Money in the Bank was adorned by one of the best Ladder matches in recent history but also suffered the ignominy of having a man bring down the MITB briefcase in the first ever Women’s Ladder match.
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But the bittersweet feeling was washed off when Daniel Bryan returned to SmackDown Live last week and announced that we’re going to get a do-over of the match on this week’s episode.
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While the five women involved in that will be raring to go again, Naomi puts her title on the line against Lana in another MITB Title rematch for the SmackDown Live Women’s Championship.
Things, however, aren’t quite as convoluted on the men’s side.
Newly crowned Mr Money in the Bank, Baron Corbin, resumes his rivalry with Sami Zayn, and Jinder Mahal is still your WWE Champion after defending the Title against Randy Orton.
But as we know full well, the WWE just doesn’t do status quo for very long.
Running through all the possible twists and storyline developments, here is our preview for this week’s episode of SmackDown Live.
#1 A feud for the ages!
Shinsuke Nakamura and AJ Styles elicited an almighty ‘pop’ at Money In the Bank when they set aside the Ladder on mutual consent and started trading bombs in the middle of the ring – after all the narrative of their potential clash paints a tantalising picture – arguably the most charismatic Superstar in the WWE against, arguably, the best wrestler in the world.
In short, a feud for the ages.
And it certainly doesn’t hurt that these two have already worked a stupendous match with one another in NJPW, a fact only all too well known to the informed audience today.
Will they cross paths again on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live and continue to build on what could be the feud of the year? Or was the Money in the Bank tryst just a tease by the WWE to keep us hooked on for what is to come in the future?
#2 Lana crush!
I think it is safe to say that Lana’s full in-ring debut at Money in the Bank exceeded expectations, as she provided adequate competition to SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Naomi.
And the match’s turning point only arrived when Carmella and Ellsworth showed up and teased an MITB cash-in, allowing the Champion to capitalise on Lana’s momentary loss of focus to seal the victory.
Still new to in-ring competition, Lana is bound to learn and get stronger from the experience – something that she will be eager to show when she gets another crack at the top Women’s prize on the Blue Brand.
Will Naomi still prevail as the SmackDown Live Women’s Champion on this week’s episode? Or will Lana shock the world with an unlikely victory?
#3 Mr. MITB’s unsavoury record
Baron Corbin may be in possession of one of the most prized assets in the WWE today – the MITB briefcase – but his single’s record against Sami Zayn certainly needs work.
Somehow, the Underdog from the Underground has found a way to best the Lone Wolf every time they’ve locked up of late. Obviously enraged at this, Corbin has lashed out viciously at Zayn too, blindsiding him during interviews and freely dishing out post-match beatdowns.
Who will gain the upper hand when they square off again in a match on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live?
Will Baron Corbin, buoyed by his MITB victory, manage to set his terrible record against Zayn straight with an overdue win? Or will the perennial Underdog do what he does best and script another Cinderella story?
#4 A new challenger appears?
Jinder Mahal managed to hang on to the WWE Title after defeating Randy Orton at WWE Money in the Bank, but it was not before the Singh Brothers managed to completely distract the challenger by going after his father who was sitting ringside.
Interference from the pesky duo has almost become synonymous with Jinder’s Title run thus far and whoever usurps him eventually needs to also overcome their presence during the match.
Speaking of which, when will the WWE reveal who will challenge the Modern Day Maharaja for the Title belt next?
Will Mahal able to enjoy the strap around his waist for a little while longer before he learns of his next opponent? Or are we in for a surprise on this week’s episode of SmackDown Live?
#5 Just rematch!
The five women who competed in the first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder match for the ladies were acutely aware that they were in a spot that would go down in the annals of history as a turning point in the Women’s Revolution.
To then have that possibility stolen from them when the ratty James Ellsworth took down the briefcase and handed it to Carmella, would have been a shot in the gut.
In any case, Daniel Bryan’s announcement last week that they would be involved in a rematch for the MITB briefcase, having stripped Carmella of it and banned Ellsworth from ringside, came as a relief to everyone.
Who, then, will emerge as the first, legitimate Ms. Money In The Bank this week? Or will Carmella manage to capture the briefcase anyway, and prove all the naysayers that were crediting Ellsworth for her victory wrong, in an emphatic manner?
To find out, tune in to this week’s episode of SmackDown Live!
