Welcome to this #MoneyInTheBank edition of #MattPredicts where we look at the Smackdown side of the card (excluding the MITB Ladder match). We’ll look at both sides of the coin and see if we can come up with some conclusion and prediction for who should walk out victorious.
Smackdown Tag Team Championship: The Bludgeon Brothers vs Gallows & Anderson
Why Should The Bludgeon Brothers Win?
The Bludgeon Brothers have been on a good push since re-debuting on the main roster. They have shaken off their Wyatt Family past and looking to the future. It’s also nice just to have a properly named tag team on the show. They have dominated so far as a tag team, but it has been good to see them as singles wrestlers. If their streak is to continue, I can see them holding the belts for a long time. Who else is there as a real tag team competition? Both brands have been booked poorly in terms of tag team wrestling. The Bludgeons’ timing could not have been better in this regard. They could easily dominate and stay on as champions for a long while.
Why Should Gallows & Anderson Win?
Gallows and Anderson really do need the win. They have been a comedy act, they have worked with people backstage. However, now they need to be seen as a legit, hard hitting tag team. The work they did prior to joining WWE out in Japan must be seen to be believed. I’ll admit I’m not a massive follower of Japanese wrestling, but check out their matches. They can be a really good unit and work well together. Plus, they were part of some Bullet Club which may have helped their cause. They have been pretenders to the throne, they now need to be made Kings.
What Will The End Result Be?
For me, it’s too close to call. On one hand, you have the predictableness of the Bludgeons. On the other hand, you have the ascension of Gallows and Anderson. However, on this occasion, I’m thinking a change of champions could be a good thing, for all parties concerned.
Matt Predicts: Gallows and Anderson pick up the win, somehow
Smackdown Women’s Championship: Carmella ve Asuka
Why Should Carmella Win?
Carmella shocked us all last year, winning the Money in the Bank match. This year she defends her newly won title against Asuka. ‘Mella is starting to get some traction now as champion and is doing well for herself. With that in mind, she needs to keep hold of the belt. Dropping the belt now will only weaken her position on SmackDown and in WWE in general. I can see her easily keeping hold of the belt for a long while to come.
Why Should Asuka Win?
If you had told WWE fans that Asuka would be facing ‘Mella for the title at a PPV, you would bet your houses on Asuka winning. However, that would be thinking about NXT Asuka, not SmackDown Asuka. When she was called up, the win streak would not last forever. However, I would question her booking since WrestleMania. Asuka needs something to win at the moment. She needs to show she is the real deal and that NXT wasn’t a fluke. Will we see that Asuka again? Who knows. We need to though. The women’s division on SmackDown is rich enough and deep enough to see a streak.
What Will The End Result Be?
As much as Asuka needs it, dropping the title off ‘Mella would be a mistake. She needs time to show she isn’t a fluke champion and getting a win over Asuka would go a way to showing that. Will it be clean? Of course not. It wouldn’t surprise me if Ellsworth turned up to help her out.
Matt Predicts: Carmella retains the title after a screwjob ending.
Daniel Bryan vs Big Cass
Why Should Bryan Win?
For me, there is no logical reason for Bryan to win. He doesn’t need to win to make himself look strong. He doesn’t need to win to continue the feud. There are rumours of his WWE contract being up at the end of August, so that’s another reason. Bryan could make anyone look good in the ring. He could put on any match and do well with any opponent. With this in mind, I don’t see any reason why Bryan should win. Certainly, its good for a wrestler to get a win, but I don’t see anything other than a Cass win. If he were to win, it would just put him over. Daniel Bryan doesn’t need that at the moment. WWE needs Big Cass to become, well, big.
Why Should Cass Win?
He needs to win this match. His promos since his return have been markedly down on what he has done previously. For one thing, he does miss Enzo being his microphone. Since his (botched) return, no-one has been able to get behind him. There is no reason to support him, as a heel or face. Everything he is doing at the moment needs more refinement. As a result, maybe coming back as a heel wasn’t a good idea for him. It’s too late now to repackage him, so WWE has to use what they have been given. If Cass is going to have any future with his new character, he needs this win. The triple threat match was painful and did him no favours.
What Will The End Result Be?
Cass will get the win. The first thing to remember about getting a heel over, he needs to dominate the good guys. This is another match where there is not an exception to this rule. Cass vs Bryan should have been a quick, one match scenario to put over Cass. Consequently, people aren’t caring about Cass. If he had destroyed Bryan then it would have been fine. Consequently, Cass needs a big, dominant victory over Bryan, in as short a time as possible.
Matt Predicts: Big Cass gets the Big Win over Daniel Bryan.
WWE Championship: AJ Styles vs Shunsuke Nakamura (Last Man Standing)
Why Should AJ Styles Win?
For me, AJ Styles is the perfect SmackDown champ. He shows what SmackDown is all about and why SmackDown is about wrestling. Styles has been the cog of any show he has been on. He can wrestle anywhere at any time and put on a good show. Styles needs to keep SmackDown strong as it is in unsettled waters at the moment. Keeping the belt will help him do that. Similarly, the show is as only good as the champion of it. Styles is one of, if not the, best wrestler currently signed to WWE. You want to make sure you are showing off your main guy as much as possible.
Why Should Nakamura Win?
He shouldn’t. I wish I could be more positive about heel Nakamura, but he shouldn’t. The best thing to come out of his heel turn has been his new entrance music. His interactions on Twitter with fans have been immense, but that doesn’t get seen on TV or on PPV. For me, Nakamura doesn’t strike me as the main guy on SmackDown. His work before he came to WWE was amazing. His match against Brock Lesnar in 2006 was great. However, we aren’t seeing that Nakamura in WWE. For that reason, I really can’t see Nakamura getting the title.
What Will The End Result Be?
I boldly predict that Styles will get a win, after some possible interference from Gallows and Anderson.
Matt Predicts: Styles gets the win and Nakamura returns to the mid-card.
Make sure you come back tomorrow where #MattPredicts: The Raw side of MitB
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