Ladies and gentlemen, this is now a rundown of huge takeaways from a billion dollar show. Okay maybe not quite yet, but even though WWE hasn't officially announced the news yet SmackDown Live already feels like a much bigger show. As we head closer and closer to 2019 that will only become truer but what about the here and now. This Tuesday's two hours very much revolved around Money In The Bank. Filling those final ladder match spots and booking some title matches too. It was once again a pretty packed show.
5. The New Day Knows Exactly How To Push The Miz's Buttons
Tuesday night's SmackDown Live opened with the latest edition of Miz TV. The Awesome One welcomed The New Day as his guests, hoping to get an exclusive on which one of them will be entering the men's Money In The Bank ladder match next month. Unfortunately for Miz, all he got was frustrated. Eventually, the trio told The A-Lister that it would be Big E, but they weren't talking about MITB anymore. No, they meant Big E would be going one on one with Miz right then and there. The Awesome One tried to get out of it but Paige made the match official. Thanks to a run-in from The Bar though, Miz actually managed to pick up the win.
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4. Lana Picks Up Her First Singles Win Ever
It was only a few weeks ago that Lana appeared to be questioning why her husband Rusev was sticking with Aiden English, suggesting that the former Vaudevillian may be holding him back. Well this week on SmackDown Live, English used his unique talents to sing The Ravishing Russian to the ring for her Money In The Bank qualifying match. That match was against Billie Kay, and it didn't last long. You're likely thinking that's because Kay made short work of Lana, but no. Lana Day was celebrated in style and it's the faux Russian who will be competing in next month's MITB match.
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3. Shinsuke Nakamura Is The Last Man Standing, For Now
The latest chapter in the ongoing saga between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura took place on last week's SmackDown Live, and The King Of Strong Style actually managed to pick up his first win against The Phenomenal One. That victory meant he could pick the stipulation for the pair's WWE Championship match at Money In The Bank. Nakamura couldn't just say it when the two came to the ring this week though, and instead caused the whole segment to descend into chaos. After delivering a kinsasha to Styles at ringside, the Japanese star counted to ten while the WWE Champion was out cold. Once he made it all the way to ten, Nakamura climbed up on the announce desk and declared that their title match at MITB will be fought under Last Man Standing rules.
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2. Money In The Bank Will Feel The Glow
The women's Money In The Bank ladder match is slowly filling up ahead of next month. In fact, following Tuesday night's SmackDown Live, all of the blue brand's spots have been filled. Charlotte Flair was the first to book her place in the match, her good friend Becky Lynch followed soon after, Lana made it three earlier on in this latest show, and the last slot was up for grabs in a match between Sonya Deville and Naomi. No matter how many times Paige tells Deville that her and Mandy Rose are no longer a tandem, they still continue to support one another. It didn't help Rose against Lynch last week though, nor did it help Deville this week. Naomi picked up the win and is one step closer to claiming that contract.
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1. One Down, One To Go
The SmackDown Live side of the women's MITB match may be full, but there is still a spot left open on the men's side of things. That spot was supposed to be filled this week by either Samoa Joe or Big Cass, however, the latter's knee injury meant that qualifier couldn't happen. Instead Daniel Bryan and Jeff Hardy battled it out in what was not only a second chance match but also a dream one. The two of them had never clashed before and the match they put on was unsurprisingly a terrific one. Bryan managed to make Hardy tap, as he promised, but that's only half the battle. Next week he will have to face Joe, and the winner of that will gain entry into the MITB ladder match next month.