{"id":96835,"date":"2020-05-01T15:49:44","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T20:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=96835"},"modified":"2020-05-01T15:56:49","modified_gmt":"2020-05-01T20:56:49","slug":"wwe-smackdown-primer-5-1-money-in-the-bank-qualifiers-for-final-spots-bryan-looks-to-be-a-royal-pain-for-corbin-dont-you-forget-about-us-new-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/05\/01\/wwe-smackdown-primer-5-1-money-in-the-bank-qualifiers-for-final-spots-bryan-looks-to-be-a-royal-pain-for-corbin-dont-you-forget-about-us-new-day\/","title":{"rendered":"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 5\/1: Money in the Bank Qualifiers for Final Spots, Bryan Looks to be a Royal Pain for Corbin, Don\u2019t You Forget About Us New Day"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2667229077\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3>WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER<br \/>\nMAY 1, 2020<br \/>\nORLANDO, FL. AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER<br \/>\nAIRS ON FOX NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EDT<br \/>\nBY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST<\/h3>\n<p><em>Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Top 10 Moments from Last Week<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Top 10 Friday Night SmackDown moments: WWE Top 10, April 24, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aBYLWxZfGRE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Items Advertised by WWE<\/p>\n<p>Otis and Dolph Ziggler to battle in Money in the Bank Qualifying Match<br \/>\nMandy Rose to meet Carmella in Money in the Bank Qualifying Match<br \/>\nDaniel Bryan looks for retribution in battle with King Corbin<br \/>\nThe New Day welcome the Forgotten Sons to the ring for non-title clash<\/p>\n<h3>Money in the Bank Qualifying Matches<\/h3>\n<p>We put the final touches on the Money in the Bank ladder matches as we have qualifiers for the remaining spots tonight. Both matches feature previous Money in the Bank winners.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Otis vs. Dolph Ziggler<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been paying attention to WWE programming in recent months, you\u2019ll know it\u2019s been a whirlwind between Otis of Heavy Machinery and 2012 (Smackdown) Money in the Bank winner Dolph Ziggler. Sonya Deville and Ziggler corroborated to prevent Otis and Mandy from dating and instead allow Ziggler to move in on Mandy. Last week there were no additional chapters, as they just recapped the story. Two weeks ago, Otis and Ziggler got into it after Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose brawled.<\/p>\n<p>At WrestleMania, Otis defeated Ziggler and finally won the heart of Mandy. Tonight, another chapter in their story unfolds as they go one-on-one for the final spot in the Money in the Bank ladder match.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Carmella vs. Mandy Rose<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1327250163\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Speaking of Mandy, she has the chance to enter her second Money in the Bank match as she takes on Carmella who was the inaugural winner of the women\u2019s version of the match in 2017. Technically she won the first two matches as she won the \u201cdo-over\u201d match on Smackdown following a controversy involving James Ellsworth helping Carmella during the PPV edition.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, along with Dana Brooke, Carmella unsuccessfully challenged Alexa Bliss &amp; Nikki Cross for the WWE Women\u2019s Tag Team Championship. Things have been quiet on her front in the title scene since losing the Smackdown Women\u2019s Championship at SummerSlam 2018 to Charlotte Flair. She participated in last year\u2019s Money in the Bank won by Bayley. Sonya Deville \u201callowed\u201d Mandy to take her spot in last year\u2019s match. She tries to enter her second match with tonight\u2019s qualifier.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I\u2019m going to go with Ziggler as he is more experienced and his build is more conducive to this type of match, but that doesn\u2019t mean Otis can\u2019t partake. Plus, I\u2019m sure they want to give Ziggler a \u201cwin back\u201d over Otis. We\u2019ll see. As far as Mandy and Carmella, I don\u2019t have a strong feeling either way. I suppose Sonya can cost Mandy tonight, or they can have Mandy win but Sonya costs her at MITB since the match is \u201cno DQ.\u201d I get the sense they want to rev up Carmella, so she has a good shot.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Unrelated to the Money in the Bank proceedings, here\u2019s Alexa Bliss &amp; Nikki Cross after they defeated Carmella &amp; Dana Brooke to retain their titles:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bliss &amp; Cross happy to defend their titles every week: SmackDown Exclusive, April 24, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U1gbO_bY2NI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Daniel Bryan vs. King Corbin<\/h3>\n<p>Last week, King Corbin qualified for the Money in the Bank ladder match by defeating Drew Gulak who was accompanied by Daniel Bryan. Not shockingly, Corbin had a little help as Sami Zayn\u2019s lackies Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro attacked Bryan from behind at ringside. Gulak got involved to help but got thrown into the ringpost for his troubles. After an End of Days, Corbin punched his ticket and will try to win his second Money in the Bank contract after winning it in 2017. He cashed it in unsuccessfully on \u2026 wait for it \u2026 Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship. Yeah, how about having that on your resume! (I\u2019ll talk about Jinder a little more in Monday\u2019s Raw primer.)<\/p>\n<p>Bryan, the 2011 (Smackdown) Money in the Bank winner, looks for retribution for his friend as he takes on Corbin tonight. Here\u2019s Corbin in a WWE exclusive after his win:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"King Corbin set for history to repeat itself: SmackDown Exclusive, April 24, 20..\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9eV5-lwsByg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: I can deal with a Bryan vs. Corbin feud for a while, just so long as we don\u2019t get \u201cshort\u201d jokes the way we did when Corbin briefly feuded with Shorty G. If anybody can get a good match out of Corbin or anybody for that matter, it\u2019s Bryan.<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Non-Title Match: Smackdown Tag Team Champions New Day vs. Forgotten Sons<\/h3>\n<p>Last week the Forgotten Sons (Wesley Blake, Steven Cutler, and Jaxson Ryker) interrupted a discussion happening between Smackdown Tag Team Champions New Day (Big E &amp; Kofi Kingston), former champs Miz &amp; John Morrison, and Lucha House Party. As a brawl broke out, the Sons ultimately stood tall over New Day after they power-bombed Kofi onto Big E. Lucha House Party would subsequently defeat Miz &amp; Morrison. They were the third team out in the discussion, claiming they were tired of seeing other teams get opportunities instead of them.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3821252941\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Tonight, the Forgotten Sons get put to the test as they go up against New Day in a non-title match. If you are interested, WWE put an article on their site making the argument that New Day is greatest faction in WWE history.<\/p>\n<p><em>Frank\u2019s Analysis: Years ago, they\u2019re arguing D-Generation X is the greatest faction. Two years ago, they\u2019re arguing that the Shield is the greatest faction. Isn\u2019t it ironic now that Dean Ambrose is gone and is the AEW Championship (as Jon Moxley) all of a sudden they want to argue that New Day is the best? Who cares?<\/em><\/p>\n<h3>Other Match Results and News Items from Last Week<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Sheamus defeated Daniel Vito.<\/li>\n<li>They continued the Jeff Hardy video packages, this time discussing the Hardys return at WrestleMania 33 in 2017. Sheamus confronted Michael Cole again after the video was shown.<\/li>\n<li>Lacey Evans defeated Sasha Banks to qualify for Money in the Bank. Here\u2019s Lacey in a WWE exclusive:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lacey Evans sends message to Sasha Banks and Bayley in victory: SmackDown Exclusive, April 24, 2020\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/w3Zy3PVKxxI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>They showed the history between Universal Champion Braun Strowman and his upcoming opponent at Money in the Bank, Bray Wyatt.<br \/>\nTriple H celebrated his 25-year anniversary in WWE with his best friend Shawn Michaels. Stephanie McMahon, Ric Flair, and Road Dogg video called him while he was in the ring. Vince McMahon made a surprise appearance.<\/p>\n<p>Curtis Axel<\/p>\n<p>Curtis Axel (Joe Hennig) became the latest victim of WWE releases as he was let go yesterday. He is the son of the late WWE Hall of Famer Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig) and grandson of also late Larry \u201cThe Ax\u201d Hennig.<\/p>\n<p>Initially he came up from NXT as Michael McGillicutty and was part of the faction Nexus and won the World Tag Team Championship. He was later repackaged as Curtis Axel, managed by Paul Heyman, and would win the Intercontinental Championship on Father\u2019s Day at Payback in 2013. He dedicated the win to his father. After silently separating from Heyman he was in and out of storylines through the years. He was part of the Social Outcasts with Adam Rose, Heath Slater, and Bo Dallas. Later, he and Dallas formed the \u201cB-Team\u201d and had a brief run as Raw Tag Team Champions. They moved to Smackdown in last year\u2019s draft but were seldom used.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">WWE has come to terms on the release of Curtis Axel.<\/p>\n<p>WWE wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/E0XaMVvEkN\">https:\/\/t.co\/E0XaMVvEkN<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WWE (@WWE) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WWE\/status\/1255930442265567232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 30, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>I have been invited to join long-time Pro Wrestling Torch columnist and audio host Greg Parks on Wrestling Night in America this Sunday. We\u2019ll be previewing Money in the Bank and taking you calls &amp; emails. I always look forward to joining Greg and especially previewing PPVs. We\u2019ll have all the participants for the ladder matches decided and talk about potential winners, discuss what we can expect from the championship matches, and more. Perk those ears up, give a call, or send an email!<\/p>\n<p><em>Follow Frank on Twitter @FrankPeteani. Questions and discussion are welcome. Thank you for reading!<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>RECOMMENDED:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/04\/24\/leclairs-wwe-smackdown-report-4-24-alt-perspective-detailed-coverage-of-triple-h-career-celebration-womens-tag-title-match-banks-vs-evans-more\/\">LECLAIR\u2019S WWE SMACKDOWN REPORT 4\/24: Alt perspective, detailed coverage of Triple H career celebration, Women\u2019s Tag Title match, Banks vs. Evans, more<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-494595823\"><div id=\"pwtor-1615425188\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER MAY 1, 2020 ORLANDO, FL. AT THE WWE PERFORMANCE CENTER AIRS ON FOX NETWORK, 8:00 p.m. EDT BY FRANK PETEANI (@FrankPeteani), PWTORCH SPECIALIST Announcers: Michael Cole, Corey Graves Top 10 Moments from <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2020\/05\/01\/wwe-smackdown-primer-5-1-money-in-the-bank-qualifiers-for-final-spots-bryan-looks-to-be-a-royal-pain-for-corbin-dont-you-forget-about-us-new-day\/\" title=\"WWE SMACKDOWN PRIMER 5\/1: Money in the Bank Qualifiers for Final Spots, Bryan Looks to be a Royal Pain for Corbin, Don\u2019t You Forget About Us New Day\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":96841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,52,4403,27,5893,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prowrestlingnews","category-opnionandanalysis","category-smackdown-primer","category-specialists","category-tvprimers","category-news_wwe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2020\/05\/Screen-Shot-2020-05-01-at-3.29.10-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96835","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96835"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96835\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96842,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96835\/revisions\/96842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96835"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96835"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96835"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}