WWE Friday Night Smackdown Live Coverage - June 19th, 2026

[Kemo]

Cody Rhodes battles Gunther in a commercial-free Undisputed WWE Title Match with referee Sami Zayn

Cody Rhodes is set to battle Gunther in a commercial-free Undisputed WWE Championship rematch. The highly-decorated Gunther presents a massive challenge to The American Nightmare, and when given the opportunity to pick a special stipulation, The Ring General seemingly tipped the odds in his favor by naming Sami Zayn as the guest referee. The self-professed "Last Good Guy" has had major issues with Rhodes. Most recently, Sami and Cody traded slaps in an extremely heated war of words on SmackDown. What will happen in the turbulent title matchup?

— The show kicks off with a video recapping the events leading up to tonight's Undisputed WWE Championship match.

— Wade Barrett and Joe Tessitore greet audiences at home as Sami Zayn makes his way to the ring. GUNTHER and Cody Rhodes follow.

Undisputed WWE Championship Match (Special Referee: Sami Zayn): Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Gunther

The bell rings and the two lock up. GUNTHER runs over Rhodes with a shoulder tackle, but Rhodes rains down right hands on GUNTHER in the corner. Zayn pulls Rhodes off GUNTHER, and GUNTHER levels Rhodes with a big boot.

GUNTHER delivers a pair of knees to Rhodes' midsection and connects with a chop on his chest, then goes for a pin but Rhodes kicks out. Rhodes catches GUNTHER with a Cody Cutter and a scoop powerslam, but GUNTHER whips Rhodes into the corner spine first and lands a kick on Rhodes' leg. He cinches in a Figure Four Leg Lock on Rhodes, but GUNTHER uses the middle rope for extra leverage. Zayn catches GUNTHER and demands that he release the ropes and hold. GUNTHER obliges, but gets in Zayn's face.

Rhodes rolls up GUNTHER, but GUNTHER kicks out and rocks Rhodes with a big boot. Rhodes then connects with a Cross-Rhodes on GUNTHER and goes for another pin, but Zayn catches GUNTHER's foot under the bottom rope. Rhodes gets in Zayn's face, but Zayn shoves Rhodes. GUNTHER intercepts Rhodes with a sleeper hold, but Rhodes crawls over to the bottom rope and grabs onto it to break the hold.

Zayn pulls GUNTHER off Rhodes, and GUNTHER responds by shoving Zayn. Zayn reminds GUNTHER that he's the referee, but GUNTHER once again shoves Zayn. Zayn slaps GUNTHER, but GUNTHER responds by landing a powerbomb on Zayn to take him out.

Rhodes delivers a Cross-Rhodes to GUNTHER and calls for another official to count the fall. GUNTHER kicks out after the new referee begins the count late, but Rhodes ascends to the top rope. GUNTHER trips him up and joins Rhodes on the ropes, then lands a dropkick on him back on the mat and follows it up with a powerbomb. He goes for a pin, but Zayn pulls the new referee out of the ring to stop the count as he insists that he's still the referee of this match. Rhodes attempts to roll up GUNTHER, but GUNTHER holds onto the ropes to prevent Rhodes from rolling him up. Zayn kicks out GUNTHER's hand from under him, opening the door for Rhodes to roll up GUNTHER for the win as Zayn executes a fast count.

Winner and STILL Undisputed WWE Champion: Cody Rhodes

— After the match, Zayn looks visibly disappointed in himself and heads to the back. GUNTHER berates Nick Aldis for losing two Undisputed WWE Championship match and demands another rematch at Night of Champions.

— Now we shoot backstage, where we see Jade Cargill and her amazing baddies talk about Rhea Ripley being re-injured, as well as Tiffany Stratton getting involved in business she shouldn’t be. They run Stratton down some more before walking off, and we get a look at the upcoming King and Queen of the Ring semifinal matches.

— Highlights of the chaotic start to the show air and then we shoot live backstage, where we see an angry Gunther shouts at Aldis to give him another match for the title at Night of Champions, telling him to “get it done." He then leaves angrily.

— Backstage, Solo Sikoa is confronted by Jacob Fatu, who tells him that he is here under orders from Roman Reigns to make sure nobody gets involved in Jey’s match tonight, and to tell Sikoa he’s running out of time on the decision he needs to make.

— From there, Fatu leaves as Solo is now confronted by Tama and Talla Tonga. They tell him to stay in the back when they challenge for the tag titles. If he comes out there there’s no telling who will follow, and that Solo’s family business is starting to mess with their family business. The show heads into another commercial break.

— Another vignette airs for Blake Monroe, who is focused on Giulia as she promises to make her debut soon. The 'coming soon' video wraps up and the show heads back live inside the arena for our next match of the evening.

— Damian Priest and R-Truth make their way to the ring. MFT follows.

WWE Tag-Team Championships Match: Damian Priest & R-Truth (c) vs. Tama & Talla Tonga

Priest and Talla Tonga begin the action. The bell rings and the two lock up. Priest fires off right hands and left hands on Talla as we see AAA World Tag Team Champions The War Raiders watching the match from backstage.

Tama Tonga tags in, and Talla fires off stomps on Priest in the corner. He jams his boot into Priest, but Priest levels Tama with a kick when Tama goes after him and sends him crashing into the corner of the ring. Truth tags in and fires off right hands on Talla as Talla stands on the apron to knock him off, but Tama dumps Truth out of the ring and Talla runs over Truth with a big boot on the outside.

Tama jams his boot into Truth during the commercial break and tags out to Talla. Talla levels Truth with a chop and jams his knee into the back of Truth's neck using the middle rope, then tags back out to Tama. Tama wears down Truth with a Half Boston Crab, but Priest tags in back from the break and levels Tama with a spinning kick.

Priest delivers a pair of back elbows to Tama in the corner, then clotheslines an interfering Talla out of the ring. Solo Sikoa emerges at ringside, and Talla asks Sikoa what he's doing. Tama looks to tag out to Talla, but Talla is still arguing with Sikoa. Priest looks to surprise Talla with a double ax handle off the ring steps, but Sikoa pushes Talla out of the way to take the move for him. Priest manages to send Talla crashing into the ring post. This opens the door for Truth to roll up a distracted Tama for the win.

Winners and STILL WWE Tag Team Champions: R-Truth & Damian Priest

— We then head backstage, where Sami Zayn once again vents about his troubles to Johnny Gargano as Candice LeRae stands by. Nick Aldis confronts Zayn about what happened when he served as special guest referee earlier tonight, but Zayn insists he called the initial Undisputed WWE Championship match down the middle and didn't screw Cody Rhodes over. He says he didn't ask to be in the middle of all of this, but says he's not going away that easy.

— Back at ringside, Carmelo Hayes makes his way out. Ricky Saints follows.

WWE U.S. Championship No. 1 Contender Match: Ricky Saints vs. Carmelo Hayes

The bell rings and Hayes levels Saints with a clothesline. Hayes flies out of the ring over the top rope to level Saints on the outside before the two men return inside the ring and Hayes connects with a suplex on Saints.

Saints walks the top rope akin to Michael Jackson and delivers an Old School to Hayes. He strikes his signature pose and wears Hayes down with a submission hold, then rains down right hands on Hayes and looks to land a bulldog on him. Hayes counters into a back suplex, then connects with a springboard DDT on Saints and goes for a pin. Saints kicks out and lands an off the shoulder flapjack on Hayes, then goes for a pin of his own. Hayes kicks out.

Hayes and Saints level one another with clotheslines, but Hayes lands a Dirty Diana on Saints and sends him crashing into the mat with a neckbreaker. He goes for a pin, but Saints kicks out and Hayes ascends to the top rope. He looks to fly, but Saints moves out of the way and looks to deliver a Tornado DDT to Hayes out of the corner. Hayes sees Saints coming and ascends to the top, but Saints trips up Hayes and sends him crashing into an exposed top turnbuckle spine first for the win.

Winner and NEW No. 1 Contender to WWE U.S. Championship: Ricky Saints

— We head backstage, where Cody Rhodes requests a Triple Threat Undisputed WWE Championship match against GUNTHER and Sami Zayn at Night of Champions from Nick Aldis. Aldis grants him the match.

— We then head over to Danhausen's labratory and see him doing experiments on The Miz and Kit Wilson. Berto and Angel confront Danhausen about not cursing The New York Knicks NBA team and losing thousands of dollars, but Danhausen says he spent all their money. Matt Cardona comes to Danhausen's defense only to be shocked by his machine into being Zack Ryder again.

— Backstage, R-Truth polishes his title but Finn Balor shows up. Truth and Balor talk, Truth is the master of gaslighting about what happened last week. Balor doesn’t want Truth’s help later but Truth says if you’re Judgement Day it’s for Life.

Priest shows up and still has tension with Balor and doesn’t trust him. Moderately successful comedy, but we’re angling to reunite another faction just like the Bloodline has and that just reeks of lazy or uncreative booking. The show moves on.

— Back at ringside, Jey Uso makes his way out. Je'Von Evans follows.

2026 WWE King Of The Ring Tournament Semifinals Match: Je'Von Evans vs. Jey Uso

The bell rings and Evans rolls up Jey. Jey kicks out, but Evans sends Jey crashing out of the ring with a kick and flies out of the ring over the top rope to take out Jey on the outside.

Jey extends his hand to Evans during the commercial break, and Evans looks to share it. Jey looks to surprise Evans with a boot, but Evans sees him coming and fires off right hands on Jey in the corner. Evans flies off the top rope to pin Jey, but Jey kicks out and rips Evans' shirt off back from the break.

Jey delivers a stomp to Evans' groin and lands a backbreaker on him. He sends Evans crashing out of the ring, then whips Evans into the barricade spine first and flies out of the ring to take out Evans.

Jey rocks Evans with a strike that sends him crashing back out of the ring after the pair have returned inside during another commercial break, but Evans rocks Jey with a superkick and flies over the barricade in front of the timekeeper's area to take out Jey. The two men teeter on the ropes, but Evans delivers a Spanish Fly to Jey.

Jey and Evans exchange right hand with one another back from the break, but Evans runs over Jey with a knee strike. Jey responds with a spear to Evans and pins him, but Evans kicks out and lands a sit-out powerbomb on Jey. Jey then lands an Uso Splash on Evans for the win.

Winner: Jey Uso

— In the back Jacob Fatu watched that on TV, he walks but here’s Solo. Solo says Roman is sticking his nose into Solo’s business, and if Roman wants to mess with Solo’s family Solo will return the favor.

— We get a Giulia hype video, next week in London, her birthplace, she’ll end things with Kiana James once and for all. In the back Cathy talks with Tiffany Stratton, Tiffany knows Jade is desperate but Tiffany will accept her challenge.

Chelsea Green comes over talks with Tiffany. Tiffany brings up the history between them, Green has seen Tiffany get kicked around all year and Tiffany doesn’t need her help. Tiffany walks off and Green is sad. We head to another break.

— Back from break, we see a video of Liv Morgan talking to Charlotte and putting her down. Is this really all Liv is doing these days? What a let down of a title run. A video also airs for Paige and Brie Bella talking about their title run and their upcoming title defense against Bayley and Lyra Valkyria.

Fatal Influence yell at the camera too, mostly about last weeks match. If Paige and Brie keep the titles then Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid will take them. Jacy Jayne is going to demand a match with Paige in London. The show moves on from there.

— In the back Jey walks and finds Cody. Cody congratulates him, and Jey says one more then he’s coming for Cody. Cody warns him about Oba Femi, but says he’ll be easy to find. As Cody walks off Sami shows up to talk to Jey. Sami says he’s not doing great.

He says but he knows Jey is doing great stuff and is going to SummerSlam, but it might be Sami holding that title then. So what if that happens? Jey says Sami knows him, Jey will do what he has to do. Sami tells Jey to say hi to the family for him.

— We then head elsewhere backstage, where Charlotte Flair encounters Jade Cargill, B-Fab, and Michin. The latter three women leave as Flair looks to head out to the ring, but B-Fab blindsides Flair from behind with a chop kick and targets Flair's knee along with Cargill and Michin. Flair insists she's fine to compete in her Queen of the Ring semifinals as Alexa Bliss, Nick Aldis, and a medical official check on her, but Liv Morgan laughs as she passes Flair and makes her way to the ring. Flair follows, sporting a knee brace on her freshly injured left knee.

2026 WWE Queen Of The Ring Tournament Semifinals Match: Charlotte Flair vs. Liv Morgan

Morgan delivers a chop block to Flair's injured left knee as Flair ascends up the ring steps. Two medical officials and Nick Aldis check on Flair, but Flair still insists she compete in the match.

The bell rings and Flair lands a clothesline on Morgan. Morgan sends Flair crashing into the ring steps on the outside left knee first.

Back from the break, Morgan sends Flair's left knee bouncing off the ring post. The two women return to the ring, but Flair ascends to the top rope and delivers a crossbody to Morgan. She levels Morgan with a back elbow and fires off chops on Morgan's chest, but Morgan whips Flair into the mat left knee first.

Flair ascends back up the ropes, but Morgan pulls her off the top with a powerbomb and goes for a pin. Flair kicks out, but Morgan sends her crashing into the ring post shoulder first. She wrenches back on Flair's left knee using the top turnbuckle as leverage to cinch in a Half Boston Crab on her, but Flair sends Morgan's head repeatedly bouncing off the announce desk on the outside.

Morgan sends Flair crashing into the ring post, then sets up for Oblivion on her when the pair get back in the ring. Flair intercepts Morgan and lands a German suplex on her, then goes for a pin but Morgan kicks out.

Morgan delivers The Three Amigos to Flair and follows it up with a kick on her, then goes for a pin but Flair kicks out. Morgan looks to land a splash on Flair off the middle rope, but Flair counters into a roll up. Morgan kicks out and Flair looks to cinch in the Figure Four Leg Lock, but Morgan avoids it and delivers another chop block to Flair's left knee.

Flair delivers a double underhook suplex to pull Morgan off the top rope, then ascends up to the middle rope and lands a Natural Selection on Morgan. She goes for a pin, but Morgan kicks out and Flair cinches in a Figure Four Leg Lock on her seeing as her left knee doesn't allow her to turn it into a Figure Eight Leg Lock.

Morgan reverses the Figure Four Leg Lock, but Flair reverses it back. Morgan grabs onto the bottom rope to break the hold, then cinches in a Half Boston Crab on Flair's left knee. Medical officials and Nick Aldis check on Flair on the outside, but Morgan drags her back into the ring as Flair insists she's still fine.

Flair delivers a jawbreaker to Morgan off the middle rope, but Morgan connects with Oblivion on Flair. She goes for a pin, but Flair kicks out and Morgan cinches in a Half Boston Crab on Flair's left knee. Flair taps out.

Winner: Liv Morgan

[LionDen]

Scheduled so far:
- Undisputed WWE Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. GUNTHER. Commercial Free Match.
special Guest Referee: Sami zayn

- WWE Tag Team Championship: R-Truth and Damian Priest (c) vs. MFT (Talla Tonga and Tama Tonga)

- Queen of the Ring Tournament Semifinals: Charlotte Flair vs. Liv Morgan.

- King of the Ring Tournament Semifinals: Jey Uso vs. Je’Von Evans.

- Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints.
Winner earns a United States Championship match at WWE Night of Champions.