WWE SmackDown: Best and Worst Moments - AJ's Retirement Fake-Out, Queen Nia, and More

We break down the best and worst moments of tonight's WWE SmackDown (6/31/2024)

By Matthew Aguilar

Tonight's WWE SmackDown featured more fallout from King & Queen of the Ring and highlighted the new Queen of SmackDown Nia Jax, but much of the attention was focused on AJ Styles. After his loss to Cody Rhodes at Backlash, Styles has been trying to get another shot at the Title, and it seemed that after failing to secure that shot, Styles was stepping away from the ring. As you might have surmised, that didn't happen, and Rhodes ended up getting brutally attacked, but that was just one of several standout moments from the episode, and we're here to recap the big events and reveal what stood out as the best and worst moments of the night.

BEST MOMENTS:

Queen Nia: All hail Queen Nia, because she is absolutely rolling with the crown. Nia defeating fan-favorite Lyra Valkyria was certainly a shock for some at Queen of the Ring, but if tonight is any indication, she is going to flourish in the royal role. The aura Nia's projecting seems effortless, and she's found a brilliant mix of lighthearted lethality that just works. I didn't expect to be so taken with this, but if Nia gets some real time with this iteration of her persona, this could be a lot of fun.

Battle of the Microphone: You know what's a golden ticket idea? Getting two of WWE's best talkers together and igniting a feud, and WWE is doing just that with Carmelo Hayes vs LA Knight. Knight has become a WWE fave and has continually shown himself to be a top-tier talker, while Hayes is one of WWE's brightest prospects for his skills in the ring as well as on the mic. As you might imagine, these two have no issues delivering barbs back and forth, and it's letting both superstars shine every time they interact. Tonight was no different, and once the rivalry moves to the ring, it should only get better.

AJ Styles Fakes Out Everyone: A superstar teasing retirement only to reveal that isn't happening isn't new, so it's up to the superstar and the production to convey that it's an actual possibility and get past the viewer's innate disbelief. AJ Styles managed to do just that in the final segment of SmackDown, and while it took WWE hammering the point home throughout the night to initially sway me, Styles and Rhodes (seriously, he was almost crying at one point) managed to get it over the finish line by the segment's end, making the fake-out hit even harder. The brutality of the attack also helped, and now we get to continue a feud that will certainly deliver another fantastic battle in the ring. Well done Styles, well done.

WORST MOMENTS:

Missing Stars: There were a few SmackDown staples missing in action tonight, including Tiffany Stratton, and Randy Orton, and their presence was missed. That said, WWE did use the opportunity to shine a light on some other superstars, but even a brief cameo or segment to move their stories along would have been welcome, a lot like what WWE did with Bianca Belair, Jade Cargill, and Indi Hartwell.

Andrade Repeat: I'm incredibly happy to have Andrade on SmackDown now, though I was a bit disappointed to see him instantly put in a story with Legado Del Fantasma that involved being recruited. It just seems like we've seen that storyline a few times, and it has the potential to go a similar route that The LWO went with betrayals and the forming of new teams. The Angel aspect is interesting and is keeping me hooked, but hopefully, there's a twist to the usual formula in the future to keep this fresh.

Apollo's Loss: It's a shame that Andrade's win (which to be clear, he absolutely needed) came at the expense of Apollo Crews and his big return to SmackDown. Crews is someone who needs to be built back up, and a loss, even a distraction one, doesn't do him any favors. He's got a match next week against Angel, and perhaps Andrade will interfere to score Crews the win, but even then it's not like Crews is getting much shine from that, as the story is about Angel and Andrade. Hopefully Crews gets some more integral story or momentum in the near future.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NIGHT:

Queen of the Ring Makes Strong Impression: Nia Jax's demeanor and overall aura in the opening segment really solidified how good this character can be, which is even more impressive when people like Bayley, Chelsea Green, and Piper Niven all get involved in a segment without overshadowing Jax in any way. The Niven angle of possibly being Champ adds an interesting wrinkle as well, and Green was aces across the board tonight.

At the start of the show, Jax put the crown on her head and had something to share with the crowd (which unleashed you suck chants). "Let's get the facts straight. It's a fact that I am your Queen of the Ring! And as your Queen, I get a title shot at SummerSlam, so Bayley? Your queen is demanding your pretense in her ring right now," Jax said.

Bayley was more than happy to meet Jax in the ring, but she didn't make it there, as Chelsea Green and Piper Niven ambushed her and threw her into the barricade. Niven threw her into the opposite wall and then threw her into the ring, and while she fought back, she couldn't overcome the numbers game. That said, Jax wasn't very happy to see them, and Green had some words to share with the Queen. "By the time SummerSlam rolls around, your new Women's Champion is going to be my sweet pea spicy margarita Piper Niven," Green told Jax.

"I don't give a damn who the Champion is, because I'm going to annihilate her regardless," Jax said. "In a later segment, Bayley was being checked on, and despite her shoulder pain, she was going to be ready for a match later, and she would have Naomi's help. They would get their match later, but it would be Green and Niven walking away with the win.

Paul Heyman Teases Turn on the New Bloodline: One of the other more intriguing segments during the night was one involving Paul Heyman and The Bloodline. While he still has the Title of wise man, Solo Sikoa isn't really listening to Heyman these days, and that shows in who he has recruited to be in the faction in Roman Reigns' absence.

Heyman tried to appeal to Kevin Owens and tell him to think of his own safety by not antagonizing The Bloodline. Owens wasn't buying that Heyman was concerned for him, and in trying to convince Owens, Heyman started to voice his issues and concerns with the current group, revealing one key detail that Roman had actually denied Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa's inclusion in the Bloodline previously.

Heyman called them thugs and the word criminals was then thrown around. Heyman said before that Roman respected Owens, as did The Usos, even though they viewed him as an enemy. These people don't respect Owens at all and only want to hurt him, and Heyman got so frustrated that he threw the microphone toward Owens accidentally. He even said that he wished Roman was there, so it would seem a turn of some sort might be happening sooner than later for Heyman.

SMACKDOWN UPDATED RESULTS:

  • Tommaso Ciampa def. Austin Theory
  • Andrade def. Apollo Crews
  • The Bloodline (Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa) def. The Street Profits
  • Chelsea Green and Piper Niven def. Bayley and Naomi

NEXT WEEK'S SMACKDOWN CARD:

  • Jade Cargill vs. Indi Hartwell
  • Johnny Gargano vs. Grayson Waller
  • Apollo Crews vs. Angel
  • Solo Sikoa Annoints Tonga Loa

What did you think of SmackDown tonight? You can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

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