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WWE SmackDown comes waltzing back into our lives tonight (June 5, 2020) with a show at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. There won’t be any fans in attendance, but we will see Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross defend the Women’s tag team championships against Bayley and Sasha Banks. We’ll also see Miz & John Morrison issue a warning to Braun Strowman, Jeff Hardy telling his side of the story regarding last week’s car accident, a face-to-face confrontation between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan, and more!
Come right back here at 8 p.m. ET when the SmackDown live blog kicks off once the show starts on Fox. 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 5
Walking on a cold and white December night, I hear the voices from the other side calling my name, must be that olden friend. I think she has come to see me once again. Do you still remember the old oak tree? I do, the feeling’s coming back to me. Calling my name, must be that olden friend, I think she has come to see me once again, but for right now I need to liveblog this here pro wrestling show for you, folks.
The show opens with commentary hyping tonight’s show up.
Backstage, Jeff Hardy is shown slapping hands and chatting with some folks, and we get a recap of last week’s opening segment as well as all the fallout for the Intercontinental Championship tournament.
Jeff Hardy makes his entrance and we get an update on Elias— he has a torn pectoral muscle and some broken ribs and may be out for several months.
Jeff gets on the mic and says it’s great to see everybody. First off he wants to thank WWE management and Fox for giving him time to get this off his chest— last week the WWE Universe witnessed something awful, but he wants to give us his point of view. He pulled up to the Performance Center, excited for the show, and BAM! it felt like somebody hit him with an anvil.
He blacked out and when he came to he couldn’t make sense of anything and he reeked of alcohol. His mind drifted back to that dark time and he started questioning everything he’s worked for the last eight months. How could he look his wife and daughters in the eye and explain this? How many more times can he beg for forgiveness?
It’s all good, though, because he’s here for a reason, and it’s good to know he’s not on this path alone. Even though his head was spinning he knew he did not slip last Friday, so when he’s in the police station passing every sobriety test they threw at him, eyewitnesses said the person who fled his car had red hair and a red beard.
He was furious and free to go and he couldn’t get back here soon enough, because we all know who fits that description, right? The anger and rage he felt that night can only be expressed through action, and he’ll be damned if he’s gonna let Sheamus get away with it!
Enter Sheamus.
He gets on the mic and tells Jeff not to cast aspersions or point fingers, and he’s just doing what he’s done his entire life— blamed other people for his problems. He always has an excuse for his actions, and those fans of his that lied to cops on his behalf, their worse than him, they’re in denial and enablers.
He asks Jeff to be a man for once in his life and admit to what he did, but he knows he won’t, because he’s not a man, he’s just a junkie. But don’t worry about embarrassing your wife and kids, because they’re used to it!
Hardy rushes Sheamus on the ramp, ducks a Brogue Kick, and beats on him but Sheamus is able to get to his feet and lay the Charismatic Enigma out with a Brogue Kick! Throwing him into the Lexan barriers over and over, the Celtic Warrior leaves him laying with referee Charles Robinson checking on him.
Otis Dozovic and Mandy Rose are walking backstage when they run into Baron Corbin’s crown and cloak. Otis tries the crown on at Mandy’s behest and she likes the way it looks on him so they walk off together, crown on dome.
Moments later, Corbin comes along and loses his mind at his crown being stolen, accosting a crewmember in the process. He pulls his cloak away, kicks the chair over, and storms off to send us to break.
King Baron Corbin vs. Otis Dozovic
Dozovic with punches out the gates but Corbin posts him shoulder-first and gets some breathing room. Otis sidesteps and clotheslines him to the floor, Baron back in, duck the lariat and he gets clotheslined to the floor on the other side! Following out after, Corbin rams him into the apron and then throws him face-first into the post!
Back inside, Baron with a spinebuster for two! Half nelson chinlock, Dozer fights to his feet, but Corbin lights him up with body blows in the corner and goes back to the chinlock. Otis out, boots up in the corner, Baron advancing with front kicks but Dozovic shrugs them off! Elbows lay him out, a lariat, Dozer running hot with huge fallaway slams!
Charging in, Stinger Splash, slapping his biceps, it’s time... but Baron rolls out of the ring! He staggers over to the timekeeper’s area and reclaims his crown, right hand to Otis, chairs to the midsection, referee Jessika Carr calls it...
Otis Dozovic wins by disqualification.
He wallops Otis with the chair until he gets him in the ring but Dozer is able to lay him out... CATERPILLAR!
We cut outside to the parking lot, where Miz and John Morrison are in a white unmarked surveillance van talking about making “this guy’s life miserable.” Braun Strowman rolls up in his car and gets out and grabs his luggage to head into the building to send us to break.
Back from commercial, we join Miz and Morrison in the van again.
They talk about how all their coworkers have been questioning their decision to challenge Braun Strowman to a handicap match for the WWE Universal Championship. They’ve been underestimated their entire career, and Braun’s about to have a really bad day. Some would describe what you’re about to see as childish, but it’s a calculated decision, because an angry monster is a careless monster.
Cut to security camera footage of Braun filling up a thermos. He greets referee Dan Engler and then his thermos overflows and Miz and Morrison cackle.
Chad Gable is interviewed backstage, but Mojo Rawley interrupts before he can be asked a full question.
He apologizes for interrupting but says there’s far more important things to discuss, like his buddy Rob Gronkowski losing the 24/7 Championship. He mocks Chad’s height, and Gable turns around to Cesaro and Shinsuke Nakamura standing there. Cesaro punches him in the face and the three heels beat him down together!
New Day make the save!
Lacey Evans makes her entrance and Sonya Deville blindsides her! They’ll be wrestling after the break.
Lacey Evans vs. Sonya Deville
Collar and elbow, into the ropes, Evans slings her off and follows it up with an arm drag. Deville with a go-behind into a takedown and the ride before laying a kick in and whipping her into the corner. Lacey ducks to the apron, legsweep, slingshot elbow drop for one! Smashing her face into the turnbuckles, one after the other, wrenching her arm over the ropes.
Sonya with a body blow when she closes in, jawing, whip reversed, boot up in the corner! Choking Evans over the ropes, leg kicks, a lariat, Deville stepping on her hair before hammering her with a chest kick. Drawing her up, Lacey passes her into the corner, catches the boot into a trip, taking her to the apron for repeated knee lifts!
Slingshot sunset flip but Sonya’s leg catches referee Danilo Anfibio and takes his leg out! He backs them off and calls for help, bringing referee Jessika Carr and a trainer out to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Carr has replaced Anfibio as the official and Deville is in control with a reverse chinlock and then a mat slam when Evans tries to break free. Bulldog neckbreaker over the knee off the apron, stepping on Lacey’s neck on the steel steps, back inside, cover for two. Trading shots, Sonya with a fireman’s carry, Evans slips out.
Off the ropes, neckbreaker drop lays Deville out! Lariats, arm wringer into chest kicks, an axe kick and Lacey is in control! Flexing, fired up, running knee sets up the Senton de la Muerte! On the second rope, double jump moonsault... NOPE! Sonya with a kick to get back into it, forearms in the corner, hooking Evans under the top rope and whipping her to the mat!
Off the ropes, running knee gets two, but Mandy Rose appears on the tron to call Sonya out. She’s not a fighter, she’s a failure. This gets Sonya apopletic, Lacey from behind...
Lacey Evans wins by pinfall with the Woman’s Right.
Commentary promises us a face-to-face between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan up next, after the break.
Back from commercial, we get a Matt Riddle vignette.
Braun Strowman is interviewed backstage.
He says Miz and Morrison are like annoying bugs buzzing around your neck, and this cuts us back to the van where they have a remote and press a button... and slime Kayla Braxton. Whoops. Braun apologizes and Miz and Morrison bicker over whose fault this is. Kayla calls them bastards and storms off to get cleaned up.
Renee Young is in the ring with the Intercontinental Championship for our face-to-face between tournament finalists AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan.
They make their entrance and Styles gets on the mic first, saying he knows Bryan’s gonna call him a coward for taking a bye but the truth is if Jeff Hardy hadn’t gotten involved, it’d be Sheamus standing here right now. Dan says AJ shows traits of cowardice, but the truth is they just have two different ways of thinking and that’s okay.
Styles says he looks in the mirror and sees the greatest champion WWE’s ever seen, and Bryan is all heart, but it turns out all heart is stupid. Dan says he’s trying to get under his skin but it’s not working. They’ve known each other a long time, long enough to know that they have different world views and different visions of what it means to be Intercontinental Championship.
In Styles’ vision, he defends against a select few opponents, because not everybody’s good enough to face the greatest of all time and he can’t fathom some unexpected person shattering that vision, and that’s why he’s a coward. American Dragon’s vision is defending the title every week on SmackDown against everybody from vets to up-and-comers, and he doesn’t do that because it’s noble, he does it because he wants to learn and grow and push himself.
When he thinks of being the best, it’s not who he is, but who he can be, and he wants the WWE Universe to tune in excited every week that there’ll be a title match and maybe their favorite superstar can beat him and break through. AJ says that sounds like he wants him to just give a handout, but he doesn’t believe in handouts.
He believes in earning an opportunity, and how did Drew Gulak earn an opportunity to be Bryan’s coach? If they can’t agree what their visions are, how about this? He’ll reach across the aisle and do something unexpected— he wants to give Drew Gulak an opportunity right here tonight in this very ring.
He knows he’s in the back, so he wants Drew to come down and get an ass whipping.
Enter Drew Gulak. He takes Styles down and beats him down to send us to break.
AJ Styles vs. Drew Gulak
Styles backing Gulak into the corner with chops, whip across, dropping him with a back elbow and smashing his face into the turnbuckles. Shoulder thrusts, chop, Drew with a jawbreaker, off the ropes, leapfrog, drop down, duck the dropkick, armbar applied but AJ gets the ropes! Gulak hangs onto the hold for three and then goes for a crossface.
AJ backs him into the corner, dirty break with a back elbow, forearms and chops in the corner, snapmare to a back kick, a wicked-lookin’ STO backbreaker... ONLY ONE! Fireman’s carry, Gulak slips out, headbutt, whip reversed, boots up on the charge. Charging in, Styles drops him with a lariat! Both men down and out, AJ on his knees, first to rise.
Stalking after the Legal Eagle, rear chinlock applied, Gulak to his feet. Body blows into the corner, punches to the face, referee Charles Robinson backs him off. Styles with corner strikes of his own, whip across, duck the charge, Drew drops him with a lariat! Dropkick sends him into the corner, charging lariat sets up a snap fisherman suplex!
Gulak scoops him up, Michinoku Driver... SO CLOSE! AJ dragging himself up the turnbuckles, Drew with an electric chair but he rakes the eyes and gets out. Styles with a scoop into an inverted DDT! Thinking Styles Clash, Gulak with a leg pick...
Drew Gulak wins by pinfall with a European Clutch.
Miz and Morrison are out screwing with Braun’s Buick. They see “a fly” on the windshield, but luckily, Miz has been working on his golf game, and he smashes the windshield with a golf club! John has a baseball bat and they talk about how Crusher Scherr is in the softball hall of fame. Miz “pitches” and Morrison smashes the windshield further.
They hug and go back to the van to send us to break.
Artist Collective (Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura) & Mojo Rawley vs. Chad Gable & New Day (Big E & Kofi Kingston)
Cesaro and Gable to start, the Swiss Cyborg catches the Koppo kick into a powerbomb lift but Chad reverses to a sunset flip! Flying mare countered, jockeying for position, dragon screw from Gable into a tag to E! Rawley tags in, crossbody for two, quick tag to Nakamura and the heels work Big over for a beat.
Nakamura legal when Gable gets the tag, New Day working double teams, diving splash gets a nearfall! Calling for it, Shinsuke bails, Kofi off the ropes... TOPE CON GIRO! Kingston comes up lame, Nakamura waves him back inside but Mojo blasts him with a pounce to send us to break.
Back from commercial, Kingston is still isolated with Cesaro working him over. Looking for the tag but the Swiss Superman manhandles him up into a backbreaker! Rawley in, block the tag but the pop-up stomp gets it and Gable tags in! Lighting Mojo up, overhead belly-to-belly for Cesaro, rolling Koppo kick and a blockbuster for Rawley!
Up top, moonsault... NOT ENOUGH! Fireman’s carry, Chad slips out, ankle lock applied! He falls back and grapevines the leg but Nakamura breaks it up with Kinshasa! E gets him up for the Big Ending, Shinsuke slips to the apron and chokes him, Cesaro nails Gable with an uppercut! Kingston dives on Nakamura, Mojo with a fireman’s carry drop... CHAD GABLE KICKS OUT!
Rawley’s ankle bugging him, he drags Gable to his feet but the Olympian breaks away and clears the apron! Duck the charging forearm, tag to Big, scoop him up, plancha takes the Collective out...
Chad Gable & New Day win by pinfall with Midnight Hour from New Day on Mojo Rawley.
Braun Strowman is shown leaving the building and, naturally, he’s apoplectic about his car’s windshield being broken. Strowman bellows at a crew member, asking where Miz and Morrison are, and he goes over to the van. The doors are locked, so they think they’re safe as Braun hits it. He tells them they’re dead men and stares at the camera while they crow about living in his head rent-free.
Strowman starts rocking the van before just getting his hands under it... THE MONSTER AMONG MEN TIPS THE VAN OVER! He tells them that’s funny and walks off to send us to break.
Back from commercial, commentary hypes up the Backlash card, including new addition Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus.
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross (c) vs. Boss and Hug Connection (Bayley & Sasha Banks) (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship)
Cross and Bayley to start and the tag champ takes her down with a crossbody into mounted punches! Sleeper hold follows, backing her into the corner to tag Bliss. NODOWA OTOSHI! Knee drop, quick tag, working the women’s champ over in their corner. Bayley eventually gets Alexa into her corner, tag to Banks, heel control segment begins.
Quick tags, eventually Alexa gets Bayley back in their corner and tags Cross in. Running bulldog for two, Bayley bails and Nikki hits a baseball slide. Ramming Banks into the post, diving crossbody to the floor, Cross is fired up! Heels cut her off, tag made, Meteora to the floor sends us to break!
Back from commercial, heels still in charge and still making quick tags and double-teaming Cross. Corner knees from the Boss, backslide for two! Dragging her into the corner, tag to Bayley, stomp in passing. Reverse chinlock applied, ramming her into the corner, but Nikki sidesteps an uppercut! Pass to the apron, Stunner blocked, shoulder thrust, Cross reaching for the tag, kicking her off and she gets it!
Alexa in hot with lariats, big right hands, lighting Sasha up as well, dropkick takes the women’s champ out! Insault to Injury connects, headed up top, Banks tries to cut her off but Bayley successfully does! Jockeying for position... AVALANCHE BAYLEY-TO-BELLY! TAG MADE, RUNNING KNEE... ALEXA BLISS KICKS OUT!
Drawing her up, whip reversed, up and over, back roll into a tijeras! Cross holding Bayley back, Alexa hits the Yoshi Tonic... SO CLOSE! Nikki legal, diving crossbody for two! Dragon screw neck whip countered, tag made, Bank Statement but Banks has to let go and Nikki ends up hitting a Regal Cutter on Bayley! Sasha drags her over, tag made, to the apron, knee strike, Banks springboards in, crossface applied!
Cross reaching, Bayley pulls Alexa out of the ring, trading pins...
Boss and Hug Connection win by pinfall with a crucifix pin from Sasha Banks on Nikki Cross to win the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
The new tag champs celebrate their win.
That’s the show, folks.