WWE SmackDown results, live blog 06/09/23: Jey Uso, on the spot

WWE SmackDown from Des Moines is slated for the latest chapter in the ongoing Bloodline drama that has gripped fans for more than a year.

For most of the Bloodline saga, Jimmy Uso has been a supporting cast member while the juiciest subplots swirled around Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn, Jey Uso, and even Solo Sikoa. That’s changed in recent weeks and directly affects what is going to go down on WWE SmackDown tonight in Des Moines.

As the group has started to unravel in earnest over the last month or so, it’s been Jimmy, not Jey, who has been most emphatic that something about Reigns’ leadership has to change. Oh yeah, there was also that small bit about blasting the Tribal Chief in the face with a superkick, that probably didn’t help.

But while The Usos tried to broker some kind of peace last week, Reigns turned them down. He also made it very clear that he expects Jey Uso to get his twin brother back in the fold. Can he do that? More importantly, does he even want to? The pressure just keeps flipping back and forth between The Usos as this story progresses.

Elsewhere, it’s time for Money in the Bank qualifying matches to really kick it into high gear. A total of three men and three women have already punched their proverbial tickets for the Ladder matches in London, but that leaves three spots each still to be filled. SmackDown will take care of four more, two each for the men and women, thanks to four qualifiers in Des Moines.

Finally, WWE has added a new twist to one of its sillier talking points from the last few weeks: the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Champions serving on the “wrong” shows. But Asuka is supposedly being presented with “a WWE Women’s Championship” tonight, meaning the light at the end of this nonsensical tunnel might be in sight.

WWE SmackDown results from Des Moines:

  • Solo Sikoa and Paul Heyman are IMMEDIATELY interrupted by Jey Uso, who is told the whole situation is Jimmy’s fault because he is jealous of Jey’s destiny as a singles champ and future Tribal Chief; Jey says he will take Heyman up on an offer to challenge for the United States Championship but keeps him hanging on the question of whether he will stand with the Bloodline

  • Santos Escobar def. Mustafa Ali by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with LA Knight watching on guest commentary
  • “You listen to what’s in your heart, not what’s being put into your ear.” Sami Zayn gives an impassioned speech to Jey about how the Tribal Chief side of Reigns causes so many problems and that he hopes Jey can see the consequences of pursuing that for himself
  • NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn come to the ring and are quickly interrupted by Ronda Rousey and Shayna Baszler, who challenge them for a title unification match and get a quick and violent acceptance

  • A tribute video package is shown to honor The Iron Sheik, who died this week
  • Bayley def. Michin by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, irritating AJ Styles who was on guest commentary; Scarlett approached Styles after the match and sprayed him with red dust in the face, allowing Karrion Kross to apply the Kross Jacket from the first row of the crowd

  • Bianca Belair wants another piece of Asuka, but Adam Pearce asks her not to attack the champ tonight, and she agrees since Pearce says she’s in line for a rematch
  • The O.C. promises an angry and blinded Styles that they will make Kross and Scarlett pay
  • Asuka hands over her Raw Women’s Championship and receives the new WWE Women’s Championship … and she is confronted not by Belair, but by Charlotte Flair, who makes a challenge for the title that is quickly accepted; Asuka tries to hit Flair with the mist, but Charlotte is too quick for her

  • Heyman visits Jey to promise him a ride on Reigns’ private jet to Money in the Bank and a title celebration with Roman next week — and a public acknowledgement of Reigns grooming Jey to be the next Tribal Chief; Jey tells Paul if he’s in the Bloodline, it means Heyman is out
  • Pearce is on the phone with Vince Triple H, probably, when an angry Belair shows up
  • Butch def. Baron Corbin by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes watching from the crowd and distracting Corbin somewhat; Corbin, Williams and Hayes get into a post-match scrap and have to be separated by referees and security
  • Butch celebrates his win with the Brawling Brutes, while Corbin gets attacked by Cameron Grimes
  • IYO SKY def. Shotzi by pinfall in a Money in the Bank qualifying match, with an assist from Bayley
  • Austin Theory is upset about being the last person to find out about his title defense against Jey Uso, but he promises to send Jey back to the Bloodline like the failure he is; Theory also invites Heyman to check out Austin Theory Live if he needs a new client after next week
  • Kevin Owens talks to Zayn about his discussion with Jey, then the champs get a visit from Pretty Deadly, the Brawling Brutes, the Good Brothers and the Street Profits, infuriating KO and leaving Pearce with little option but to say they can settle the question of who should be No. 1 contenders in a Gauntlet match next week

  • A short vignette promotes The Grayson Waller Effect and informs us that Charlotte Flair will be his guest next week
  • Austin Theory def. Jey Uso by pinfall to retain the WWE United States Championship match, in a match that also saw Pretty Deadly, Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa get involved and Jimmy accidentally superkick Jey
  • With Solo and Heyman watching from the aisle, Jey shoves Jimmy and rolls out of the ring; Heyman says “I’m sorry” and calls Reigns, but the show ends without Jey making a decision