Friday Night Smackdown – June 9th 2023: Results & Review
Welcome to this review of this past Friday’s episode of Friday Night Smackdown, right here on Nerdly. Let’s see what went down this week!
Match #1: Santos Escobar def. Mustafa Ali
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
With LA Knight taking a close view of the action, The LWO’s Santos Escobar looked to join fellow member Zelina Vega in qualifying for a Money in the Bank Ladder Match by taking on Mustafa Ali. Escobar and Ali combined for a highflying affair, with Escobar hitting a stunning hurricanrana using the steel steps as leverage. Ali showed off the moves as well, hitting a picture-perfect dropkick as Escobar was leaping to the outside. As the two continued to wow the WWE Universe, Escobar hit a huge Phantom Driver from the top rope to gain the coveted chance in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Bayley def. Michin
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In the second of four Money in the Bank Qualifying Matches, The O.C.’s Michin took on Damage CTRL’s Bayley with AJ Styles watching. As Michin was looking strong, Bayley used her veteran skills to hit her with the Rose Plant, earning her way into the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. After the match, Scarlett hit Styles with a devastating powder attack, allowing Karrion Kross to slap the Kross Jacket on Styles.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #3: Butch def. Baron Corbin
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams had a prime seat as they were ringside to watch Butch take on Baron Corbin in a Money in the Bank Qualifying Match. Corbin had recently ambushed Hayes on NXT two weeks ago and beat Williams one-on-one last week. After a quick back-and-forth, Butch pinned Corbin to qualify for his Money in the Bank Ladder Match. After the match, Hayes and Williams attacked Corbin, earning some retribution.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #4: IYO SKY def. Shotzi
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Shotzi looked to book her second Money in the Bank Ladder Match appearance by taking on Damage CTRL’s IYO SKY. Shotzi lived up to her moniker, throwing caution to the wind with manic dives to the outside. SKY’s partner Bayley wound up getting involved, pushing Shotzi off the top rope. This allowed SKY to hit the Over the Moonsault for the big win.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: United States Championship – Austin Theory def. Jey Uso
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Jey Uso had his first opportunity to earn United States gold as he took on Austin Theory. Jey had a lot on his plate with the ongoing dissension within The Bloodline. Earlier in the evening, he had been ordered by Paul Heyman to reveal what he would choose: sticking with his brother Jimmy or staying with The Bloodline. Jey and Theory brought all the stops with Theory hitting a clutch Rack Bomb for a close two-count. Jey hit a huge Uso Splash in the closing moments, but the referee had been knocked down. Just as Jey looked to have the match won, Pretty Deadly interfered, but they were met by Jimmy Uso. Solo Sikoa, however, would also make his way to the ring. As Sikoa was about to Samoan Spike Jimmy, Jey stopped Sikoa. This exchange backfired for Jey, however, as Jimmy attempted to superkick Sikoa. However, Sikoa ducked, and Jimmy’s boot hit Jey instead. With Jey down, Theory locked up the title defense by covering him.
My Score: 2 out of 5
Final Verdict: 2.5/5
Well that was a thing. Apart from the opening match this week’s Smackdown felt like a show on auto-pilot, working its way to Money in the Bank through a series of qualifiers that didn’t really feel like they really mattered in the slightest. We got some more feud storytelling – AJ Styles and Karrios Kross for example. But the big story? Jey Uso and The Bloodline? We were promised a conclusion to Jey’s story (sort of) but even that wasn’t delivered on. It was all a big tease!
