SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)…
WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT
JUNE 14, 2024
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND OR OVO HYDRO ARENA
AIRED ON FOX
Commentators: Corey Graves, Wade Barrett
Ring Announcer: Alicia Taylor
Attendance: WrestleTix reported earlier today that 10,512 tickets had been distributed so far; arena set up for 11,119
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PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by Alex McDonaldo from PWTorch to review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
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LIVE ON YOUTUBE RIGHT AFTER WWE SMACKDOWN TONIGHT
[HOUR ONE]
-After WWE’s “Then, Now, Together, Forever” brand stamp, they cut to scenes of Scotland as Corey Graves introduced the show. They showed Cody Rhodes arriving at the arena, then A.J. Styles with Karl Anderson & Luke Gallows arriving, and finally Kevin Owens arriving. They went to an impressive wide shot of the interior of the filled arena.
(1) NAOMI (w/Bayley) vs. CHELSEA GREEN (w/Piper Niven)
First, Bayley made her ring entrance from a modified entrance set off to the side from the usual place with a smaller than usual video wall. Naomi then joined her in the aisle as her music played. Green told the audience on her way to the ring that their hometown heroes have arrived. She said there will be two crushing defeats for them this weekend. She said first she’ll beat Green tonight and then tomorrow Niven will crush Bayley. The bell rang 6 minutes into the hour. Naomi scored a two count at 1:00 after her split-legged moonsault. She followed with a basement dropkick of Green who was sitting in the corner. When she went for a dive to the floor, Green knocked her out of mid-air and took over. They cut to a break at 2:00. [c]
Green remained in control after the break. At 7:00 Naomi landed a kick to knock Green to the floor. She went for a dive and this time connected. She pounded away at Green on the floor and then threw her back into the ring. Naomi mounted Green in the corner, but Green slipped down and yanked Naomi to the mat. She followed with a top rope dropkick for a two count at 8:00. Green rolled up Naomi and put her boots on the middle rope, but Bayley shoved her boots down during the ref’s count. Wade Barrett called for a DQ of Naomi for Bayley’s “interference.” Niven yelled at Bayley at ringside as Naomi bridged back to score a leverage three count on Green.
WINNER: Naomi in 9:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Solid match and a logical way to hype tomorrow’s match.)
-A replay aired of Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo attacking Apollo Crews last week.
-Baron Corbin approached Nick Aldis in his office and thanked him for a fresh start after his time on NXT. Legado Del Fantasma walked in and mocked their conversation. Angel asked Aldis, “What is this? Charity?” Aldis told Corbin they’d continue their conversation later. He told Angel and Carrillo that he fined them and next time a fine will be the least of their worries. Santos Escobar asked if Crews is healthy. He offered to do Aldis a favor and wrestle Crews tonight. Aldis said, “Okay.”
-Graves hyped The Grayson Waller Effect was next. [c]
-A vignette aired on Jade Cargill & Bianca Belair.
-As Grayson Waller and Austin Theory were introduced, the latest QR code flashed on the screen. Waller and Theory were already in the ring as Waller’s music faded. Fans booed Waller as he introduced his segment. Theory asked where the plants were that are usually part of the show. Waller said, “This place is so depressing, not even fake plants can’t live here.” He told the fans he can’t understand what they’re saying. He introduced DIY, who made their entrance.
Tomasso Ciampa threw a stool out of the ring. Waller said that chair cost more than their whole paycheck. Ciampa said it is Waller’s show. He asked what that makes Theory, “your secretary?” Waller said the show existed before they were a team and it would take a lot of money to change the signage. Theory soaked up the comments. Johnny Gargano had the production truck run the footage of Waller perhaps yanking Theory into Gargano’s path as he was flying through the ropes last week. Waller said, “That was AI; that wasn’t real footage, okay?” Waller said what wasn’t in that clip was him beating them.
Ciampa said the fans didn’t come to see their talk show, they came to see a fight for their tag team titles. Waller said they wouldn’t defend their titles in a place like Glasgow. He accused them of trying to drive a wedge between them. Gargano said DIY are coming for their tag team titles.
Gargano then said he wanted to talk to Theory. He said he’s known him for a very long time. He said he’s already believed in him and he’s proud of what he’s done on his own. He said it kills him to see him being used by Waller. Waller hit Gargano. Theory went after Ciampa, but Ciampa fought back. Theory knocked Waller out of the path of a Gargano superkick attempt, so Theory got kicked instead. Ciampa then delivered a running knee aimed at Waller, but Waller moved and it hit Theory. Waller pulled Theory to ringside as Gargano and Ciampa posed with the tag belts on a table mid-ring.
(Keller’s Analysis: Good segment. It’s nice to see Gargano’s history with Theory being included here. Waller has been good being a weasel about his dynamic with Theory without making it obvious he’s using Theory.)
-The Street Profits told Kevin Owens backstage that they all can’t stand The Bloodline. B-Fab said they’ve got his back. Owens smiled.
-Santos Escobar made his entrance with the rest of Legado del Fantasma. [c]
-They showed Naomi and Bayley chatting backstage. Bayley thanked Naomi for having her back lately. Then Blair Davenport confronted them. Bayley had to hold Naomi back. Green told Bayley that Niven would win her title tomorrow and “it’ll be ours.” Niven knocked Bayley and Niven into the wall and stood near them.
(2) SANTOS ESCOBAR (w/Angel Garza, Humberto Carrillo, Elektra Lopez) vs. APOLLO CREWS
Barrett talked about Crews having a rough six months. Graves said Crews is a former IC Champion and U.S. Champion. Barrett said he doesn’t doubt Apollo’s potential. The bell rang 40 minutes into the hour. Escobar got in early offense at ringside. Corbin’s entrance theme played which froze Escobar on the ring apron. He charged out and went after Angel and Humberto. Graves said Corbin was there to even the odds. Apollo went after a distracted Escobar and pressed him and dropped him. He landed a standing moonsault for a two count. They cut to an early break. [c]
Apollo dominated after the break for a while. Escobar caught Apollo with a knee to the gut as he dove off the top rope toward him. Apollo caught Escobar seconds later and landed a Death Valley Driver. Angelo and Humberto returned and attacked Corbin at ringside. Corbin fought back quickly. Apollo climbed to the top rope, but Elektra shoved him off the top rope as the ref was distracted. Escobar then rolled up Apollo for a three count.
WINNER: Escobar in 9:00.
-They went to Graves and Barrett at ringside. They hyped the Clash at the Castle, noting it starts at 2 ET.
-A sponsored highlight package aired on the Cody Rhodes-A.J. Styles feud. [c]
-They showed street scenes of Glasgow, Scotland.
-They showed Andrade at ringside waving at the fans. Then they showed Cedric Alexander and Ashante “Thee” Adonis at ringside. And finally, they showed Pretty Deadly at ringside; they struck poses.
-Cody Rhodes made his ring entrance, slapping fans’ hands on his way to the ring. Fans chanted “Cody! Cody!” He said, “So, Glasgow, what do you want to talk about?” He said a few weeks ago, he actually thought Styles was going to retire. He said no one wants to be that wrestler who overstays his welcome and needs just one more match, one more run. He said unfortunately, Styles is starting to look like that guy. (Let’s hope Dustin Rhodes, 8 years older than Styles, isn’t taking this personally.) He said Styles has been given the impossible task of making him say the words… at which point the crowd yelled, “I quit!” Then Styles, Gallows, and Anderson marched out to their music.
[HOUR TWO]
Styles said, “Wow, Cody, you’re really worked up about this, aren’t you?” He said it was easy and all he had to do was pretend he was going to retire. Cody paused as the crowd chanted and sang. He then asked Styles why he was standing so far away. He suggested Styles step into the ring and face him man-to-man. They put a fan noise meter on the screen to indicate how many decibels the crowd was reached.
Styles entered the ring and stepped up to Cody. Styles told Cody they are nothing alike. He said it took him 17 years to climb the ladder to get to WWE. He said WWE couldn’t wait to make Cody a star, but when it didn’t happen, he quit WWE. He said Cody also quit New Japan Pro Wrestling. He said he quit Ring of Honor. “This man right here helped start up a company and you quit it too,” he said as he stared down Cody. “Face it, Cody, you can’t handle the pressure.” He said when the going gets tough, Cody gets going.
Cody said Styles is right that he made some tough decisions in his career. He said he has never been afraid to walk away from anywhere to chase something great. He said he bet on himself that he was something more. “And A.J., I was right.” He said if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be standing there holding “the North Star” of WWE. He said he always admired Styles, but if anyone quit, it was Styles. He said in order to get another title match, “you had to pretend to be Mark Henry for one night.” He said Styles has become a resentful coward, and it’s a bitter pill to swallow, but he will have no problem shoving that pill down his throat and making him say “I quit!”
Styles yelled over the loud fans, but it was hard to hear him despite him yelling into the mic. He said it won’t be easy to get Cody to quit because he saw him in a cage against Seth Rollins with a torn pec, but he’ll be in the ring with Styles this time. He said he’ll do whatever it takes to get that WWE Title. They finished with an intense staredown.
(Keller’s Analysis: Great mic work from two veteran pros.)
-Cathy Kelley interviewed The Street Profits and B-Fab backstage. She asked about them sticking their nose in The Bloodline’s business. Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa attacked them. Officials and referees ran in with Aldis and quickly separated them. Kevin Owens ran to the scene as they cut to a break. [c]
-A vignette aired with Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark talking about their match at the Clash.
(3) NIA JAX vs. MICHIN
As Jax made her entrance, they showed the fight backstage between Jax and Michin last week. Michin went after Jax at ringside. They entered the ring and the ref called for the bell 17 minutes into the hour. Tiffany Stratton joined in on commentary and talked about why she wanted to align with Jax. Tiffany threw her drink at Michin. Michin threw her onto the announce table. Jax then attacked Michin as she entered the ring and quickly landed her Annihilator sit-splash in the corner for the win.
WINNER: Jax in 1:00.
-Kelley asked Owens how the Profits are doing. He said it doesn’t look like they’ll be able to have his back tonight. He said he’ll be fine since he’s fought “the bootleg Bloodline” before. [c]
-Footage aired of the Clash at the Castle Kickoff earlier at a local shopping center with a big crowd.
-A video package aired on Logan Paul losing to 14 year olds at the Tetris World Championships. He said he’ll just go back to doing what he does best, which is beating up their favorite WWE Superstars.
-They showed Logan arriving at his house when someone told him L.A. Knight was hanging out in his pool. Knight was floating on a tube in his pool. Logan asked how he got past security and he said it was too far. Knight grabbed his stuff and left, telling Logan he had a great time. He said he’ll see him in Chicago.
-Carmelo Hayes’s music played and he was standing in a suite with a spotlight on him. Carmella heeled on Glasgow and said Knight flew to Puerto Rico just to float in Logan’s pool. He said unlike Knight, he doesn’t chase opportunities, but rather opportunities chase him. He said he’ll win Money in the Bank so he doesn’t have to beg for opportunities like Knight. He said he’ll be one step closer after next week’s qualifying match to being Melo in the Bank.
-They showed Solo Sikoa leading Tonga and Loa backstage. Aldis said based on what he just saw, he was barring Tonga and Loa from ringside. He said if he sees them at ringside, they’re all suspended. Paul Heyman showed up and told Solo if he loses the match, he loses his leadership position with guys who don’t respect his leadership to begin with. Solo said he’s wrong because if he loses, he’s coming after him. Solo walked away and Heyman shook his head with confusion and fear. [c]
-They showed the exterior of the arena.
-Jackie Redmond introduced Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn in the aisle. They made their way toward Redmond. Redmond welcomed them home. They predicted victory. The entrance took longer than the interview.
-Graves and Barrett hyped additional Clash matches.
(4) KEVIN OWENS vs. SOLO SIKOA (w/Paul Heyman)
Solo made his way to the ring first, accompanied by Heyman. Owens followed, and he charged into the ring and went after Solo as the bell rang 37 minutes into the hour. Solo rolled to ringside. Owens pursued immediately and continued his attack. He threw Solo into the obnoxious energy drink stand at ringside. Fans popped. When Solo entered the ring, Owens immediately clotheslined him over the top rope and then landed a frog splash off the ring apron. As he played to the fans, they cut to a break. [c]
Solo dominated after the break for a while. KO made a comeback and landed a top rope senton for a near fall. Solo backdropped KO on the ring apron. They cut to another break. [c]
Solo landed the Spinning Solo chokeslam for a near fall at 15:00. He hit a second for another Spinning Solo near fall. KO caught a charging Solo with two superkicks and then went for a top rope senton. Solo lifted his knees. KO countered a Solo Spike and made the cover. Heyman put Solo’s boot over the bottom rope to stop the three count. KO went after Heyman at ringside. Heyman begged off. Owens cleared the announce desk. Solo intervened and gave KO a sudden Samoan Spike. He hit another in the ring and scored the three count.
WINNER: Sikoa in 17:00.
-Afterward, Tonga and Loa ran out and held KO for another Samoan Spike at ringside. Randy Orton’s music played and he jogged out and went after Loa and then Tonga. Solo caught him with a Samoan Spike, which quieted the crowd. Orton then gave Solo a draping DDT before playing to the crowd. Loa entered the ring, but Orton gave him an RKO. The Bloodline retreated as Orton’s music played again. Orton bent over to check on KO. Owens hugged Orton and then Orton posed for the crowd as the show ended.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO OUR POST-SHOW PODCAST
JOIN US LIVE ON YOUTUBE TONIGHT FOR THE VIDEO-FORMAT OF OUR LIVE POST-SHOWS…
PWTorch editor Wade Keller will be joined by Alex McDonaldo from PWTorch to review Smackdown LIVE. We’ll be incorporating live viewer comments into the show so join us LIVE!
Email our post-show at wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com with your comments and questions about Smackdown. We’ll read your emails live during the post-show.
If you can’t join us live on YouTube, stream the show on demand later at YouTube or listen on a podcast app. Subscribe to all of our free podcasts by searching “wade keller” and “pwtorch” in your podcast app of choice including Spotify and Apple Podcasts and most other iOS and Android apps.
https://streamyard.com/uhjnwua7wy