The May 30 edition of WWE SmackDown aired from Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee. John Cena and Cody Rhodes came face-to-face in a SmackDown ring for the first time since the last SmackDown before WrestleMania 41. Bianca Belair made her return to the blue brand. Two more Money in the Bank qualifying matches happened on the show. Let’s find out what happened on the show and discuss WWE SmackDown May 30 Results.
Bianca Belair is Back Home!
Bianca Belair made a tremendous return to her hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee. The crowd erupted for the EST of WWE. Bianca’s parents were there in the front row. She began with a rendition of the UT Fighting song alongside the audience. She updated the fans that she isn’t 100 percent fit, but she’ll be soon. Naomi interrupted to a chorus of boos. Belair told her that it was not the right time. Naomi, however, insisted that they should discuss what had happened to them.
Naomi asked for Bianca’s forgiveness. She said that she had been trying to contact Bianca for a long time to fix their friendship. Naomi said that she visited Belair’s parents’ home, but nobody was there. She said that she found an album there. Belair wasn’t happy to hear this, and she warned Naomi to stay away from her friends. Naomi said that Belair and her mom won’t look good in a wheelchair. Jade Cargill came down the ramp and attacked Naomi. She sent Naomi to the outside and had a brief stare-down with Belair.
Grades B+
Analysis: It was a fun homecoming for Bianca Belair after WWE WrestleMania 41. The crowd warmly welcomed her. It appears that WWE is heading into a story involving Naomi, Bianca, and Jade. It will be solid stuff in the coming weeks. Naomi’s improvement on the mic is appreciable in this heel run.
Nia Jax vs Naomi vs Jade Cargill – Women’s Money in the Bank Qualifier
The opening segment directly led to this qualifying match. Jax was thrown out of the ring, and Naomi landed a Bonzai Drop on Cargill for a two-count. Cargill bounced back with a fall away slam and a Black Hole Slam. Nia intervened in the pinfall to save the match. Jax delivered leg drops to both her opponents. Naomi countered a Samoan Drop into a crucifix pin for a two-count. Naomi and Nia teamed up against Jade for a while. Naomi delivered a snapmare and a lariat to Cargill.
The alliance broke up, and Naomi landed a senton on Jax. Cargill returned and successfully delivered Jaded to Naomi, but Jax saved the match at two-count. Jax landed a Samoan Drop on Naomi from the top rope. Jade landed a splash to break the pinfall. In the end, Jax caught both women with an Annihilator. Naomi sneaked up a rollup pin on Jax for the win.
Winner: Naomi
Grades B
Analysis: It was a solid triple-threat match. Both Jax and Cargill have made improvements in the ring. Naomi has qualified for the Women’s Money in the Bank match, and she’s a strong contender for the win here as well. There are multiple things she can do with this heel character.
Backstage
– R-Truth bumped into Solo Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and JC Mateo backstage. Truth’s big mouth got him into a match with JC Mateo. Jacob Fatu left, saying that he had business to deal with.
– Chelsea Green, with her Secret Service, visited Nick Aldis. Green had put on a face mask as her nose was injured at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event courtesy of a botched 619 by Zelina Vega. Aldis declined to give Green a match until she recovers. Instead, a non-title match was made official between Zelina Vega and Alba Fyre for later tonight.
– Tiffany Stratton talked the challenger for her in the next women’s MITB winner. Naomi stopped by and told the women’s champion to worry when she won the briefcase. Alexa Bliss approached the champ and told her to worry about the Goddess instead of Naomi.
R-Truth vs JC Mateo
Solo Sikoa was at ringside for the action. Mateo threw Truth here and there in the ring with ease. Truth tried some John Cena moves, but Mateo caught him with a suplex and a standing moonsault. Truth avoided a senton and landed a 5-Knuckle Shuffle. JC escaped AA and landed Tour of Islands for the victory. Post-match, Jimmy Uso saved Truth from further attack by Mateo and Sikoa.
Winner: JC Mateo
Grades C
Analysis: It was a short match, as expected. JC Mateo will be booked as a beast for a few weeks. His next target is seemingly Jimmy Uso. Seeing Jey Uso on top on Raw and then seeing Jimmy doing nothing here brings sadness, as he’s equally talented as his brother Jey. Also, Solo Sikoa is getting wasted these days.
Wyatt Sicks Strikes Again!
Street Profits, the tag team champions, made their way to the ring. They called themselves the best and claimed that they would defend the titles anytime and anywhere, especially mentioning Wyatt Sicks. Fraxiom interrupted and demanded a rematch as the match on last week’s SmackDown was interrupted by Wyatt Sicks. Motor City Machine Guns and DIY came out as well and put out their points for a tag titles’ shot. Chaos erupted as the Wyatt Sicks assaulted everyone. Uncle Howdy delivered a Sister Abigail to Nathan Frazer.
Rey Fenix & Je’Von Evans vs Los Garza
The match begins, and Berto lands a crossbody. Evans fired back with an enziguri and a Bouncyrana. Angel suffered a similar fate, and Fenix hit Berto with a superkick. Los Garza dominated Evans for some time. A kick allowed Evans to tag Fenix. The luchador charged with a springboard crossbody on Angel, followed by a step-up hurricanrana.
Fenix delivered a Spider kick as Evans suffered a Thrust kick from Berto. Ethan Page was at ringside, and a distraction by him allowed Los Garza to hit MTY on Evans for the win. After the match, Uncle Howdy appeared on the screen with a message: “We won’t stop… until we take what’s owed.”
Winners: Los Garza
Grade C+
Analysis: The tag team division on SmackDown has been consistent in recent weeks, and the fans are into the stuff happening on the blue brand. The chaos by Wyatt Sicks is far from over. The tag match was basically to heat up the NXT feud involving Ethan Page and Rey Fenix.
Zelina Vega vs Alba Fyre
The champion was dominant in the first few minutes of the match. Chelsea Green interrupted and prevented Vega from landing a 619. Also, Niven attacked Vega while the referee was distracted. Vega delivered a Meteora and a suplex. Fyre landed a Swanton Bomb from the top for a near fall. Green tried to attack Vega but mistakenly attacked Niven. In the ring, Zelina caught Alba with a Code Red for the win.
Winner: Zelina Vega
Grades C+
Analysis: The match looked like a filler on the show. Chelsea Green can be a lot more entertaining if used well on TV. Zelina Vega has done less to nothing for the prestige of the women’s US Title. Some big names need to be involved in the mix to establish the newly introduced championship.
Damian Priest wants Gold
Damian Priest came down to the ring to a decent crowd reaction. Priest said that Drew McIntyre was his past and championships would be his future. Priest said that he had his eyes on Jacob Fatu. He praised Fatu’s work. The only problem Priest had was with the people surrounding Jacob Fatu. Priest aimed to be El CampéonGuepa. Jacob Fatu came down and had a brief stare down with Priest before heading to the ring with his upcoming match.
Grades B
Analysis: It looked fresh to see Damian Priest talking about anything except Drew McIntyre after months. A feud between Fatu and Priest will be beneficial to both competitors. Priest will stay in the limelight even after McIntyre’s absence, while Fatu will have a good opponent to further establish himself as the US Champion.
Andrade vs Carmelo Hayes vs Jacob Fatu – Money in the Bank Qualifying Match
Fatu and Andrade team up to send Hayes out of the ring, with both wrestlers circling each other. Fatu sidesteps a charge, reversing a whip, and El Idolo lands a Flair Flip followed by a diving crossbody for a nearfall. The Miz interferes, grabbing Jacob’s foot and allowing Melo to attempt a schoolboy. Hayes counters with a float over and superkick, sending Fatu packing with help from the Miz’s low bridge. Jacob fights back, throwing Miz into the barricade and landing Ode to Rikishi before the break.
After the break, the team-up fails as Andrade and Hayes exchange blows. El Idolo lands a Spanish Fly on Melo but is interrupted by Fatu’s senton. Andrade moonsaults but is stopped by Hayes. A springboard double DDT from Melo gets a two-count while the Samoan Werewolf stalks Melo. Hayes lands a Codebreaker, followed by El Idolo’s Poison Frankensteiner. The action spills to the floor, with Fatu crashing through the barricade, leading to more chaos.
Back from the commercial, the match escalates as El Idolo and Hayes battle in the turnbuckles, with Fatu returning to complete a Tower of Doom. Solo Sikoa and JC Mateo appear ringside, adding to the chaos. Fatu and Andrade continue to clash, but in the end, Andrade pins Melo with the Message, qualifying for the Money in the Bank ladder match. Afterward, Fatu and Mateo argue, and Solo Sikoa steps in to try and calm things down.
Winner: Andrade
Grade B+
Analysis: Andrade deserves this opportunity because he could not get anything after his return to WWE. Fatu and Solo, with Mateo, show tension every week, and they will likely explode soon. Fatu has the US title, so he does not need Money in the Bank. However, Andrade and Melo can also benefit from winning the briefcase.
Backstage at WWE SmackDown May 30 Results
LA Knight is interviewed backstage by Byron Saxton, who asks about the buzz surrounding the Money in the Bank ladder match. Knight downplays the competition, saying that if it were a one-on-one match, he’d call his shot, but in his third year in the ladder match, he knows it’s anyone’s game. Aleister Black then appears, cryptically wishing him luck before Cody Rhodes walks by, leading us into a break. Back from the commercial, Jacob Fatu is backstage throwing a tantrum when Solo Sikoa approaches, attempting to offer help. Fatu, however, rejects his assistance for the last time and storms off in frustration.
Cody Rhodes and John Cena Promo
Cody Rhodes makes his entrance on SmackDown and addresses the crowd in Knoxville. He discusses his journey since WrestleMania, reflecting on his struggles and doubts, particularly questioning whether he was a good champion. After some self-reflection, he realized that despite the challenges, he had been a good champion. He mentions the difficult moments he’s faced, including AJ Styles’ supposed retirement, his friend’s betrayal, and the pressure from his boss. Cody also thinks about John Cena and the impact Cena’s actions might have on pro wrestling. He admits that if Cena ruins it, he might be partly to blame, but he promises never to hesitate when facing Cena again.
Cody, getting a bit worked up, decides to surprise the crowd by introducing “Main Event” Jey Uso as the World Heavyweight Champion. Uso makes his entrance to the crowd’s excitement, but after a commercial break, John Cena appears. Cena criticizes both Cody and Jey, calling them wannabes who will never reach his level of fame and success. He introduces his Money in the Bank partner, Logan Paul, claiming that Paul does WWE better than any professional wrestler, even saying Paul doesn’t need to pay his dues because he’s already rich and famous.
The tension rises between the groups, with Cena and Logan Paul mocking the crowd and calling them ungrateful. Cena also criticizes Jey Uso, claiming he got lucky and needed Cody to save him. The situation escalates into a brawl when Cody asks about Logan polishing Cena’s Peacemaker. The babyfaces, Cody and Jey, take control of the brawl, sending Cena and Paul packing with a series of impressive moves, including kicks, a plancha, and a 1D. Cena and Paul retreat to regroup as the crowd cheers.
Grade A
Analysis: It was an outstanding end to the Smackdown. Both Cena and Paul are outstanding heels. Cody Rhodes telling his story from WrestleMania was not a good way to explain his absence. WWE has mixed things up for Money in the Bank, but they must deliver individual performances from both these men at SummerSlam. John Cena’s farewell tour would benefit from more singles matches than tag team matches.
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