WWE SmackDown Predictions: Kevin Owens Will Be Written Off Television

WWE SmackDown will feature the return of Kevin Owens from his two-week break. On this week’s show, there is one scheduled match: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn in a Last Man Standing MITB Qualifying Match. Also, the seeds are already being planted for a future SummerSlam program between Edge and Seth Rollins because Edge returned last week to challenge Roman Reigns for the Universal Title after Seth Rollins had already proposed that title challenge by requesting it from management. Despite that prior request, a title match between Reigns and Edge had been made official by management for WWE MITB 2021.

Speaking of which, WWE is four weeks away from WWE Money in the Bank 2021. There are already four matches scheduled for this PPV event: Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Kofi Kingston for the WWE Title, Roman Reigns (c) vs. Edge for the Universal Title, Rhea Ripley (c) vs. Charlotte for the Raw Women’s Title, Men’s MITB Ladder Match, and Women’s MITB Ladder Match. Four contestants already qualified for each ladder match on Raw’s end, so the same is expected for SmackDown’s side of things. The following will hone in on the Last Man Standing Qualifying Match scheduled between Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn.

With that being addressed, it’s now time to preview and predict what will actually occur on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

WWE SmackDown is scheduled to take place on July 2, 2021, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT live on FOX. Here are some predictions for this week’s show.

Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn [Last Man Standing MITB Qualifying Match]

After Sami Zayn defeated Kevin Owens at WWE HIAC 2021, Kevin Owens revealed that he will be taking a ‘little break’ from in-ring competition and will return soon. Although he only missed one episode of WWE SmackDown, it was reported by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer that he only asked for two weeks off and was always scheduled to compete for this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown. However, this begs the question: Why is this MITB Qualifying Match a Last Man Standing Match when all the other qualifying matches were regular grudge matches?

As many wrestling fans know, Last Man Standing Matches involve two superstars attempting to incapacitate each other to the point that they cannot stand up by the count of 10. It’s already bad enough for any superstar to partake in the upcoming dangerous MITB Ladder Match. Now, either Owens or Zayn has to partake in it after winning this perilous Last Man Standing Match. While it can be argued that a Last Man Standing Match is warranted between these two superstars due to their history, it is quite anomalous to book a MITB Qualifying Match as a Last Man Standing Match.

Clearly, the crux of this bout is to write someone off of television. There is currently no legitimate reason for Zayn to be written off, but it would make sense if Owens was after his mention of a “little break”. It is very possible that the WWE wanted to write Owens off television for his “little break” in a more memorable way, and a Last Man Standing Match would purportedly be their means of making it memorable. If that’s the case, Zayn will undoubtedly win.

The writing on the wall screams that Zayn will go over here and advance to the MITB Ladder Match, which desperately needs another heel since there are already four babyfaces in the match (i.e. Drew McIntyre, Riddle, Ricochet, and Big E). On top of that, Zayn would have something to complain about as the conspiracy theorist because he would be the only MITB contestant that was booked in a Last Man Standing MITB Qualifying Match weeks before a grueling MITB Ladder Match. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Prediction: Sami Zayn

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