WWE SmackDown Results 5/31 - The Bloodline Takes On The Street Profits, Nia Jax Appears
Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s results for "WWE SmackDown" on May 31, 2024, coming to you live from the MVP Arena in Albany, New York!
Tonga Loa will be making his in-ring debut tonight since his return to WWE and competing in his first match in the company in ten years as he joins forces with fellow Bloodline member Tama Tonga to go head-to-head with Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford of The Street Profits. The Profits and Tama both competed in matches this past Friday on "SmackDown", with The Profits joining forces with LA Knight to score a win over Carmelo Hayes and WWE Tag Team Champions A-Town Down Under and Tama coming up short against Randy Orton in a semi-finals match for the King Of The Ring Tournament.
Nia Jax defeated Lyra Valkyria in the finals of the Queen Of The Ring Tournament to become the new Queen Of The Ring this past Saturday at WWE King & Queen Of The Ring. Following such, Jax will be appearing on tonight's show to be coronated. Prior to the finals, Jax had defeated Naomi in the first round of the tournament and reigning Women's Tag Team Champions Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.
Apollo Crews last competed on "SmackDown" on the April 5 edition of the show when he participated in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Tonight, he will be making his return to the brand as he goes one-on-one with Andrade. This will be Andrade's first time competing on "SmackDown" since his return to WWE, having been a member of the "WWE Raw" roster prior to the WWE Draft earlier this year.
We are live! Wade Barrett and Corey Graves greet audiences at home before we head over to a video recapping the King and Queen Of The Ring Tournament finals this past Saturday.
We then head back to ringside, where Nick Aldis is waiting inside.
The New Queen Of The Ring Is Coronated
Aldis welcomes fans to "SmackDown", then says as a General Manager, there's no better feeling when one of your draft picks accomplishes something big. He then introduces Nia Jax, and she makes her way down to the ring.
Jax puts the Queen Of The Ring crown on her head, and Aldis leaves the ring to head to the back. Jax then says it's time to get facts straight and it's a fact that she's the Queen Of The Ring. She then calls Bayley out to the ring.
Bayley's music hits, and she makes her way down. Piper Niven and Chelsea Green attack Bayley on the ramp, and Niven sends Bayley crashing into the barricade. She dumps Bayley in the ring, then lands a headbutt on her and executes a crossbody. Green then grabs a mic and tells Jax she won't have to worry about Bayley at WWE SummerSlam because Piper Niven will be the new Women's Champion. Jax tells Niven and Green that she doesn't care who the champion is because she'll annihilate them.
We then head backstage and see AJ Styles wait in Nick Aldis' office as Aldis walk in. Styles says he would like to address his future tonight, and Aldis says he can find the time. Aldis asks Styles if there's something he wants to tell him, and Styles says it's going to be hard enough doing what he's going to once. Styles says he'd rather do it in the ring.
Back at ringside, #DIY makes their way down to the ring.
Back from the break, we see Bayley being checked on in the medical office. Naomi walks in to check on her, and offers to be her tag team partner in a match against Piper Niven and Chelsea Green later tonight.
Back at ringside, A-Town Down Under make their way down.
Austin Theory (w/ Grayson Waller) vs. Tommaso Ciampa (w/ Johnny Gargano)
The bell rings and the two lock up. Ciampa lands a back elbow on Theory and rains down right hands on him in the corner, but Waller hops up on the apron. Ciampa lands a right hand on him, but Theory takes advantage and connects with a shoulder breaker. Theory delivers three back elbows on Ciampa in the corner, then whips him into the corner. He charges at him, but Ciampa gets his boot up and looks to level Theory. Theory moves out of the way and delivers a hanging neckbreaker to Ciampa off the apron.
Back from the break, Theory lands a back elbow on Ciampa. Theory looks to land a rolling Stunner, but Ciampa catches him with a dropkick and fires off four right hands on him. He then delivers a leaping clothesline and a reverse DDT, then sets up for a Pedigree. Theory blocks it, and Ciampa looks to pin him. Theory prevents Ciampa from pinning him, then delivers a variation of a flatliner. Theory gets Ciampa on his shoulders and looks to land A-Town Down, but Ciampa grabs Theory's leg to prevent him from hitting it.
Ciampa and Theory then land boots on one another, and Ciampa lands a jumping knee on Theory. Theory slides out of the ring and Waller checks on him. Waller gets in Wade Barrett's face at the announce desk as Theory becomes distracted by the commotion. Ciampa then sends Theory crashing into Waller on the apron and rolls up Theory for the win.
Winner: Tommaso Ciampa
We then head backstage to Nick Aldis as he talks with Blair Davenport. Naomi walks in to see if Aldis can make a tag team match official between her and Bayley, and Piper Niven and Chelsea Green. A verbal confrontation ensues between Davenport and Naomi before Aldis makes the tag team match official. LA Knight then walks into Aldis' office looking for Logan Paul.
Back from the break, we head backstage to LA Knight and Kayla Braxton. Knight puts Logan Paul on notice and warns him that he's coming for the United States Championship. Carmelo Hayes interrupts, and a verbal confrontation ensues between him and Knight.
Back at ringside, Apollo Crews is already waiting inside as Andrade makes his way out.
Andrade vs. Apollo Crews
The bell rings and the two lock up. Crews land a back elbow on Andrade, but Andrade catches him with a dropkick and follows it up with a back suplex. He stomps on Crews, then ascends to the top. Legado Del Fantasma's Angel appears at ringside, and Crews takes advantage. He flies off the apron with a moonsault to level Andrade.
Back from the break, Andrade delivers a crossbody to Crews off the top rope. He lands a flying right hand and connects with a meteora in the corner, then goes for a pin. Andrade kicks out before Crews lands a German suplex on him. Crews then lands an enzuigiri on Andrade as he sits on the top rope, then sends him crashing into the mat face first with a Gorilla Press and delivers a standing moonsault. Angel hops up on the apron, but Crews knocks him down. Andrade takes advantage and delivers a back elbow, then follows it up with The Message for the win.
Winner: Andrade
After the match, the rest of Legado Del Fantasma appear on the ramp as they look to invite Andrade into the group. Andrade brushes past them and heads to the back. Angel tells Santos Escobar to let him go talk to Andrade.
We then head backstage to The Bloodline and see Paul Heyman give Solo Sikoa some advice to prepare for the eventual return of Roman Reigns and going after Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship. Sikoa says The Bloodline already has Rhodes in check. Kevin Owens' music interrupts them on the television behind them as he makes his way down to the ring, and Sikoa tells Heyman to go deal with Owens.
Back from the break, we see Angel tell Andrade in the men's locker room he embarrassed him before Apollo Crews blindsides Angel for costing him his match against Andrade.
Paul Heyman Confronts Kevin Owens
Owens says he made his return to "SmackDown" last week, and he went all the way to Saudi Arabia to make sure he had Randy Orton's back. He says Orton has had his back for years, and says while Orton didn't become the new King Of The Ring, everyone saw his shoulder clearly off the mat. He says Orton may not be in Albany, but The Bloodline is.
Paul Heyman then interrupts him and introduces himself, then says he's out at ringside to talk to Owens man to man, professional to professional, and father to father. He says there is a mutual interest he hopes he can serve, and Owens tells Heyman to get in the ring and get to the point.
Heyman says there's not a person in the MVP Arena who wants Roman Reigns there more than him. Heyman says Owens keeps calling out Solo Sikoa's name, and says Reigns has great respect for Owens. He says anything Reigns put Owens through was out of respect, but Sikoa has no respect. He says he and Reigns did background checks to keep people like Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa out of The Bloodline, and they're looking for any excuse to take Owens out. He says that's bad for WWE, and says he likes Owens in the company as do fans. He tells Owens if he keeps calling out Sikoa's name, The Bloodline will do something bad about it. He begs Owens to back off The Bloodline.
Owens asks Heyman if he's really acting like he's trying to help him, then asks him why he would trust anything he's said after everything they've been through over the past through years. He says he's not falling for Heyman's act, and says everything happening in The Bloodline is his doing. He says he's hopped from Brock Lesnar to Reigns and now Sikoa with Reigns losing the Undisputed WWE Champion. He rattles off everything The Bloodline has put him through, and says he's still standing in the ring. He says that was Roman Reigns and The Usos, which are three guys he respects. He says he has no respect for Sikoa, Tama, and Loa, then says they aren't The Bloodline and he'll do anything to keep them out of his world. He declines Heyman's help.
Heyman asks Owens if he thought that he was trying to save him rather than help him, then says Owens has redeemed himself many times. He says the same cannot be said for him, then asks Owens what he's trying to do for him. Heyman starts freaking out over no one listening to him, then accidentally hits Owens on the chest with his mic.
Heyman realizes his mistake, and Owens gets in his face. Before anything can happen, Sikoa, Tama, and Loa march down to the ring. The Street Profits join Owens in the ring to even the odds, and the six men begin brawling with one another. Owens and Sikoa brawl through the crowd as The Profits brawl with Tama and Loa in the ring. The Profits dump Tama and Loa on the outside, and Angelo Dawkins flies over the top rope to level the pair on the outside.
The Bloodline (w/ Paul Heyman) vs. The Street Profits (w/ B-Fab)
Back from the break, the bell has rung and Montez Ford fires off shoulders on Tama's midsection. Dawkins tags in and wears Tama down, then tags Ford back in. Ford and Dawkins then deliver a double back suplex to Tama, and Ford whips Tama in the corner. Ford lands a knee on Loa off the apron, but Tama knocks him off the apron. Loa then sends Ford crashing into the barricade, then rains down right hands on him.
Loa tags in and sends Ford crashing into the corner. He then delivers a powerslam and tags in Tama. Loa lands a suplex on Ford, and Tama fires off a few right hands on Ford in the corner. Dawkins tags in and levels Tama, then levels him with a flying back elbow and a spinning splash in the corner. He follows it up with an enzuigiri. Loa makes the blind tag in and levels Dawkins with a clothesline. He then delivers a back suplex and dumps Dawkins out of the ring. Loa continues beating down Dawkins on the outside, and Tama levels him with a flying clothesline off the ring steps.
Back from another break, Tama tags in and rains down right hands on Dawkins. Tama rains down elbows on Dawkins, but Dawkins levels him with a suplex. Ford and Loa tag in, and Ford fires off right hands on Loa's spine. He connects with a right hand and a kick to Loa's midsection, then levels him and an interfering Tama. Ford lands a splash in the corner, and Dawkins tags in. Dawkins gets Loa in an Electric Chair position, and Ford flies off the top to level him. Dawkins goes for a pin, but Tama breaks the fall.
Ford dumps Tama onto the apron before Tama makes the blind tag in. Dawkins lands a spine buster on him, and Ford tags in. Ford delivers From The Heavens to Loa, but Tama lands a flatliner on Ford for the win.
Winners: Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa
We then head backstage and see Jade Cargill and Bianca Belair get into a verbal exchange with Indi Hartwell over what happened to Candice LeRae's knee in their WWE Women's Tag Team Championship on the Countdown To King & Queen Of The Ring pre-show.
Back at ringside, Bayley and Naomi make their way out.
We then head backstage to Kayla Braxton talking to Michin about AJ Styles' future. Nia Jax interrupts them and asks why they're talking about that since she's the talk of the night before Michin and Jax then stare one another down.
Back at ringside, Piper Niven and Chelsea Green make their way down.
Bayley and Naomi vs. Piper Niven and Chelsea Green
Bayley and Green begin the action. The bell rings and Bayley levels Green. Niven tags in and Bayley fires off right hands on her. Niven whips Bayley into the corner, then delivers a splash and tags in Green. Green delivers a stomp to Bayley, but Bayley levels her with a back suplex and tags in Naomi. Bayley lands a clothesline and Naomi follows it up with a split legged leg drop. Bayley tags back in, and her and Naomi whip Green into the ropes. They then clothesline her out of the ring and Naomi flies with a tope suicida to level her. Naomi then fires off right hands on Green on the outside, and Bayley flies off the apron to level Niven.
Back from the break, Green tags in and double teams on Bayley with Niven. She clocks Naomi on the apron, and Naomi slaps her. Green sends Bayley crashing into the corner, then tags in Niven. Bayley looks to make the hot tag to Naomi, but Niven prevents her from doing so and looks to land an elbow drop. Bayley rolls out of the way and tags in Naomi as Green tags in on her side.
Naomi delivers a kick to Green's head, then sends her face bouncing off the ring apron and lands a crossbody off the top rope. She delivers a single leg dropkick to Niven on the apron, then lands a dropkick on Green in the corenr and follows it up with a second kick. She then delivers a split legged moonsault out of the corner and goes for a pin, but Green kicks out. Naomi flies over the top rope to level Green and Niven on the outside and gets Green back in the ring. She ascends to the top, but Niven pushes her off. Green takes advantage with a kick, then pins Naomi. Bayley breaks the fall.
Bayley and Niven brawl on the outside, but Niven sends Bayley crashing into the ring post. Naomi lands Rear View and goes for a pin, but Niven breaks the fall with a senton. Niven then puts Green on top of Naomi to pin her for the win.
Winners: Piper Niven and Chelsea Green
We then head backstage and see AJ Styles head down to the ring. He runs into LA Knight and Cody Rhodes, then runs into Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. The trio then makes their way down to the ring.
What's Next For AJ Styles?
Styles says he's been thinking a lot about what Nick Aldis said last week about him going to the back of the line if he wants another shot at Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship. He says he can't do that at this point in his career, and says he's been wrestling for two decades. He says he's put blood, sweat, and tears into all his work across the world so he could become phenomenal.
Styles says this past week, his son graduated high school and he got to be there. He says many friends and family showed up to the party, and he asked himself how many moments like that he's missed. He says maybe instead of being the phenomenal AJ Styles, he stays home to be a phenomenal father. He calls Gallows and Anderson out of the corner of the ring and says it couldn't do any of this without them. He says they're his brothers, and the trio share a too sweet in the middle of the ring. Styles hugs Gallows and Anderson, then says before he goes, he whispered something into Rhodes' ear. He says he asked Rhodes to come down to the ring, and now is the time for him to come out.
Rhodes' music hits, and he makes his way down (without his Undisputed WWE Championship in hand) as Gallows and Anderson leave the ring. Styles says before he does what he has to do, he wanted to look Rhodes in the eyes and tell him he had one of the greatest matches he's ever had at WWE Backlash in Lyon, France. He says that match was going to be it if it was his last one, then says "SmackDown" is still the house he built. He says he came out to hand Rhodes the keys to the house he built.
Rhodes says he and Styles have only exchanged one text exchange between each other, and Rhodes says he checked on Styles to make sure he was alright. Styles told him he was alright and called him his little brother, then thanks Styles for being a big brother to the locker room.
Styles and Rhodes then hug, and Rhodes holds up Styles hand. Styles then clotheslines Rhodes and fires off right hands on him, then lands a stomp on him and dumps him out of the ring. He follows Rhodes out there and sends him crashing into the ring steps shoulder first. He moves one of the ring steps, then gets Rhodes on top of the other as officials and security march down to the ring. Styles then delivers a Styles Clash to Rhodes off the ring steps and onto the floor and stands tall as the show goes off the air.