5 Takeaways from this week's WWE SmackDown Live (10 July 2018)

#1 Asuka’s title chances just got slimmer

Asuka defeated James Ellsworth in a lumberjack match

The biggest takeaway from this week’s SmackDown Live came at the end of the lumberjack match between James Ellsworth and Asuka when Carmella’s sidekick sprayed an unknown substance into the eyes of “The Empress of Tomorrow”.

SmackDown Live General Manager Paige confirmed later in the show that Ellsworth will be locked above the ring in a shark cage during Sunday’s SmackDown Women’s Championship match, which won’t help Asuka much when “The Chinless Wonder” will inevitably be on hand to throw the spray down to Carmella whenever the opportunity arises.

Of course, there’s a chance that their tactic will backfire, but it’s fair to say that Asuka's chances of leaving Pittsburgh with the title just got slimmer.