WWE Friday Night Smackdown preview and schedule: June 17, 2022

Apart from that, a friend-turned-foe pair will engage in the final match to put their rivalry to an end while a former NXT Superstar will possibly start a faction on the June 17 episode of Smackdown that takes place at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Last week, the self-proclaimed follower of The Bloodline, Sami Zayn went one-on-one against Riddle on SmackDown main event with the stipulation that said: Riddle would have been barred from the blue brand forever if he loses but a win would earn him an opportunity at Roman Reigns’ Undisputed WWE Universal Title.

Eventually, an RKO sealed the deal for Riddle who booked himself in the biggest match of his career for this week’s Smackdown. But seemingly unhappy Special Counsel of Roman Reigns, Paul Heyman dropped a bombshell, on this week’s Raw as he revealed a special stipulation for the match.

It goes as follows: If Riddle loses the match tonight, he will never again be able to challenge for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship again as long as Roman is the champion.

That being said, the stakes couldn’t be higher for The King of Bros who is looking for vengeance against The Tribal Chief for all his past sins. This also marks the first time since Wrestlemania 38 that the unified WWE world titles will be on the line on TV.

Hello, this is Natalya’s assistant, Bob. I was so happy to hear that my stunningly beautiful, record-breaking boss, Natalya put Ronda Rousey on the shelf with her Sharpshooter! Ronda deserved that for even thinking about getting her lazy ass off her couch and coming back to WWE. pic.twitter.com/BnQTYr6nL9

— Nattie (@NatbyNature) June 13, 2022

Natalya became the number-one contender to Smackdown Women’s Champion Ronda Rousey by defeating Aliyah, Raquel Rodriguez, Shotzi, Xia Li, and Shayna Baszler in a six-pack challenge. WWE then booked Rousey vs. Natalya for the Money in the Bank 2022 premium live event.

Speaking of her impending match with the Hart Dungeon member, Rousey noted how Natalya stole the sharpshooter maneuver from her uncle, WWE Hall of Famer Bret Hart and that it’s now been turned into a ‘cheap imitation.’

In response, Rousey would be attacked by Natalya, who put the champion in a sharpshooter. The Baddest Woman of the Planet refused to tap out and in the process may have hurt her back/legs. We expect an update from WWE on the situation as the announced title match at MITB could be in jeopardy due to Rousey’s injured condition.

Former WWE NXT Superstar LA Knight has been repackaged as a manager named Max Dupri following his Smackdown debut. After busting on the scene, he’s been promoting his Maximum Male Models group for weeks now.

Last week, Dupri was about to reveal his first client which was canceled due to mismanagement of traveling in Europe. Hence, WWE is advertising that he is finally ready to introduce the name into the fold and to the fans tonight.

NEXT WEEK@MadcapMoss vs. Happy Corbin in a Last Laugh Match!@BaronCorbinWWE #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/yNUEM3Xjj9

— WWE (@WWE) June 11, 2022

The bitter rivalry between Madcap Moss and Happy Corbin is ongoing throughout the post-Wrestlemania 38 season that has already produced immense destruction in and outside the ring.

In a re-introduced avatar, Moss picked up a huge win over Corbin in an epic No Holds Barred Match at WWE Hell in a Cell, earlier this month. The adversaries will now battle in a Last Laugh Match on Smackdown in a highly anticipated showdown.