Friday Night SmackDown Review - June 17, 2022

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Mr. McMahon Welcomed the Crowd to SmackDown; Riddle Paid Tribute to Randy Orton

The McMahon "promo" was so short and pointless that it's not even worth devoting an entire paragraph to, so I'm lumping it in with Riddle's. I assumed it would be a ratings ploy, and sure enough, that's exactly what it was despite the major controversy surrounding him right now. What a waste of time that was. Riddle's promo was obviously more meaningful and set the stage nicely for the high-stakes main event. His genuine admiration for Orton was cool, though the talk about Orton undergoing a significant operation soon was disappointing to hear. If that's true, then the reports about him possibly being out for the remainder of 2022 may also be accurate and that'd be a major bummer.

Madcap Moss def. Happy Corbin in a Last Laugh Match

Although this was billed as a "Last Laugh" match, it was just a standard singles affair. It was solid for what it was, but it was no different than their other outings against each other. In fact, it probably had a little less intensity than their match at Hell in a Cell because at least that had a real stipulation. I'm glad Moss went over decisively again because doin 50/50 booking here would have been dumb. Call me crazy, but I honestly think a Corbin vs. Pat McAfee feud could be entertaining.

The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) def. Jinder Mahal and Shanky

The best part about this entire match is that it wasn't New Day against two members of The Brawling Brutes for the umpteenth time. Oh, and Shanky's chop halfway through sounded great, but that's about it. This solely existed to progress the story with Mahal and Shanky, but it's a story I couldn't care less about. I assume New Day are back to spinning their wheels for the time being because I have no desire to see them back in the tag title mix any time soon with The Usos.

Adam Pearce Announced Sheamus and Drew McIntyre for the Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Last week's Money in the Bank qualifier between Sheamus and McIntyre ended in a double disqualification, so I figured we'd get some sort of No Disqualification match between the two to determine who was getting the spot. Instead, Pearce put them both in. I'm not complaining since they're both quality additions to the men's lineup, but it speaks volumes about the lack of depth on the blue brand right now. The segment served its purpose.

Raquel Rodriguez def. Shayna Baszler to Qualify for the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Rodriguez has received a nice little push since coming to SmackDown, while Baszler has been a total non-factor for the better part of the past two years. Was the outcome ever in doubt? This was a first-ever-time encounter (at least on the main roster), but it didn't feel special at all (likely because of Baszler's booking). It was decent in the time allotted, but I know they're capable of better. Along with Lacey Evans, Rodriguez should be considered a top candidate to win the briefcase.

Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns def. Riddle; Brock Lesnar Returned

The stipulation was added on Monday's Raw that if Riddle lost, he could not longer challenge for the championship as long as it's in possession of Reigns. I don't know how many people honestly believed Riddle had a chance of winning, but some of those nearfalls down the stretch were definitely suspenseful. This was a fun main event with Riddle giving it a hell of an effort as expected. I'm not a fan of Reigns popping up once or twice a month, but there's no doubt he still comes across like a massive star. Post-match, Lesnar resurfaced for the first time since WrestleMania 38 and laid out Reigns with an F5. It has since been announced that those two will square off yet again at SummerSlam, this time in a Last Man Standing match for the gold. The amount of matches those two have had at this point is comical. Running that back yet again is so damn underwhelming.

Overall Show

We were supposed to find out who Max Dupri's first "male model" was, but he told Pearce backstage that the circumstances weren't right, so there was no reveal. We should have seen that coming. Dragging things out past the point where people care is a WWE specialty. At any rate, this was certainly a newsworthy episode, but not a very good one. McMahon's appearance was heavily touted going in and it wound up meaning nothing. Meanwhile, the main event delivered and Lesnar's return was a surprise, but I'm not at all a fan of the direction they're headed in. The rest of SmackDown remains in a rut, so while it was a serviceable show on the whole, nothing stood out as special aside from Reigns vs. Riddle and its aftermath.

SEE MORE: SmackDown Reviews