Michael Cole kicks off this week’s episode of Smackdown, taped in Norfolk, Virginia. He’s in the ring with the Money in the Bank briefcase and welcomes guest Dean Ambrose, who is interrupted by Kevin Owens, who is interrupted by Sami Zayn. All three men talk about how they are going to win the MITB match, as does Alberto Del Rio, who joins the conversation before watching the other three get into a skirmish.
Most of the MITB participants have made sense so far, with the lone exception being Chris Jericho, perhaps. Zayn, Ambrose and Owens are all believable as potential winners, and while it seems somewhat unlikely that Cesaro would come away with the briefcase, the fans would certainly enjoy it.
Alberto Del Rio def. Zack Ryder (MITB Qualifying Match)
These two put on the expected entertaining match, but Del Rio comes away with the victory after a cross armbreaker.
Honestly, it’s hard to see why this match was booked. Few would’ve expected Ryder to get another shot at a high-stakes ladder match, so it’s a snooze-fest. And while Ryder is certainly a fan favorite, the talent pool for this MITB is shaping up to be one of the best, so ADR is the better fit to win this match.
Speaking of big-time fan favorites, Enzo Amore and Big Cass are out next to do some talking, but are interrupted by the Dudley Boyz. Enzo does what Enzo does best – entertain on the microphone – but the Dudleys evacuate to avoid a match.
While a lof fans might want to see Enzo and Cass in a tag title feud already, this one makes a ton of sense for them. The Dudleys can hold their own on the microphone, so they won’t hold the newcomers back, and beating them in tag action is still a big enough deal to help boost Enzo and Cass.
Rusev and Lana are up next for a backstage promo, in which he assesses Kalisto’s chances as very slim in their upcoming match.
Rusev def. Kalisto (United States Championship match)
As would be expected, Rusev retains in a suprisingly competitive match considering the damage he did to Kalisto at Extreme Rules. The finish comes on an Accolade, and Titus O’Neil runs in for the save. He challenges Rusev to a title match, but the Bulgarian Brute declines.
It’s good that the Kalisto-Rusev feud is over so the champ can start his next feud. Many have expected that to be against John Cena, but it really would seem like Cena will set his eyes on the World Heavyweight Championship via the MITB match. It wouldn’t be shocking at all, in fact, to see him in the match to decide the final spot in that match next Monday on RAW. Instead, Titus would be a very popular choice to get a run at a singles title after he missed two months with a suspension that most fans thought was much too harsh for his decidedly minor offense.
Natalya def. Dana Brooke (disqualification)
The actual finish here is in question, as Charlotte broke in on the match less than a minute after the opening bell. Natalya promptly puts the WWE Women’s Champion in the Sharpshooter before Dana Brooke and Charlotte team up on Nattie.
This storyline has been weird and just gets weirder. Why did Charlotte turn her back on her father, since Ric Flair had been the key to her victories on multiple occasions? Why is Dana Brooke suddenly her henchwoman? These are questions we may never really know the answers to.
A frustrated AJ Styles is up next for a backstage interview in which he says he doesn’t know what’s coming up for him.
Truthfully, it’s odd that Styles isn’t part of the Money in the Bank match. He could easily take Chris Jericho’s spot, and very few fans would mind.
A video package featuring the Golden Truth is up next.
FaBreeze def. Golden Truth
Just go with the name we’ve given Fandango and Tyler Breeze, who win this one with a roll-up.
All four men in this side story are incredibly entertaining, but there’s really nothing to be interested in here. Both teams seem a great deal of distance away from the title picture, and none of them has done enough recently to make fans think anything is coming soon. Perhaps one of the duos will make a big enough mark to get some more significant run.
Despite his best heel efforts Monday, Seth Rollins gets another positive reaction for his next promo. While he says it’s good to be back on Smackdown, Rollins isn’t as excited to see the fans as they are to see him.
This was, thankfully, a short promo. The decision to make Rollins such a heel isn’t an awful idea given his overall story, it makes little sense within the current context. At each of his three appearances this week, he’s received huge initial cheers that turned only once he blatantly insulted the crowd. But as soon as he gets in a ring with Roman Reigns, the crowd is likely going to turn back to Rollins’ side. So why not just make him a face, who’s realized that he’s too talented to win like he used to win?
Miz def. Cesaro (Intercontinental Championship match)
Miz gets the victory with a Skull Crushing Finale on the Swiss Superman to retain his title in the show’s main event.
The champ has certainly been on a tear his wife, Maryse, returned last month. This victory seemingly puts his feud with Cesaro to rest, especially with Cesaro’s attentions being focused on the MITB match. That frees Miz up to work with all available talent heading into the June 19 pay-per-view. The Intercontinental Championship seemed like a logical landing place for Styles to begin with, so perhaps he moves there now.
