Friday Night SmackDown Results: News, Notes As WWE Exploits Jeff Hardy’s Demons
by Alfred Konuwa
WWE Friday Night SmackDown kicked off in memorable fashion in what will be remembered as one of the better, and more controversial, first hours of SmackDown in recent memory. The show went on the air with Renee Young at an apparent hit-and-run crash scene as Elias was being loaded into an ambulance.
After realizing the abandoned vehicle belonged to Jeff Hardy, the embattled WWE Superstar was arrested while stumbling around and reeking of alcohol. WWE broadcasters suggested Hardy was a suspect in a drunk driving accident, which plays on Hardy’s real-life struggles with substance abuse, drinking and driving. All signs point to Sheamus, who repeatedly called Hardy a junkie throughout the broadcast being behind some sinister plan to frame the currently sober Hardy.
Regardless of how this angle came off in terms of intrigue, however, it’s yet another chapter in the endless book of pro wrestling promotions capitalizing on an individual’s real-life drama. Everything from death to substance abuse is fair game for WWE to exploit for a storyline, and just how far WWE goes in doing so with Jeff Hardy will quickly become the subject of controversy.
Last week’s broadcast of Friday Night SmackDown garnered 2.044 million viewers, essentially flat with the week prior.
WWE Friday Night SmackDown Viewership—Last Five Weeks
- May 22, 2020—2.044 million viewers
- May 15, 2020—2.042 million viewers
- May 8, 2020—2.025 million viewers
- May 1, 2020—1.885 million viewers
- April 24, 2020—2.005 million viewers
From the Forbes WWE Vault
WWE Friday Night SmackDown Key Competition
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Mainstream News Coverage
WWE Total YouTube Viewership for WWE Friday Night SmackDown
4,178,058 views (Down from 8,021,391)
- Most-Viewed: Jeff Hardy vs. Sheamus—WWE Intercontinental Championship Tournament (755,469 views)
- Least-Viewed: The Forgotten Sons Warn the Blood is on Your Heads (107,881 views)
- Median Viewership: 531,036
WWE Friday Night SmackDown Results: Friday, May 29, 2020
Opening Segment Featuring an Attack on Elias and Jeff Hardy Arrest
It looks like WWE is gearing up for another "use their real-life demons to remind them of the struggle" storyline for entertainment purposes only.
Renee Young reporting that Jeff Hardy “appears to be inebriated” on national television was messy as hell.
How jealous is Vince Russo that he doesn't get to write these wacky non-wrestling storylines to fill time during a pandemic?
These SmackDown goons broke out in laughter when they heard Elias was hit by a car, but when Sheamus called Jeff Hardy a junkie that's too far?!
The first 15 minutes, for better or worse, have seemed like they were done without a script, and I haven't been so intrigued by a SmackDown episode in years.
Sheamus Wins 10-Man Battle Royal for Semifinal Spot in Intercontinental Title Tournament
I knew Baron Corbin was not winning this tournament the second he went on that four-elimination tear to start this match, but it was good to see Jey Uso benefit.
I was shocked at how nostalgic I got when The Bar did a fist pump. I miss those guys together and I didn’t even appreciate it when it was happening.
After showing out as a potentially credible babyface throughout this battle, Shorty G was made to look like an absolute fool in his elimination.
Lacey Evans vs. Sonya Deville
Prior to this match, Lacey Evans punched Sonya Deville mid-interview in something you don’t see everyday in WWE. I’m convinced somebody other than the usual suspects wrote this show.
Sonya Deville isn’t even close to being done with her blood feud against Mandy Rose and she’s already entering a long-term feud with Lacey Evans?