WWE Raw And NXT Stars Work SmackDown Dark Matches
Fans in attendance at WWE "SmackDown" last night got some bonus matches with stars from WWE's other brands.
As seen in the various images and videos below, top WWE Raw stars and some promising WWE NXT talent were featured in the dark matches before and after "SmackDown" last night. Wes Lee vs. Sanga took place before the main card got underway with Sanga picking up the win in the untelevised bout.
Once "SmackDown" came to a conclusion, the crowd was treated to two former WWE Champions squaring off when The Miz and AJ Styles went one-on-one. The Miz made sure to cut a promo to rile up the audience before the match got underway, but it was Styles that ended up as the winner after a Phenomenal Forearm finisher.
Styles will be competing at WWE "Hell in a Cell" this Sunday when he teams with Finn Balor and Liv Morgan against The Judgment Day (Edge, Rhea Ripley, and Damian Priest) in a six-person, mixed-gender tag team match. The Miz isn't currently on the card for this Sunday, however, his wife Maryse will be joining him on Monday's "Raw" to celebrate the new season of "Miz & Mrs." premiering on the USA Network after the show concludes.
Wes Lee and Sanga actually faced one another on "NXT 2.0" on May 24, 2022, with Sanga also picking up the win on that occasion. Lee hasn't had a great win/loss record since his partner, Nash Carter, was released from WWE and the team MSK was forced to break up. You can read more about the story behind Nash's release at this link.
After #SmackDown went off the air, @AJStylesOrg defeated @mikethemiz in a dark match!#WWE pic.twitter.com/5X5JWVN7z6
— Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) June 4, 2022
The Miz and AJ Styles will perform in the dark match after #WWE Friday Night Smackdown in Columbus.
I happen to find The Miz's list of top-five cities in Ohio — ranking Miami (OH) No. 3 and the "Harvard of the Midwest" among other cities — rather interesting. pic.twitter.com/5EiwrDyNEH
— Jacob Benge (@JacobBenge) June 4, 2022
Miz riling up the crowd before his dark match with The Phenomenal One.#Smackdown #SmackDAHN #WWE pic.twitter.com/Htouip3LJG
— The Yank & Lion (@TheYankAndLion) June 4, 2022
Dark match: Wes Lee vs Sanga in singles competition is underway #SmackDown #WWENXT pic.twitter.com/SYVqmN1XEB
— Xylot Themes (@XylotThemes) June 3, 2022
In the dark match before #SmackDown, @Sanga_WWE defeated @WesLee_WWE #WWE pic.twitter.com/G2SpCYCXft
— Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) June 4, 2022
Dayton native Wes Lee performing in the opening dark match against Sanga before #WWE Friday Night Smackdown in Columbus. pic.twitter.com/OMwnpmb1Ir
— Jacob Benge (@JacobBenge) June 3, 2022