Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Tamina Snuka, and Lana will face off at the Battleground pay-per-view on July 23rd to determine a new number one contender to Naomi’s SmackDown Women’s Championship.
In a backstage segment in the first hour of tonight’s SmackDown Live, commissioner Shane McMahon once again attempted to calm the fiery tempers of the blue brand’s women’s division. What resulted was Shane announcing a fatal five way match for WWE Battleground, and a tag match for later in tonight’s SmackDown.
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But tonight it was a rehash of a more simple heels vs faces alignment we’ve seen before, with Becky and Charlotte facing longtime rivals (and “Welcoming Committee” founders) Natalya and Tamina in a tag contest.
Some have said these type of multiples matches show a lack of quality booking in the WWE women’s division as a whole across both brands. And though this may have been the case tonight, Natalya and Tamina dominated throughout, stealing a win by some dubious interference and a massive superkick by Tamina.
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And though she may have suffered a series of quick losses to Naomi, Lana hates to be left out. The “ravishing” new singles competitor made an entrance mid match, mainly just to distract and observe the field of competition from ringside.
So who will rise above the pack? The blue brand Women’s division is more explosive than ever, with SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi standing on the top of the mountain and the first-ever Ms. Money in the Bank, Carmella, lurking in the shadows.
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However, can The Princess of Staten Island maintain her edge without the suspended James Ellsworth? Tonight she took a page from the book of classic heel plays, trying to get fictional lawyers involved to dispute the restrictions and stipulations SmackDown GM Shane McMahon placed on her status as holder of the Women’s Money in the Bank contract.
Shane wasn’t having it, as he ripped up her revisions and “legal” notes. But dismissing Carmella from tonight’s tag match, and excluding her from the upcoming five-way doesn’t mean we’ve seen the last of her. Its a fairly safe bet she’ll rear her head in the title picture at the most opportune time, whether or not she actually cashes in the contract at the upcoming Battleground PPV.
