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The final SmackDown Live on the USA Network had more story building than the episodes that preceded it. One of the biggest story buildups that we saw on Tuesday night was in the rivalry between Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon.
After Owens sued Shane O'Mac, the cunning heel tried to backpedal on his actions and offered to reinstate KO and also wave his fine. However, The Prizefighter was finally in the driver's seat in this feud and offered the self-proclaimed Best In The World a solution which he was forced to accept. Owens’ offered to fight Shane in a Career vs. Career Ladder Match where the loser would have to walk away from WWE for good. The match will take place next Friday on the first episode of SmackDown on the Fox Network.
While this match could be the beginning of the end of Shane’s reign of terror on the main roster for some time, it could also result in Kevin Owens simply moving away from the Blue Brand and appearing on another one instead.
With so much on the line, we take a look at five reasons why Owens offered to fight Shane McMahon in a ladder match.
#1 It could provide the ultimate starting point for SmackDown on Fox
After spending over three years on the USA Network, SmackDown is set to make the jump to the Fox Network starting from October 4. This will also change the program’s fixed day from Tuesday to Friday.
To make the transition to Fox more exciting, and give the network something to start building with, the company has booked the returning Brock Lesnar to take on Kofi Kingston for the WWE Championship on the first night of the show on Fox.
Other than that, this could be the ultimate feud that can provide the fans with something to look forward to and build ratings after the network switch.
Since the match between the two men is one where both men have their careers on the line, it could pave the way forward for the brand.
Will SmackDown continue with no interference from Shane McMahon, or will we never see the former Universal Champion Kevin Owens in WWE ever again? The match will provide the answer to these two major questions upon its conclusion.
#2 The stipulation makes the match much bigger
What could be bigger than having two of SmackDown’s biggest Superstars put their careers on the line?
There is something about ladder matches that makes everything sound much more exciting and entertaining. From the Money in the Bank ladder matches to the multi-man title bouts at WrestleMania, the involvement of ladders not only makes the action much more high-flying but brutal, too.
Since the two men have recently gone head to head in a regular stipulations match at SummerSlam 2019 where McMahon took the opportunity to employ Elias as the Special Guest Referee, it makes perfect sense that Kevin Owens chose the differentiating factor for this match.
Fox will be looking to have a great first show on their network, and things will be much bigger when two top Superstars of the Blue Brand will go head to head on the first episode. Ladder matches are usually reserved for special pay-per-view matches and events, and having one on the first episode of SmackDown on Fox will ensure fans know what a big event it really is.
At SummerSlam, only Kevin Owens’ career was on the line. However, this time, Shane will also be putting his career on the line under Kevin Owens’ rules. The plot makes the entire storyline feel much more interesting now.
#3 They’ve already battled in Hell in a Cell before
Fans would be thinking that the best way to end this rivalry would be to lock both men inside Hell in a Cell and throw the key away. Too bad they've already done that.
In case you didn’t know, the two men have already faced each other in Falls Count Anywhere Hell in a Cell match. That match headlined the 2017 edition of the pay-per-view. Kevin Owens managed to pick up the victory over Shane after Sami Zayn helped his best friend avoid a deadly manuever from Shane.
Since this match type has already featured Owens and McMahon, it makes perfect sense that WWE is looking to do something different in what will hopefully be the final chapter in the rivalry between these two men. The fact that it will happen on the first episode of SmackDown on Fox will add more value to the show.
A ladder match can prove to be just as entertaining and physical as a Hell in a Cell match, and therefore it can also prove to be the right choice. Both Shane and Owens have been in ladder matches before, and their experience could give us a match to remember.
#4 It allows them both a chance to perform some memorable spots
Shane McMahon and a tall ladder? What could go wrong?
Vince McMahon's son might not be famous for his wrestling skills, but he is surely popular for performing some of the most daredevil spots we have seen in WWE’s history. This has made his one of the bigger Superstars to look out for in big matches.
The man seems to have no fear of heights whatsoever and has a great threshold for pain. His “Leap of Faith” maneuvers are as famous as his “Coast to Coast” leap, high ladders, and from the top of steel cages.
While Shane is a risk-taker, he isn’t the only man who loves to perform some high flying moves. Kevin Owens also has a knack of performing some great dives and a lethal frog splash which can end the match in seconds.
This is a huge reason why the involvement of ladders during the match can provide fans with some memorable spots and prove to be the deciding point for the match and one of the two men’s wrestling careers.
#5 The No-Disqualification clause could help one of the two men
Before we begin talking about this point, it’s important to keep in mind that ladder matches are almost always fought under no disqualification rules. This means not only do the men use ladders as weapons but at times they also use some other weapons and the announce table and take the fight all over the arena floor.
Another thing worth mentioning here is that the no-disqualification clause also means that Superstars from the outside can interfere in the match. This could work extremely well in favour of Shane McMahon, who has utilized the services of Superstars like Elias and Drew McIntyre in the past to score a few victories.
It is also worth noting that Kevin Owens also has a few friends backstage who could come to his rescue during the match, while Shane O'Mac has made many enemies along the way would be looking to exact revenge from him.
Therefore, both Superstars will need to be aware of the rules of the match as they try to retrieve the briefcase hanging from above.
With their careers on the line, both the Superstars may go to any extent required for them to emerge victoriously and also end the other man’s career in the process.
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