WWE SmackDown kept the Money in the Bank train rolling with two more qualifying matches, making both lineups even more intriguing. The Women’s match featured Charlotte Flair, Zelina Vega, and Giulia, and it was also Giulia’s in-ring SmackDown debut. On the Men’s side, it was LA Knight, Shinsuke Nakamura, and Aleister Black competing for a spot in the match. In both cases, the superstars moving on are both potential winners of their respective briefcases, as Giulia and LA Knight are now locked in.
Women’s Qualifier (Vega vs. Giulia vs. Flair)
After a face-off between Flair and Giulia, Vega got annoyed and got between them, but Flair threw her out of the ring. Vega then almost rolled up Giulia and then knocked down Flair, but Giulia knocked Vega out of the ring, only for Vega to then throw Giulia to the corner. Flair then hit Vega with a big slam before facing Giulia once more, and this would be a recurring theme throughout the match.
Giulia and Flair got into it, with Giulia gaining the advantage and putting Flair face-first into the canvas. Giulia stayed aggressive, twisting the side of Flair’s head and then connecting with more offense before they took each other out temporarily. Flair and Giulia then teamed up to slam down Vega, but Vega reversed it and went for covers on both superstars. Flair was able to knock both Giulia and Flair out of the ring, and then Vega took out both superstars again with a big dive from the top rope.
Back in the ring, Flair and Giulia joined forces and attacked Vega in the corner, hitting her with a vertical suplex, but Giulia going for the pin right after killed the short-lived alliance. Flair attacked Giulia right after, and Vega took advantage with a crossbody and quick roll-up, but Flair kicked out, only to get rocked with a kick to the head. Giulia was back in play and hit Vega with a suplex and a cover, but Flair broke it up.
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It was Giulia and Flair once again one-on-one, and they exchanged heavy strikes and chops. Giulia connected with a dropkick to the head but then got slammed down by Flair into a cover, though Giulia kicked out. Giulia set up Flair but then got knocked in the head by a kick from Flair. Then Flair caught Vega and lifted her up on her shoulders, but Giulia then got up top and dropkicked both superstars to the mat. Giulia went for covers on both but got neither one to stick.
Chops and strikes followed, and Flair was able to knock both stars back. She went up top and hit a crossbody, knocking both down, only to get countered into a submission from Vega. Giulia then hit Vega with the arrivederci knee, and Flair was back up and going for a pin. Vega got knocked down by Flair and then stepped on both superstars before going up top for a moonsault. She hit it and then tried pinning both, but they kicked out.
Giulia then went for a submission and almost got it, but Vega came in and dropkicked both of them. Vega then went for the 619 and only got it to land on Flair, and Giulia then came in and got speared by Flair. She covered Giulia, but Giulia got her shoulder up, and Flair threw Vega out of the ring to make sure she didn’t get involved. Flair went for the Figure 4, but Giulia countered, and then Flair caught another kick and locked in the Figure 4. A meterora followed from Vega and then she hit a code red on Giulia, but Flair broke up the pin.
Flair hit the ring post and Vega went for the code red, but Flair countered into a Figure 4. Giulia went up top and stomped on Flair to break it up, and then Giulia hit Vega with the Northern Lights Bomb for the pin and the win. Giulia wins her SmackDown debut and a spot in the Money in the Bank match, and the current lineup for the match is Giulia, Roxanne Perez, Alexa Bliss, and Rhea Ripley.
Men’s Qualifier (Knight vs. Black vs. Nakamura)
Once the match got started, Black and Knight teamed up a bit to get Nakamura out of the picture, throwing him to the floor and going one-on-one. They countered each other’s attacks until Knight got the better of Alistair with a neckbreaker, but he couldn’t capitalize thanks to Nakamura tripping him and throwing him out of the ring.
Nakamura and Black then faced off, and Nakamura got rocked with a kick straight to the face. Black dodged a kick from Nakamura and then came back with strikes and a pump knee to the face, knocking Nakamura to the floor. Then Knight ran in and slammed Black down from the top rope with a superplex, though Nakamura jumped back in and knocked Knight to the mat, halting his momentum once again.
Back from commercial, Black hit a big move on Nakamura, but Knight broke things up and slammed Black down for a cover. Nakamura killed the pin attempt and then slammed Knight into the steel steps before heading back into the ring and taunting Black. They exchanged hard strikes to the head and then exchanged headbutts and kicks, but it was Knight who was back in the swing of things after throwing Nakamura out of the ring.
Unfortunately, it didn’t last long, as Black hit Knight with the knee strike and then delivered a moonsault to both superstars outside the ring. Black actually got more of the impact than anyone else, and the same can be said of the second one, though he did successfully take out Knight. Knight dodged a move from Black and then slammed him down and connected with the elbow drop. Nakamura came rushing in and knocked Knight down, though Knight saved the match by grabbing the bottom rope.
Nakamura set up for his finisher, but Black caught him and absorbed a kick and a slam into the ring post. Black then got flipped over and slammed down, but he was ready for Nakamura and hit Black Mass. Knight came running in right after and threw Black out of the ring, grabbing his pin and winning the match in the span of a heartbeat.
Knight is now the second person in the Men’s Money in the Bank match, joining Solo Sikoa. Next week, there will be another qualifier, with Carmelo Hayes, Jacob Fatu, and Andrade battling it out for the next spot.
What did you think of the Qualifying matches, and who do you think walks away with each briefcase? Let us know in the comments, and you can talk all things wrestling with me on Bluesky @knightofoa!
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