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WWE SmackDown Live comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (June 20, 2017) from the Wright State University Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, featuring the fallout show from the Money in the Bank pay-per-view (PPV) that went down this past Sunday night in St. Louis.
Advertised for tonight: General Manager Daniel Bryan is back to deal with the James Ellsworth controversy, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on USA. It will be below this line here. (REMINDER: NO GIFS OR PICS ARE ALLOWED IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. OFFENDERS WILL BE BANNED.)
WWE SMACKDOWN RESULTS AND LIVE BLOG FOR JUNE 20
A magician’s pure joy, a mind bend for the common folk. Follow the straight line. A full house watching what we can’t see.The ultimate deceiver... Close one eye, step to the side, and I'll liveblog this here pro wrestling show, folks.
The show opens with a quick recap of the women's Money in the Bank ladder match before cutting backstage, where the four who didn't win are bickering when Daniel Bryan rolls up saying he wants to hear from Carmella and James Ellsworth first.
The Money in the Bank winner and briefcase-retriever then make their entrance. Carmella holds the briefcase high as Jimmy Dream has a sour look on his face. He asks the crowd what's wrong with them and demands they give it up for the first-ever Ms. Money in the Bank, Carmella.
Carmella welcomes us to the fabulous Era of Carmella and asks James to hold the briefcase for her. Before she begins, she wants to address the elephant in the room. For the last 48 hours the name Carmella has been trending worldwide, but not because she won the first-ever women's Money in the Bank ladder match, but because of how she won.
All of us people are saying she disrespected a historic moment or made a mockery of the women's division or that she needed James Ellsworth to help her climb the ladder and win the match for her, but who cares? She's been overlooked and underestimated ever since she was the last pick in the WWE draft and you better believe she's not here for girl power.
Everybody talks about Natalya's pedigree, Tamina's strength, Becky Lynch's straight fire, and something or other about Charlotte but none of that matters because she's just that intelligent. While everybody else was worried about making history, she was making plans for her future, and the fact of the matter is she won fair and square.
Remember back in 2014 when Kane came down and helped Seth Rollins win? Or in 2015 when Bray Wyatt, who wasn't even in the damn match, stopped Roman Reigns from winning and Sheamus won? But all the internet trolls have to get on Twitter and get Daniel Bryan involved? Carmella says they're all pathetic and that's embarrassing.
The idea that Daniel Bryan needs to come out here and decide whether she deserves it, that's pathetic. How can you break a rule when there are none? The crowd chants for Daniel Bryan and Carmella about loses her mind at how disrespectful she thinks it is. Bryan's gonna have to make a decision, and she thinks it'll be him "manning up" and reinforcing what she's just said.
She's Ms. Money in the Bank and there's not a damn thing any of us can do about it.
Daniel Bryan has been watching on a monitor in his office and Charlotte rolls up. He's glad she's here, and he wants to talk about her neck but she says he doesn't need to worry, insisting it's time for him to act after what Carmella said. Bryan says it was technically no disqualification and Charlotte makes a point about it only really applying to the licensed competitors in the match, which he agrees is a valid point.
She insists he "do the right thing" and leaves.
Commentary hypes up Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper vs. Jinder Mahal for later tonight, and we see New Day backstage hanging out with a skeleton wearing Usos merch. Big E vs. Jimmy Uso is after the break.
Back from commercial, Big E does the deal and New Day make their entrance.
They wanted to come out with that blue and silver around their waist but the Usos staged a prison break and up and left. So they cordially invite the Usos to step into the New Day's playpen, and Kofi introduces the Warden. He's big, he's handsome, he's got a big nightstick and he ain't afraid to use it, Deput-E.
Big says in their jurisdiction, there's no easy way out, there's no shortcuts home, because New Day rocks.
The Usos make their entrance and the match will begin during the break.
Big E vs. Jimmy Uso
E is hanging on by a thread on the apron as Jimmy punches him in the face. Big blocks a punch but the follow-up shoulder block is sidestepped and he eats a boot that takes him back in the ring. Side headlock to wear him down, Uso lets him go, charges in, sidestep takes him to the apron, slap, he climbs and dives right into an overhead belly-to-belly suplex!
Big getting the full trifecta in, hip swivel, off the ropes, big splash countered with a Samoan drop for two! Jimmy knocks Kofi off the apron but runs into a Rock Bottom in the corner, E lies in wait and hoists him up for the Big Ending but Uso slips out and rolls outside, regrouping with Jey. The brothers decide to take a walk again... KINGSTON WITH THE TURNING TRUST FALL SENTON OFF THE STEPS!
Xavier blocking the entry, Jimmy goes back in, superkick blocked, roundhouse ducked, E hoists him up...
Big E wins by pinfall with the Big Ending.
New Day celebrate and taunt the Usos about outsmarting them.
Daniel Bryan is backstage on the phone with Shane McMahon when Natalya and Tamina roll up. Nattie butters him up and wishes him a happy belated Father's Day, congratulating him on his newborn daughter and comparing her to one of her cats who hasn't been sleeping well.
Tamina gets right to the point and says if Carmella runs her mouth one more time she's gonna put her boot in it. Bryan promises an official decision soon and Nattie falls over herself thanking him as we go to break.
Back from commercial with a bit of hype for John Cena's July 4 return.
Naomi is interviewed about the controversy and says it's unfortunate. James Ellsworth as a deciding factor? Hell no. But she's sure Daniel Bryan will make the right decision and she doesn't care who it is, because she's gonna be ready.
Lana rolls up to ask what about her. She says Naomi should be thanking Carmella because if it wasn't for her and her man, Smackdown's Women's Champion would be ravishing. She wants a rematch and Naomi calls her thirsty and says she lost and felt the glow. But because she's a fighting champion, she'll give her another chance next week, and she best get out of her face before she gets slapped back to Russia.
Commentary guides us through a still picture recap of Jinder Mahal's successful title defense against Randy Orton before tossing to a sitdown interview with Orton from earlier today.
He's asked about the final moments of the match and he says he lost control, he saw red when the Singh Brothers put hands on his dad and instead of staying focused, he beat himself. He's been there before, whether it was with Authority, Evolution, or Legacy, he's lead the Numbers Game before and he can deal with that, but he can't handle people disrespecting his family.
It's no longer just about winning his 14th world championship, it's about doing anything to get his hands on Jinder and he's gonna hurt Jinder bad. He doesn't care if he ends Mahal's career, if he has to break the Singh's necks, if he has to go to India and destroy the entire Mahal family. Jinder made a mistake and now there's no turning back.
Dolph Ziggler makes his entrance, his match against Shinsuke Nakamura is after the break.
Back from commercial in time for Nakamura's entrance.
Dolph Ziggler vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
Staredown, Dolph primed to go low, Shinsuke keeping his distance. Probing kick, Ziggler ducks and goes for the leg after the stalemate breaks. Nakamura with a waistlock, standing switch, again, bodyscissors to a cross armbar but Dolph slips out and hustles to the outside.
Knucklelock, Shinsuke with an armbar, Dolph reverses, front facelock, capture pins, half-halch applied, Nakamura gets the ropes and ducks Ziggler's punch on the break before taunting him and and asking for more. Knee to the gut, kick, enzuigiri, the King of Strong Style applies a cravate.
Snapmare to a knee drop, Good Vibrations, Kinshasa sidestepped, a dropkick dodged in return and Dolph puts Shinsuke into the ringpost. Dropkick connects this time, wristlock, gouging the eyes, punishing him, scraping his face across the top rope. Trading blows, Ziggler catches Nakamura with a leg kick but gets back body dropped to the floor and we go to break.
Back from commercial, Ziggler has Nakamura locked down with a reverse chinlock. Shinsuke fights to his feet, body blows, whip reversed into a knee lift and he lays Dolph out with a kick after a few evasions. Block a punch, return 'em, Ziggler with a mat slam and referee Dan Engler warns him to lay off the hair.
Mocking Nakamura, he runs into a knee to the gut and an axe kick, chest kicks, duck a lariat, jump kick, King of Strong Style fired up! Lying in wait, charging knee, setting up the rope-hung knee lift in the corner, only good for a nearfall. Crushing knees to the ribs follow that up and Shinsuke takes a breather kneeling on Dolph's neck.
Drawing him up, front chancery to a guillotine choke, wrenching it in as Ziggler struggles, shifting to a front suplex slam. Thinking Kinshasa, Dolph sidesteps, kick to the knee, Fameasser... NO GOOD! Both men out on the mat, the Show-Off rises to his feet first, lying in wait, Shinsuke ducks the superkick, roundhouse ducked in return, Nakamura reverses the pin to a triange choke!
Shift to a cross armbar, reposition, snapping the arm back, Dolph fighting like mad for the ropes and getting the break by clawing at his face. Ziggler with a back elbow, Shinsuke kicks his arm out, inverted exploder suplex, Dolph lands on his feet, Zig Zag... NOT ENOUGH! Ziggler with the sleeper hold, bodyscissors applied, Nakamura fading but not giving up.
He gets to his knees, Dolph staying on him, to his feet, breaking the hold, firing off a headbutt, snapmare, kick to the back of the head! Both men out again, this time Shinsuke to his feet first, calling for it, lying in wait, fired up...
Shinsuke Nakamura wins by pinfall with Kinshasa.
Nakamura celebrates at length in his own inimitable style.
Daniel Bryan is backstage telling Sami Zayn how awesome he was in Money in the Bank and telling him he's got a match against Baron Corbin next week. Becky Lynch rolls up and Sami tells her he thinks she got robbed and he's sorry it ended the way it did. She returns the sentiment and tells Bryan she keeps thinking about the match.
She physically had the briefcase in her hand and that snake Ellsworth slithered in and knocked her down and handed the briefcase to Carmella. SmackDown is the land of opportunity but it feels like the land of handouts lately because it doesn't matter how hard she trains, how good she is, because somebody's always able to weasel in and take a shortcut.
She asks Bryan to help her out, tell her what she can do. He says it's complicated, and she asks if doing the right thing is really that complicated and walks off.
Kevin Owens is walking backstage, he has an open challenge (that he's dedicating to the memory of Chandler Biggins) after the break.
Back from commercial, Kevin Owens makes his entrance.
He gets on the mic and says the only reason he's standing in this ring without the Money in the Bank contract is because on Sunday night the other five competitors in the ladder match conspired against him, ganging up on him because they knew he was the most dangerous man in that match. They tried to end his career and that is an absolute injustice.
What happened to him on Sunday wasn't fair but he's in this ring tonight unbroken, still the new Face of America and still your United States Champion. Shane McMahon loves to say that SmackDown is the land of opportunity, but the original land of opportunity was the United States of America, and that's why he takes it as duty to truly make SmackDown the land of opportunity.
Tonight he's gonna give one lucky individual from Dayton, Ohio a chance at his title.
Enter AJ Styles. He says it's unfortunate for KO, but you know what's better than being United States Champion? Him beating Kev for the United States Championship. It's go time!
KO calls him rude and says it's for a local resident of Dayton and it's not about him.
Enter American Alpha? Chad Gable makes his way to the ring! Owens says he knows Gable isn't from Dayton, and Chad says actually he just moved here. KO asks him when and he says this morning. Owens asks for his address and Gable gives him one. AJ corroborates it, he knows the place! Ring the bell!
Chad Gable vs. Kevin Owens (United States Championship Open Challenge)
Gable right in with a trifecta of waistlock takedowns, standing switch, he rolls through into the ankle lock but KO has the ropes! And so we go to break.
Back from commercial, they're struggling in the corner, Chad knocking Owens to the mat but getting yanked from the top himself in return. Off the ropes, pop-up powerbomb reversed to a victory roll for a nearfall. KO with a superkick... NOPE! Disdainful slaps, fireman's carry reversed to a DDT!
Moonsault off the top... NO GOOD! Waistlock applied, looking for a German suplex, blocked with a back elbow and the champ puts him into the ringpost and goes for the cannonball but nobody's home. CHAOS THEORY! NOT ENOUGH! Owens hangs him up on the middle rope, kicks the rope into his throat, sends him off the ropes...
Kevin Owens wins by pinfall with the pop-up powerbomb.
AJ Styles gets up from commentary and jaws at Owens across the ring.
Backstage, the Hype Bros are going over Zack Ryder's injury in the #1 contender's match they won months ago with Daniel Bryan. They make a case that there's no statute of limitations and they deserve it because they earned it. Bryan says the tags have changed a lot but he'll give them an opportunity to earn another shot next week if they can beat the Usos.
They thank him and fire each other up to send us to break.
Back from commercial Sami is talking to a crewmember saying he thinks he needs an expert judge. Tye Dillinger rolls up and it proves to be a milkshake ad for Sonic wherein Tye rates both in question as a ten because that is his gimmick.
Daniel Bryan makes his entrance. He thanks the crowd and says it's great to be back, but he wishes it were under different circumstances. He's been holed up with Shane McMahon and other officials for the last two days trying to sort the women's Money in the Bank ladder match out, and he was told to keep his emotions out of it and stick to the rulebook.
He introduces the competitors from the match before continuing. His decision involves all of them, and Carmella had valid points. Ladder matches are no disqualification and nothing in the rulebook says you can't have somebody climb the ladder and unhook the briefcase, all it says is the first woman to hold the briefcase is the winner of the match.
And there has been interference in other Money in the Bank matches before, but that said, there has never ever before been somebody who climbs the ladder, unhooks the briefcase, and then hands it to somebody else, so it appears we are in uncharted territory. James Ellsworth asks what's gotten into Bryan, being a daddy to a little vegan hippie baby got him all soft?
He tells him to get it over with and Bryan gets in his face and tells him to shut up, and if he talks about his baby girl one more time he'll punch him in the face so fast he won't be able to breathe and he will fire him! Carmella insists he can't talk to them like that and Becky goes to tell her how wrong she is when Nattie says she's as pathetic as Jimmy is.
Charlotte cuts Natalya off and says she's here for a decision and if she doesn't shut up she'll make her look like Ellsworth. Tamina tells her she needs to be quiet or she will also look like Ellsworth. Bryan continues, saying it was a historic match and Carmella has an opportunity to do a first-time ever thing, too, because she'll be the first woman ever to hand over the briefcase!
Bryan isn't going to let somebody like Ellsworth interrupt one of the most important moments in WWE women's history and next week we're gonna have another Money in the Bank ladder match!
Bryan leaves and a brawl breaks out! Becky hits an exploder suplex on Tamina and she and Flair have Carmella surrounded and alone. The Princess of Staten Island begs off and Charlotte hits her with Natural Selection! Dis-Arm-Her! Carmella writhes in pain as the babyfaces celebrate and we go to break.
Back from commercial we get some hype for Daniel Bryan's return to Talking Smack, and since Big E is also on the show we should get a LOT of dong talk.
Jinder Mahal vs. Luke Harper
Collar and elbow, Jinder gets a knee off, clubbing blow, forearms in the corner, whip across, Harper knocks him down. Big slicing right, whip reversed, duck a lariat, big man dropkick and the champion bails to send us to break.
Back from commercial and Luke has the upper hand, Jinder outside with the Singh Brothers... suicide dive! But Mahal sidesteps and catches him with a running knee strike that gets two once he makes a cover. Rear chinlock applied with a knee to the small of Harper's back before shifting to a half nelson crossface.
Luke gets to his feet and is mat slammed right back down. Champion following with knees to the spine, knee drops and a choke against the ropes, Harper back in with a chop but Jinder stays dominant, snapmare to the half nelson crossface. Short-arm back elbows, Luke ducks the last one, butterfly suplex connects!
Forearms, charging back elbow, whip across, up and over, Harper putting it together, another back elbow, slingshot senton atomico, lying in wait, that lovely falling big boot of his, only a nearfall! TRUCK STOP! NO DICE! Looking for a suplex, Mahal floats over, puts him in the corner, Luke with a back elbow, he climbs up top but Jinder cuts him off.
Headbutts, superplex... Baron Corbin's coming down with his Money in the Bank briefcase! He circles the ring and leaves, playing mindgames with the champion, and Harper gets a schoolboy pin for two! Superkick, fired up, Singhs running interference, Jinder hooks him...
Jinder Mahal wins by pinfall with Khallas.
Jinder celebrates with the Singh Brothers when Randy Orton makes his entrance. He fights the Singhs off easily, gets in the ring, off the ropes, Lou Thesz Press into mounted punches and Jinder tries to bail! Around the ring lariat, back suplex into the timekeeper's barricade! The Viper's fired up!
RKO off the barricade! Referee Brian Nguyen waving him off but Orton's not done yet! Back in the ring, he goes to that special place and the Singh Brothers attack, putting boots to him. He fights them off, RKOs one of them, but Mahal is making his escape. The other dives into an RKO of his own! Randy poses on the turnbuckles.
That's the show, folks.