WWE Smackdown Live Match Ratings And Notes For 6/19/18 From Sean Ross Sapp

Opening segment 

• So Big Cass got fired today, and he was still mentioned in the first minute by Paige. The latter is running down the show backstage.
• Carmella kicking off the show. Heh. She says that she had to deal with a lot of insecurity issues, then says PSYYYYYYYCH.
• Wow, this is the first time they’ve done “attractive girl who isn’t the best wrestler sympathizes with the crowd only to reveal she’s faking it.”
• Asuka comes out, but it’s really just James Ellsworth, who declares he’s back. He says Carmella is better than Charlotte Flair, Lita, Beyonce and Mother Teresa.
• Real Asuka comes out and kicks Ellsworth but then gets kicked by Camella.

Becky Lynch defeated Billie Kay (w/ Peyton Royce)
4.75/10

• The IIconics wonder aloud what they’re supposed to do in Toledo, because it sucks there. They also make fun of Becky Lynch for being a sad little troll of a sidekick to Charlotte.
• They do the “pull the babyface’s arm into the ropes spot to turn the tides after Becky starts on fire. Becky controls the match during the commercial, but they switch momentum just before we come back from break.
• I don’t know that a forearm to the chest is worth bumping for. Peyton cheats and knees Becky in the head. 
• Not every suplex that Becky does is an Exploder, Tom. She actually does a wrist clutch suplex. Then she dives onto Peyton ring side, and submits Billie with Disarmher.

Backstage Crappenings.

• Jeff Hardy cuts a bad promo backstage about Shinsuke Nakamura punching him RITP. He turns around and he’s wearing his old face paint.
• Shinsuke Nakamura cuts a fantastic promo saying that the only reason he lost was the ref counted fast and didn’t count in Japanese. GREAT. He trashes Jeff Hardy, too.
• Rusev and Lana getting that DOLLAR STORE money
• Absent from tonight’s show — Charlotte Flair, Almas & Zelina, The Bar, Shelton Benjamin notably.

Sanity debuts

• No Nikki Cross, sad. I ate a bunch of mentos and WWE’s cameramen are gonna make me vom.
• The Usos cut a promo about how dumb they used to look when they tried to make a name for themselves. 
• All three members of Sanity jump The Usos. No match here. CHAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS.
• The most decorated TNA wrestler of all-time, Eric Young.

Smackdown Tag Team Championships
Bludgeon Brothers (c) defeated The Good Brothers
5.5/10

• Not New Day, not the Bar, instead The Good Brothers are given another title match. Okay.
• Rowan hits a good wheel kick, but he and Gallows take forever on the top rope for a Rowan superplex.
• Anderson eats apron on a double front slam from the BB. Gallows is able to fight back after being worked over, and lands a couple of big kicks.
• Anderson gets his spinebuster on Harper, but walks into a Black Hole Slam for two. Bludgeoning gets the win.
• This wasn’t bad at all. Bludgeon Brothers aren’t connecting too well, though.
• Daniel Bryan interacts with Bludgeons on the ramp, but avoids them.

Top Contender’s Gauntlet Match
Rusev defeated The Miz, Big E, Samoa Joe & Daniel Bryan
6.25/10

• Daniel Bryan is interviewed by Renee Young and takes a shot at the Miz. Legs, lungs, heart is brought back around full circle, and he says it’ll benefit him. Bryan’s promo isn’t great, especially when working with someone as natural.
• Big E vs. Daniel Bryan are the first two combatants. Daniel Bryan applies a surfboard, but Big E goes belly-to-belly overhead, and then kills DB with an apron splash.
• We come back from a commercial to see Bryan miss a diving headbutt. His dropkicks hit, but Big E hits him harder with a clothesline. Big E then does a jacknife backbreaker.
• Bryan transitions in and out of submissions, and almost gets powerbombed. A YOLO dive leaves both men hurt, but Bryan gets the pin with his knee! Fun first match, a solo rating of 6.5/10.

Big E is eliminated, Samoa Joe joins

• Joe stalks Daniel Bryan, who makes a comeback, only to be powerbombed (Tom Philips calls it a powerslam). Joe then turns it into the Billy Goats Curse, then an STF.
• Bryan gets out and works over Joe’s leg, but Joe regains control with a big senton. Bryan also apparently forgot how to tuck his chin during his time off, and almost gets paralyzed on a powerslam.
• Samoa Joe applies the Coquina Clutch outside, but gets counted out! A quicker match, a solo rating of 5.75/10

Samoa Joe is eliminated, The Miz joins

• The Bludgeon Brothers come out and Bludgeon Bomb Bryan!
• Well, putting Daniel Bryan in a program with the Bludgeon Brothers is a good way to get them over.
• Miz is next and pins Bryan with Skull Crushing Finale!!

Daniel Bryan is eliminated, Rusev (w/ Aiden English) joins 

• Some good, back and forth action between two guys the crowd cares about.
• I really like the way this Smackdown gauntlet match was put together. 
• Big kicks from Rusev, and Miz can’t apply the Skull Crushing Finale. Instead, Rusev gets sent into the stairs. A DDT can’t do it for Miz, and now there are “Rusev Day” chants.
• Miz tries Bryan’s knee but gets kicked. Accolade! Rusev wins! 
• Solo score of 6.25/10

The Miz is eliminated

• AJ Styles shakes Rusev’s hand, but punches Aiden English for “too slow”-ing him,