00:00But right now, Queen of the Ring semi-final action.
00:09The following contest is a semi-final match in the Queen of the Ring tournament.
00:15Introducing first, from Columbus, Ohio, Alexa Bliss!
00:24It has been so special to watch the return of Alexa Bliss, five-time world champion,
00:28and pulled off one of the best-timed wins last week we've seen in a while.
00:32Wait, that made for a very father to start with Flair.
00:35That is right. Flair looking so good, looking to progress in the Queen of the Ring,
00:39locking in the Figure 8 of Alba Flair, close to topping out.
00:44Alexa Bliss, though, just in the nick of time, hitting that Abigail DDT,
00:49scoring the three-count milliseconds before fire tapped out to Flair.
00:53The margin between victory and defeat has never been closer,
00:58but Alexa is the one who progresses through to the Queen of the Ring semi-final.
01:03That is about to take place.
01:04How about Charlotte's face?
01:06Ooh, since she is, maybe a second earlier she would have had it.
01:09Red Dead SmackDown is delivered by...
01:12You ready, Joe?
01:21Oh, this is so good, Wade.
01:22I'm not ready. Nobody is ready for Asuka!
01:26As her opponent, from Osaka, Japan, the Empress of Tomorrow, Asuka!
01:46Her signature entrance!
01:50We just saw Munga Van Roo, her ever-impressive ability in the ring.
01:53Over 400 days she was out of action.
01:56Serious knee injury, required surgery, but what a way to come back, Wade!
02:00Rodriguez looking to win!
02:02Progress with a Tejada bomb, but someone had other plans!
02:06There's someone being rear-bloody Ripley dropping the powerhouse with his rib-tide on the outside,
02:14and that opened a window for the returning Asuka to strike and score the dunk.
02:20Regressing through to tonight's semi-final against Alexa Bliss,
02:26just one step away from Knight of Champions and the final of the Queen of the Ring tournament.
02:32She's the four-time world champion, who's worked so hard to get herself back to this prime form that we've always seen.
02:43Asuka!
02:44Two of the absolute best of their generation.
02:48Nine world championship reigns between these two.
02:52Only one woman can progress to the final in Saudi Arabia one week from tomorrow at Knight of Champions.
03:00And let's not forget that sweetener of the championship opportunity at SummerSlam for whoever wins this tournament.
03:08Of course, their career is filled with championship gold on the resume, including what they've accomplished together.
03:15These two were WWE Women's Tag Team Champions together back in 2022.
03:22Wade, I want to get into your take on Asuka at this stage of what we've seen at this point of her career.
03:27On social media this week, she posted an intense photo with a message that simply stated,
03:32I wasn't gone, I was holding the power inside, the fire never died, it's alive, and now it's time to burn again.
03:38Yeah, such a long layoff for Asuka, and you would understand if she wanted to come back and take it a little slowly,
03:45get a couple of easy matches under your belt, but no, not for Asuka.
03:48Straight in at the deep end in a major tournament against top-tier opponents, Asuka is not waiting around.
03:55She wants success immediately, that fire is raging inside her.
04:01Shoulder tackle against Alexa Bliss, and now goes with the hip attack, and she sends her off the apron.
04:09Queen of the Ring semi-final action from here in Grand Rapids.
04:20Joe Tessitore and Wade Barron with you here.
04:22Friday Night Smackdown, as we are closing in on the Night of Champions next week.
04:28It'll be streaming in Peacock, and of course, that is when we have our finals of the King and Queen of the Ring,
04:34and Alexa Bliss and Asuka battling in this semi-final to try to see who arrives in Riyadh with a chance to be Queen of the Ring.
04:43Look at the cumulative time off that these two women have had over the past 18 months.
04:48It is insane that they're able to go straight back to this top level of competition.
04:53I remember getting time off in my career through injuries.
04:56It would take me two or three months to start feeling myself again once I'd return.
05:01Took me forever to shake off that ring, Russ.
05:03Get my ring wheels back under me.
05:06Get my lungs kicking into top gear again.
05:09But these two, right off the bat, it is incredibly impressive.
05:13Tells you a lot about their training regimens while they pin out.
05:17And would you not agree that even the most consistent fan viewer aficionado still doesn't realize what it takes to do what you just described?
05:27I would absolutely agree with that.
05:29Look, everyone knows you can step on a treadmill.
05:32You can get on a bike.
05:32You can jump in the swimming pool.
05:34Nothing matches the kind of cardiovascular health that is required to get in that ring.
05:41The only thing that traditionally can build that is competition.
05:45That's right.
05:45This is one burning competition when you get to this level, to this stage, and with these stakes.
05:54One thing about a treadmill, it doesn't punch you in the face every five seconds.
05:58No, the heavy bag doesn't punch back.
06:00You simply cannot contend with in the gym.
06:03Got to do the hard yards in the ring, but these two are just naturals.
06:10We are sold out here in Grand Rapids.
06:1311,134.
06:15And this is the kind of star power that they knew they were going to get tonight.
06:21Just found out moments ago, we will see L.A. Knight against Bronson Reed.
06:26General Manager Nick Aldis making that match on the spot after what happened to open up Friday night's SmackDown when Breaker and Bronson Reed attacked L.A. Knight with Paul Heyman engaging Knight from the start.
06:39Yeah, and there are going to be some consequences for that later on for L.A. Knight, you would assume.
06:47You simply cannot mess with that power trio from Raw who seemingly can invade SmackDown any time they feel like it.
06:55But it doesn't seem too much that GMs like Nick Aldis are going to be able to do about it.
07:00Big boot from Asuka.
07:06And a missile dropkick.
07:08Absolute bullseye right to the chest.
07:11Right into the cover.
07:11And that has knocked the stuffing out of Alexa Bliss.
07:16Now desperately trying to cling on to some sort of competition in this match as Asuka is looking dominant.
07:32Over 13 months away from ring action for Asuka.
07:36But here she is in a span of a week looking so impressive.
07:40Trying to get that lock on, but Bliss able to break free as she takes on Alexa Bliss in the Queen of the Ring semifinal.
07:46I'll give you my opinion right now as Alexa Bliss is starting to get some momentum here in a fatal four-way that we saw Asuka in last week.
07:56There are opportunities to hide from the firefight.
07:59You haven't got all the attention on you.
08:01This is singles now, so if there are any weaknesses in Asuka's game after that layoff, it's about to be exposed.
08:08Big game from Bliss.
08:09And then into the cover right away to advance to the finals.
08:13And getting that shoulder up was Asuka.
08:15A little frustration now starting to kick in for Alexa Bliss.
08:19We know she's got an all-timer resume, but has not held world championship gold since 2018.
08:26Win this tournament.
08:28Become queen of the ring.
08:29And the opportunity to change that presents itself.
08:33Striking attack from Asuka.
08:35And now looking to gather momentum offensively.
08:38Empress of tomorrow.
08:41Into the cover.
08:43You saw moments ago that crown that they are battling to be in position for this semifinal action.
08:50Finals comes your way next Saturday, June 28th.
08:52Night of Champions.
08:53It's the finals for King and Queen of the Ring.
09:00Oh, she goes for the big kick, but instead it's a roll-up.
09:03It's a roll-up for Alexa.
09:05And now Sister Abigail's lined up, Wade.
09:08Out of nowhere.
09:09She's got Sister Abigail.
09:11Oh, but a roll-up by Asuka countering it.
09:14What a sequence between these highly skilled former champions.
09:18Now a boot right to the temple.
09:20Could that do it?
09:21No.
09:21Able to get the shoulders up.
09:23That was a late, late kick-out from Alexa Bliss, who looks as groggy as hell right now.
09:29And Asuka, if she can pick up the pace here, surely has a victory looming.
09:34So impressive what we have seen out of these two.
09:39The pace, the skill, the varied offensive attack.
09:43Asuka up top.
09:44Could it be missile dropkick?
09:46Getting out of the way was Alexa Bliss.
09:48Bliss is too nimble.
09:49Oh, and she has the DDT to advance to the finals.
09:54Left shoulder gets up at two and change.
09:57Well, Asuka is now well and truly softened up after this DDT right on the top of the crown.
10:04And Alexa Bliss just a millisecond from qualifying for the final.
10:11And you hear the crowd, the sold-out Van Andel Arena.
10:15It is awesome.
10:16And it's exactly what you expect to be delivered with Bliss and Asuka.
10:23Bliss.
10:23Bliss second-guess it.
10:35Oh, she was thinking twisted Bliss and then all of a sudden did second-guess it.
10:41I think she thought Asuka might have been playing possum.
10:44Oh, maybe she was.
10:45Oh, maybe she was indeed.
10:47And she's locking it in.
10:49Playing arm bars locked in by Asuka.
10:51And that left arm, that right arm, excuse me, fully extended in the middle of the ring.
10:57And now a transition.
10:58Keep your eyes peeled here.
11:00She's looking for the submission here to advance herself.
11:04What that Asuka locked, that modified version of it.
11:08And Bliss needs to get the hell out of there.
11:10She is desperate to get to that rope.
11:13She is a torture on the limbs of Alexa Bliss.
11:17And there's no let-up now from Asuka.
11:19There is it indeed.
11:21Hangman's neckbreaker connected.
11:23Can that neckbreaker put it away?
11:24No.
11:25Right shoulder gets up.
11:27And you do question, was that a mistake from Alexa Bliss when she was on the top rope,
11:33elected to drop down instead of going for that twisted Bliss?
11:38Stold out here in Grand Rapids.
11:40That's 11,134.
11:42And what a match they're getting in this Queen of the Rings semifinal.
11:46A banger right off the bat from two of the best with all the stakes of this one.
11:50Oh, I think Asuka was going for the Empress Impact, but instead she ate that right hand from Bliss.
11:56Well, Bliss now the one perhaps playing possum.
11:58What a battle of the minds it's been in this one.
12:01Oh, she's got her hung up and lands the dropkick.
12:04Completely unprotected was Asuka.
12:08We might be getting take two here, Jota.
12:10Moments ago she didn't go for it.
12:13There it is.
12:14Oh, but twisted Bliss with knees up.
12:18Knees up.
12:19And there it is.
12:22Empress Impact.
12:25Asuka's done it.
12:29Here is your winner.
12:32Asuka!
12:34Asuka qualifies for the final of the Queen of the Ring Tournament.
12:42Taking place one week from tomorrow.
12:45At Night of Champions she will face the victor of...
12:53No one is ready for Asuka.
12:56You heard it, Jota.
12:58It's absolutely correct.
12:59Will Jay Cargill or Roxanne Perez face Asuka in the final?
