{"id":61691,"date":"2018-06-19T12:16:21","date_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=61691"},"modified":"2018-06-19T12:16:21","modified_gmt":"2018-06-19T17:16:21","slug":"wwe-smackdown-primer-6-19-continued-mitb-fallout-gauntlet-to-determine-no-1-contender-sanitys-sd-debut-lynch-vs-kaye-mellaration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/06\/19\/wwe-smackdown-primer-6-19-continued-mitb-fallout-gauntlet-to-determine-no-1-contender-sanitys-sd-debut-lynch-vs-kaye-mellaration\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 6\/19: Continued MITB fallout, Gauntlet to determine no. 1 contender, Sanity&#8217;s SD debut, Lynch vs. Kaye, &#8216;Mellaration"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-4084522929\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3><b>WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER<br \/>\n<\/b><b>JUNE 19, 2018<br \/>\n<\/b><b>TOLEDO, OH AT HUNTINGTON CENTER<br \/>\n<\/b><b>AIRS ON USA NETWORK 8:00 P.M. EDT<br \/>\n<\/b><b>BY FRANK PETEANI, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/b><\/h3>\n<h3><b>Arena\/Opening Thoughts<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>WWE will arrive in Toledo, OH tonight as they bring Smackdown into the Huntington Center where the show last appeared over a year ago on May 23, 2017.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ll continue the fallout from Sunday\u2019s Money in the Bank PPV and, as we did on Raw last night, start to turn our attention towards the next PPV event Extreme Rules set to take place just under a month from now on July 15, 2018.<\/p>\n<p>Both the women\u2019s and men\u2019s MITB contracts went to Raw wrestlers, so we\u2019ll look to see what General Manager Paige may or may not have to say about that.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>A.J. Styles retained the WWE Championship and will get ready for a new #1 contender.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Carmella is still Smackdown Women\u2019s Champion thanks to a returning James Ellsworth.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The Bludgeon Brothers are still Tag Team Champions as they defeated \u201cThe Good Brothers\u201d Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in the MITB kickoff show.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ll take a look at the next chapters of these stories as well as what else WWE is advertising for this evening.<\/p>\n<h3><b>Gauntlet Match: Determination of #1 Contender for WWE Championship at Extreme Rules<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Following the last man standing match at MITB which saw A.J. Styles retain the WWE Championship over Shinsuke Nakamura, he needs a new #1 contender for his upcoming title defense at Extreme Rules.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Tonight we\u2019ll see a gauntlet match to determine that contender involving Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe, Big E, The Miz, and Rusev. For those not familiar with a gauntlet match, two wrestlers begin in a one-on-one matchup.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>One a decision is recorded, the wrestler on the losing end is eliminated and the next participant comes out.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This continues until all participants have entered and a final decision is recorded.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As I talked about earlier, that individual will go on to face A.J. Styles for the WWE Championship at Extreme Rules.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not known at the moment which two wrestlers will start and in what order the remaining competitors will come out.<\/p>\n<p><i>Thoughts: It\u2019s obvious with Shinsuke Nakamura not in the match that the Nakamura\/Styles rivalry is over for the time being.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>As far as this match tonight what I find most interesting is the involvement of Daniel Bryan and The Miz.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They have been linked for so long and if you\u2019ve been following WWE closely in recent years, a rivalry has been teased which began on Talking Smack over a year and a half ago when Bryan was Smackdown G.M.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It will be interesting to see if they keep them separate tonight or they decide to begin the first chapter of what many people feel will be an intense rivalry.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We should also look to see if Rusev and Samoa Joe sell any injuries after being in the MITB ladder match Sunday.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Big E\u2019s participation certain has my interest, especially to see how the rest of New Day fits into the picture.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3><b>Sanity Debut: Sanity vs. The Usos<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s been a while since we were told they\u2019d be coming to Smackdown.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Tonight we finally get the debut of Sanity consisting of Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>They will take on The Usos, Jimmy and Jey.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>What is not clear is if it will be all three members of Sanity in the match.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s not being advertised as a handicap match, so I\u2019d imagine it will be a two-on-two.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ll have to tune in to find out which two wrestlers will partake!<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s not know if this match has any implications on the Smackdown tag team championship picture.<\/p>\n<p><i>Thoughts: I always look forward to debuts.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Judging by their work in NXT I think we will enjoy what we see; however, buyer beware as we\u2019ve seen several acts come up to the main roster and not replicate or even come close to the success they had in NXT.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>You can ask Bayley, Sasha Banks, The Revival, or Becky Lynch if you don\u2019t believe me.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>It\u2019s interesting to see them debut against The Usos, who find themselves in a weird spot after losing to Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson several weeks ago.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3><b>Becky Lynch vs. Billie Kay<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>Becky Lynch came ever so close to becoming Ms. Money in the Bank Sunday.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>She nearly unhooked the briefcase atop the ladder when Alexa Bliss came over and knocked her off.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>If you saw the event, your mileage may vary as to whether or not it was a blown spot.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I have my opinion, but I\u2019ll keep it to myself if that tells you anything.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Nonetheless Becky takes on Billie Kay of The IIconics tonight in a one-on-one matchup.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The two were opposite each other in a 10-woman tag match on last week\u2019s Smackdown.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3563148963\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><i>Thoughts: I\u2019m oddly looking forward to this matchup.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I don\u2019t mind when WWE announces these contests ahead of time even though this isn\u2019t a match that blows the doors off.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m sure we\u2019ll be treated to some pre-match IIconics trolling certainly if Peyton Royce accompanies Billie at ringside.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m curious to see Becky\u2019s trajectory as she did defeat Charlotte a few weeks ago and came close to winning MITB Sunday.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Let\u2019s also look to see if anything develops between those two as they did go at it pretty hard Sunday night.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3><b>Possible \u201cMellabration\u201d<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>WWE.com is alluding to a possible \u201cMellabration\u201d following Carmella\u2019s successful Smackdown Women\u2019s Championship defense over Asuka this past Sunday at MITB.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>(I\u2019m assuming they\u2019re not sending out invitations?) That victory was aided by a returning James Ellsworth as he appeared on the apron wearing Asuka\u2019s mask, distracting Asuka and helping Carmella score the pin fall.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Ellsworth in his previous WWE stint from 2016-2017, was Carmella\u2019s \u201csidekick.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>(She once made him wear a dog collar.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Take that as you will.)<\/p>\n<p><i>Thoughts:<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>I\u2019m certain we\u2019ll get some sort of follow-up as Asuka can\u2019t be too pleased losing due to outside interference.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Carmella I\u2019m sure will tout how she\u2019s beaten both Charlotte and Asuka, both of whom many consider arguably the best women on the roster considering they were featured in a WrestleMania match only two months ago.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ll need to determine a #1 contender to Carmella\u2019s championship if we\u2019re not going to get a rematch between her and Asuka.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>This is just a thought, but don\u2019t be surprised if a rematch happens tonight.<\/i><\/p>\n<h3><b>Other Items<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Andrade \u201cCien\u201d Almas vs. Sin Cara is still in play<\/li>\n<li>Big Cass lost his second PPV match in a row to Daniel Bryan.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>He\u2019s not involved in the gauntlet match tonight.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>We\u2019ll see his what his new direction is coming out of Sunday.<\/li>\n<li>U.S. Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Shinsuke Nakamura by DQ in a non-title match last week.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>There could be follow up as the Nakamura-Styles rivalry appears to have come to an end.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Wrestlers Advertised\/Dark Matches<\/b><\/h3>\n<p>The Huntington Center\u2019s website is advertising a \u201cdouble main event\u201d featuring:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>WWE Champion A.J. Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Smackdown Women\u2019s Champion Carmella vs. Charlotte<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The website was definitely not updated because, as of today, they are advertising \u201cSmackdown General Manager\u201d Daniel Bryan, The Usos, New Day, and \u201cmany more live.\u201d<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>The matches don\u2019t really make a lot of sense as those rivalries are behind us.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><i>Follow me on Twitter @FrankPeteani or email me at <\/i><a href=\"mailto:fpeteani@gmail.com\"><i>fpeteani@gmail.com<\/i><\/a><i>.<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\">\u00a0 <\/span>Thank you for reading!<\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-2837858424\"><div id=\"pwtor-1616508867\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER JUNE 19, 2018 TOLEDO, OH AT HUNTINGTON CENTER AIRS ON USA NETWORK 8:00 P.M. EDT BY FRANK PETEANI, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Arena\/Opening Thoughts WWE will arrive in Toledo, OH tonight as they bring <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2018\/06\/19\/wwe-smackdown-primer-6-19-continued-mitb-fallout-gauntlet-to-determine-no-1-contender-sanitys-sd-debut-lynch-vs-kaye-mellaration\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 6\/19: Continued MITB fallout, Gauntlet to determine no. 1 contender, Sanity&#8217;s SD debut, Lynch vs. Kaye, &#8216;Mellaration\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,4403,27,5893],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-61691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-smackdown-primer","category-specialists","category-tvprimers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2016\/12\/NakamuraShinsukeBeaven3x2_600.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61691"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61692,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61691\/revisions\/61692"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}