Tonight at Money in the Bank, Carmella defends the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Asuka.
Read WWE.com‘s preview of tonight’s show below:
What can ruin any good Mellabration? Well, The Empress of Tomorrow coming for your title is a solid start.
At WWE Money in the Bank, Asuka aims to unseat SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella at the same pay-per-view where the current titleholder’s march to championship glory began one year ago.
Carmella has always been about opportunity, something that served her well when she won the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match last year and secured a Women’s Championship opportunity whenever she wanted. After the IIconics assaulted Charlotte Flair on the April 10 edition of SmackDown, she cashed in her coveted contract and pinned The Queen for the gold following a wicked kick to the face. Her success was further amplified by her victory over The Queen in their rematch at WWE Backlash. The Staten Island Princess may scream at a fever pitch, and she may be outspoken, but she is undoubtedly armed with the ability to remain on top for many Mellabrations to come. It remains to be seen, however, if she is ready for Asuka.
Prior to WrestleMania, The Empress of Tomorrow stood undefeated for well over 900 days. She won the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble and the groundbreaking WWE Mixed Match Challenge Tournament alongside The Miz. She still stands as the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion in history. On The Grandest Stage of Them All, Asuka fell to Charlotte in an extremely hard-fought title bout, but she remains as dangerous as ever. And now that she has come to SmackDown LIVE, she is ready to claim the blue throne as any cost. The dynamic Superstar possesses an arsenal like few others, and if Carmella is not careful, she will possess her title as well.
The Raw Women’s Title will also be on the line as Nia Jax defends the title against Ronda Rousey:
Raw Women’s Champion Nia Jax will face her greatest obstacle yet when she steps into the ring against Ronda Rousey at WWE Money in the Bank.
The Irresistible Force threw down the gauntlet in unexpected fashion at NBCUniversal’s Upfront in New York City, tempting The Baddest Woman on the Planet with a chance at championship gold. Rousey accepted the challenge on the spot, setting the stage for what’s sure to be a hard-hitting and intensely competitive encounter.
The last time we saw Rousey compete in a televised WWE match was at this year’s WrestleMania in New Orleans, where she teamed with Raw General Manager Kurt Angle to battle and defeat Raw Commissioner Stephanie McMahon and WWE COO Triple H. Will Rousey make Jax regret her bold challenge when they meet one-on-one in Chicago?
Any finally, eight Superstars will compete in this year’s Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder match for the chance to become Ms. Money in the Bank and future Women’s Title opportunity:
Last year, five Superstars competed in the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, and Carmella captured the historic contract and eventually cashed in on Charlotte Flair to win her first SmackDown Women’s Title. This year’s follow-up Ladder Match promises to bring the Women’s Evolution to new heights, as Raw and SmackDown LIVE’s most daring Superstars will once again take to the rungs. The victorious Superstar will guarantee herself the opportunity to challenge the World Champion from her respective brand anytime and anywhere they wish in the subsequent year.
Ember Moon was the first to qualify for the explosive showdown by defeating Sasha Banks and Ruby Riott in a Triple Threat Match on Raw. The former NXT Women’s Champion came to the red brand one night after WrestleMania and has the skill, honor and heart to take down any opponent that gets in her way.
Charlotte Flair qualified for Money in the Bank by reigning supreme over Peyton Royce, who laid a vicious beatdown on The Queen during her SmackDown LIVE debut alongside Billie Kay that caused Charlotte to lose the SmackDown Women’s Championship after a cash-in by Carmella. The six-time Women’s Champion does not like to come in second, and after failing to recapture the title from The Princess of Staten Island at WWE Backlash, she is focused on capitalizing on her new opportunity.
Alexa Bliss earned her place in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match by stepping over a pair of fellow Women’s Champions: her “friend” Mickey James and Bayley. The four-time Women’s Champion knows how to win like few others, and the Money in the Bank contract would be in dangerous hands if Five Feet of Fury prevails.
Becky Lynch qualified for the Ladder Match by overcoming Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville in a hard-hitting Triple Threat Match. As the first SmackDown Women’s Champion, The Irish Lass Kicker possesses a fiery nature and will be looking to unload on her fellow Superstars in the free-for-all for the life-changing contract.
Natalya earned her way into her third Money in the Bank Ladder Match by overcoming Dana Brooke, Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan in a Fatal 4-Way showdown. Trained in the infamous Hart Family Dungeon, the former SmackDown Women’s Champion and Divas Champion has always been always dangerous. Will her experience and her vast arsenal that includes the family Sharpshooter vault her to victory?
Lana overcame The IIconics’ Billie Kay to capture a place in the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Following impressive showings in landmark events like the groundbreaking WWE Mixed Match Challenge Tournament and the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble, The Ravishing Russian is clearly ready for the next level. As she will assuredly continue her extreme training regimen alongside her husband Rusev, Lana has the potential to be a dark horse victor in the career-altering Ladder Match.
Naomi overcame Sonya Deville to earn her place in the high-stakes matchup. A two-time SmackDown Women’s Champion, winner of the inaugural WrestleMania Women’s Battle Royal and a dynamic Superstar week-in and week-out, she will most-assuredly be out to make her opponents feel the glow in her quest to retrieve the contract and once again lay claim to the blue brand’s illustrious title for the third time.
Sasha Banks battled her way into the high-stakes Ladder Match free-for-all by overcoming six other Superstars in a Gauntlet Match. Always a trailblazer who has shown that she will do whatever it takes to win the big matchups, the four-time Raw Women’s Champion will look to once again be at her best under the bright lights of Chicago’s All State Arena to make sure she leaves with the coveted contract.
With ladders scattered around the ring, who will conquer the opposition, climb the dangerous rungs, grab the Money in the Bank briefcase and capture the coveted contract to earn an opportunity to challenge a World Champion any time they wish in the next year?
Discuss the show in the comments!
