As a result of several people within WWE testing positive for COVID-19, the first half of this week’s episode of SmackDown was a tribute to The Undertaker and featured the cable debut of the Boneyard Match against AJ Styles from WrestleMania 36. The show opened up with several SmackDown superstars standing on the entrance ramp and chanting “thank you Taker!” before the Boneyard Match aired.
SmackDown Results (6/26)
- Nikki Cross def. Alexa Bliss, Dana Brooke, Lacey Evans to earn a shot at the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules
- New Day & Lucha House Party def. Miz & Morrison, Cesaro & Shinsuke Nakamura
- Jeff Hardy def. King Corbin
Here are 4 takeaways from this week’s show:
King Corbin Got Taught A Lesson In Respect
King Corbin cut a promo after the Boneyard Match aired and claimed that The Undertaker is just a bag of bones at this point. Corbin claimed that Taker spent several years of his career kissing McMahon’s ass. Corbin added that Undertaker has been stealing money from WWE for years and is a selfish son of a bitch because he has been holding superior athletes, like himself, down. Corbin looked directly into the camera and said The Undertaker sucks. Jeff Hardy attacked Corbin from behind as SmackDown went to a break.
Jeff Hardy was then interviewed backstage. Jeff said Undertaker has been a mentor to him and the Mount Rushmore of WWE should be Taker’s face four times. Hardy vowed to teach Corbin a lesson of respect later tonight. Corbin was later interviewed and said he was going to teach Jeff a lesson in reality and that Hardy will finally rest in peace after tonight. Jeff Hardy and King Corbin battled in the main event of this week’s show.
Match Recap: Corbin dominated early and sent Hardy out of the ring. Jeff battled back and threw Corbin over the announce table. Back in the ring, Jeff beat Corbin down in the corner. Corbin battled back and sent Hardy out of the ring once again. Corbin then mocked The Undertaker by posing in the ring as SmackDown went a break.
When SmackDown returned, Corbin was still in control as members of the SmackDown locker room surrounded the ring to support Jeff Hardy’s efforts to honor Undertaker in the match. Dana Brooke started up a “Corbin sucks!” chant as Hardy was leveled with a Clothesline by King Corbin. Corbin brought Hardy back to the outside and shoved his face against the plexiglass.
The action returned to the ring and Corbin went for the cover but Jeff kicked out at two. Jeff finally battled back and hit two Jawbreakers before unloading several right hands to Corbin’s face. Hardy hit an inverted Atomic Drop and then a Dropkick for a near fall. Corbin connected with Deep Six and went for the cover but Hardy kicked out at the last moment. Corbin charged at Jeff but he got out of the way and Corbin smashed into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Hardy hit the Swanton Bomb for the pinfall victory.
After the match, King Corbin attacked Jeff but turned around into a Big Ending from Big E. Jeff asked Strowman to get into the ring and the Universal Champion obliged. Strowman planted Corbin with a Powerslam before Matt Riddle hopped in the ring. Riddle climbed to the top rope and connected with the Floating Bro as an image of The Undertaker appeared on the jumbotron to close the show.
Nikki Cross Earned A Shot At The SmackDown Women’s Championship At Extreme Rules
Women’s Tag Team Champions Bayley and Sasha Banks joined commentary for Fatal 4-Way match between Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross, Dana Brooke, and Lacey Evans. The winner of the match will face Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules: The Horror Show in three weeks.
Match Recap: Dana Brooke and Lacey Evans beat Bliss and Cross down to start the match off. Bliss and Cross battled back and hit a couple Splashes in the corners of the ring. They then shared a hug and Nikki tried to roll Alexa up. Bliss kicked out and Nikki told her that she still loved her but this is about the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Cross and Bliss locked up and Alexa rolled up Nikki for a near fall. Bliss applied a Headlock but Nikki broke free and Lacey dragged Alexa out of the ring. Evans launched Bliss into the barricade as Brooke hit a Splash on Nikki in the ring. Lacey broke up the cover and started arguing with Dana. They then teamed up and launched Cross into the turnbuckle.
Lacey leveled Dana with a Clothesline and then delivered a Bronco Buster to Nikki. Dana hit Lacey with an elbow to the face and followed it up with a Body Slam. Brooke climbed to the top rope and connected with a Senton. Nikki broke up the pinfall attempt and got fired up in the ring. Alexa crawled back into the ring as Brooke planted Nikki with a Body Slam.
Alexa shoved Dana to the canvas and made her way to the top rope. Bliss went for Twisted Bliss but Brooke got her knees up. Nikki leveled Dana with a Dropkick that sent her tumbling out of the ring. Evans hit Cross with an Elbow Drop and then the Woman’s Right to Dana Brooke. Nikki Cross then rolled up Lacey Evans for the pinfall victory. Nikki Cross will face Bayley for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Extreme Rules.
New Day & Lucha House Party Picked Up A Win
SmackDown Tag Team Champions New Day teamed up with Lucha House Party to face Miz & Morrison and Shinsuke Nakamura & Cesaro in an 8-man tag team match.
Match Recap: Big E and Miz started the action off. Big E connected with an elbow to the face and then brought Miz to the apron. Big E hit a massive Splash on the apron and the action returned to the ring. Lince Dorado tagged in and hit Miz with another Splash for a two count. Cesaro tagged in and walked into a couple chops from Dorado. Lince rolled up Cesaro for a two count and followed it up with another chop.
Gran Metalik tagged in and hit a Splash off of Dorado’s shoulders for a two count. Kofi and Morrison tagged in and Kingston hit a Dropkick for a one count. Morrison perched Kofi up on the top turnbuckle and kicked him in the face. Nakamura launched Kofi into the plexiglass as the referee was distracted.
Back in the ring, a brawl broke out as SmackDown went to a commercial break. When SmackDown returned, Kofi was isolated in the corner and Miz had him in a Headlock. Kingston battled back with a Tornado DDT and went for a tag but Nakamura prevented it. Cesaro and Shinsuke took Big E out ringside before Nakamura got back into the ring. Kingston hit Shinsuke with a Double Stomp before Morrison and Metalik tagged in.
Metalik hit Morrison with a Crossbody and followed it up with a springboard Hurricanrana. Metalik hit Miz and Cesaro with a couple of Dropkicks and then a Sunset Flip Powerbomb to Morrison for a near fall. Lince tagged in and hit Morrison with a Shooting Star Press off the top rope but Cesaro broke up the cover. Chaos broke out as Kofi, Shinsuke, Big E, and Cesaro battled up the entrance ramp.
The Miz tagged in and attacked Dorado but Metalik had tagged in. Lince hit Miz with a Stunner and then hit Morrison with a Hurricanrana off the apron. Gran Metalik hit Miz with an Elbow Drop off the top rope for the pinfall victory.
Strowman Challenged Bray To A Match At The Wyatt Family Compound
Universal Champion Braun Strowman marched down to the ring to address Bray Wyatt. Strowman had a smile on his face as he got into the ring. Strowman stated that when he first met Bray Wyatt he felt the type of fear that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Braun said that they sitting at the edge of the disgusting swamp one night when a water moccasin slithered out of the swamp to Bray’s lantern.
Strowman was going to stomp it but Bray said it was his friend. The snake bit Bray in the face and all Wyatt did was laugh. Strowman added that Wyatt continued to laugh as the snake bit him over and over, and that is when he knew he was in the presence of evil. Braun claimed that Wyatt was the devil himself and he was enamored at this feat he just witnessed. Strowman said that he started doing the devil’s work and loved every second of it.
Braun said that he has done everything in his power to leave that part of his life behind but it still calls for him. He then suggested that they go back to the swamp and he is either going to come out of this as the most evil son of bitch that this earth has ever seen, or the satisfaction of throwing Wyatt in the swamp so the alligators finish him. Strowman added “one more time Bray, lets go home”. Wyatt’s laughter then echoed throughout the Performance Center as Braun cackled into the microphone to end the promo.