WWE SmackDown May 12 Sets Big Market Record

WWE

This week’s (May 12) edition of WWE Friday Night SmackDown set a huge record in the Knoxville, Tennessee market.

Per Fightful Select (subscription required), this episode was the highest grossing WWE event ever to take place in the market, according to internal live events reports.

Friday’s episode was an important one, with the blue brand’s half of the World Heavyweight Championship tournament contested, and determining a SmackDown finalist.

AJ Styles advanced to the tournament finals after winning two matches on SmackDown, a three-way featuring Edge and Rey Mysterio, and the semi-finals against Bobby Lashley.

He will face Raw’s finalist Seth Rollins for the new title at the May 27 Night of Champions event.

Also on the show, Roman Reigns made his first SmackDown appearance since retaining his WWE Undisputed Universal Title at WrestleMania.

It was announced that Reigns will team with Solo Sikoa to challenge for Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens’ WWE Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions.

A possible reason why Zayn is now able to wrestle in Saudi Arabia has been revealed.

Here are results from the Friday, May 12 episode of WWE SmackDown:

AJ Styles def. Edge, Rey Mysterio in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament

Bobby Lashley def. Austin Theory, Sheamus in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament

Grayson Waller appeared in a backstage segment with Adam Pearce and announced the winner of the Styles vs Lashley main event would appear on his Grayson Waller Effect talk show next week

Cameron Grimes def. Baron Corbin

Roman Reigns made his first appearance since WrestleMania 39 and said that Solo Sikoa has stepped up, but the Usos are a problem and that they embarrassed him

Paul Heyman then announced Reigns and Sikoa would be challenging Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship at Night of Champions in Saudi Arabia

Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez def. Bayley & Dakota Kai to retain the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship

Former NXT Tag Team Champions Pretty Deadly made their SmackDown debut backstage, setting up a match against the Brawling Brutes for next week

Bianca Belair appeared for a ‘celebration’ in her hometown of Knoxville, but was interrupted by a returning Asuka who spat mist in Belair’s face

AJ Styles def. Bobby Lashley in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship tournament

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• Knoxville
• record
• Smackdown
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