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WWE brought Smackdown back to American soil on June 12, 2026, taking over the Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island. With the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments hitting the high-stakes quarterfinal rounds, the night promised plenty of athleticism. Instead, we got a masterclass in psychological manipulation courtesy of Gunther, a face-slapping meltdown between two former friends, and a main event that proved the Bloodline drama is far from over.
If you missed the USA Network broadcast because you actually have a social life on a Friday night, don’t panic. Here is the full breakdown of everything that went down, who advanced, and who got psychologically broken.
Gunther Plays 4D Chess with Cody Rhodes and Sami Zayn.
The massive overarching story of the night on Smackdown revolved around Gunther’s mystery stipulation for his upcoming Undisputed WWE Championship rematch against Cody Rhodes. Nick Aldis spent the entire night sweating bullets trying to get the Ring General to name his terms. By the end of the night, Gunther delivered a stroke of pure, evil genius: Sami Zayn will be the Special Guest Referee next week.
How did we get here? Earlier in the night, a highly emotional Sami Zayn called out Cody Rhodes. The conversation quickly turned ugly. Cody, completely dropping his nice-guy persona, looked Sami dead in the eyes and told him the fans were booing him because lately, “he sucks.” He called Sami “desperate” and said he was sorry he held the WWE title because it meant Sami never would. Ouch.
Sami responded the only way a frustrated wrestler knows how: by slapping the microphone out of Cody’s hand—and then slapping Cody right across the face. A shocked Sami instantly regretted it and tried to apologize, but Cody leveled him with a receipt slap of his own. Sami walked off in shame, and Gunther immediately capitalized on the fractured relationship by forcing a conflicted Sami into the referee slot for next week’s title match. It’s beautiful, toxic storytelling on Smackdown for a change.
The Queen of the Ring Bracket Gets Royalty
Smackdown kicked off with an absolute car wreck of a Fatal 4-Way match featuring Charlotte Flair, Jade Cargill, Sol Ruca, and Lyra Valkyria.
Charlotte Flair def. Jade Cargill, Sol Ruca, and Lyra Valkyria
This match was worked at a breakneck pace. Sol Ruca pulled off a spectacular moonsault to the outside and later hit a Sol Snatcher on Lyra. Jade Cargill looked to have the match won after hitting Charlotte with Jaded, but the referee got completely distracted because logic doesn’t exist in multi-person matches.
Tiffany Stratton and Alexa Bliss sprinted ringside to brawl with Jade’s allies, Michin and B-Fab. The outside chaos cost Jade her moment, allowing Lyra Valkyria to break up the pin. In the ensuing scramble, Charlotte Flair did what Charlotte Flair always does: she took advantage of a battered Lyra, locking in the Figure Eight to force the tap-out and advance to the semifinals.
Later in the night, the fallout from this match led to a quick tag team encounter to make sure everyone else got their TV time.
Michin & B-Fab def. Tiffany Stratton & Chelsea Green
Chelsea Green tried to play savior for Stratton, but the makeshift duo couldn’t get on the same page. Michin put an end to the shenanigans by hitting Chelsea with a brutal Styles Clash to pick up the victory.
Cruiserweight Excellence and Tag Team Defiance
SmackDown featured an absolute hidden gem of a match tucked into the middle of the card, alongside some ongoing tag team hierarchy shifts.
Rey Fénix def. Axiom: Defending his AAA World Cruiserweight Championship, Fenix put on a lucha libre clinic with Axiom. After a spectacular top-rope Spanish Fly from Axiom yielded a close near-fall, Fenix rallied back with a pair of spinning animal kicks and a devastating Mexican Muscle Buster to retain his title. This match alone was worth the price of admission.
Brie Bella & Paige def. Fatal Influence: The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions handled business in a non-title match against Fallon Henley and Lainey Reid. Jacy Jayne tried to interfere, but the referee caught her and ejected her from the ringside. Amidst the confusion, Brie Bella helped Paige reverse a small package into a pinfall victory.
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