Friday Night SmackDown Review - June 28, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

The Bloodline Brawled with Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton and Kevin Owens

This was a stellar start to the show, not only the brawl between the feuding factions (if you can call the babyface trio a “faction”) but also what came after the commercial break with Rhodes addressing The Bloodline and laying out the security guards before being escorted out of the arena. It was basic stuff, but it served as great build for the six-man tag team match at Money in the Bank and the crowd ate up all of it.

Tiffany Stratton def. Candice LeRae and Jade Cargill in a Triple Threat Match to Qualify for the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

As soon as Bianca Belair failed to qualify last week, it became clear Cargill wouldn’t qualify, either. I guess she could have and Belair could’ve been jealous, but I assume they’re saving their tension for a little later on. This was a very good Triple Threat, and although it had its fair share of shenanigans at ringside with Belair, Indi Hartwell and Nia Jax, all of it made sense. Stratton is my pick to win the women’s Money in the Bank briefcase.

LA Knight def. United States Champion Logan Paul and Santos Escobar in a Triple Threat Match to Qualify for the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

This was an enjoyable, well-worked Triple Threat. Escobar felt like a total afterthought, but I thought he’d find a way to pull out the victory with Knight and Paul canceling each other. Well, apparently not. Knight pinned Paul, so you can expect Paul to cost Knight the briefcase to build toward a one-on-one match between the two for the United States Championship at SummerSlam. On a side note, whatever happened to Escobar’s storyline with Andrade? Has that officially been dropped?

Naomi def. Indi Hartwell and Blair Davenport in a Triple Threat Match to Qualify for the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

The crowd was at their quietest all night during this match, but that isn't to say it was bad by any means. The action was perfectly fine and everyone had solid showings. This marked Davenport's in-ring debut on SmackDown, but she hasn't done much on the main roster other than interact with Bayley backstage a few times, so the lack of reaction she received was unsurprising. Cargill got back at Hartwell from earlier by costing her the win, allowing Naomi to qualify. She was always the logical choice.

The Bloodline Attacked Paul Heyman

Needless to say, this was an outstanding angle all along. Heyman has done this before when his character is supposed to be stressed, but he looked the part by not shaving, having bloodshot eyes and not dying his hair. His performance was phenomenal, and as soon as he refused to "acknowledge" Solo Sikoa, the crowd came unglued. The Bloodline's beatdown of Heyman was brilliantly executed. Props to Heyman for agreeing to take all of that. Plus, Jacob Fatu once again came across like an absolute star out there and I was happy he got his own entrance. He's going to be a big deal.

Overall Show

WWE hasn't missed with SmackDown in Madison Square Garden in recent years. I've been to most if not all of them and they've delivered every time. Much like last week's edition, this was a strong show and the two hours flew by. The Money in the Bank qualifiers obviously had stakes and the opening and closing segments were excellent. Throw in a hot crowd throughout the night and you have yourself another kickass SmackDown. Can they make it three in a row with next week's episode in Toronto on the eve of Money in the Bank?

SEE MORE: SmackDown Reviews