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The march toward Money in the Bank on July 18 continued Friday on WWE SmackDown with a Last Man Standing match between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn to determine the latest competitor in the PPV's high-stakes namesake.
That match headlined a show that also promised the fallout from Edge's return a week ago and the subsequent revelation that The Rated R Superstar will challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship at the upcoming spectacular.
Who emerged from the marquee bout and what answer did The Head of the Table have for the blue brand's resident Iconoclast?
Find out now with this recap of the July 2 episode.
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- The fallout from Edge's return on last week's broadcast
- Last Man Standing, Money in the Bank Qualifier: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn
Slated for Friday's show are:
Coverage begins at 8 p.m.
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“You think you know me” engulfed the arena and Edge made his way to the ring, kicking off this week’s show and marking his first interview since his return seven days earlier.
The Iconoclast admitted his disappointment with the way WrestleMania went, then listed the number of complaints he had with the way things went down in that main event Triple Threat Match against Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan for the Universal Championship.
Edge wrapped up his promo by expressing confidence in his ability to beat Reigns at Money in the Bank and vowing to dethrone him two weeks from Sunday night.
Grade
B
Analysis
Edge suffered a devastating loss at WrestleMania and used his downfall in that bout to build confidence and assuredness ahead of his match with Reigns at Money in the Bank. It’s an easy story to follow and one fans can get behind.
What was interesting, though, was him suggesting he wasn’t going to make excuses for WrestleMania, then proceeding to do just that. The tone also suggested that we may not have seen the end of heel Edge, particularly after he expressed hostile feelings toward Bryan.
He may have earned praise for his return, and might be targeting a more hated heel than he, but that does not at all mean he is a full-fledged babyface.
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A despondent Baron Corbin teamed with Intercontinental champion Apollo Crews to battle Big E and Shinsuke Nakamura in the night’s opening match, the former king unable to focus early until a clothesline at ringside allowed him and his partner to seize control of the bout.
Corbin and Crews punished Big E for a large portion of the match until Rick Boogs, accompanying Nakamura, revealed the former United States champion’s G Wagon was being repossessed. Corbin, distraught, left himself open for the Big Ending as Big E earned the win for his team.
Result
Big E and Nakamura defeated Corbin and Crews
Grade
C-
Analysis
This was not good.
Not that the effort wasn’t there from the workers themselves, but it felt entirely unnecessary when the Corbin character development could have been accomplished just about any other way. Why drag down Big E and Crews, even Nakamura, with it when Corbin could have cut a promo with Kayla Braxton that was interrupted by the revelation?
That Corbin still sported the King Corbin graphics and music when he entered the arena suggests this was thrown together without much thought. Unfortunately, it adversely affected an entire segment and the Superstars involved.
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Bayley cut a promo on Bianca Belair, claiming her loss last week is not a good omen for her young title reign. The EST made her way to the ring and offered a retort, admitting Bayley is in her head. So, at Money in the Bank, she wants an I Quit Match for the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
Bayley said that if she ever said “I quit,” she would probably quit wrestling altogether. Belair has no chance of winning the match, she said before accepting the challenge. Belair offered a laugh and said she cannot wait to hear Bayley say those two words at Money in the Bank.
Grade
C
Analysis
This feud continues, for reasons that escape this writer and despite questionable creative from day one. Still, the matches have been very good and the idea of an I Quit Match, one of the few gimmick bouts not beaten into the ground by a creative team looking for any way to polish its lackluster booking, is appealing.
Belair and Bayley beat the hell out of each other back at Hell in a Cell and without having to play up the gimmick of the cage, they should be freer to tell the story they want instead of the one the match type demands.
How many times can Bayley possibly lose before her credibility takes a hit, though, because it’s highly unlikely WWE officials are taking the title off The EST this early in her run.
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WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from July 2 - Bleacher Report
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