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From Braun Strowman flipping over a van to a face-to-face confrontation between Daniel Bryan and AJ Styles, this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown featured many contrasting moments.
The Blue brand delivered another episode that struck a good balance between wrestling and entertainment. I have to say that SmackDown’s track record has been impressive lately, and the people in charge have figured out what makes a mainstream WWE show pop on Friday nights every week.
Which show did you like better this week, RAW or SmackDown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Here are the five biggest news stories from this week's episode of WWE SmackDown (June 5, 2020).
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#5: Bayley & Sasha Banks became the new Women’s Tag Team Champions
Not only did Sasha Banks defeat Alexa Bliss to earn a Women’s Tag Team title shot for herself and Bayley last week, but the SmackDown Women’s Champion proved that she is the top dog of the Blue brand after defeating Charlotte Flair recently.
So it’s pretty apparent that WWE’s Role Models have been on a roll lately.
Alexa Bliss & Nikki Cross earned the main event spot to defend their Tag Team titles against Bayley & Sasha this week.
The Women’s Tag Team Division rarely gets the main event spot on a weekly basis so it became obvious that a title change was inevitable judging by how things were going for The Role Models.
However, WWE won’t put a lid on Bayley & Sasha’s rocky friendship any time soon. Although it doesn’t come off as extraordinary by any means, Bayley & Sasha’s bond has become stronger whenever WWE teased a breakup angle between the two of them.
This opposes WWE’s tag team breakup tropes, so it will be interesting to see what it would take for The Role Models to be separated on SmackDown.
#4: Drew Gulak scored a surprise victory against AJ Styles
WWE fans have been patiently waiting to see AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan’s bout in the final round of SmackDown’s Intercontinental Championship Tournament.
This week, both men came face-to-face ahead of their most awaited clash. For Daniel Bryan, winning the IC title would also mean defending its honor every week. This is not only important to maintain a forum of equal opportunity, but Bryan feels that he needs to push his own limits at the same time.
For AJ Styles, handing out title shots around WWE seems like an entirely stupid concept. As a classic WWE heel, the last thing he wants to do is lose the IC title as quickly as he earned it.
The conversation came to a halt when Drew Gulak attacked Styles after The Phenomenal One dragged him into the picture.
This led to a singles match, and before you know it, Gulak squeaked away with an unexpected victory against Styles. Not only is this a huge deal for Gulak, but his victory also made viewers question whether WWE should make a change to the final round of their Intercontinental title tournament.
AJ Styles’ final round spot may be in jeopardy here, and even if that is not the case, can The Phenomenal One really overcome Bryan if Gulak got the better of him this week?
#3: Jeff Hardy gave his side of the story to the controversial DUI segment from last week’s SmackDown
Jeff Hardy was clearly framed on last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. This became apparent when Hardy opened last night’s show and cleared the air from his point of view.
This program is still questionable in the eyes of many WWE fans. After all, Hardy’s real-life struggles were made into a storyline. Jeff doesn’t think that one man can be given too many second chances, and this kayfabe incident might have been the end of him, thanks to Sheamus.
The Celtic Warrior interrupted Hardy’s speech and dug deeper into his struggles. Sheamus thought that Hardy’s family are used to disappointments, and Hardy is simply a junkie. As both of them got into a brawl, Sheamus came out on top with a brutal Brogue Kick.
As expected, last week’s cold open to WWE SmackDown was simply a ploy to continue and spice up Sheamus and Jeff Hardy’s rivalry. It should be an all-out fight between the two men inside a WWE ring. After all, personal lines have already been crossed from Hardy’s perspective.
#2: Mandy Rose and Otis had the last laugh against Sonya Deville and King Corbin this week
Otis and Mandy Rose got everything they wanted on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.
Before Otis went on to face Corbin in singles competition, he stole the King’s prestigious crown to simply irritate him further. Corbin got frustrated during their match. He used a chair and got disqualified by the WWE official as a result.
But in the end, Corbin didn’t gain anything at all because Otis hit the caterpillar before celebrating with Rose.
Later, Sonya Deville faced Lacey Evans in a separate match on WWE SmackDown, and the momentum of the bout came to a screeching halt when Mandy appeared on the TitanTron to distract her former best friend.
Evans executed a Woman’s Right for the victory, as Sonya lost due to her heated rivalry with Mandy Rose.
Otis & Mandy’s onscreen chemistry is always a treat to watch. Their poolside parody was one of the best moments from last week’s edition of WWE SmackDown. However, it seems as if Otis Dozovic's MITB run has been put on pause until all pieces of this story fit together in upcoming episodes.
Before heading on to the next slide, check out our exclusive interview with Mr. Money in the Bank Otis!
#1: Braun Strowman flipped a van after getting frustrated over The Miz & John Morrison’s pranks
The Miz & John Morrison tormented Braun Strowman in a silly series of events on this week’s WWE SmackDown.
Whether it was the duo accidentally dumping Nickelodeon type slime on Kayla Braxton or Miz & Morrison trashing Strowman’s vintage car, we all know that both of them don’t really stand a chance against Braun Strowman at WWE Backlash.
So WWE opted for silly shenanigans to make this feud appear entertaining in some form.
To a certain extent, all the pranks leading up to Strowman flipping over the van (with Miz & Morrison inside) were quite enjoyable in terms of entertainment value. It also reminded WWE fans of the time when Strowman was at his most popular and destructive phase.
The Monster Among Men used to trash backstage set-pieces in the best ways possible, and an unstoppable Braun Strowman was the talk of the town for an entire year. His entertaining detour on this week’s SmackDown was reminiscent of those moments.
Despite its farcical nature, this was probably one of the more entertaining ways to approach a handicap match between Braun Strowman and the co-hosts of The Dirt Sheet.
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