WWE SmackDown results, recap, grades: Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens' friendship is tested before Bash in Berlin

Things got tense between the real-life friends

Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens' friendship may not endure their undisputed WWE championship match at Bash in Berlin. What started as a friendly competition became increasingly tense on Friday's episode of WWE SmackDown.

The title match between Rhodes and Owens started respectfully but it's beginning to trend in the opposite direction. The real-life friends got into a verbal altercation on WWE SmackDown with fan-favorite Rhodes arguably getting dirtier than the often volatile Owens. It was an interesting shift in dynamic that added new wrinkles to both superstars.

SmackDown also featured two title matches. WWE women's champion Nia Jax defended her title in a main event street fight against Michin. United States champion LA Knight opened the show with an open invitational. The superstar who stepped up to Knight's open challenge received a huge ovation from the German crowd.

CBS Sports was with you all night with recaps and highlights of all the action from Uber Arena in Berlin.

Rhodes and Owens' get heated

A face-to-face between Rhodes and Owens started friendly but got increasingly tense. Rhodes wondered if Owens had intended to strike him from behind last week. Owens revealed that Rhodes allegedly hurt his knee during WWE's recent live tour. Rhodes denied it but Owens relitigated the injury rumors, wondering why Rhodes didn't take a knee during his entrance like usual. Owens reflected on winning the universal title eight years ago nearly to the day, and how his reign didn't live up to expectations. A fired-up Rhodes accused Owens of being envious that his WrestleMania 38 return and subsequent run overshadowed Owen's WrestleMania 38 match with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Rhodes wondered if they'd still be friends after Bash in Berlin. Owens dropped the microphone and whispered something to Rhodes before walking away.

WWE has done well to further escalate this feud with each passing week. Owens managed to get under Rhodes' skin, dragging out a side of the champion rarely seen in WWE. Rhodes got very personal and took some digs at Owens' career despite his friend being relatively cordial. It feels like the feud is a couple of gears short of being a blockbuster match. It would be a shame if Saturday's match is the only one in this storyline because it feels like the creative team has stumbled onto something they could expand on further. Grade: B+

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• United States Championship -- LA Knight (c) def. Ludwig Kaiser via pinfall after hitting BFT.
• Los Garza (Angel Garza and Humbert Carrillo) def. Apollo Crews and Baron Corbin via pinfall after hitting an assisted alarm clock dubbed MTY. Santos Escobar blindsided Corbin during the match.
  
• Austin Theory and Grayson Waller had a tense conversation backstage.
  
• The Bloodline will take on #DIY and Street Profits in an eight-man tag team match next week, Solo Sikoa revealed in a taped segment.
• Giovanni Vinci will re-debut next week.
• Carmelo Hayes def. Andrade via pinfall after running Andrade into an exposed turnbuckle and hitting Nothing But Net. Their series is now tied two apiece.
• WWE Women's Championship -- Nia Jax (c) def. Michin via pinfall in a street fight to retain the title.