4 Predictions for WWE SmackDown Live: July 18, 2017

The Princess of Staten Island Receives Direction

At the Money in the Bank event, Carmella solidified herself as one of the rising stars on the Blue Brand. Earning her biggest accolade to date, she became the first female to win a MiTB briefcase. Her run with the contract was nearly cut short, as the briefcase was put up for grabs just a week later on SmackDown Live. This was due to James Ellsworth’s interference in the original contest, an action which earned him a nice thirty-day suspension. Despite the odds being stacked against her, Carmella regained the briefcase and is now in a prime position to win her first championship.

Even though Carmella is currently one of the top females on SmackDown Live, she surprisingly has nothing on her plate right now. Since winning the briefcase for the second time, she’s been in the background while the rest of the division marches onward. A new number one contender for Naomi’s Women’s Championship is set to be determined at Battleground, which is probably why we haven’t seen much of Carmella. Outside of the female superstars involved in the contender’s match, there is no one for her to face.

Going forward, it’s important that the Princess of Staten Island regularly remind both the division and the fans that she can cash-in her briefcase whenever she sees fit. If Carmella isn’t in a match at Battleground, then the event is a perfect stage to cut a promo about her recent success. Before Sunday though, she should make some sort of appearance on the Blue Brand. Naomi isn’t expected to compete at Battleground either, so having these two interact in a backstage segment would be a smart decision, as it’d help to develop the animosity between them.