WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - June 20th, 2025
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John Cena goes head-to-head with Ron Killings
Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena and Ron Killings will meet in a highly anticipated match. Killings made his shocking return to WWE at Money in the Bank when he attacked Cena, and he followed that up with two more attacks on the June 13 episode of SmackDown.
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We kick off SmackDown with clips of Randy Orton, Sami Zayn, Alexa Bliss, Asuka, Solo Sikoa & JC Mateo, Ron "R-Truth" Killings, and LA Knight walking backstage. LA Knight makes his way out to ringside and SmackDown has started.
LA Knight poses in the ring and we see clips from RAW where Knight interferes in one of the qualifying matches, allowing Jey Uso to get the win. Knight since Seth Rollins is screwing him around he decided to screw over one of Rollins' boys. Knight says he knows how this ends and it ends with him and Seth Rollins. Paul Heyman makes his way out and Heyman tries to get the crowd to cheer when he says Rollins' name and they don't. Heyman asks Knight if he can enter the ring and then tells Knight that he's right - there is a lot of bad blood between Rollins and Knight and tells Knight he's the biggest LA Knight fan in the WWE and then says "Yeah" haha. He tells Knight as a favour to him since he's such a big fan of Knight, Rollins has allowed Heyman to tell Knight to get out of Grand Rapids or else something really bad will happen to Knight. Heyman tells Knight to have a nice evening and begins to leave the ring. Knight makes fun of Heyman's voice cracking and then asks if Heyman is threatening him. He calls Heyman a leech and a liar and says he asked for Rollins and he got Heyman. He tells Heyman he would normally have punched Heyman but he won't do that instead since Rollins didn't come out he thinks it should be Knight -vs- Heyman, right now. Knight says he'll turn his back and let Heyman get the first punch. Knight turns around and Heyman jets out of the ring. Before Heyman leaves he reminds Knight of his threat. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed come out and attack Knight. Knight is able to grab a chair and he clocks both Reed and Breakker. Knight stands in the ring with a chair as Breakker, Reed and Heyman circle the ring. Heyman gets Breakker and Reed to retreat.
Paul Heyman is backstage with Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed and Byron Saxton comes up to them. Breakker barks at Saxton and Heyman calls him off. Saxton tells them that Reed will face Knight tonight.
Queen of the Ring Semifinal Match: Alexa Bliss vs. Asuka
Bliss gets Asuka in a chinlock off the bell and Asuka then gets a bunch of punches on Bliss. Bliss fires back with a drop kick and elbows Asuka. Asuka knocks down Bliss with a shoulder check and then hip attacks Bliss out of the ring and we get a commercial break.
Back to SmackDown, Asuka kicks Bliss and then comes off the top rope with a missile drop kick and covers for a two count. Asuka kicks Bliss and gets her in an arm bar. Bliss knocks down Asuka and hits a flipping neckbreaker. Bliss kicks and punches Asuka and hits a Senton and covers for a near fall. Asuka elbows and kicks Bliss and hits a belly to back suplex. Asuka hits a running knee and covers for a two count. Bliss rolls up Asuka for a two count and then sets up Asuka for Sister Abigail but Asuka rolls up Bliss and fails. Asuka tries rolling up Bliss again, and Bliss kicks out. Asuka gets on the top turnbuckle and misses a missile dropkick. Bliss hits a DDT and covers Asuka for a near fall. Bliss climbs the turnbuckle and goes to hit Twisted Bliss but stops and gets down off the turnbuckle. Asuka hits an arm bar on Bliss and then hits a modified version of the Asuka lock but Bliss breaks the hold. Asuka hits a hangman's neckbreaker on Bliss and covers for two. Asuka goes for Empress Impact but Bliss punches her and then hangs her up on the turnbuckles and dropkicks her. Bliss hits Twisted Bliss but Asuka gets her knees up. Asuka hits Empress Impact and gets the win.
Winner: Asuka
B-Fab, Michin and Jade Cargill are backstage watching the match. Michin and B-Fab go to talk to Nick Aldis about the tag titles. Byron Saxton comes in and asks Cargill about her thoughts about facing Roxanne Perez and potentially Asuka. Cargill says Perez is good but not a Queen. She says she'll worry about Asuka later, but she's not here to win Queen of the Ring, she's here to reign.
Alexa Bliss walks backstage. Chelsea Green and The Green Regime walk in and make fun of her. Charlotte Flair comes in and says Alba Fyre is the reason she isn't in the Queen of the Ring tournament and says she'll tap Chelsea Green out tonight. Bliss tells Flair she doesn't need her help and Flair says she wasn't helping Bliss.
Kit Wilson vs. Aleister Black
As Black makes his way to the ring, R-Truth attacks Wilson and asks for the mic. He demands John Cena to get out here now, and then slaps the STFU on Wilson. Officials run down to the ring and get Truth off Wilson. Truth leaves the ring.
Winner: No Contest
Jamie Noble talks to R-Truth. Truth says he will kill Cena tonight. Aleister Black approaches Truth and asks why he's getting involved in Black's matches. Truth says it's not personal and they stare each other down. Damian Priest tells Black to let it go and that he'll talk to Truth. Priest reminds Truth that he usually is the one who makes people smile. He tells Truth to focus his anger on Cena and after Truth wins, they'll go celebrate.
Cody Rhodes' music hits and he makes his way out to the ring. Before Rhodes can get a word out Jey Uso makes his way out through the crowd. Rhodes and Uso hug in the ring before Uso does a second round of YEETing. After is Uso is YEETed out, he gets on the mic and tells Rhodes he doesn't even have to say anything as they've both been in the trenches and are still in the trenches and that they've both been to the mountain top. Uso says this Monday - there is only room for one of them. Uso says he knows it's just business but he wants Rhodes to know after Monday all there will be is YEET. They shake hands and Sami Zayn's music hits. Zayn comes down to the ring and says that this is nice - he gets to share the ring with two of his great friends - two of the very best this business has to offer. He says between the three of them, he's the only one who hasn't stood on the mountain top. He says he wasn't even supposed to be there but he got on a plane to be there for Uso at WrestleMania because he loves Uso. He tells Rhodes he was the first one to run through the ropes and congratulate Rhodes when he finished his story. But now it's his time to finish his story. Randy Orton's music hits and comes down the entryway. Orton gets on the mic and says there is no line he will cross to get to Cena even if he has to go through his friend Cody Rhodes. He tells Uso that he respects Uso but it'll be three letters... RKO and he'll go through Uso if he has to. He tells Zayn that one day Zayn will be world champion, but SummerSlam is not that day, because tonight Zayn will meet RKO.
King of the Ring Semifinal Match: Randy Orton vs. Sami Zayn
The bell rings and Zayn gets Orton in an arm bar and gets him on the mat. Orton powers out of the hold and gets Zayn in a headlock. Zayn breaks the hold and gets Orton back in an armbar and then chops Orton over and over again. Orton makes an escape and exits the ring. Zayn goes to hit a suicide dive but Orton moves and Zayn stops before crashing outside. The men lock up and Orton gets Zayn in the corner and pokes Zayn in the eye and then hits an uppercut on Zayn. Zayn pokes Orton in the eyes and tosses him out of the ring. Orton slams Zayn onto the apron and then slams Zayn onto the announce desk. Orton picks up Zayn and slams him onto the announce desk a second time and we cut to commercial break.
We come back from commercial break and Orton stomps on Zayn's hands as Zayn lays on the mat. Orton then stomps on Zayn's feet and then goes back and stomps on the other hand. Orton punches Zayn to the mat and Zayn is able to connect with a clothesline, knocking Orton to the mat. Zayn hits an elbow and then a top rope double axe handle. Zayn goes for The Blue Thunder Bomb but Orton counters and clotheslines Zayn. Orton hits a scoop snap powerslam and then hits his draping DDT on Zayn off the ropes. Orton goes for RKO but Zayn rolls out of the ring. Orton slams Zayn's face onto the announce desk and Orton tries to slam Zayn on the announce desk but Zayn counters and slams Orton onto the announce desk. Orton charges at Zayn in the corner and hits the ringpost instead. Zayn goes for Helluva Kick but Orton hits another scoop snap powerslam catching Zayn before he can connect. Orton clotheslines Zayn into the corner, Zayn goes for the Helluva Kick again but misses. Orton goes for RKO and Zayn counters into The Blue Thunder Bomb and covers for a two count. Zayn climbs the turnbuckles and jumps down and Orton tries for an RKO and Zayn counters and then runs at Orton with the Helluva Kick but Orton catches him and flattens him with an RKO and gets the win.
Winner: Randy Orton
Nia Jax is seen walking backstage and she's up next after a commercial break.
We come back from a quick break, and Nia Jax is making her way out to the ring. Jax says it's crazy that Tiffany Stratton approached her to shadow her and now she's striving. She says Stratton betrayed her and Tiffany Stratton interrupts Jax. Stratton calls Jax a toxic ex and tells Jax to get over it and tells her to admit that she's just better than Jax. Jax says if Stratton is so much better then why doesn't she get her rematch. Stratton says that it's her lucky day because next week they're going to have a last woman standing match. Jax attacks Stratton and hits a spinebuster headbutt on Stratton and then leg drops on her. Jax celebrates with Stratton's belt and then goes to leave but not before coming back to hit Stratton with another leg drop. Naomi runs down and goes to cash in her contract. Jax pulls Naomi out of the ring and doesn't allow Naomi to cash in. Stratton kicks Naomi off the apron onto Jax who is outside of the ring. Stratton leaves the ring as Jax and Naomi exchange words outside the ring.
Chelsea Green w/The Secret Hervice (Piper Niven & Alba Fyre) vs. Charlotte Flair
Green attacks Flair and slams Flair's head into the mat off of a distraction by Fyre. Flair starts getting offence and kicks Green and kicks Fyre as well. Flair hits a high cross body and covers Green for a two count. Green distracts the ref allowing Fyre to guillotine Flair. Green slams down Flair and covers for a near fall and we get a commercial break.
Back to Smacky, Flair is driven into the turnbuckle and then slapped in a headlock. Flair powers out of the hold but Green slams her down and then jumps on Flair's back. Flair falls backwards landing on Green breaking the hold. Flair slams Green into the turnbuckles and then punches Green and chops her. Flair hits a Fallaway Slam and hits a handspring clotheslines on Green and covers her for a two count. Flair goes for The Figure Eight but Fyre distracts her. Green hits The RoughRider on Flair and covers her for a two count. Green takes off her protective mask and goes for The UnprettiHer and Flair counters and spears her. Flair covers for a near fall and then goes for the Figure 8, but Green rolls her up. Flair kicks out and puts Green in a Figure 8 and gets the win.
Winner: Charlotte Flair
After the match, Niven and Fyre attack Flair. Alexa Bliss runs out and makes the save and hits Sister Abigail on Green. Once the ring is cleared Bliss extends her hand to Flair for saving her and Flair walks right by her and leaves the ring.
JC Mateo is wrapping his wrists backstage and Solo Sikoa asks him what he's doing. Mateo says he's going to take out Jacob Fatu but Sikoa says he's going out Solo to talk to Fatu but tells Mateo to be ready.
We come back from a commercial break and Solo Sikoa is en route to the ring. Sikoa says he feels terrible about what happened between him and Jacob Fatu and he wants Fatu to come out so they can clear the air. Fatu obliges and comes out to the ring. Sikoa tells Fatu he's not here to fight him, he wants to make it very clear that he loves Fatu and always has. He says he's learned to love and take care of his family, and being the Tribal Chief has taught him that. He tells Fatu that when you're family you will fight but family moves past it. He wants to move past this and Sikoa tells Fatu that he saw Fatu's potential and brought him to the WWE so Fatu could provide for his family. Sikoa says he doesn't have anyone else and that's why Fatu means so much to him. He tells Fatu that Fatu is all he needs and asks him to come back to the family. Sikoa tells Fatu he loves him and says "I love you, Jacob" even if Fatu won't say "I love you, Solo". Fatu tells Sikoa that he doesn't think Sikoa loves him, but that Sikoa has been using him - to gain power, to fight his battles, and so Sikoa can stay on top. Fatu says he was brought in to the WWE because Sikoa thought Fatu would bring him fame and gold. Fatu says every since he's won the US Title, it's Sikoa who has been acting different. He says he may not be the problem, but the problem is The US Title. Fatu puts the title on the mat and says if The US Title is the problem, then fight him for it. He tells Sikoa that this is one warning, don't come Fatu's way. Sikoa goes to strike Fatu and Fatu hits Sikoa with a headbutt. JC Mateo runs down and Fatu is out-numbered and is getting pummelled. Jimmy Uso comes out to make the save. Mateo is able to take down Uso and both Sikoa and Mateo beat on Uso. Fatu gets up and takes down Mateo and then lays out Sikoa. Fatu and Uso stare at each other and then Fatu goes to Moonsault onto Sikoa but Sikoa crawls out of the ring.
Bronson Reed w/Paul Heyman & Bron Breakker vs. LA Knight
Before the bell, Knight comes out of the crowd and throws Breakker into the ringpost outside the ring, and then throws Reed out of the ring. Back in the ring, the bell rings and Knight starts with punches on Reed. Reed collides with the turnbuckles and Knight stomps Reed down to the mat in the corner. Knight runs at Reed and Reed catches him and lifts him and goes to sit on him but misses. Knight is thrown onto the apron and Reed gets him back on his shoulders and Knight frees himself again. Knight goes for a jumping neckbreaker and Knight can't get Reed down. Knight hits a middle rope bulldog on Reed and Reed rolls out of the ring. Reed is kicked through the ropes and Knight hits a twisting cross body on Reed outside the ring and we get a commercial break.
We're back and Reed clotheslines Knight against the turnbuckles and then sits him on the top turnbuckles. Reed climbs the ropes and Knight starts punching Reed on the top rope and knocks him down. Knight comes off the top rope and hits a flying elbow and covers Reed for a near fall. Knight goes for the BFT but Reed counters and hits Jagged Edge on Knight and covers for a two count. Reed goes to powerbomb Knight and Knight counters and DDTs Reed. Breakker distracts Knight and then send Reed out of the ring. Breakker runs in and spears Knight calling for a DQ.
Winner by DQ: LA Knight
After the match, Reed holds up Knight allowing Breakker to hit a running spear on Knight. Breakker holds down Knight and Reed hits a Tsunami on Knight. Reed hits another Tsunami on Knight. Breakker holds down Knight again, and Reed hits a third Tsunami on Knight. Breakker and Reed stand above Knight and pose as Charles Robinson checks on Knight and tells Breakker and Reed to leave.
Jacob Fatu is backstage and tells us that at The Night of Champions he has a match against Solo Sikoa for his US Championship.
Ron "R-Truth" Killings vs. John Cena
Cena gets Mark Nash to redo his introduction and the match gets ready to start. We get the bell and Cena is speared by Truth and Truth punches Cena out of the ring. Truth heads out of the ring as well, and smokes Cena with some right hands and then slams Cena's head into the announce desk. Cena is punched some more and his head is slammed into the apron and Cena rolls into the ring. Back in the ring, Truth Irish Whips Cena into the corner and we cut to commercial.
Back to our Main Event, Cena has Truth on the mat and hits him with a shoulder check knocking Truth back onto the mat. Cena hits a sideslam on Truth and then goes for the five knuckle shuffle and connects it on Truth. Cena goes for the Attitude Adjustment but Truth hits a Lou Thesz Press on Cena and starts beating on Cena who rolls out of the ring and grabs his championship belt and starts leaving. Truth runs after him and Cena clocks him with the WWE Title.
Winner by DQ: R-Truth
After the match, CM Punk runs out and Cena runs back in the ring. When Punk enters Cena punches him and gets him down. Punk gets back on his feet and goes to hit Cena with the belt but Cena low blows Punk. Cena waits till Punk gets back to his feet and runs at him with his championship and clocks Punk in the head. Cena goes outside the ring and brings a table into the ring. Cena sets up the table in the middle of the ring and hits Punk in the head again with the title. Cena then hits the Attitude Adjustment on Punk through the table in the middle of the ring. Cena goes out and gets the mic and tells Punk, as he lays there in the most uncomfortable position he hopes Punk can digest what he's saying. Cena says he has a whole lot of stuff to get off his chest. First, he doesn't hate Punk nor does he dislike him - he actually likes Punk. But he hates the idea of Punk, and Punk thinking he's the best in the world when Cena is greatest of all time. He says Punk is better at one thing, which is bullshitting. Cena calls Stu the cameraman over to break the fourth wall. Cena tells Punk he's jealous of him because Punk has conned everyone in believing he's the best in the world. Cena talks about how they all chant his name and sing his song. He tells Punk no one believes anything he says, because Punk changes his values like Cena changes his t-shirts. Cena says hello to Nic Nemeth, Matt Cardona, and Claudio Castagnoli showing how Cena is breaking the rules tonight. He tells Punk that Punk is promo potato salad. He says Punk is Mr TKO and a millionaire now because they took Punk's balls. He says Punk's tweets are strong but his actions are weak. Cena says he will prove why he's the greatest of all time in Saudi Arabia. Punk is still laid out - Cena says the world knows that Punk was the best for seven minutes, 14 years ago. Cena says "You're welcome, Grand Rapids" and then tells Punk to bring his A-Game and tells Punk as you can see from this reaction, the mood is starting to change. Officials check on Punk and Cena says he won't attack Punk anymore because Punk has a big match coming up. Best in the World -vs- The Greatest of All Time for the WWE Championship. He says everyone knows the truth, and the champ is here. He thanks Punk for letting him rip off Punk's promo to make him Punk look more foolish. Cena poses on the ropes as Punk is being tended to. Cena leaves the ring and we get playback of Punk being taken out by Cena. Cena poses one last time and we get the end credits.
