Welcome to Fightful.com's live coverage the June 5th edition of SmackDown! Live; we'll be here with you for the next two hours with coverage of the best the blue brand has to offer and don't forget to hang around after the show ends for the post-show podcast where Fightful's best will analyze and rate tonight's matches and segments!
-Carmella comes out to the ring to start the show and rather than talking about herself, opts to talk about her opponent at Money in the Bank; Asuka. Carmella shows a video package that showcases Asuka's career so far on the main roster before showing one of her first defeat to the hands of Charlotte at WrestleMania and in various compromising positions. Carmella then says that she is not afraid of Asuka and that Asuka is not ready for her before Asuka comes out to the ring. Asuka gets in the ring before Absolution comes out to the ring, but Paige is quick to come out to the ring and proceeds to make a handicap match between Absolution and Asuka as we go to commercial.
Asuka vs Absolution
Mandy and Sonya are seemingly no match for Asuka as she dominates both of them to start the match before Sonya drops Asuka with a fight hands and mocks her as we see that Carmella has joined on commentary at ringside. Mandy comes in and kicks Asuka in the corner before she and Sonya take turns beating Asuka down into a heap in their corner. Asuka elbows her way out of a side headlock only for Mandy to slam her to the mat by her hair, Mandy attempting to drop Asuka with a clothesline, but it just angers her. Asuka hits a running hip attack in the corner into a missile dropkick before she's distracted by Carmella who goes to ringside and yells at Asuka. Sonya then attacks Asuka from behind once Mandy tags her in and capitalizes on the distraction as we head to a commercial break.
Asuka dropkicks Mandy and hits a release German suplex once we come back from break before dropping both Mandy and Sonya with several moves including a roundhouse kick and a hip attack. Mandy gets a near fall off of a roll up, then Sonya and Asuka drop each other with kicks before Sonya spears her for a near fall. Asuka then grapples with Sonya before managing to lock in the Asuka Lock and force Sonya to tap.
Winner: Asuka defeats Absolution via pinfall when she submits Sonya DeVille with the Asuka Lock.
-Asuka tries to fight off Absolution after the match when gang up on her, but Carmella comes in and drops her before holding up the title.
Karl Anderson vs Harper
Harper immediately drops Karl with a strike before chopping him in the corner and stepping on his head. Harper rakes the eyes of Anderson and drops him with a thrust to the throat before hitting a variation of the deep six. Karl then picks up the win out of nowhere when he rolls Harper up.
Winner: Karl Anderson defeats Harper via pinfall with a roll up.
Inter-gender Tag Match
Jimmy Uso & Naomi vs Aiden English & Lana
Aiden and Jimmy start the match before Jimmy and Naomi dropkick Aiden and Lana out of the ring. Naomi then hits a flipping senton over the top rope and takes out both Aiden and Lana as we head to a commercial.
Naomi misses several roundhouse kicks before dropping Lana with a knee as we come back from commercial, then Lana drops Naomi from behind when she's distracted by Aiden. Lana hits a running knee to the back of Naomi before smashing her face into the bottom turnbuckle in her corner. Lana mocks Naomi and Jimmy before getting a near fall, then Naomi hits a jawbreaker before they clothesline each other. Naomi sends Lana out of the ring once Aiden and Jimmy are tagged in and Aiden goes for a running move in the corner, but Naomi hits a diving cross body from off screen. Jimmy then superkicks Aiden once he's back to his feet for the pin and the win.
Winner: Jimmy Uso & Naomi defeat Aiden English & Lana via pinfall when Jimmy pins Aiden with a superkick.
-We?????? cut backstage to Paige AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura at a long table with several other people before AJ signs the contract. Shinsuke says that his ink pen is out of ink and asks for AJ's, AJ handing it to him before Shinsuke says that it's broken. AJ slaps Shinsuke before he's drug off by the men at the table who are revealed to be security. Shinsuke then pulls a pen out of his jacket pocket and signs the contract as we go to commercial.
Becky Lynch vs Charlotte
Becky quickly goes for the Disarmer but Charlotte sends her out of the ring, then once she's back in the ring Charlotte goes for the Figure Eight, but Becky counters that. They exchange pin attempts before hitting each other with a running cross body as we go to commercial.
Charlotte and Becky are grappling on the mat as we come back from commercial, then Charlotte hits several chops before Becky hits several European uppercuts. Charlotte hits a backbreaker for a quick two count before Becky hits a leg drop off of the top for a near fall. Charlotte then misses a moonsault, Becky getting her knees up before countering an attempt at the Figure Eight and locks in the Disarmer for the tap and the win.
Winner: Becky Lynch defeats Charlotte via submission with the Disarmer.
-We go backstage to Samoa Joe being interviewed about his winning the triple threat match last week against Daniel Bryan and Big Cass.
-Big Cass comes out to the ramp and gets interviewed by Renee where he talks about his being backstage when Daniel Bryan won the WWE championship and goes on to say that all Daniel Bryan will ever be what he refers to as a good "little guy". Cass says that Daniel has never been in the ring that holds a grudge like he does and that he's going to do his best to embarrass him at Money in the Bank. Cass says that after their match Daniel will realize that he will never survive in a big man's world before leaving.
-We go backstage to Sin Cara being interviewed before Zelina Vega shows up and accosts him, saying that she is a great role model and that Sin Cara made him weak before saying that Paige made a match between them for next week. Andrade then attacks Sin Cara from behind before leaving as we cut to New Day coming out to the ring.
Six-Man Tag Match
New Day vs The Miz, Samoa Joe & Rusev
The Miz and Xavier start the match, Miz stomping on Xavier in the corner before Xavier drops him for a quick two count. Big-E then tags in and hits a jumping splash to Miz for a quick two count before Joe comes in and drops Xavier with a boot as we go to commercial.
We come back from commercial to Miz in control of Xavier until he manages to tag Kofi in, Kofi dropkicking Miz before going for Trouble in Paradise, but he gets distracted by Joe and Miz hits a DDT for a near fall. Rusev and Big-E come in next and E shows off his strength by tossing Rusev over his head with ease. Rusev comes back with a boot before Joe comes in and drops E with a side slam, then everyone hits a move before E spears Miz off of the apron. Rusev and Joe then turn on The Miz when he hits them with New Day's pancakes when he tries to humiliate Xavier before New Day finish with the Midnight Hour for the pin and the win.
Winner: New Day defeat Samoa Joe, Rusev & The Miz via pinfall when New Day hit The Miz with the Midnight Hour.