WWE Smackdown 6/20/2025

WWE Smackdown 6/20/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/06/wwe-smackdown-6132025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/06/wwe-smackdown-6272025.html

We are in Grand Rapids, MI. We see various wrestlers arrive.

LA Knight comes out to talk. He says Seth's crew screwed him at MITB so he got payback. He says this ends with him and Seth and calls Seth out.

Paul Heyman comes out. He says not to boo Seth. LA asks why Paul is here. Paul says he's the biggest LA Knight fan and says, "Yeah!". He says Seth told him that it's time for LA to get out or something bad will happen to him. He says Paul is a swindler and says he leeches onto anyone who has buzz. He says he then leaves them and moves onto the next. He said he asked for Seth and got Paul.

LA challenges Paul to a match. Paul ends up leaving. Paul says what he said wasn't a prediction, it was a spoiler. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed come down. LA fights them 1v2 and is sent out. LA is sent over the rail. LA hits the heels with a chair and the heels back off.

We go to break and return. Paul says they have this under control and it's in their favor Byron Saxton comes in and Bron barks at him. He says it's LA vs Reed tonight. Paul says patience isn't a virtue, it's a strategy.

Queen of the Ring Semifinals - Alexa Bliss vs Asuka

AB side headlocks her. Asuka hits a strike flurry then AB basement dropkicks her. Asuka shoulders her over and hip attacks her off the apron.

We go to PiP break and return. Asuka goes for the chickenwing but takes a jawbreaker. AB shoulders her over then headhunters her. AB hits forearms and a knee to the head. AB flipping sentons her for 2.

Asuka urakens her and hits a sliding kick for 2. AB rolls her up for 2 then Asuka rolls her up for 2. Asuka buzzsaw kicks her for 2. Asuka misses a top rope dropkick and AB ddt's her for 2.  

AB goes up top, points at her but comes down. Asuka rolling armbars her then does a rings of saturn. Asuka neckbreakers her for 2. AB shotei's her. Asuka is put in tree of woe and AB basement dropkicks her. AB misses twisted Bliss and takes a hip attack. Asuka wins.

Thoughts: I think Bliss messed up something when she went top here. It was an average match but they kept it moving.

B-Fab, Jade and Michin talk. Mich says it's time they make their own statement and says they need to talk to Nick about the women's tag titles. Byron asks what Jade thinks of facing Roxanne Perez and maybe Asuka in the finals. Jade says Perez has potential but she's trying to prove herself still. She says this tournament wasn't built for the future and was built for someone who can shatter the glass ceiling. She says she's walking in just to win.

Alexa Bliss is in the back and runs into The Secret Hervice. Green says she should have been QOTR. Charlotte Flair comes in and says she should be in QOTR. She says she will make a match with green tonight and Green complains. Bliss says she doesn't need Flair's help and Flair says she's not here to help her.

Aleister Black vs Kit Wilson

R-Truth jumps Kit before this starts. He sends him into the post shoulder first then puts him in the STFU. Truth says to get John Cena out here. He then STFU's Kit again. Officials come down to break it up. 

Thoughts: Yeah, I don't know what this was about.

We go to break and return. Truth says he wants John Cena and says he will kill him. Aleister Black asks why he got involved in his match. Truth says it has nothing to do with him. Damian Priest comes in, says Truth is going through a lot and says to let him talk to him. DP tells Truth there's no need for any of that. He said he used to attack people but Truth made him and the world smile. DP says to focus the anger on Cena tonight. He says they can celebrate after.

Cody Rhodes comes out to talk. Jey Uso comes out before he can say anything. Jey says they've been in the trenches. Jey says there's only room for one of them on Monday. Jey says he knows it isn't personal.

Sami Zayn comes out. He says he gets to share the ring with 2 friends. He says he's the only one to never win the title. He says he watched Jey win the title and says he's proud Cody finished his story. He says it's time for him to finish his story.

Randy Orton comes out. Orton says there's no line he won't cross to get to Cena at Summerslam. He says if Jey stand across from him at Summerslam, it'll be 3 letters and one move. Orton says Sami will be champ one day but not at Summerslam. He says he'll be on the end of an RKO tonight.

King of the Ring Semifinals - Randy Orton vs Sami Zayn

Sami wristlocks Orton. Orton side headlocks him. Sami hits chops. Orton eye pokes him over top the ref. Orton is thrown out and bangs Sami's head off the apron. Sami is backdropped on the commentary table.

We go to PiP break and return. Orton punches Sami down. Sami blind springboard leapfrogs then lariats him. Sami double axe handles him off the buckles. Orton hits lariats then powerslams him. Orton hits the bridging ddt. Sami backdrops Orton on the commentary table.

Orton is sent into the post shoulder first. Orton powerslams Sami for 2. Orton hits a corner lariat and Sami misses a helluva kick. Sami blue thunders him for 2. Sami blocks an RKO. Sami runs at him then Orton RKO's him for the win.

Thoughts: It was a good match. The two worked well together and factored in their usual spots well. It was pretty competitive all throughout and it felt like either guy had a shot at winning this one. This one beat my expectations and was one of Orton's better matches of the last few years.

Nia Jax comes out to talk. She says Tiffany Stratton approached her to come under her wing as she knew what she could do for her. She said Tiff then betrayed her and has her title. Tiffany Stratton comes out. She says Nia is the toxic ex she can't get past. She tells her to get over it and should accept that she's just better than her.

Tiff talks about facing her next week and says it'll be Last Man Standing. They fight, Nia sky highs her and legdrops her. Naomi comes out to cash in her MITB briefcase. Nia pulls her out then Tiff dropkicks Naomi into Nia.

We see a video on the history of Cena vs Punk.

Chelsea Green vs Charlotte Flair

Green nails her and bangs her face off the mat. Flair top rope crossbodies her. Alba Fyre pulls Flair's throat down of the top. Green back crackers Flair's arm.

We go to PiP break and return. Flair hits forearms and chops. Flair fallaway slams her. Flair forward cartwheel lariats her. Green hits a leg lariat. Green's mask comes off then Flair rolling spears her. Green rolls her up for 2 then Flair figure 8's her. Green then taps out.

Thoughts: There was a decent bit of shenanigans here and it was average all around. I guess Flair was supposed to be the face here and that went about as well as you would think.

Piper crushes Flair with a senton after while she's bridging and Flair's leg bends in a weird way. Alexa Bliss comes out to help Flair.

Bliss offers a handshake and Flair walks away.

JC Mateo and Solo Sikoa talk in the back. JC is taping up and Solo asks what he's doing. JC says he wants to take out Jacob. Solo says he wants to talk to Fatu alone out there and smooth things over. He tells him to be ready though.

Solo Sikoa comes out to talk. He says he feels terrible at what happened and wants to clear the air with Fatu. Jacob Fatu comes out. Solo says he's not hereto fight him and says he loves him. He says families fight all the time then forgive and move forward. He says let's move forward as one.

He says no one wanted him here except him. He said he changed his life and put food on the table for his family because he loves him. He says he doesn't have anyone else, just him. He tells him he loves him.  

Fatu asks if he loves him. Fatu says Solo has been using him to gain power, fight his battles and to stay tribal chief. He said Solo brought him in to bring him gold. Fatu says Solo's been acting different since he won the US Title. He says maybe his title is the problem. Fatu lays the title down between them and tells him to fight him for it if that's the problem. He says if Solo thinks about coming this way, he knows what he's about. He says he knows he's all gas and no breaks.

Solo goes to hit him, Fatu blocks it then headbutts him. Fatu then stomps on him. JC comes down to help out and they get the edge of Fatu. Jimmy Uso then comes out. He superkicks JC and Solo then is lariated. JC chokes Jimmy in the corner. Fatu flying back elbows JC and superkicks Solo. Fatu corner hip attacks Solo. Fatu and Jimmy stare at each other. 

Bronson Reed vs LA Knight

LA throws Bron Breakker into the post then throws out Reed. LA throws a shirt at Reed. LA stomps on Reed and hits shots. Reed misses a corner charge and LA boots him in the corner.

Reed misses a butt drop then LA sliding single leg dropkicks him. Reed blocks a jumping neckbreaker. Reed misses a senton then LA 2nd rope diving bulldogs him. LA dropkicks him through the ropes then springboard twisting crossbodies him outside.

We go to break and return. They fight on the buckles and LA double jump elbow drops him for 2. Reed death valley drivers him for 2. LA ddt's him then knocks Bron off the apron. Bron then spears LA for the DQ.

Thoughts: I can't say I'm that surprised by the ending. What we got here wasn't bad but we didn't get a ton of it.

Bron spears LA after. Reed top rope splashes LA then does another. Officials try to break it up but Reed hits a 3rd top rope splash. 

Jacob Fatu does a promo. He said he spoke to "the man". He said it'll be him and Solo 1v1 at Night of Champions for the US Title. He says he will dog walk him and says he better get in where he fits in.

R-Truth vs John Cena

Truth spears Cena and pounds on him. Cena slides out and is hit with punches outside. Cena's head is banged off the commentary table. We go to PiP break and return. Cena hits a five knuckle shuffle. Truth hits a thesz press with punches. Truth corner splashes him. Cena grabs his title and goes to leave.

Truth goes after him and hits punches. Cena hits him with the title and causes the DQ.

Thoughts: Truth wrestled more seriously here than usual but we didn't get much of this before the finish.

CM Punk's music comes out. He goes after Cena. Cena pounds and stomps on him. Punk gets the title and Cena low blows him. Cena hits Punk with the title. Cena hits Punk with the title. Cena AA's Punk through the table.

Cena says he hopes Punk can listen and digest. He says he has to get a whole lot of stuff off of his chest. He says he doesn't hate Punk but he likes him. He says he hates the idea that he's the best in the world and says he (Cena) is the GOAT. He says Punk is the best bullsh!tter in the world.

Cena says the show is off the rails and he's breaking the fourth wall. He says he's jealous of Punk. He says he conned people into thinking he's the best in the world. He says Punk changes his values as much as he changes his shirt. He says he's a loud mouth. Cena says hi to Claudio Castagnoli, Nic Nemeth and Matt Cardona.

He says he's Punk's only friend and said he gave him the stage for his pipe bomb. He says Punk has said the same 5 promo words of doom since then and is a promo potato salad. He says he's not the voice of the voiceless, he's a millionaire. He says he's not a punk, he's a capitalist. He said TKO knocked Punk balls off his body. Cena says his tweets are strong but his actions are weak.

Cena said he's had no day off for 25 years and is the greatest of all time. The crowd cheers for Cena and says the crowd knows. Cena says they know that Punk was the best in the world for 7 minutes, 14 years ago. 

Cena says if Punk is still delusional enough to believe he's the best in the world after Night of Champions, it's a small world after all. Cena tells him to bring his A-game at Night of Champions and says the mood is starting to change. A ref comes out to tell Cena to back off of Punk.

Cena says he won't do any more damage and says Punk needs to reset up as he has a big title match. He says it's the best in the world vs the greatest of all time. Cena says he knows the idiots are smart enough to see the truth that the champ is here. He says USA can keep the extra 2.5 minutes as he doesn't need a bomb. He says Elvis has left the mother-fudging building. He says thanks for letting him rip off his promo to make him look more foolish. Cena then leaves.

Thoughts: This was a great promo and likely a very memorable moment. This was easily the best thing Cena has done yet as part of his heel run and is a must see.

Overall thoughts: We had one very good match here and a must see segment with Punk and Cena to end the show. We also had a lot of new developments with Fatu/Solo, Flair/Bliss and they pushed the LA Knight/Seth's crew feud. The non-wrestling stuff kind of carried this one. You have to see Punk/Cena and Sami/Orton is probably worth a look as well. I'd give this one a 7 out of 10, though some of the other matches were lacking