WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - June 23rd, 2023

https://i.imgur.com/VqlLCmE.jpg


The Bloodline Civil War begins

Last week, Jimmy and Jey Uso officially separated themselves from The Bloodline when they took out Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa in a series of Superkicks heard ’round the world. Now that the lines have been drawn and a showdown between them is set for WWE Money in the Bank, The Bloodline Civil War begins tonight on SmackDown. Anything can and will happen when the shattered family embarks on the highly personal struggle to get the upper hand on their collision course to July 1.


:smackdown:

– Tonight’s WWE SmackDown on FOX opens up with a look at what happened with The Bloodline last week. We’re now live from the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana as Michael Cole welcomes us to SmackDown. He’s joined at ringside by Wade Barrett.

– We go right to the ring and out comes The Usos to a big pop – Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso. Mike Rome does the introductions as Cole hypes The Bloodline Civil War at WWE Money In the Bank.

A big chant for The Usos starts up after the music. Jey goes to announce that The Bloodline is in your city but he corrects himself and says The Usos. Jimmy says he feels good, how about Jey? Jey says they’re about to fight family, which you do not do… family is supposed to lift each other up. Jimmy says it sounds like Jey made the perfect decision. They love each other and also love Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns.

Jey goes on about how they’d do anything for Reigns but he messed up by disrespecting them. Jimmy says they were raised on respect. The Usos go on about how Paul Heyman is the biggest rat of them all. The Usos hype up the Civil War at Money In the Bank and how they are the greatest tag team in the game. They say The O2 Arena in London will be locked down… then they welcome Reigns and Solo Sikoa to The Uso Penitentiary as fans cheer them on.

– We see how LA Knight took a loss to Santos Escobar last week, then attacked him until Rey Mysterio made the save.

LA Knight vs. Rey Mysterio

We go back to the ring and out comes 2023 WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and out comes LA Knight to a big pop as we see the Money In the Bank briefcases above the ring. The bell rings and LA talks some trash, then decks Rey and beats him down with shoulders.

Rey fights back but LA decks him and launches in from the apron with a flying shoulder for 2. Rey fights back and mounts LA with punches in the corner now. Rey nails 619 for a big pop, then baseball slides LA out of the ring. Rey then slides under the bottom rope and splashes LA on the floor. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and LA hits a neckbreaker. Rey comes back with the top rope senton and a high crossbody for 2. LA counters a move, drops Rey and then hits the big elbow drop for a pop and a 2 count.

LA catches Rey on his shoulder but Rey turns it into a DDT. Rey with an enziguri. LA blocks a 619 and they tangle some more. LA counters Rey in mid-move and hits BFT for the pin to win.

Winner: LA Knight

– After the match, LA stands tall as the music hits and we go to replays. LA goes to attack Rey now but Santos Escobar runs down to make the save.

– Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman are walking backstage now. Ridge Holland is walking by when he stops in front of Solo and asks what he’s looking at. Solo drops Holland with a Samoan Spike, then says he’s not in the mood tonight. Solo keeps walking as Heyman follows and makes a phone call to Roman Reigns. Back to commercial.

– Back from the break and Ridge Holland is gasping for air. Sheamus and Adam Pearce are there, and Sheamus wants Solo Sikoa. Pearce says he’ll deal with it but Sheamus says that’s not good enough. Pearce calls for help for Holland. Sheamus goes out to the stage and has words for Sikoa, calling him out for later. Sheamus drops the mic and walks off.

:womenstag::nxtwomenstag:

Title Unification Match: WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler vs. WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre

We go back to the ring for tonight’s Title Unification match and out comes WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler. Raquel Rodriguez is sitting at ringside. Out next are WWE NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Isla Dawn and Alba Fyre. Cole confirms the winners will defend on all three brands. Rome does formal ring introductions.

The bell rings and Baszler goes at it with Fyre. Fyre takes control and in comes Dawn for the double team. Rousey tags in and takes Dawn down, then dominates until Dawn kicks her.

Fyre tags back in for the double team on Rousey for a 2 count. Baszler is knocked off the apron as Fyre and Dawn continue to dominate. Rousey looks to mount offense but Fyre rocks her. Rousey hits a big scissors takedown on Fyre in the middle of the ring thanks to interference by Baszler. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and Rousey has Fyre down in a hold as Raquel looks on. Fyre breaks free with punches but Rousey goes into the ankle lock submission. Fyre with an enziguri.

Baszler tags in to stop the tag, hitting Fyre with a big knee for 2. Baszler goes for the ankle now but Dawn tags in. Dawn runs wild on Baszler and knocks Rousey off the apron. Dawn with a back suplex and a Meteora for 2.

Baszler uses a full five count and Rousey nails a cheap shot while the referee is having words with Baszler. Baszler ends up backing Dawn into the corner to apply the Kirifuda Clutch. Rousey is knocked out of the ring, then hit with a big dive by Fyre.

Fyre tags in for the double team but Baszler fights them off and applies the Kirifuda Clutch on Fyre. Dawn rushes in to make the save but Rousey takes her down into the arm bar while Baszler has the Kirifuda Clutch on Fyre for the double submission win.

Winners and New Undisputed WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions: Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler

– After the match, Rousey and Baszler stand tall with the titles as the music hits and we go to replays. Rousey now insults the people of Louisiana and asks Raquel why she’s here while Raquel is walking to the back. Raquel enters the ring and says she’s here because “we” want a shot at the titles we never lost. Baszler wants to know who “we” is. The music hits and out comes Liv Morgan returning from her injury. The two teams face off in the middle of the ring now.

– Sheamus vs. Solo Sikoa is made official for the main event. Back to commercial.

– Back from the break and Grayson Waller gets a grand introduction for The Grayson Waller Effect. He brags about being the hottest Superstar in all of WWE, so tonight’s guests are WWE’s hottest tag team. He then introduces Pretty Deadly’s Elton Prince and Kit Wilson.

We see how Pretty Deadly became the #1 contenders to Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn last week. The trio insults Americans, then Pretty Deadly goes on about how they’re taking next Friday’s title shot seriously, but Owens and Zayn aren’t giving them the same respect. Fans chant “shut up!” and then give them the “What?!” treatment as they go on about being a better team than the champions, and that will still be true in 10 years when they are running the division.

Waller says last week’s Gauntlet was truly inspiring. Pretty Deadly goes on taking shots at the other tag teams from the Gauntlet. The music hits and out comes The Street Profits – Montez Ford and Angelo Dawkins. The Profits want to properly introduce Pretty Deadly to the smoke. They head to the ring as both teams get ready for a match. Back to commercial.

Pretty Deadly vs. The Street Profits

Back from the break and Ford goes back & forth with Wilson. Ford drops Wilson and in comes Dawkins to level him. Prince tags in for the double team. Dawkins runs into a big boot but nails a big punch. Ford tags in with dropkicks for each opponent.

Ford rips off Prince’s bra-let and this angers him. Prince charges but he gets sent to the floor. Ford jokes around with Prince’s bra-let garment now. The Profits go on and nail a big double dive to the floor on both opponents. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and Wilson works on Ford up top. Ford counters in mid-air and lands on Wilson. Dawkins and Prince tag in and go at it now. Dawkins unloads with signature offense. Dawkins with the big double underhook suplex for 2.

The Profits with a big double team suplex on Prince for 2. Dawkins goes to the floor and sends Wilson flying with a big shoulder. Ford with a big Uranage on Prince. Dawkins tags in for the double team finisher with Prince on his shoulders but Wilson hits the apron and shoves Ford to the floor.

Prince comes from behind to take advantage of Dawkins being distracted by Wilson the floor, then Prince rolls him up for the pin to win while Wilson holds Dawkins’ legs from the floor for leverage.

Winners: Pretty Deadly

– After the match, Pretty Deadly celebrates as the music hits and we go to commercial.

– Tonight’s Progressive Match Flo video looks at last week’s segment with Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair and WWE Women’s Champion Asuka.

Charlotte Flair vs. Lacey Evans

We go back to the ring and out comes Charlotte Flair for her first match since WrestleMania 39. Back to commercial.

Back from the break and out comes Lacey Evans as Cole hypes Flair vs. Asuka for next week. They lock up and Flair drops Evans, then chops away while trash talking.

Flair drops Evans with a chop. Evans blocks a move and sends Flair into the turnbuckles, then drops her and poses to boos. Evans poses in the corner to more boos and misses the moonsault.

Flair fights back, mocks Evans and hits a big throw, then kips-up to a pop. Flair nails a big boot and applies the Figure Four in the middle of the ring. Flair bridges into the Figure Eight for the submission win.

Winner: Charlotte Flair

– After the match, Flair keeps the submission locked in until Asuka slides in out of nowhere and attacks her. Asuka unloads on Flair and then makes her exit as the music hits.

– We see what happened earlier with Solo Sikoa and Ridge Holland.

Solo Sikoa vs. Sheamus

We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event and out comes Solo Sikoa with Paul Heyman. Solo hits the ring and yells out as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Adam Pearce welcomes Bianca Belair into his office. She makes her case for being at ringside for Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka for next week, but Pearce says he can’t risk anything happening so he’s banning Belair from ringside. Pearce says Belair will be able to confront the winner. Belair says, oh… like before? She asks if she should trust Pearce. We go back to the ring for tonight’s main event and out comes Sheamus by himself.

The bell rings and they go at it. Sheamus unloads to start, beating Sheamus around the ring. Solo fights back but Sheamus cuts him off. Sheamus stuns Solo with a knee. He the goes for a Brogue Kick but Solo ducks to the floor.

Sheamus follows but Solo rocks him to turn it around. Solo brings it back in and dominates Sheamus in the corner while taunting him. Sheamus fights back and Solo runs into a boot in the corner.

Sheamus pulls himself back up to the top and hits the flying shoulder but Solo kicks out at 1. Sheamus mocks Heyman and approaches Solo but Solo unloads into the corner to boos. Sheamus kicks Solo away. Sheamus blocks a hip toss, then levels Solo with a clothesline. Solo avoids 10 Beats of the Bodhrán now by beating Sheamus away.

Sheamus scoops Solo to his shoulders on the apron. Solo fights out and sends Sheamus into the ring post. Solo now has Sheamus on the floor and he hits a stiff Samoan Drop at ringside. Heyman looks on as we go to commercial.

Back from the break and Solo is dominating Sheamus. Solo charges but Sheamus explodes out of the corner with a clothesline for a big pop. Solo with big right hands now. Sheamus fights back and mounts offense now, going corner to corner. Sheamus with a slam but his lower back is hurting.

Sheamus with the Irish Curse backbreaker. Sheamus delivers 10 Beats of the Bodhrán now and Heyman isn’t happy. Sheamus waits for the Brogue Kick now but Solo intercepts him with a superkick. Sheamus comes right back with a knee to fall on Solo for a 2 count.

Fans chant “this is awesome!” now. Sheamus scoops Solo to his shoulders now, and manages to hit White Noise but Solo kicks out. Sheamus goes for the Celtic Cross but his back goes out. Solo knocks Sheamus out of the ring with a Samoan Spike. Solo follows and slams Sheamus on top of the announce table with a big Uranage.

Solo now has Sheamus down against the barrier. Solo charges and puts Sheamus through the barrier with the Rikishi splash. The referee checks Sheamus out and calls the match.

Winner: Solo Sikoa

– After the match, Adam Pearce and others come over to check on Sheamus. Solo snaps and starts dropping medics and officials. The music hits and out come The Usos. Solo looks on and enters the ring to prepare for a fight with his older brothers. They start brawling but Jey nails a superkick, and so does Jimmy, then they both superkick Solo at the same time. The Usos go to leave but they turn around and taunt Heyman as he looks on from the floor. Solo gets back up and comes from behind but The Usos double superkick him again. The Usos now go up top and hit big splashes on Solo at the same time. The music starts back up as Heyman is seen placing a phone call to The Tribal Chief. Jimmy Uso kneels down and says something in Solo’s face, then The Usos stand tall and pose together as SmackDown goes off the air.