WWE SmackDown Results (06/07/2024): Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles go ballistic; The Bloodline gets checked

Patrik Walker

•
WWE SmackDown Results (06/07/2024): Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles go ballistic; The Bloodline gets checked image

Cody Rhodes defeats AJ Styles

You can bet Hall of Fame wrestler Mark Henry is proud, and he literally is (check his social media feed for proof), at what A.J. Styles did on last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown — faking retirement for nearly two hours and getting WWE Champion Cody Rhodes to buy into it lock, stock and barrel.

And then Rhodes was obliterated by Styles, in devastating fashion.  

It’s been a week of seething for Rhodes and for fans dying to see what happens next in what’s become the top feud in the WWE, arguably (Liv vs. Rhea?), and the world got its answer from the KFC! Yum Center in Louisville, Kentucky on June 7.

Let’s recap and review this week’s SmackDown, because there was much more going on than just Styles’ deception.

So … much … more ... as Clash of the Castle in Scotland (June 15) speeds toward us all. 

A Very Cross … Rhodes 

Rhodes is the babiest of babyfaces in the WWE, to the point where it often leads him into situations that he should’ve seen coming from a mile away. 

The latest example of this was presented in living color on last week’s SmackDown, when Styles led everyone in the building (but trust me, not everyone at home, and I have the receipts to prove it) into believing he would retire last Friday.

And, of course, there was the ever-respectful and classy Rhodes in the ring alongside him to shake his hand, offer a hug and admiration and, oh by the way, to eventually be nearly decapitated before suffering a Styles Clash off of the steel steps.

It’s time for Rhodes to reassess his level of trust, but first it’s time for him to grab the microphone and tell us all what he intends to do about Styles’ latest attack.

Cody, you knew exactly what we wanted to talk about. 

After a near encounter with Styles backstage, when Styles pulled up in his limo in front of a furious Rhodes, there was no amount of pacing back and forth that would satisfy the champion. He made a beeline to the ring and demanded Styles meet him in the ring to square off “here and now” and made it clear “he doesn’t need security”. 

“Cody, do you think I care what you want?” said a smirking Styles, before demanding another shot at the title, this time in Scotland at the Clash at the Castle PLE. 

He’d then channel his inner Batista.

“Give me what I want!” yelled Styles. 

His response? You guessed it. Done deal.

“100 percent, you got it,” said Rhodes. “But A.J., look at me. This isn’t just any regular match. I’m not just gonna beat you. I’m gonna make you say what you should’ve said last week: ‘I quit!’” 

Will this be an official “I Quit” match, or was Rhodes just being feral? 

Either way, and especially given the chaos that ensued after WWE SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis made it official at ringside, let’s get it on. 

REMATCH!!

The Bloodline, I Guess

I don’t begrudge anyone who is so invested in The Bloodline that they’re willing to accept this Temu version of it, but I definitely am not one of you who are. Fact is, in my opinion, it’s the one glaring storyline that the WWE should’ve taken in a different direction versus Sikoa, of all people, looking Hall of Fame manager Paul Heyman in the face and, with a straight face, telling him “losing has consequences”.

Could someone remind me of Sikoa’s recent win-loss record, please? 

Exactly.

But that being neither here nor there at this point, Roman Reigns’ planned hiatus opened the door for the WWE to “sit at the head of the table”, per Heyman, a declaration that sent the Louisville crowd into a frenzy with “we want Roman!” chants. 

Sikoa used time to cut a promo that was effectively anointing of Tonga Loa as an official member of the Bloodline, but also giving Tama Tanga the title of the new “Right Hand Man”.

Heyman needs two Hall of Fame seats at this point: one for his illustrious career and another for making this storyline tolerable, because Heyman has been outstanding. As has Kevin Owens in his continued harassment of The Bloodline, and thank goodness for them both.

But that being neither here nor there at this point, Roman Reigns’ planned hiatus opened the door for the WWE to “sit at the head of the table”, per Heyman, a declaration that sent the Louisville crowd into a frenzy with “we want Roman!” chants.

Sikoa used time to cut a promo that was effectively anointing of Tonga Loa as an official member of the Bloodline, but also giving Tama Tanga the title of “Right Hand Man”. Heyman needs two Hall of Fame seats at this point: one for his illustrious career and another for making this storyline tolerable, because Heyman has been outstanding.

As has Kevin Owens in his continued harassment of The Bloodline, and thank goodness for them both.

And speaking of Owens, the pissed off Canadian rushed the stage during Sikoa’s promo like he was Aaron Donald in the Super Bowl, paying for that decision with a three-man beatdown that abruptly ended with the Street Profits coming to save the day.

By the way, why aren’t they Tag Team Champs yet?

A conversation for another day, no doubt, but the events above led to Sikoa demanding a six-man tag match on SmackDown, and I’ll get to that in a moment. Oh, and there was another QR Code, by the way.

All I can say about that right now is … howdy.

Hug This

This whole “rivalry” feels a bit forced and we know why. The reason Piper Niven has been awarded a title shot against Bayley, after attacking her, is because the PLE is in Scotland; and that’s a formula WWE has long used to help hype up the international crowd that is hosting the event. 

It happened with Selina Vega in Puerto Rico, and it’s happening with Piper Niven in Scotland (and the fact Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn are suddenly relevant against … *checks notes* … Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill) further proves my point.

Enough soapy boxes, though.

Bayley’s promo on SmackDown on June 7 involved her throwing verbal barbs at Niven and Chelsea Green, and Bayley’s bestie Naomi didn’t take kindly to the Niven half of that exchange.

When Niven and Greene made their way to the back, Naomi met them with Aldis in tow and a match was set for next Friday — potentially softening up Niven for Bayley.

Cargill, Belair vs. LeRae, Hartwell 

Result: Cargill, Belair win clean (pinfall)

Reaction: Only four short days ago, Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair put their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships on the line at WWE Monday Night RAW against Shayna Baszler and Zoey Stark — a match that ended with a disqualification of a Scottish nature, namely Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn — all four of those ladies making their way ringside for this bout.

Meanwhile, Cargill and Belair, whom I would love to see come up with a team name, given how elite they’ve been together, have not been shying away from any smoke. The latest opponents were LeRae and Hartwell, as everyone in the women’s division tries to take aim at The EST and The Storm.

Although it wasn’t what Kandice LeRae and Indi Hartwell were asking of SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis, it’s precisely what they ended up receiving. 

A beatdown after Hartwell downed Belair and then mocked Cargill’s “Storm” intro.

She’d pay for that in a big way when Cargill was finally tagged in, when she ran through both of her opponents and even through one (LeRae) at the other (Hartwell). And then came the combo finisher by the champs, leaving no doubt who sits atop the mountain in that division.

Of course, the for bystanders would go on to attack Cargill and Belair, and then began arguing and fighting each other in the ring, but they forgot that when you aim at the queens, you better not miss.

A simultaneous K.O.D. and Jaded finisher ended the uprising, emphatically. 

It’s about time for a three-way tag team match between these three tag teams, because that was so much fun for NXT this week, so let’s spread that love (read: hate) around a bit.

And no sooner did I have that thought than it manifested right before my very eyes. That exact match is now set for Scotland. Oh Hunter, my Hunter.

Crews Controlled

Crews can’t get a moment of air since returning to action last week. In what began as a fairly straightforward match for Crews devolved into a war against Legado Del Fantasma, and that spilled over to this week’s SmackDown in a major way. 

As Crews tried to do a Q&A backstage, he was jumped by Santos Escobar’s henchmen, Angle and Berto, an attempt to weaken Crews ahead of a pre-arranged matchup with Angel. 

But because of that beatdown, the match was called off. 

For now. 

Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller 

Result: Waller wins clean (pinfall) 

Reaction: Last week, it was one-half of the WWE Men’s Tag Team Champs, Austin Theory, in an individual matchup against Tommaso Ciampa who, by the way, awaits Andrade for a chance at Richochet and the WWE Speed Championship. This time around, it’s the other half of A-Town Down, with Waller taking on Ciampa and there’s something not quite right here between the champs.

Theory overheard Waller telling everyone he’s the reason Theory is over again, causing a pause that got the latter handed a loss at the hands of Ciampa. 

Hmmm … trouble in Austratlantan paradise?

Early on the match, it appeared fairly even, that was until Waller got Gargano outside of the ring and literally, and I do mean literally, nearly ended his career with what looked like a botched suplex by one of the wrestlers (appeared that Gargano didn’t position his head and neck correctly) but thankfully there was no damage when the move was completed.

And with my lungs working again, seeing as I stopped breathing for a moment, I was able to refocus on what turned out to be a solid match. Both Waller and Gargano got plenty of hits and mostly well-executed moves in at the expense of the other, with neither truly owning the match at any point. 

Remember that fracture I mentioned, though? Well, it grew in this bout.

Gargano went airborne through the ropes to suicide dive into Waller but Waller sidestepped and let Theory, who was standing next to him, take the punishment. The look on Theory’s face after Waller’s win tells an entire story, one that will quickly surface — potentially as early as Clash at the Castle.

Theory looks ready to pounce on Waller like a heartbroken kangaroo. 

LA Knight vs. Carmelo Hayes

Result: Knight wins clean (pinfall)

Reaction: Knight has had enough of the mouthy first-round SmackDown draft pick out of NXT and I, for one, love that.

The rookie has gone out of his way as of late to try and taunt Knight, though it blew up in his fast a week ago when Hayes botched the mic work in asking Knight “why would LA Knight want to face you” though he meant Logan Paul — to which the man with arguably the best mic skills in the game embarrassed him expeditiously. 

Knight, again looking for Paul, was instead met by Hayes yammering in his face. One minute later, Knight got his wish to have a match against “Him”, and later got welcomed to the University of Yeah! 

Hayes at least held his own, but the arrogance was his ultimate undoing — that and the seasoned ability of Knight. A pop-up power slam and Big Elbow later, Knight had control of the match and though Hayes nearly rolled him up into a three-count, the savvy veteran reversed it and used his body weight to keep the rookie from escaping the pinfall.

Then Knight walked to the broadcaster’s table, grabbed a mic and threatened to “bring SmackDown” Logan Paul if Paul wouldn’t come to SmackDown to face him.

Hey Logan, just ask Styles how that went … at his own house.

You should probably answer Knight’s call, and a remote promo won't be enough.

Trust me on this one.

Six-Man Tag Team Match 

Result: Owens, Street Profits win by disqualification

Reaction: There’s no surprise that this is all coming to a head between Kevin Owens and the latest version of The Bloodline, considering he’s never relented in his assault of the faction and the fact they also put their hands on Randy Orton only deepened Owens’ disdain. As for the Street Profits, it’s about continuing to prove the best tag team in the promotion is definitely not two newcomers to WWE. 

Their fire is emboldened by the fact they want to earn the right to be viewed as No. 1 contenders for the belts. 

Cue up the six-man tag team match in Louisville, where Owens and the Street Profits mostly took The Bloodline to school before bullying them out of their lunchbox and Thermos. 

By the time Montez Ford flew from the heavens over the turnbuckle to the outside to take out two-thirds of The Bloodline who were ganging up on Owens, it was clear who was outmatched in this one. That’s likely why Sikoa, who hasn’t won a match, let alone a clean one, since Moses purchased new sandals, broke out a chair and drew the disqualification by hitting Ford over the back with it.

All hell broke loose from there,

It took all three of Reigns’ active family members (non-Jey) to lift Owens and put him through a table before standing over him as if they sent any message other than the one we’re all witnessing, and that’s the fact we’re all waiting on the actual Tribal Chief to return and reclaim his throne, and hopefully by force.

And, hopefully, it’s with Jacob Fatu and maybe an Uso reunion. 

Until then, Temu it is.

 

Patrik Walker

Patrik Walker Photo

Patrik [No C] Walker is an accredited, award-winning journalist and podcaster who has worked to become one of the most respected and recognizable forces covering the Dallas Cowboys. Having never lost his lifelong passion for the wrestling, the one-of-a-kind analyst is using his talents to complete a journey that began as a rambunctious kid wearing a championship belt fashioned from cardboard and aluminum foil, to the ranks of covering an industry that's had his heart pinned to the mat for decades now. Follow him on Twitter/X: VoiceOfTheStar.