Best & worst of SmackDown (July 12, 2024): WWE star commits felony for title shot; Tiffany Stratton targets champion? 

WWE SmackDown after Money in the Bank kicked off with Tiffany Stratton boasting about her accomplishments. And how she was the youngest female MITB contract winner.

Naomi faced Blair Davenport in a singles match while the new WWE Tag Team Champions DIY defeated Austin Theory and Grayson Waller in a rematch from last week. The losing duo almost came to blows, which suggest a singles feud between the two soon.

Let's take a look at a few of the best and worst moments from the latest edition of WWE SmackDown:

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Best: LA Knight luring Logan Paul for a SummerSlam title match

It has been almost a year since LA Knight's feud with Logan Paul was first teased, more so after the latter was crowned United States Champion.

Knight was spotted emerging from Nick Aldis' office on SmackDown this week, and a contract in hand. The Megastar then informed the WWE Universe that the SummerSlam title match was a signed and sealed deal, with the SmackDown General Manager's signature, and only the champion's sign now was needed.

Later, during Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair and Naomi's backstage celebration, Cargill stated that Nick Aldis was not present for the show. Thus, leaving a mark of suspicion on everyone's minds on whether LA Knight actually got the contract officiated or it was just a ploy to get Logan Paul's attention. It was definitely a smart move on Knight's part to lure out The Maverick who is scheduled for an appearance on the blue brand next week.

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Worst: Nia Jax being targeted by another WWE star; history to repeat itself

Tiffany Stratton won the women's Money in the Bank contact last weekend. On the latest edition of WWE SmackDown, the young star kicked off the show, talking about her accolades and putting all the women's champions on notice.

Bayley walked out and applauded her confidence in thinking she could take her title away. The duo were interrupted by Nia Jax who reminded Bayley about their SummerSlam match in three weeks. Amidst their back and forth, The Role Model referenced Nia Jax's PTSD with former tag team partner Alexa Bliss. In 2018, Bliss had cashed in her MITB contract on Nia Jax during the latter's match with Ronda Rousey.

Stratton teased a cash-in on SmackDown which Nia Jax halted. The two befriended each other backstage and were involved in a couple of planned attacks before MITB.

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Best: Randy Orton keeping an eye out for Cody Rhodes, but till when?

It is not known territory for Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton to be working together given their nearly two-decade-old friendship.

This week on WWE SmackDown, The Viper met with a concerned champion backstage. The duo teamed up with Kevin Owens at Money in the Bank against The Bloodline. Owens' unfortunate family emergency led to his absence from the show's latest edition.

Orton told Rhodes that after he was done with The Bloodline, he would be targeted by many in the locker room. But, Randy reassured him that he would be by the Undisputed WWE Champion's side no matter what. This statement comes at a time when Orton's been hinting at going after the championship on multiple occasions.

This leaves one to ponder whether Randy Orton will be one of the few to target Cody Rhodes, or is simply looking out for his friend's safety. However, he proved his point when The Bloodline attacked Cody Rhodes at the end of the show, and Randy Orton ran out to be in his corner. The Viper ended up on the receiving end of a vicious beatdown too before the show came to a close.