The Friday, June 13 episode of WWE SmackDown was all about setting the stage for Night of Champions. With several first-round matchups in the King and Queen of the Ring tournaments, WWE packed the show with high-profile bouts featuring stars like Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes, and Charlotte Flair.
John Cena’s presence loomed large throughout the night, as the Undisputed WWE Champion spent plenty of time in front of the Lexington, Kentucky crowd. Even Ron Killings made his mark, continuing his fight against the man he once considered a “childhood hero.”
It was a busy night from top to bottom, but only a handful of moments stood out. Let’s dive into what happened.
Worst: John Cena tries explaining his heel turn
John Cena’s promo attempts to explain his heel turn and upcoming retirement, but it continues to fall flat. He leans heavily into being the "greatest of all time" by saying he is wrestling's Mount Rushmore, says he announced his retirement early to size up his opponents, and finally tries, sort of, to justify why he turned. He frames it as being the “ultimate opportunist,” claiming he’s been playing the long game all along.
There’s a quick, throwaway mention of The Rock, but not in any meaningful way—more like a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference that barely acknowledges his influence. He even brushes off the narratives fans have built around him “selling his soul,” calling them made-up stories.
It’s all so half-hearted and unnecessary. Honestly? The whole thing feels like something best left forgotten after four-and-a-half long months.
Best: The rest of the segment
For all the eye rolling that could be done with the first half of this opening segment, the rest of it was terrific.
Let’s start with John Cena flat-out saying that Seth Rollins—aka Mr. Money in the Bank—is never cashing in on him. Bold move. That line alone feels like some serious foreshadowing, especially if WWE’s playing the long game with a Cena face turn down the road. Rollins and his new faction have mostly been Raw regulars, so it’s an interesting nugget to toss out there.
Then Cody Rhodes jumps in and brings some receipts, of he pinned Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Randy Orton then chimes in with his own reminder: he should’ve beaten Cena at Backlash if not for, well, getting screwed.
And then LA Knight’s music hits, surprising everyone in the ring. He calls out everyone wanting a piece of him (definitely a shot at losing MITB again), and torches Cena on the mic.
As the segment seemingly ends, Ron Killings shows up and attacks Cena from behind. It's a wild way to close things out, but sets up an inevitable rematch between the two.
Best: Naomi sets an unpredictable stage for her cash-in
Naomi is operating at a career-best level right now. As a bitter, calculated heel with the Money in the Bank briefcase in hand, she’s never looked more dangerous. And based on this week’s episode of SmackDown, Tiffany Stratton and her WWE Women’s Championship should be on high alert.
After Stratton issued a challenge, Naomi made it clear she’ll cash in when the champ least expects it, just to make her life a living hell. It’s a strong dose of foreshadowing and a reminder of how unpredictable (and effective) the MITB briefcase can be when used right.
At this rate, Naomi’s rise to champion feels inevitable. If her current run is any indication, she’s poised to deliver in a major way when that moment finally comes.
Worst: Wyatt Sicks direction
The Wyatt Sicks only returned a few weeks ago, and they’ve already made it clear, they’re coming for the SmackDown tag team division. The group has been a compelling tribute to Bray Wyatt, and everything from their presentation to their aura has been top-tier. But that brilliance comes with a challenge: they’re tough to book. One misstep, one loss, and the mystique begins to crack.
Now, the rest of the tag division seems united in trying to take them down. It has the feel of babyfaces teaming up on a dominant heel faction, but the Wyatt Sicks have been positioned more as antiheroes, ones the fans are supposed to cheer.
They took out the Motor City Machine Guns on SmackDown, and they’re likely going to defeat a few more teams on their way to facing the champions, The Street Profits. It’s hard to imagine them losing before then, if at all. But how do you eventually beat a group like this without killing their mystique? That’s the puzzle WWE will have to solve, and from here on out, it only gets trickier.
Best: CM Punk teases the future
Hey, Cena’s back! He kicks things off by calling out Ron Killings, but instead, we get a surprise, as CM Punk shows up unannounced, and the crowd erupts.
Punk takes the mic and, of course, flips the script. He compares Cena to Darth Vader, saying there’s still some Anakin Skywalker left in him. He urges Cena to let the fans celebrate his final run, but Cena isn’t interested. It's another tease of the 17-time world champion eventually turning babyface, something that's inevitable before he officially hangs up his boots. It's a matter of when it happens
Then comes the money line, as Punk says he’ll “follow Cena to hell” to prove he’s better. That’s twice now that the Second City Saint has made it clear he’s willing to go to any length to take Cena down. It’s the most compelling part of this story and maybe even a clue that Punk’s own heel turn is looming. Fans still love him, but nobody plays the villain quite like the future hall of famer. If WWE pulls the trigger, it could be magic.