WWE SmackDown Results, Highlights, And Grades For June 19, 2018

Gauntlet Match, Winner Faces AJ Styles At Extreme Rules For The WWE Championship

Rusev vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Big E vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe

As expected, Daniel Bryan enters the match first, and he has a staredown with the Bludgeon Brothers. The crowd chants “Leave him alone!” at Harper and Rowan, and they decide to spare Bryan tonight.

Big E and Daniel Bryan started things off, and after technical exchanges that greatly favored Bryan, E started to use his power to gain a big advantage.

Following the break, E nearly pinned Bryan after he missed with the diving headbutt. He nearly won after countering a third dropkick in the corner by turning Bryan inside out with a clothesline. His backbreaker on Bryan got a 2 count. E put Bryan in a submission which Bryan countered into the Yes! Lock. Although E prevented Bryan from locking it in, Bryan went for the triangle. E picked him up, but E slipped out going for a heel hook. This was countered, and Bryan went for another heel hook, which was also countered.

But the best part of the match to this point? Big E’s spear to the outside! All I can say is that Big E definitely looks like a main eventer here! He lost via “The Knee!”, but, man, he was awesome!

Daniel Bryan pins Big E with THE KNEE (A-)

Samoa Joe comes out to face Daniel Bryan

Joe starts giving Bryan some hellish chops in the corner, turning his chest into a deep shade of red. Bryan took a powerslam from Joe head-first on the apron, and everyone, including the announcers, cringed hard. That was an extremely scary moment that took us all out of the match.

After another break, Bryan and Joe started trading chops, but Joe had enough. He tried to put Bryan in the Coquina Clutch, but Bryan threw Joe out of the ring to get out of it. Better yet, Bryan eliminated Joe by outsmarting him, getting him counted out after being placed in the Coquina Clutch on the outside.

Daniel Bryan eliminated Samoa Joe by count-out