6 Ups & 3 Downs From WWE SmackDown (19 June - Results & Review)
1. Going Straight Into A Rematch
In kayfabe, it wasn’t a great look for Nick Aldis as GM to let Sami effectively cheat Gunther out of his contracted title shot. Similarly, Gunther's plot to use Zayn's fractured friendship with Cody Rhodes to his advantage backfired. Nonetheless, the big Austrian was screwed out of the match yet again. So, Cody demanded they restart the match without Zayn as guest ref.
It made sense to do that. You'll rarely see it happen exactly this way, but it made perfect sense. Yep, good storytelling here. Then, the DQ result a minute into the repeat also worked. This entire feud is really clicking at the moment - there's a great dynamic between all 3 guys, and Sami in particular is really nailing this character. There’s an intensity to his latest work that rules.
The way Zayn threw a Christian-style hissy fit (albeit one slightly less childish) once he realised that everything was blowing up around him? Flawless. Meanwhile, Gunther is only out for himself and doesn't care about anything other than winning the belt, and Rhodes is content to set a good example for people watching by being noble.
What a knockout shot this opening segment (featuring 2 separate matches) was for the show.
Sami poked his nose in yet again to force the disqualification and then his way into the title mix for Night Of Champions next weekend. All going well, that'll provide one of the best PLE narratives of 2026. Anything could happen out there in Saudi as relates to the WWE Title. Anything. Well, maybe not Hornswoggle returning to win the belt, but pretty much anything else.
What did you think of this week's WWE SmackDown? For more like this, check out 10 Most INSANE Promises Wrestling Promoters Made To Wrestlers and 10 Wrestling Jobbers So BIZARRE They Feel Made Up!