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WWE SmackDown First Hour Aired Commercial-Free to Avoid NBA Finals Competition

The June 19, 2026 episode of WWE SmackDown aired its first hour without commercials as a strategic decision to avoid direct competition with Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Hamza AwanBy Hamza AwanFounder & Editor
1 min read
WWE SmackDownNBA FinalsCommercial Free HourGUNTHERRhodesSami ZaynUndisputed WWE ChampionshipDamian PriestR-TruthWWE Tag Team Championship

Match Results and Championship Defenses

The broadcast included a match between GUNTHER and Rhodes, with Sami Zayn serving as the special guest referee. Zayn's fast count aided Rhodes in retaining the Undisputed WWE Championship, a title Zayn had won at Night of Champions. Following this, the WWE Tag Team Championship match saw Damian Priest and R-Truth successfully defend their titles against The MFTs.

NBA Finals Connection and Unrelated Wrestling Notes

The Knicks' first NBA championship in over 50 years was noted, with Paul Heyman drawing a parallel between the championship run and a professional wrestling rivalry. There was also a tangential mention of Danhausen's "uncursing" of the team, which some have humorously attributed to Jalen Brunson and the Knicks' success over the Spurs.

Featured names

  • Aired Commercial
  • The Undisputed
  • Damian Priest
  • Jalen Brunson
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Hamza Awan

About the author

Hamza Awan

Founder & Editor

I'm Hamza Awan, founder of The Final Bell. I cover WWE with verified reporting, fan polls, and analysis written for people who actually watch the shows — not for algorithms. More about Hamza

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