Friday Night SmackDown aired this week from inside the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, eight days away from Night of Champions.
Cathy Kelley interviewed Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin. Wondering where The Storm’s focus lies next, Cargill said that the three of them do what they want and that they run the women’s division, so best believe that they’re going to make a pit stop at Tiffany Stratton since she doesn’t know how to mind grown folk’s business. B-Fab adds that Stratton wasn’t even in the Queen of the Ring tournament, but decided to go out there and screw Jade over?
Michin said that thanks to Stratton, Charlotte Flair took Jade’s spot, and they’re not just going to forget about that. However, the three take pride in injuring Rhea Ripley, as the status of The Eradicator and the WWE Women’s Championship has been up in the air over the past several days. Cargill finally adds that seeing how Night of Champions needs star power, she challenges Stratton to a match with the Women’s United States Championship on the line, because she’s going to take that title like she did the Women’s Championship from her.
Blake Monroe appeared in yet another vignette. This week’s diary entry subject, Giulia:
“Dear Diary,
I’ve seen this girl before. Giulia. We met once before in The Land of the Rising Sun, and I knew when I saw you then that your aura and presence took you to the dance floor.
Congrats, you made it, but you seem to have forgotten the steps, and don’t get me wrong, your road is very intimidating, but, I think it’s clouding your judgement whereas me, well, I can see quite clearly, and it looks like there’s a starring role just waiting to be filled, and who better to grace your screens than The Glamour. I mean, I have a vision to look at after all.
Don’t cry when I pass you by, because The Glamour is coming soon to SmackDown.
Yours Truly,
Blake Monroe”
Candice LeRae looked bothered by Sami Zayn’s conversation with Johnny Gargano after Zayn was the special guest referee during the opening match between Cody Rhodes and Gunther for the Undisputed WWE Championship. Once Nick Aldis entered the shot, LeRae and Gargano disappeared.
Cathy returned later to interview Charlotte Flair, who was set to participate in the main event, a Queen of the Ring semi-final match against Raw superstar and Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan.
When asked what it would mean to win the tournament and get a championship match at SummerSlam, Flair says that the hunger has never faded in spite of all she’s accomplished in WWE. She hasn’t won a world championship in a few years now (since 2023, to be exact), but throughout her career, she has proven time and time again why she is The Queen, with or without the crown. But if she wins this year’s crown, beat Liv tonight, and take on IYO SKY at Night of Champions, it puts her back at the top of the mountain at SummerSlam. That is what she is thriving for, her 15th time world championship. Liv may claim she is trouble, but tonight, she’s gonna show Liv why she is The Queen, then, now, and forever.
A vignette aired featuring Giulia. The Beautiful Madness said that many places made her the fighter she is today. She started her career in Japan, the nation of her mother. She got real with Kiana in Italy, the nation of her father. She won her first Women’s United States Championship in Saudi Arabia and her second in the United States. Next week, SmackDown is coming to the city she was born, London, England. The Beautiful Madness warned James that it’s time to go their separate ways, and what better place to end it than where it all started for her. Next week in London, the WWE Universe will see once and for all which one of them is better without the other.
NOTE: Same video, but starting at 0:55 for the Tiffany Stratton interview.
Cathy Kelley was standing by with the Women’s United States Champion Tiffany Stratton. The Buff Barbie said that she gets it, Jade is desperate for another title, so she wants a match at Night of Champions, and she’ll be there. The difference between her and Jade is that she doesn’t need her lousy sidekicks doing her dirty work.
Chelsea Green walked in and apologized to Stratton for not being on time. Green considers the two of them to both be equals unlike “Mimi” and “B-Flop”. Stratton is confused by her presence, as Green explains that she is mapping out a road to stardom. Stratton says that for the past year, all she’s done is call her names, although Green claims that she has not done that once.
Stratton brings up the old “Tacky Time” insult, which Green said was meant to be funny and as a term of endearment along the lines of “babe” and “sweetheart”. Stratton says that she watched people beat her up for the past year, kicked her while she was down, and now all of a sudden she wants to be her friend? Stratton doesn’t need Green’s help and can do this all on her own.
An “NXT Origins” video package aired featuring a look back at the career of Alexa Bliss. Bliss says the evolution of her character has definitely helped her career, because in NXT, she learned the process of evolving, as footage was shown of her early babyface glitter gimmick and changing into her bullying heel character with Blake and Murphy. Bliss went through a multitude of characters trying to figure out who Alexa Bliss was. She had no idea what she was getting into and had never been in a ring, and is very proud of the fact that she was able to start with no experience and become as accomplished as she has. She’s very thankful for being NXT homegrown.
A Liv Morgan segment presented by Sonic had the Women’s World Champion addressing Charlotte Flair. She knows how badly she wants to be Queen of the Ring. It’s just a shame that her run stops here. She doesn’t care about how many championships she’s won or what she’s done in the past because that is exactly what she is: the past. This tournament is all about proving who is the best of the best, and unfortunately for Charlotte, that’s just not her anymore, so tonight she’s coming to SmackDown to show her what happens when you are in the presence of the greatest Women’s World Champion of all time and the first champion to become Queen of the Ring – sincerely, the Liv Morgan.
NOTE: Starts at 1:10 for the Brie Bella/Paige segment.
This segment was immediately followed by the Women’s Tag Team Champions, Scream Mode (Brie Bella and Paige). Brie says that since WrestleMania, it’s been nonstop – match after match, team after team, challenge after challenge, and they’ll be honest, it hasn’t been easy. Paige says they overcame the odds when they became champions their very first time teaming together, and they’ll have to do it again to beat the team of Bayley and Lyra Valkyria this coming Monday on Raw.
Brie adds that Bayley has been a cornerstone of the women’s division for over a decade; Lyra is one of the fastest rising stars on the roster. They both have been tag team champions, just never together. Paige says that they’re two of the best to grace the ring, but don’t get them wrong, they’re up for the challenge, from any team, anytime. Bayley and Lyra are just the ones who stepped up this time, which is honorable, but ultimately, misguided, because they’re still going home empty-handed. They still respect the hell out of both of them; in-ring wise, they’re technically the perfect matchup for them, but that’s nothing they’ve outsmarted and outshined before, and they intend on keeping it up this Monday as your Women’s Tag Team Champions.
NOTE: Starts at 2:22 for the Fatal Influence segment.
After the segment finished, Fatal Influence (Jacy Jayne, Lainey Reid, and Fallon Henley) were in the locker room. Jayne said that last week obviously did not go as planned, but she blames the boneheaded referee who threw her out of ringside but then let Paige and Brie do whatever the hell they wanted to. She guesses the rules don’t apply to so-called “legends”.
Henley mentions that what makes it even worse is that the “nostalgia act” actually thinks they’re better than them, while Reid adds that they’re just pathetic. They had Paige and Brie exactly where they wanted them and everybody knew it, in fact, if they walk out of Raw still the Women’s Tag Team Champions, then Fallon and her will be able to take the gold right off of their shoulders.
Jayne says that as for tonight, she’s gonna march right into Nick Aldis’s office and demand a match against Paige next week in London. She hopes The Anti-Diva is ready to be embarrassed in front of her family, her friends, and the people that love her most, because that’s exactly what happens when you mess with their influence.
As Charlotte Flair was set to walk into Gorilla position to make her way out of the ring, The Queen was cornered by B-Fab, Jade Cargill, and Michin. Cargill tells Flair that they both know that the reason she’s in this match because of her friends, Alexa Bliss and Tiffany Stratton. Flair clarifies that Tiffany is not her friend. Cargill’s point is that Flair shouldn’t be in this match, but Flair retorts by saying if she was Cargill, she would be more focused on finding friends who are a little more effective; Jade can always be in Queen of the Ring next year, before Flair tells her to get moving. This prompts the trio to attack Flair, with Cargill kicking her surgically repaired knee.
After the show returned from commercials with a recap of the assault, Alexa Bliss and Nick Aldis were tending to Flair, with Aldis telling her to worry about her knee. Liv Morgan came up to insult her and tell her it was too bad, and guesses that she’ll see her out there.
Flair ultimately made her way out, but struggled to enter the ring as Morgan attacked her without the bell ringing, prompting officials to come out even though Flair was determined to go through with the match, visibly pleading with Nick Aldis as she expressed how much this match meant to her, feeling as if she did not have a choice but to go through with the match.
Entering the ring, Morgan continued to target Flair’s knee throughout the match as Flair wailed in pain. Flair still tried a crossbody and chops to the chest of Morgan, but the knee continued to throw her off her game, even as she made sure to hit big boots to her opponent. Morgan took advantage of a failed moonsault positioning to powerbomb her, but The Queen wouldn’t give up just yet.
Flair sustained more damage to her knee as she was thrown into the ring post at ringside, but still resisted an attempt at Oblivion by Liv. Flair hit Natural Selection, in the match’s final minutes, but Morgan still kicked out at 2. Then trying to lock Morgan into the Figure Eight, Morgan grabbed the rope for a rope break.
With Morgan now grabbing the leg of Flair for a Boston crab, Flair attempted to move to get to the rope, which she did. The officials, Nick, and Alexa returned, with Flair promising Bliss she would win. Morgan hit Oblivion only for Flair to kick out at 2, but Morgan quickly grabbed the leg for another Boston crab and made Flair tap out for her to win the match. The show ended with Alexa, Nick, and the medical officials checking up on her as Liv smiled while holding her title in the air.
Friday Night SmackDown airs next week from the O2 Arena in London, England. The episode will be taped this coming Tuesday, June 23rd, and will air in its regular timeslot next Friday, the 26th. Here’s what we can expect:
- Giulia vs. Kiana James
- Jacy Jayne vs. Paige
Also on the horizon is Night of Champions, emanating from the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. That will air on Saturday, June 27th, featuring two women’s matches:
- Queen of the Ring Finals: IYO SKY vs. Liv Morgan
- Women’s United States Championship: Tiffany Stratton (c) vs. Jade Cargill
The event will air beginning at 1 p.m. Eastern Time / 10 a.m. Pacific on the ESPN app in the United States (the first hour will also air on the ESPN cable channel), Netflix in most other countries, SuperSport in Sub-Saharan Africa, and ABEMA in Japan.
As always, make sure to share your thoughts on this week’s episode of SmackDown in the comments below.