wrestling / TV Reports
Hall’s WWE SmackDown Review 6.5.26
Image Credit: WWE
Loading...WWE SmackDown
Date: June 5, 2026
Location: Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy
Commentators: Michael Cole, Wade Barrett
We’re still in Italy after last Sunday’s Clash In Italy, and there is some controversy around the World Title. Cody Rhodes did retain the title over Gunther, but Gunther’s foot was underneath the rope on the pin. That is going to have some issues going forward, and Gunther has a big-time complaint. Other than that, the King and Queen Of The Ring tournaments are on and get to continue here. Let’s get to it.
Clash in Italy recap.
Commentators welcome us to the show, and here is Gunther to wreck the announcers’ table. He wants justice for what happened because he is the Ring General and put his foot underneath the rope on purpose. Gunther calls out Cody Rhodes, and here he is to answer. Rhodes says Gunther is absolutely right, but Gunther is also a pro. Has he never had a finish go against him before?
Anyway, Rhodes only needs to make one phone call, so let’s do the rematch right here tonight. Gunther is ready to go, but Sami Zayn interrupts to say this is nonsense. Gunther doesn’t want to hear this, but Zayn says he knows what it’s like to beat Gunther for a title. Rhodes says he’s kind of busy right now, with Zayn thinking Rhodes is ducking him. Last week, Rhodes said that if he beat Gunther, he would teach Zayn a lesson. So when is Zayn getting his lesson? Gunther gets in and jumps Rhodes, but he and Zayn clear Gunther out. Zayn isn’t interested in a handshake, though.
Miz follows some cables into Danhausen’s laboratory. Danhausen tells him not to touch stuff, but Miz touches it anyway…and gets electrocuted.
Gunther yells at Nick Aldis to fix this situation and threatens lawsuits.
Queen Of The Ring First Round: Raquel Rodriguez vs. Bayley vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Kiana James
Everyone else goes for Rodriguez to start, and she gets knocked outside. The Bayley To Belly gets two on James, who backslides her for the same. Jayne is back in for a rollup of her own, but Rodriguez crossbodies everyone. We take a break and come back with Jayne in control and grabbing a running neckbreaker for two on Bayley. A backsplash gives Jayne two more, and she adds a cannonball in the corner.
Rodriguez is back up with a Pounce, though, and a double spinning Vader Bomb elbow gets two. A powerbomb sends Bayley crashing into Jayne, followed by a double chokeslam and James making the save. We take another break and come back again with James flipping out of Rodriguez’s chokeslam. Rodriguez clotheslines James down instead, but Jayne makes the save.
Bayley’s top rope elbow gets two on Jayne, with James making a save of her own. The Dealbreaker into a standing moonsault gives James two, so she rolls Bayley up, with Jayne making a save. Giulia takes Jayne out, but James thinks Giulia broke up the cover. Rodriguez Tejana Bombs James for the pin at 15:41.
Rating: B-. This was a fast-paced match, and it wound up going well, as I wasn’t sure who was going to win until the end. That’s a good feeling to have, even if I’m really not big on the whole four-way stuff. Rodriguez is a good choice to move on, and while I don’t think she’s winning, at least she can serve as a solid monster for someone to beat.
Post-match, Giulia helps James up, and James shoves her away, earning a beating from Giulia. If you want to give Giulia a big moment, this makes as much sense as anything else.
Sami Zayn rants to Johnny Gargano until Nick Aldis comes in. Aldis tells Zayn to stay out of Gunther and Cody Rhodes’ business. Aldis has someone else to talk to, in the form of the returning Chad Gable (who gets a ROAR).
Royce Keys vs. Talla Tonga
The rest of the MFT’s are here with Tonga. Keys slugs away to start, but can’t get in the slam. Some running clotheslines put Tonga on the floor, though, and we take a break. We come back with Keys avoiding a running boot in the corner and firing off some clotheslines to the front and back. Keys still can’t slam him, so he goes with a pounce instead, followed by the running powerslam (that’s how you build to the slam working). He has to go after the MFT’s, though, and Tonga hits a chokeslam for the fast pin at 8:01.
Rating: C+. This was pretty to the point, with Keys fighting back against the monster and managing to hit the big slam. That was a simple story that worked perfectly well, as did the interference to cost Keys the win. I’m not sure if I’d have Keys losing again, but it seems like this is part of a feud that will keep going.
Post-match, the beatdown stays on, but R-Truth runs in for the failed save attempt. Damian Priest has to save R-Truth, and Keys is left lying.
Judgment Day praises Raquel Rodriguez on her win, but Liv Morgan makes it all about herself again.
Video on Finn Balor, who is making his debut next week.
Damian Priest isn’t happy with the injured R-Truth getting involved, especially since he doesn’t trust Royce Keys. R-Truth insists that he’s ok and his brother, a doctor, told him. Priest says R-Truth doesn’t have a brother, but R-Truth says he does, and said brother is a Doctor of Thuganomics. That makes Priest walk off, so here are the War Raiders (the new AAA Tag Team Champions), who seem to want a title shot. R-Truth has no idea who they are and walks off.
Here is Rhea Ripley, with her knee wrapped up and clearly limping, for a chat. She’s glad to put the Jade Cargill chapter behind her, but her knee is a bit banged up. The reality is, Cargill blew her chance thanks to, I guess we’ll say, a friend helping Ripley. This brings out Charlotte (to quite the reaction) to say she’s had fun teaming with Ripley. The Queen Of The Ring is starting up, though, and she’s a competitor, so she’s coming for the title. Ripley doesn’t seem to mind, but here is Tiffany Stratton to interrupt.
Charlotte thinks Stratton is here to apologize, but Stratton is here to talk about Ripley’s title. This brings out Jade Cargill and company, who say Charlotte is next for her. Cargill doesn’t think much of Stratton either, and the fight seems imminent. Cue Nick Aldis to say not so fast, if nothing else, because Ripley isn’t cleared to compete. Charlotte suggests a tag match instead, and we seem good to go.
Charlotte/Tiffany Stratton vs. Michin/Jade Cargill
Charlotte powers Michin into the corner to start, but an O’Connor roll is blocked. The Figure Four necklock works a bit better, and Michin gets rolled around. Stratton comes in with a basement dropkick, but Cargill sends her flying with a fallaway slam. A blind tag brings Charlotte back in, though, and a high crossbody takes Michin down again. Another crossbody from the apron hits B-Fab and Cargill, but Michin is back up with a suicide dive to Charlotte as we take a break.
We come back with Charlotte dropping Michin but getting cheap-shotted by Cargill. That means Michin can Styles Clash Charlotte, who is able to avoid a charge into the post. Stratton comes back in to a heck of a reaction and cleans house, with a Swanton getting two on Michin. Cargill is back in with a sitout powerbomb to Stratton, and Charlotte posts Michin. Back in, and Jaded is reversed into a rollup for two, but a second attempt finishes Stratton at 12:20.
Rating: B. The crowd was on fire for this one, and it made for a rather awesome atmosphere around a rather good match. Cargill gets some momentum back, and you can see some pretty big matches coming up for the women’s division. It’s smart to give Cargill a win back, though it’s not a great sign to see a champion get pinned, even in a tag match.
Jacy Jayne rants to Fatal Influence about her loss, and they take out some anger by jumping Brie Bella and Paige. They also hold up the Women’s Tag Team Titles. I’ll absolutely take that as a way to save us from this reign already.
Royce Keys thanks R-Truth for his help. R-Truth suggests that Damian Priest can help against the MFT’s, but Keys doesn’t think that’s going to work.
Ricky Saints vs. Carmelo Hayes
Saints jumps him before the bell but get sent outside. That means a big running dive and frog splash for two on Saints before Hayes can even take his jacket off. Hayes clotheslines him out to the floor, and we take a break. We come back with Saints hammering away and grabbing a bulldog for two.
Hayes reverses a northern lights suplex into a DDT, though, and they’re both down for a bit. They strike it out until Dirty Diana gives Hayes two more. Saints’ tornado DDT out of the corner gets the same, but he gets caught in the First 48. Hayes loads up Nothing But Net and gets crotched down, followed by a crash out to the floor. That’s good for a nine and a half, and Hayes hits a superkick, only to get rolled up for the pin (with tights) at 10:10.
Rating: B. Hayes is someone who can wrestle that fast-paced style and make it look effortless, which is quite the talent. He’s incredibly smooth in the ring, and that isn’t something you can just manufacture. Saints continues to find himself around here, and a win over a former champion is a good step in the right direction.
Trick Williams says he is concerned with himself only, and he isn’t worried about who is coming after his title. Then he wants to win the King Of The Ring, and he starts tonight. Bron Breakker comes in for a staredown.
Chelsea Green asks Tiffany Stratton why she didn’t ask for help tonight. Stratton said it was ok and has to go to the trainers instead of being in Green’s corner. Green’s disappointed face is great, as her one-sided enthusiasm is working very well.
Blake Monroe is still coming and seems interested in Tiffany Stratton. Tiffy Time is about to run on Monroe Minutes.
Chelsea Green vs. Lash Legend
Nia Jax is here with Legend. Green chops away to start and immediately has to run from a chasing Legend. Back in, and Legend stomps her down for a splash with Jax getting in a cheap shot. Green’s sunset flip is blocked, and a pump kick gives Legend two. Green fights up and seemingly accidentally takes Jax out before hitting a big dive onto both of them. Back in, and a missile dropkick puts Legend down for two, but the Unprettier is countered into the Lash Extension for the pin at 4:26.
Rating: C+. Green held her own in there for a bit, but it would have been too far for her to be able to beat a monster like Legend, especially with Jax out there. The match showed what Green can do when she is allowed to actually open it up in the ring a bit, and that’s a rare sight. The good thing is that the fans are already behind her, and it’s easy to see why when she’s that talented.
We look at Jacob Fatu acknowledging Roman Reigns on Raw.
Solo Sikoa comes up to Royce Keys and says Keys needs some support. Sikoa talks about how he’s the only one to call Keys, and they need to get ready for war. This seems to have Keys thinking, though Sikoa says to stop making this difficult, or Sikoa will make it difficult.
Video on the mask vs. mask match from last weekend’s AAA. It’s worth seeing if you haven’t yet.
Rey Fenix is talking to Fraxiom when Chad Gable comes up. Gable talks about how he and Fenix had a match last year at Wrestlemania, but Gable was doing it to mock lucha libre. He has since learned how great the Mexican culture is and wants to apologize. Fenix says he forgives Gable, but he’s not the only person Gable has to apologize to. The fans applauding Gable for what he said shows this thing is working well so far.
Cody Rhodes runs into Nick Aldis, who asks if the offer for a rematch with Gunther is still good. Rhodes says it absolutely is, and he wanted to do it tonight, but Gunther is already gone. Aldis has been talking to Gunther’s legal team (“They’re no fun.”) and Gunther wants a stipulation, which he’ll announce next week. That’s fine with Rhodes, but he doesn’t want to wait much longer, so the title match is two weeks from tonight. Works for Aldis. This was a rare case of a backstage conversation that actually sounded natural.
King Of The Ring First Round: Damian Priest vs. Trick Williams vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Bron Breakker
Non-title. Breakker immediately suplexes Williams to start fast, and Mysterio bails out to the floor. Another suplex drops Priest, and Breakker gives him a running clothesline. The big flying shoulder drops Mysterio on the floor, and Breakker shows off by jumping from the floor onto the announcers’ table as we take a break.
We come back with everyone but Breakker fighting in the ring until Williams is knocked to the floor as well. Priest hammers on Mysterio and cuts off Breakker as he gets back inside. Williams and Breakker are sent to the floor again, but Mysterio manages to kick away at Priest. Breakker is back into a super Frankensteiner Priest and gorilla press powerslam Mysterio.
Williams makes a save and slugs it out with Breakker, with the former getting the better of things. A neckbreaker drops Priest and dang the fans like Williams. The Rock Bottom gives Williams two on Breakker, with Priest making the save and taking over. Priest goes up top and gets double superplexed down, and we take another break.
We come back with Breakker missing a charge into the post and Priest Razor’s Edges Mysterio. Liv Morgan offers a distraction, though, and Breakker is back up to wreck people. The spear hits Priest, and Mysterio sends Breakker outside, with Williams getting two as Mysterio pulls the referee. Breakker clotheslines Williams through the announcers’ table and cues JD McDonagh to distract Priest. Morgan gets in a low blow, and Mysterio’s 619 into the frog splash are enough to pin Priest at 16:53.
Rating: B-. I like Mysterio stealing the win, as it means he gets to face Oba Femi in the next round, and that could be quite the situation. Priest losing again isn’t a great sign for him, as it’s kind of his designated role in these spots. At the same time, they might have something down the line with Williams vs. Breakker, which definitely had an aura to it that could go somewhere.
Results
Raquel Rodriguez b. Kiana James, Bayley, and Jacy Jayne – Tejana Bomb to James
Talla Tonga b. Royce Keys – Chokeslam
Jade Cargill/Michin b. Charlotte/Tiffany Stratton – Jaded to Stratton
Ricky Saints b. Carmelo Hayes – Rollup with tights
Lash Legend b. Chelsea Green – Lash Extension
Dominik Mysterio b. Damian Priest, Trick Williams, and Bron Breakker – Frog splash to Priest
