WWE SmackDown results, recap and highlights: The One-man Show

Check out the results, recap and highlights of the latest episode of WWE SmackDown that aired on June 12 from the ThunderDome.

Roman Reigns (L) and Rey Mysterio square off on WWE SmackDown. (Image: Twitter/@WWE)
By Shayne Dias | Jun 12, 2021 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

The latest episode of WWE SmackDown emenated on June 12 (Saturday) from the ThunderDome at Yuengling Center in Tampa, Florida. Ahead of the show, a confrontation between Universal Champion Roman Reigns and Rey Mysterio was teased. Last week, Reigns laid an almighty beating on Rey’s son Dominik. The ongoing saga between Reigns and his cousins Jimmy and Jey Uso would also be featured. How would Jey react to the ongoing tussle between Roman and brother Jimmy? Of course, there were also a number of matches scheduled and announced as the show came on air.

So who were the biggest winners and losers after this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown? Let’s take a look.

The Roman Reigns Show rolls on

Since Roman Reigns returned to WWE last summer, it’s no exaggeration to say he’s been the best thing on WWE TV. Amazingly, his storylines continue to entertain, fascinate and leave the audience wanting more.

This week, he and cousin Jimmy had another heated confrontaton. This led to a masterful bit of TV between Jimmy and Jey, where the latter admitted he didn’t know how to get out of this role as the “right hand man”.

Amazingly, this wasn’t the end of it. Roman made it seem like Jimmy was the one at fault. He calmly explained to Jimmy that his actions were affecting Jey. And that he needs to make it right.

It worked, as Jimmy went to find his brother and put things right. Did we move one step closer to Jimmy acknowleding Reigns as the ‘Head of the Table’? Time will tell.

But that wasn’t Reigns’ only order of business on this show. On the final segment of the show, he went out to confront Rey Mysterio. Mysterio laid into Reigns but before the Universal champion could retort, the Master of the 619 attacked him with a kendo stick!

Reigns managed to overpower both Rey and Dominik – who ran out with a kendo stick of his own but was absolutely ragdolled by Reigns – and stood tall to end the show.

It seems SmackDown has their Hell in a Cell match for the PPV.

Best of the rest on WWE SmackDown

  • Seth Rollins was Balley’s guest on ‘Ding Dong Hello’. This segment was grating in the best way possible, as both Bayley and Rollins laughed away at their respective foes Bianca Belair and Cesaro. That is, of course, until Cesaro arrived to quite literally beat the pants off Rollins. More of this, please!
  • Big E and Kevin Owens beat Apollo Crews and Sami Zayn. WWE’s penchant for combining feuds into a tag team carries on. Thanks to the talent at hand, the match was a fun if predictable affair. The babyface team won, so what are they rewarded with? This same match again next week, only with Commander Azeez taking the place of Zayn. Hooray.
  • Montez Ford vs Chad Gable went to a no-contest when Otis interfered and beat the ever living hell out of Ford. Otis’ new beard-less look is… interesting to say the least. Look out for a tag team rematch of this next week.
  • After losing to Carmella last week, Liv Morgan got a win back this week in a singles match. There’s no doubting the fact that Morgan is a talented performer. However, 50/50 booking like this helps absolutely no one. Anyone want to bet there’s a rematch of this next week?
  • Shinsuke Nakamura beat King Corbin in… a rematch from last week. Nakamura’s entrance with Rick Boogs is entertaining. This feud is not. And there’ll be a rematch next week, with Corbin’s crown on the line. Okay.

SmackDown is currently both amazing and frustrating in equal measure. On one hand, the Reigns-Usos storyline is fantastic and Roman’s match with Mysterio is all but certain to be a banger. The Rollins-Cesaro feud continues to entertain, as does Belair vs Bayley.

On the other hand, the constant rematches help no one. Upping the stakes in a feud can be done without doing rematches to death, after all.

Grade: C