WWE Smackdown 6/21/2024

WWE Smackdown 6/21/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/06/wwe-smackdown-6142024.html

We are in Chicago.

We see a package on Drew McIntrye quitting to start the show.

CM Punk comes out. Punk says it's great to be out here at home and says it's pressure. He says on 7/17/2011, he promised he would walk out WWE champ here at home. He said he didn't drop the ball at home. He said he was told he was going to ruin everyone's day in Glasgow at Clash at the Castle and said extra security was needed.

He said Drew kicked him while he was down. He said he would make Drew's life a living hell and said he planned on burying it 6 feet under. He said he didn't think it would be that easy though. He says Drew has quit. He said Drew couldn't take the pressure and prayed for bad things to happen to him. So he preyed on him. He said Drew has taken the ball and gone home.

Paul Heyman comes out. He says he's not here in disrespect, he is running late. He says it's hot as balls outside and says it's hot as balls when CM Punk opens up a show. Paul hugs Punk. Paunk said on the radio it said it's CM Punk's town. Paul says that pissed off Solo Sikoa. He says Solo wants every town to be his town. Paul says if he doesn't get out, Bloodline is coming for him. Paul asks Punk to get out of here. 

Punk seems surprised by this. The Bloodline come out. Solo says he has two options if he wants to be on SD in his city - either pay his respects or they make sure he is never cleared to wrestle again. Punk asks Paul what the favor is if he does this favor for him. Paul says to take me with you. Punk calls them fake @ss Uso's and a phony cosplay tribal chief.

Bloodline then heads into the ring. Cody Rhodes then comes in with baseball bats. He gives Punk one and The Bloodline back off. Cody says Solo sees himself as the head of the table. He said he beat one head of the table and says they should settle this tonight. Solo agrees.

Thoughts: I liked the segment but Cody getting involved was random and kind of hijacked what they were going for here. I don't see how this solves the thing about Solo being mad at Punk.

Jade and Bianca talk in the back. Bianca wants to focus on tonight's match and Jade is worried about getting the tag titles back. Bianca says let her handle this first.

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens talk to Cody Rhodes in the back. Orton asks if he's sure he wants to go at this alone and he says he is. Owens says he doesn't like this and says they always have a plan. Cody says he is sure Solo has a plan but he has a plan too.

Women's Money In the Bank Qualifier - Michin vs Bianca Belair vs Chelsea Green

Green tries to roll up Michin then is forearmed by both opponents. Green then flops and rolls out. Bayley is seen watching in the back. Bianca shoulders Michin over then cartwheels over her. Michin pounces Green out. Michin misses a dropkick then Green stops Bianca's handspring.

Bianca nails Michin on accident then nails Green. Michin and Bianca trade outside then Green topes both. We go to break and return. Bianca tries to backdrop Green off the top then Michin backdrops Bianca off the top at the same time.

Michin and Bianca trade shots. Bianca rolls her up then Michin sunset flips her. Michin hits soul foot then Green rolls Michin up. Green slaps her and is headbutted. Michin hits a styles clash for 2. Bianca release germans Michin then hits a KOD. Green throws Bianca out and steals the pin on Michin. Green wins.

Thoughts: It was nice to see an upset here. Green was fun her being a little snake and trying to get a cheap win. It was short otherwise and they didn't really get enough time for all of the people involved. The finish really saved this though.

Blair Davenport tells Bayley to tell her friends she's looking forward to seeing her friends next week. She said she can't wait to cash in on her.

Solo Sikoa talks to Paul Heyman in the back. He tells Paul to tell "The Tongans" something and says if he tells him to do something, he better do it. Solo says they need to have a talk when he comes back. I couldn't hear most of what was said here due to Solo talking so low. The announcers later say he said that the goal is for Owens and Orton not to qualify for MITB tonight.

Grayson Waller is interviewed. We are told Theory is at home recovering. Waller says he will win tonight and win the MITB briefcase for Theory. DIY come in and says Waller doesn't care about Theory. We then see the garage door shake. It lifts up and CM Punk is down and bloodied with Drew standing over him. Drew's got bloody hands and carries Punk on his shoulders, walking past Corbin, Crews, LaRae, Ashante The Adonis and others.

Drew walks out to the entrance with Punk on his shoulders then drops him. Drew takes Punk's bracelet. Nick Aldis comes out. Drew shoves him, Nick shoves him back and yells at him. Punk is then put on a stretcher and the segment ends.

Thoughts: Well, that was surprising and interesting. Punk had payback coming and they didn't wait here. It makes the whole Drew retiring thing dumb though.

Punk is put in the ambulance and Aldis says he wants to make sure either Punk or Drew is out of here. 

Men's Money in the Bank Qualifier - Carmelo Hayes vs Tama Tonga vs Randy Orton

No entrance for Melo here. That's not a good sign for his chances of winning.

Orton is double teamed to start. Tama pushes Melo and Melo rolls him up. They shove each other. Orton euros Melo then throws Tama out. They fight outside. Tama and Melo both pound on Orton. Orton backdrops both on the commentary table.

We go to break and return. Tama clubs on Melo's chest then Tama sliding lariats Melo. Melo hit superkicks on Tama then la mistica drops him for 2. Melo springboards and is caught with a uranage.

Orton hits shots on both opponents. He powerslams Tama then superplexes Melo. Orton eye pokes Tama then Melo codebreakers him. Tama flatliners Orton. Melo and Tama fight. Melo throws Tama out then hits double bridging ddt's on his opponents.

Tanga Loa gets on the apron and Orton hits him. Kevin Owens then beats up Loa. Tama is thrown out and Melo rolls up Orton to win.

Thoughts: Wow. I didn't expect a Melo upset here. It probably made the most sense though as Orton doesn't lose that much out of this one and it continues his feud. Tama wasn't involved in the pin though if they really want us to threat him as some violent threat, he needs to actually win sometimes. It was okay but it was a three-way and they can really only be so good. 

We get a video on The Wyatt's returning.

LA Knight comes out. He calls out Logan Paul. He says he told Logan he wants the title and said Logan just said no. He said he was told Logan would be here but he no showed. LA says time is running out. He says it LA vs Logan vs Santos in an MITB Qualifier. He says he wants a US Title shot though. He says he will get the case next week and then come looking for him.

Santos Escobar comes out. Santos says he doesn't need an invitation. He says LA must be delusional, chasing Logan like a desperate Chicago fanboy. He says it's embarassing. He says he's dealing with him next week and says he'd be wise to remember that. LA says he has beaten him every time he had to, so he's not looking at him, he's looking past him. Santos kicks him in the leg then LA hits a BFT.

Logan Paul then hits LA from behind and sends him shoulder first into the post. Logan hits a knockout punch on LA.

Thoughts: I thought they were going to put Santos over some here but then they buried him. 

Men's Money in the Bank Qualifier - Andrade vs Grayson Waller vs Kevin Owens

Owens is jumped by The Bloodline as he comes out. Orton comes out to make the save. Owens limps to ringide. Owens is hit as he enters. Andrade nails Waller for a 2 count then plancha's him. Waller goes in, slides out and lariats Waller. Owens sentons Waller on the floor. Owens is back body dropped on the apron then Waller takes a nasty sounding sunset bomb on the floor.

We go to break and return. The three men trade shots on their knees. Waller jumping knees KO then Andrade hits meteora's in the corners. Owens and Andrade hockey fight then Waller rolls in and hits a double flatliner on both. We get a tower of doom spot with Waller getting powerbombed. Owens top rope swantons on Andrade then stunners him. Waller rolls in and takes the message from Andrade. Andrade then gets the pin.

Thoughts: Another upset win here but it's not really an upset at this point as we see what they are doing  - filling MITB with midcarders. It was fast paced and they packed as much action as they could in it, but it was a short TV match. Owens didn't lose clean here at least as Bloodline attacked him.

We see Kristaps Porzingis wear a WWE belt when he won the NBA Title.

Tiffany Stratton goes up to Michin in the back. She says she has what it takes to win her qualifier unlike her. Michin says atleast she's not going up to Nia Jax for protection. Michin blocks a shot, hits Tiff then is shoved hard into a dresser by Nia Jax.

Thoughts: I'm not real sure what they are doing with Tiff these days, but it feels like punishment for her comments on a Jade Cargill video. She just has not been pushed as hard since.

Solo Sikoa talks to Paul Heyman in the back. Paul said The Tongan's did business as he wanted. Paul says Solo is breaking commandments. He said Roman agreed that CM Punk was hands off and says Solo is not supposed to handle Cody. He's supposed to keep him in check. Solo says he hates to be the one to tell him this but Roman isn't coming back. Paul is shocked and says how could that be?

Solo Sikoa vs Cody Rhodes

Cody hits a drop down uppercut and is hit. Cody sends Solo out then topes him into the rails. Solo is sent into the steps outside. Tama and Loa then get in the ring and jump Cody. Cody wins via DQ.

Randy Orton and Kevin Owens then come out. The faces get the edge on the heels. Solo gets cornered and begs off. He then laughs. Jacob Fatu then comes in and beats up the faces. Fatu samoan drops Owens on the steps. Fatu spears Orton into the rails.

Cody lariats Fatu over the ropes then Fatu uranages him on the apron. Fatu sends Cody into the table. Fatu then top rope splashes him through the table.

Thoughts: The match was a joke and waste of time to the point that I'd call it false advertising. Look, I like Jacob Fatu a lot. I think he has potential to be champ and I think he's everything they want Tama, Solo and Loa to be all in one. But it's getting ridiculous at this point. We're at 7 and we know we're getting another at some point when Hikuleo comes in.  I think Fatu's debut would have been better if Loa and Tama hadn't also just debuted recently. Fatu lost a bunch of weight.

Overall thoughts: They got a lot of names on this show against each other without giving too much away which was good. But, the three way matches were all short and none were that great. The main event was a joke and the lead-up to it wasn't much better. Drew beating Punk made sense in some ways, but what was the point of him saying he quit then? I liked Fatu's debut, but it would have worked better if Tama and Loa hadn't just debuted and I'm concerned that there's too many of Rock's relatives around.