The June 5th, 2018 edition of SmackDown Live took place at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas.
– This week’s show kicks off with SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella making her way down to the ring. Carmella gets in the ring and gets on the mic. She tells the fans to get on their feet and give her the ovation she deserves, and then she starts cutting a promo about Asuka. She says we don’t know the real Asuka like she does, and then Carmella introduces a video package about Asuka. The video package looks at Asuka’s early days in NXT and WWE, and then Carmella says Asuka used to be incredible, but not anymore. Carmella introduces a second video package, which looks at Asuka’s loss at WrestleMania and then other failures since then. Carmella continues to trash Asuka until Asuka’s music hits and she comes out to interrupt. Asuka steps in the ring, but before she says anything, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville interrupt next. They also trash Asuka and it sounds like Sonya wants a match with Asuka tonight. Paige comes out and says none of them speak for her, and she’s the one who makes the matches around here. Paige says Asuka can take her pick between Mandy and Sonya tonight. Asuka takes the mic from Carmella and says she wants both of them. Paige books the handicap match, and that’s next.
– Asuka vs. Mandy Rose & Sonya Deville: The opening bell sounds and Sonya starts off against Asuka. Carmella is on commentary for this one. Asuka starts off throwing kicks at Sonya, and Mandy tags in early. Asuka throws Mandy back into the corner and Sonya tags back in. Sonya and Asuka wrestle down to the mat and Asuka looks for a knee bar, but Sonya escapes. They fight back and forth until Sonya connects with an elbow to the face, and then tags in Mandy for the double team. Sonya tags back in and continues beating on Asuka. Mandy tags in again and works on keeping Asuka grounded with a headlock. Asuka and Mandy run the ropes and collide in the middle, and then Asuka hits the hipp attack in the corner. Asuka follows up with a missile dropkick off the top, but then she gets distracted by Carmella at ringside. The distraction allows Sonya to attack Asuka from behind and choke her on the bottom rope. Sonya and Mandy take turns beating on Asuka now until Asuka finally comes back with a dropkick and a spinning heel kick. Mandy tags in and Asuka knees her in the face. Sonya and Asuka trade kicks until they both go down. Asuka connects with an awkward looking kick, and then Sonya comes back with a spear for a two count. Sonya follows up with knees to the face, but Asuka comes back with a takedown and they wrestle on the mat. Sonya struggles, but Asuka successfully puts on the Asuka Lock for the win via submission.
Winner: Asuka
– After the match, Carmella gets in the ring and gets in Asuka’s face. Mandy goes to attack Asuka from behind, but Asuka fights her off. Carmella then attacks Asuka from behind and drops her.
– The Miz is backstage warming up, when he gets interrupted by The New Day and another guy holding a plate of pancakes. The New Day says they want The Miz to help them reveal which of them will compete at Money In The Bank. They have pieces of paper in a hat, and they tell Miz to draw a name. They blindfold The Miz so he can’t peek, and then they switch the hat with the papers in it with a hat with wet pancake mix in it. Miz sticks his hand into the pancake batter as The New Day laughs. The Miz says they won’t be laughing for long, and as he points at them the batter goes flying off his hand onto their faces. The Miz wipes the rest of the batter off his hand onto The New Day’s pancake assistant, and then he walks off. The New Day tells their pancake assistant not to listen to Miz and keep making pancakes.
– Still to come: The contract signing for AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura at Money In The Bank.
– Karl Anderson vs. Luke Harper: Luke Gallows and Eric Rowan are both at ringside. Harper starts off strong with a flying kick, then he beats down Anderson in the corner. It’s all Harper in the opening moments as he punishes Harper on the mat. Harper hits a big spinning side suplex on Anderson, and Anderson is hurt. Anderson finally fights back with some kicks to Harper’s knee. Harper charges at him in the corner, but Anderson dodges and rolls up Harper in a pin. Anderson scores the three count and steals the upset win.
Winner: Karl Anderson
– Anderson immediately rolls out of the ring and celebrates with Gallows at ringside, as Harper and Rowan are still fired up in the ring.
– We see a replay of the Lana and Naomi dance-off segment from last week.
– We go to a pre-taped promo from Naomi and Jimmy Uso trashing Lana and Rusev. Rusev isn’t wrestling them tonight though, so as far as tonight is concerned, they welcome Lana and Aiden English to the Uso Penitentiary.
– Lana & Aiden English vs. Jimmy Uso & Naomi: English and Uso start this one off, and English takes control early. Uso fires back with a shot to the throat, which leads to Uso and Naomi taking out both English and Lana. Back in the ring, Lana and Naomi go at it now. Naomi gets distracted by English, and Lana drops her. Lana works over Naomi now and mocks Uso. Naomi tries to mount a comeback and hits a jawbreaker, but Lana prevents her from making the tag. Lana and Naomi run the ropes and collide, and both women are down. Uso and English tag in at the same time and brawl through the ring. Uso hits the Umaga Splash for a two count as Lana breaks it up. Lana slaps Uso, then Naomi comes in and drops Lana. English attacks Uso now and looks for a splash, but Naomi intercepts it and drops English. Uso follows up with a superkick for the three count on English.
Winners: Naomi & Jimmy Uso
– After the match, Uso and Naomi celebrate in the ring as we go to replays.
– Paige is backstage with Shinsuke Nakamura and WWE Champ AJ Styles. They’re seated for a contract signing, and Paige guarantees there will be a clear winner at Money In The Bank. AJ asks Nakamura what his problem is and why he keeos playing games. AJ thinks it’s because Nakamura knows he can’t beat him clean, and he yells at Nakamura to get up and face him like a man. Paige tries to calm AJ down, but AJ says he’s sick of these games and slaps Nakamura across the face. AJ is escorted out of the room as Nakamura finally signs the contract. Nakamura looks at Paige and says “Last Man Standing” before walking off.
– Still to come: Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch
– Charlotte makes her way out to the ring, and her match is up next.
– Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch: The opening bell sound and they lock up. Becky takes Charlotte down, and they grapple back and forth on the mat. Charlotte looks for the Figure Four early on, but Becky evades it. They continue to go back and forth until they break and have a stare-down. They both block kicks, and then they collide in the middle of the ring with crossbody attempts, and both women are down. They get up and trade chops until Charlotte takes control with a suplex. Becky gets back in the game with a boot to the face and some more strikes. Becky goes up top, but Charlotte stops her and takes her down with a backbreaker for a 2 count. Charlotte looks for the Figure Four again but Becky escapes. Becky drops Charlotte, then hits a top rope leg drop for a near-fall. Becky looks for the Dis-arm-her, but Flair escapes. They trade offense now until Becky rolls outside for a breather and Charlotte goes after her with a suicide dive. Charlotte brings Becky back in the ring and goes for a moonsault off the top, but Becky blocks it with her knees. Becky covers for a two count, and then Charlotte looks for the Figure Four but Becky blocks it. Becky then catches Charlotte in the Dis-arm-her for the win.
Winner: Becky Lynch
– Becky goes to help Charlotte up to her feet after the match. They hug and the crowd cheers them on. Charlotte leaves as Becky continues to celebrate in the ring.
– Samoa Joe is backstage for an interview where he compares himself to a rabid dog, and says he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Joe says he has a reputation for keeping promises, and says whoever ends up as the WWE Champion is a marked man. Joe says with him, what you see is what you get, and everyone will get it very soon.
– Big Cass comes out to the stage for an interview with Renee Young. Cass immediately starts talking about his height and trashing Daniel Bryan. Cass shows us a replay of Joe beating up Bryan last week, and says Bryan also has Cass’ 7-foot shadow following him everywhere he goes now. Cass says Bryan has never been in the ring with someone as big as him or as educated as him, and he will dismantle Bryan at Money In The Bank. Cass says he will rips Bryan’s arms off his body and beat him with them, and he will realize that a small man like him will never survive in the big man’s world that is WWE.
– Sin Cara is backstage for an interview with Dasha Fuentes. Cara talks about Andrade “Cien” Almas, and says they were friends since they were teenagers, but something happened. Zelina Vega interrupts and gets in Cara’s face. She starts trashing Sin cara, and then Almas attacks him from behind and beats him down. Almas and Vega walk off as officials check on Cara.
– The New Day vs. The Miz, Rusev & Samoa Joe: The Miz and Woods start this one off. Woods fires up early on and drops Miz for a 2 count, then tags in Big E. Big E hits the big splash on Miz for another 2 count. Joe and Woods get the tag and Joe drops him with a big kick. The Miz tags in and works over Woods until Woods fires up and hits a missile dropkick on Miz. Joe tags in and chases Big E off the apron, and then Rusev drops Big E on the floor. Woods gets up and lays into Joe, then Kofi and Miz tag in. Kofi cleans house and hits a dropkick and a crossbody off the top on Miz for a two count. Kofi hits the SOS and the Boom Drop, and then he looks for the Trouble In Paradise, but Joe distracts him. The Miz takes advantage of the distraction and hits a DDT on Kofi for a two count. He looks for the SKull Crushing Finale, but Kofi blocks it. Rusev and Big E tag in, and Big E rocks him with a big suplex. Rusev knees him and tags in Joe, and Joe drops Big E down to the mat. Joe covers but Woods breaks it up. Woods dumps Rusev outside next, then he hits a suicide dive on him to the outside. Miz tags in and looks for a Skull Crushing Finale on Big E, but he stops as Kofi spingboards and takes Joe out on the floor. Big E spears Miz from the ring down to the floor. Woods gets on the apron, but Joe takes him down to the floor into the Coquina Clutch. Kofi comes flying down to try to save Woods, but Rusev knocks Kofi down wit hthe Machka Kick. Miz throws Big E into the ring post, and then Rusev and Joe hold Big E back. The Miz grabs The New Day’s pancake batter and wants to dump it on Big E, but Kofi gets involved and The Miz accidentally dumps it on Rusev and Joe. The Miz pleads with his partners, but Rusev drops him with a boot and Joe hits a Senton on Miz while he’s down. Rusev and Joe walk out, leaving Miz alone in the ring with The New Day. Big E and Kofi hit the Midnight Hour on Miz and Big E covers for the three count.
Winners: The New Day
– After the match, Big E, Kofi and Xavier celebrate in the ring as Miz recovers on the floor. SmackDown goes off the air as The New Day celebrates their win.
