Warning: The following copy has SPOILERS for WWE SmackDown (Jun 06, 2025)
This week’sSmackDownrepresents the final stop before the first PLE of the year, asWWEis gearing up for this weekend’sRoyal Rumble. Damian Priest arrives on SmackDown for the first time as an official superstar, as The Bloodline will be hoping Solo Sikoa returns with LA Knight hoping to exact revenge for his recent beatings. Jimmy Uso goes one-on-one with Carmelo Hayes and The Miz will be hoping he has better luck finding a partner than on last week’s show, when he was shunned by Andrade and Apollo Crews.
Elsewhere,Kevin Owens will speak before hisRoyal RumbleLadder Match with Cody Rhodes, and Chelsea Green defends her Women’s United States Championship against Michin. The Tag Team division remains red hot, as Motor City Machine Guns and DIY will look to avoid each other ahead of their upcoming Championship match, with the likes of Pretty Deadly and Los Garza also eyeing Tag Team gold.
CM Punk Addresses Kevin Owens
A Shocking Moment As Punk And Owens Come Face-To-Face
Every once in a while, somebody’s music hits and the arena’s noise is less about joy and more about embracing the level of conflict that is about to occur.CM Punk interrupting Kevin Owens went off like a bomb, with the two having a well-documented dislike of one another and few interactions so far. Their sole encounter since Punk’s return came when Punk asked Owens if he knew where Nick Aldis’s office was on his firstSmackDownback. Owens had a one-word answer for him, and it wasn’t a “yes”.
Something that feels important in Owens’s hostility towards the Second City Saint came when Kevin told Punk there was 29 other people who he disliked more than him in the Royal Rumble.If Sami Zayn doesn’t help KO there will be hell to pay at theRumble, but the question will change when the men’s Royal Rumble occurs. Does that number change from 29 men that he likes more than Punk to 28?
Charlotte Flair’s Vignettes Ooze Significance
The Woman Comes Back Around This Weekend
On a show that included WWE Champion Tiffany Stratton and former champions Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, and Nia Jax,Charlotte Flair’s vignettes continue to put everyone on notice. The power in the words chosen to convey her declarations, listing her incomparable achievements, and cutting a promo that echoed her father’s famous “limousine riding, jet flying” promo was show-stealing. Charlotte’s high society, unobtainable lifestyle in tandem with her wrestling accomplishments is a hell of a way to announce her arrival before she’s set foot in a ring.
The wrestling press circulating the news that Charlotte is expected to win a WWE Championship sooner rather than later is ominous news for the women’s locker room. The division may have improved, but Charlotte’s standing as the division’s standard-bearer is unlikely to change when she returns at theRumble.Even embracing The Woman as her nickname feels important becauseCharlotte Flair’s return is going to feel like a hostile takeovermore than a comeback.
LA Knight And Damian Priest Feels Fresh
New Friendships On SmackDown Offer A Different Flavor
Taking time to declare for this weekend’sRoyal Rumbleon the eve of it,Damian Priest felt important on hisSmackDowndebut. There was a time in Vince McMahon’s dark ages when being a former World Champion might not mean that much in the grand scheme of things. This era uses World Championship reigns to elevate talent, and Damian Priest’s increased standing is a testament to that.
As LA Knight continues his non-stop vendetta against all things The Bloodline,a cool callback to the Attitude Era came into play here. One of the fun things about the way that roster was booked was watching impromptu tag teams be thrust together and put something fun together for one night only.Priest and Knight were an odd couple, but just having fresh dynamics (including a superb comedic performance with them from R-Truth) is just one of the many ways WWE produces better television in 2025.
Despite a shocking opening with CM Punk interrupting Kevin Owens, this wasa relatively low-key show before theRoyal Rumblekicks offWrestleManiaseason this weekend. LA Knight and Damian Priest’s interaction was different and refreshing, and Jacob Fatu and Tama Tonga continued to cut imposing figures in the absence of Solo Sikoa. Charlotte Flair’s extravagant vignettes continue to build anticipation ahead of herRoyal Rumblereturn, and R-Truth’s comedic timing is one ofWWE’s most prized assets, always finding new ways of getting belly laughs.
