match and segment on the show. Follow Fightful on https://Twitter.com/Fightful and http://Facebook.com/FIGHTFULONLINE
Here's what is set for the show.
Preview.
WWE SmackDown (6/30/2023).
- WWE Women's Championship Match: Asuka (c) vs. Charlotte Flair.
- Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens (c) vs. Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson).
- Grayson Waller Effect w/ Logan Paul.
- Butch vs LA Knight vs Santos Escobar.
- If Bayley Loses, Shotzi Takes Her Spot on MITB: Bayley (w/ Iyo Sky) vs. Shotzi.
- Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns Returns.
Refresh the site for the latest updates as the show happens.
Live Coverage.
- There was a video package honoring former WWE Wrestler Droz. Fightful sends condolences to Droz's friends, family & fans.
- Michael Cole & Wade Barrett welcomed the audience to a special United Kindom version of the broadcast before transitioning into the opening match.
Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship Match.
Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens (c) vs. Pretty Deadly (Elton Prince & Kit Wilson).
Zayn & Wilson began the match locking up before Zayn leaped over Wilson and hit a deep arm drag takedown on Wilson. Wilson backed Zayn into the ropes before Prince attacked him. The former Progress tag team double-teamed Zayn on the outside before Prince tossed Zayn into the broadcast table before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Wilson got a near fall on Zayn before he locked in a chin lock on Zayn. Zayn broke the hold and tried to tag in Owens. Prince pulled Zayn's leg before going for a Piledriver, but Zayn reversed it with a back-drop before tagging in Owens. Owens took down both Prince & Wilson to the outside before catching the two Pretty Deadly members with lariats, ending the sequence with a senton on Wilson on the outside. Owens hit Prince with a thrust kick before hitting a Cannonball Senton on Prince but tweaked his left ankle. Owens climbed to the top rope and hit a Swanton, but Prince broke the pin. Owens went for a Stunner on Prince, but Prince pushed Owens to make Owens's leg buckle.
Wilson attacked Zayn on the outside before Prince hit a chop block on Owens. Wilson tagged back in and hit a Code Breaker on Owens off Prince's back for a near fall, but the two former NXT Tag team Champions responded by hitting the Spilled Milk on Owens, but Zayn broke the pin. Zayn tossed Wilson to the outside, allowing Owens to hit a German Suplex on Prince before tagging Zayn back in. Zayn immediately came to the ring and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb on Wilson for a near fall. Wilson & Prince swapped places to bamboozle Zayn before Wilson rolled up Zayyn, but Zayn kicked out. Zayn took out Prince in the corner before hitting an Exploder Suplex on Wilson. Prince tried to attack Zayn, but Owens caught him with a Stunner. This opened the avenue for Zayn to hit the Helluva Kick on Wilson for the pinfall win and Title retention!
Winners AND STILL WWE Undisputed Tag Team Champions: Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens.
- There was a backstage interview with Adam Pearce before the Brawling Brutes (Sheamus, Butch & Ridge Holland) backstage. Holland demanded a match against Solo Sikoa, but Pearce instead informed him that he would face the United States Champion Austin Theory, saying that if he won he would be in contention for the United States title.
WWE United States Championship Eliminator Match.
Austin Theory (c) vs. Ridge Holland (w/ Sheamus & Butch).
The two heavyweights began the match locking up before Holland hit a series of uppercuts on Theory. Theory went for a Rolling move, but Holland caught him before hitting the Yorkshire Go-Around into a Stalling Butterfly Suplex on Theory for a near fall. Theory regained control by tossing Holland into the ring post before firing away on Holland's arm and chest. Theory locked in a Guillotine Choke on Holland, but Holland powered through the hold before hitting a shoulder tackle, two overhead suplex & a double-hook overhead suplex on Theory. Theory targeted Holland's injured throat before catching him with a Rolling Shot Gun Dropkick into Holland's throat for the pinfall win.
Theory continued to attack Holland after the match before Sheamus came to the ring to make the save.
Winner: Austin Theory.
- There was a vignette of Karrion Kross & Scarlett. Kross put over Styles's career before calling him out to a match next week.
- There was a video package recapping the history of The Bloodline ahead of the match pitting The Usos against Roman Reigns & Solo Sikoa for the July 1, 2023 edition of WWE Money In The Bank.
If Bayley Loses, Shotzi Takes Her Spot on MITB.
Bayley (w/ Iyo Sky) vs. Shotzi.
As Bayley was serenaded by chants from the United Kingdom crowd, Bayley hit a gut kick and a jab on Shotzi to begin the match. Bayley went for a boot, but Shotzi evaded and hit a Reverse Sling Blade on Bayley before catching her with a gut kick for a near fall. Shotzi tossed Bayley to the outside before hitting Sky with a Tope Suicida. Back in the ring, Bayley caught Shotzi with a Belly-to-Belly Slam on Shotzi, which she followed with a series of jabs. Bayley went for a Northern Lights Suplex on Shotzi, but Shotzi reversed it by spiking Bayley with a DDT. Shotzi attacked Bayley in the corner before hitting a Ripcord Enziguri Kick. Shotzi got a waist lock on Bayley, but Bayley reversed it with an O'Connor roll before catching Bayley with a senton into the corner followed by the Sliced Bread #2 on Bayley to get the pin, but Sky placed Bayley's foot n the ropes to break the pin. Sky's distraction allowed Bayley to rake Shotzi's eye before hitting the Rose Plant on Shotzi for the pinfall win.
Winner: Bayley.
- Shotzi confronted Bayley & Iyo Sky backstage, saying that she was not done with either of them. Bayley & Sky suplex Shotzi into a table before Bayley cut Shotzi's hair with scissors.
- Grayson Waller hosted a new edition of "The Grayson Waller Effect" with special guest Logan Paul. Paul & Waller. Paul said that him winning the Money In The Bank briefcase would mean the world before declaring that he would win the Money In The Bank briefcase, saying that he may smack LA Knight with it. After that smarmy comment, Paul was interrupted by LA Knight as the crowd exploded for the former IMPACT World Heavyweight Champion. Knight praised Paul for doing great with what he had been given, but Knight said that he has been gold with anything he had been able to find. Knight promised that the odds are on Knight because he was the only Mega Star in WWE. Paul said that Knight was supposed to be a manager, but Knight asked the crowd to say who's game was it as the crowd chanted "L. A. KNIGHT". Santos Escobar came to the ring and stated that the LWO would be taking both briefcases. Butch came to the ring and attacked Paul immediately as Escobar & Knight brawled inside of the ring ahead of the triple threat match.
Butch vs LA Knight vs Santos Escobar.
After the break, Butch & Escobar exchanged chops and evaded each other's moves in a staredown, but they were taken down by LA Knight. Knight stomped down Butch in the corner before hitting a running knee strike on Escobar into the bottom turnbuckle. Knight went for a back suplex, but Butch landed on his feet before Butch tossed him out of the ring. Butch hit a German on Escobar, and a stomp on Knight, but Knight responded with a nasty Release Back Suplex on Butch for a near fall. Escobar hit a Hurricanrana on Knight before hitting both Knight & Butch with a double-knee strike into the corner. Escobar hit a Frankensteiner on Butch, but Knight broke the pin before hitting Escobar with a Tilt-to-whirl Powerslam into a Running Elbow Drop on Escobar for a near fall. Knight & Paul argued on the outside, but that as until Escobar laid out Paul with a Tope Suicida on the outside before taking down Knight. Escobar got back in the ring and went for a dive on Butch, but the Bruiserweight caught Escobar flush with a jab before hitting the Bitter End for the pinfall win.
Knight tossed Butch to the outside as he climbed the ladder, but Paul pulled down Knight before tossing him into the ring post. Butch tossed Paul to the outside before retrieving the Money In The Bank Briefcase as the crowd chanted "BRUISERWEIGHT" for the former NXT UK Champion
Winner: Butch.
- Backstage, The OC (AJ Styles, "Michin" Mia Yim, Luke Gallows & "The Machine Gun" Karl Anderson) were backstage to address Kross challenge. Styles accepted Styles's challenge for next week, saying that Yim would be in his corner.
WWE Women's Championship Match.
Asuka (c) vs. Charlotte Flair.
Bianca Belair watched the match from the crowd.
The match began with Asuka & Flair evading each other's moves before Flair hit a series of chops on Asuka, but Asuka responded with a German Suplex. Flair hit a German Suplex and a kip-up before going at Asuka, but Asuka reversed it with a Code Breaker for a near fall. Asuka went for the Asuka Lock, but Flair reversed it with a pin before Flair caught Asuka with a boot for a near fall. Flair got to the top rope, but Asuka dropped her onto the match before hitting a backstabber on Flair before the commercial break.
Back from the break, Flair went for the Double Moonsualt on Asuka, but Asuka blocked it with her knees before going for the Juji Gatame, but Flair evaded before Asuka got a Small Package on Asuka for near fall. The two ran the ropes before Flair speared Asuka for a near fall. Asuka & Flair brawled on the outside infront of Belair, who watched the action closely. Unfortunately for Belair, Flair caught her flush with a Running Boot on the outside. Flair got back in the ring, but Belair attacked Asuka on ringside, ending the match in a No-Contest. Flair confronted Belair after the match, but Belair responded by hitting a forearm strike on Flair. Flair responded with a strike of her own before going for a spear on Belair, but Belair evaded. Belair hit a KOD on Asuka into the broadcast table before hitting Flair with a KOD on top of Asuka.
Result: No Contest.
- The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Paul Heyman & Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns came to the ring to cut a promo. Reigns said that he had allowed The Usos to say "We The Ones", but the truth was the only one who can claim to be "the one" is himself because he was the only one who cares about his cousins and the only one who wants to give his cousins a "second chance", saying that he felt like a dad. Reigns said that he would welcome back The Usos into the Bloodline if they acknowledged him and apologized to Reigns. The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) interrupted and said that they are past apologizing before asking Reigns what would happen if he lost. The Usos promised to pin Reigns tomorrow night before promising that when Reigns loses, he would be the only one out of The Bloodline. The Usos claimed that they did not want to be the Tribal Chief, but did say that Solo Sikoa had their vote as the new Tribal Chief. The Usos argued with Reigns in the apron before Jimmy caught Reigns with a Superkick. The two teams brawled inside and outside of the ring before multiple Produces & Security Guards (some of which were wrestlers from English Promotion Progress Wrestling) tried to stop the brawl to end the broadcast.
- Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of the show on Fightful's YouTube & Twitch channels. You can check Fightful's Results Section here.
