WWE SmackDown Predictions: Drew McIntyre Will AMBUSH CM Punk

WWE SmackDown is kickstarting its road to MITB 2024, and WWE has already confirmed that there will be an MITB Ladder Match for both the men's and women's divisions. This is also the first SmackDown after an epic Clash at the Castle PLE, where Cody Rhodes defeated AJ Styles to retain the World Title in an "I Quit" Match. It looks like Cody, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens have joined forces to fend off The Bloodline. This week, there are two scheduled MITB Qualifying Matches: Kevin Owens vs. Andrade vs. Grayson Waller -and- Randy Orton vs. Tama Tonga vs. Carmelo Hayes.

In other news regarding WWE SmackDown, Bayley retained the World Title against Piper Niven in Piper's home country of Scotland. While Piper Niven had the showcase of a lifetime and has proven that she belongs in the main event scene, Bayley now has to focus on Queen Nia Jax at SummerSlam. Elsewhere in the women's division, Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill shockingly lost their tag titles to Alba Fyre and Isla Dawn. LA Knight and Logan Paul will continue their feud, and CM Punk will give a major update on his injury status in his good ol' hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

With that being said, the following will focus on the two announced matches and the idea of Drew McIntyre ambushing CM Punk on the road to WWE MITB 2024.

Kevin Owens vs. Andrade vs. Grayson Waller [MITB Qualifying Match]

Kevin Owens technically has an excuse to lose this match since he already has an ongoing feud with The Bloodline that could result in a six-man tag match with Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton at MITB. However, MITB is in Canada, the home country of Kevin Owens. The idea of him winning MITB would be too good to pass up. Andrade already has the Speed Championship and Grayson Waller already has the Tag Team Championship. Kevin Owens has no championships and has not won a World Title in over five years. If there was ever a better time to give KO his first MITB victory, it's right now.

Prediction: Kevin Owens

Randy Orton vs. Carmelo Hayes vs. Tama Tonga [MITB Qualifying Match]

Randy Orton technically has an excuse to lose this match since he already has an ongoing feud with The Bloodline that could result in a six-man tag match with Cody Rhodes and Kevin Owens at MITB. Since one member of the Bloodline in Tama Tonga is actually in this match, he will cancel out with Orton due to all the beef they stirred already. Carmelo Hayes will pick up the scraps and qualify for MITB, as he is clearly an opportunist who just got called up from NXT and really needs a strong showcase on a big stage like an MITB Ladder Match. Besides, Melo in the Bank has a good ring to it.

Prediction: Carmelo Hayes

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