WWE SmackDown on FOX: 5 last-minute predictions for the premiere episode

#3 Kevin Owens vs. Shane McMahon (ladder match)

Last week’s SmackDown featured a segment where Kevin Owens and Shane McMahon agreed to settle their lengthy rivalry by putting their WWE careers on the line in a ladder match on this week’s SmackDown premiere on FOX.

Looking back, this feud actually began in September 2017 when Owens assaulted Vince McMahon on an episode of SmackDown. Since then, there have been all kinds of storyline developments, including KO being ‘fired’ on three occasions, while the former Universal Champion even threatened to file a $25 million lawsuit against his storyline boss.

There are two ways to look at this match outcome:

1. Shane McMahon wins, meaning he represents SmackDown as an authority figure in the upcoming draft. Kevin Owens then moves back to NXT, just like Finn Balor.
2. WWE mirrors what is happening on RAW by ending their authority figure storyline on SmackDown, meaning Shane McMahon is no longer an on-screen decision-maker.

Given that McMahon has gained the upper hand on Owens so many times in this never-ending storyline, now feels like the right time for KO to get his revenge by winning this match to finally end Shane O’Mac’s reign of terror as a SmackDown authority figure.

Prediction: Kevin Owens def. Shane McMahon