WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction, and Highlights from June 11

Just one week after a vicious assault that left SmackDown tag team champions Rey and Dominik Mysterio lying, universal champion Roman Reigns returned to the blue brand Friday night to address his actions and the status of his strained relationship with The Usos.

The Tribal Chief headlined, as usual, on a show that also featured the return of the Ding Dong, Hello Show featuring Bayley and guest Seth Rollins, as well as Big E and Kevin Owens taking on Sami Zayn and Apollo Crews.

Announced for Friday's show:

• The fallout from Roman Reigns' attack on the Mysterios
• Big E and Kevin Owens vs. Apollo Crews and Sami Zayn
• Seth Rollins guests on the Ding Dong, Hello Show
• The Street Profits vs. Alpha Academy

Coverage begins at 8 p.m.

Friday's show started with a recap of last week's events surrounding Roman Reigns, The Usos and The Mysterios. It then transitioned into The Tribal Chief questioning whether Jimmy Uso knows the one thing he will not stand for: embarrassing the family. 

Jimmy hit the ring and cut a promo, calling Reigns jealous of The Usos and their desire to hold gold, too. He accused Reigns of intentionally getting them disqualified last week and vowed that, by the end of the night, he would do something he would not regret.

"He's not my brother. He doesn't look just like me. No one's going to confuse him for me. You better do something about this," Reigns warned Jey.

Grade

A+

Analysis

This was everything you want the opening segment of a show to be: a short, sweet recap of the previous week's show, the top star on the brand featured prominently and a cliffhanger to convince fans to stay tuned in.

Reigns was excellent here, blaming Jey for his brother's actions despite the fact that it was The Tribal Chief who interjected himself into the main event of last week's show. Jimmy called him out on it, set the stage for some significant happenings later and left Jey with a choice to make by the end of the night: continue to support Reigns or back his twin brother.

Great stuff, which is par for the course with this storyline.

Four central figures in the Intercontinental Championship picture waged war in a tag team match Friday night as Big E and Kevin Owens battled Sami Zayn and champion Apollo Crews, who was accompanied by the massive Commander Azeez.

Big E appeared to be rolling at one point but a missed spear through the ropes saw him crash and burn, and the heels seized control of the bout. The former champion eventually created separation and tagged in Owens, who unloaded on Zayn with the rage of a vengeful former friend.

The action broke down late, with Big E and Crews fighting to the floor, thus leaving Owens to drop Zayn with a stunner for the pinfall victory. After the match, Crews challenged Big E and Owens to a tag team match on next week's show, this time with Azeez as his partner. The babyfaces accepted.

Result

Owens and Big E defeated Crews and Zayn

Grade

B-

Analysis

You can gather by the performers in the match that it was a fun, energetic bout that showcased all expertly before Owens continued to build momentum as Crews' top contender with a pinfall victory over Zayn.

While the idea of another tag team match next week may not be overly appealing to fans tired of the treadmill booking that has engulfed the SmackDown midcard, it will be worth it if Azeez has the opportunity to shine. After all, fresh blood is always welcome in the sometimes repetitive, always sanitized world of WWE.

Whether the creative team can resist spotlighting him at the expense of Owens, Big E and Crews is the real question.

Backstage, Reigns laughed off the idea of meeting Jimmy Uso in his locker room.

Back in the ThunderDome, "The Most Beautiful Woman in WWE" Carmella battled Liv Morgan in a rematch from last week's show. The former women's champion thwarted the early onslaught of her opponent, seizing control and talking trash while she did so. 

Morgan fought back, caught Carmella with the Oblivion and scored the pinfall victory.

After the match, Carmella demanded Greg Hamilton announce, "but still The Most Beautiful Woman in WWE," as if it made up for the defeat.

Result

Morgan defeated Carmella

Grade

C-

Analysis

Imagine how much this would have meant for Morgan if the focus didn't immediately go right back to Carmella after the bell.

There will be some that point to this, optimistically, as the start for something special for Morgan. As hard as she has worked and as much as it would be embraced by fans, this feels more like it's all about Carmella. WWE Creative could have cycled anyone into Morgan's position and it would have had the same effect: putting over the heel's new persona.

Otherwise, this was the same 50-50 booking that has and will continue to prevent anyone from ever truly getting over.

Seth Rollins joined Bayley for the most insufferable edition of The Ding Dong, Hello Show to date.

The King of Drip laughed obnoxiously alongside the former SmackDown women's champion as they recapped the last few weeks of television that saw both Bianca Belair and Cesaro on the receiving end of their mental and physical assaults.

The talk show's signature doorbell rang, and when Rollins opened the door, he was greeted by the returning Cesaro, who pummeled and stripped him, then sent him scurrying to the sanctuary of the locker room. Belair made her presence felt next and laughed at Bayley's misfortune.

Grade

A

Analysis

All of the obnoxious laughter was worth it for the awesome reveal of Cesaro at the set door. WWE's production team set up the doorbell gimmick perfectly so that when it sounded midway through the segment, you knew something was up.

Cesaro looked like an absolute star as he exploded through the set and whupped Rollins, continuing what has been a banner year. The eventual blow-off to this feud is going to be great and do wonders for The Swiss Superman. Kudos to Rollins for being selfless enough to make Cesaro look as great as he has.

Belair laughing at Bayley's ruined set and failed talk show was a nice flip-flop, even if their feud doesn't feel nearly as hot as it should be heading into Hell in a Cell.

Chad Gable battled Montez Ford in what was originally slated to be a tag team match between Alpha Academy and The Street Profits. Otis and Angelo Dawkins were barred from the ringside area, per an early backstage confrontation, despite the former not appearing.

Gable outwrestled Ford early and often, eventually snatching him out of midair and applying an ankle lock. Ford countered out of the hold and into a pinning combination but could not keep his opponent down heading into the break. 

Just as Ford created some separation from Gable's onslaught, Otis appeared backstage and attacked Dawkins. Back in the ring, as Ford built momentum and appeared to have the win in hand, Otis attacked, drawing a disqualification. He delivered consecutive splashes, driving the air from Ford before Dawkins and officials hit the ring for the save.

Result

Ford defeated Gable via disqualification

Grade

B+

Analysis

Montez Ford is going to make WWE a stupid amount of money someday.

Gable already should be.

The match that preceded the finish was surprisingly competitive and showcased the underrated abilities of both men. The post-match beatdown by Otis was superb and really put the former fun-loving big man over as a destructive force. The shaved face, intensity, and the punishment dealt by the powerlifter left an impression and instantly set Alpha Academy up as genuine threats in the tag division.

Until Vince McMahon inexplicably calls for them to be squashed by the Street Profits in three weeks.

Shinsuke Nakamura and King Corbin battled, again, in the feud that will not end.

Back-and-forth action, eerily similar to the same match we have seen out of these two for the last month, gave way to Nakamura scoring the pinfall victory.

After the match, Rick Boogs sent Corbin over the commentary table, allowing Nakamura to retain possession of the King of the Ring crown.

Result

Nakamura defeated Corbin

Grade

F

Analysis

And just like that, WWE has beaten this program into the ground to the point that you cannot possibly want to see any more of it, no matter how infectious Boogs is as a performer.

Nakamura and Corbin have wrestled numerous times in recent weeks, with no real evolution or advancement of the storyline. It is the same thing every week, overstaying its welcome about two weeks ago.

Not even the announcement by WWE officials Adam Pearce and Sonya Deville for next week’s "Battle for the Crown" is enough to erase how repetitive and unsatisfying things have gotten to this point.

Fed up with being at the center of the family rivalry between Reigns and brother Jimmy, Jey Uso stormed out of his locker room. This led to Reigns berating Jimmy for not looking after his brother, for treating him so poorly. Left with plenty to think about by his cousin, Jimmy took off to go after Jey.

Back in the arena, Rey Mysterio made his way to the ring to address Reigns' beating of his son, Dominik, a week ago.

An emotional Mysterio called Reigns as "a rat bastard" who put his hands on his son, Dominik. He also acknowledged Reigns as the man he wants to fight inside Hell in a Cell.

Before Reigns could properly respond, Mysterio attacked him with a kendo stick. Mysterio teed off on him, but Reigns eventually caught him with Superman Punch. As The Head of the Table set up for the spear, Dominik came from out of nowhere with a kendo stick of his own.

The Tribal Chief sent Dominik over the top rope and to the floor before leaving Rey lying next to his son as the show came to an end.

Grade

A

Analysis

It only strengthens Reigns' stance as the Head of the Table when he can be without the Usos as his backup and still overcome a two-on-one attack by the Mysterios. While he did not officially accept Mysterio’s challenge for Hell in a Cell, he did flash an expression of amusement, almost laughing off the idea that the Hall of Fame-worthy competitor would be a threat to him.

The angle was strong, Reigns' dominance was emphatic, and the idea of a showdown between him and Mysterio is at least a hell of a lot more interesting than it was heading into the show.

The real money, though, is in an eventual showdown between Reigns and the Usos. The amount of gaslighting going on between the universal champion and Jimmy, in which Reigns blamed his cousin for the treatment of his brother when it has been the Tribal Chief manipulating the entire ordeal, was a phenomenal bit of storytelling.

Eventually, the Usos are going to strike back against Reigns, and when they do, the fans in whichever arena WWE is in that night will erupt.