This week’s WWE Smackdown is the last episode before Horror Show: Extreme Rules, and it looks like the WWE is going full speed into the pay-per-view. This means they’re going to give their current feuds one good push going into the event, or that’s the hope we all have.
This storyline behind this match goes back a few weeks since Matt Riddle’s debut and victory of AJ Styles on WWE Smackdown. This has been something that’s been sticking with Styles since, but he also wanted to avoid this confrontation until it was pushed onto him.
Fast paced to glory
Matt Riddle has been pushed harder than any other superstar on Smackdown since his debut. On that first night, which included a win over new Intercontinental Champion AJ Styles, the first 45 minutes of the show featured him in some way. Since then, when he’s featured at all he’s all the announcers talk about and for good reason. He’s the future of the WWE and they’re lacking top tier talent. They have for a long time, to be honest.
Riddle gives them a new direction and opens the door for countless feuds and storyline opportunities. With that in mind, it’s no wonder he has an Intercontinental Championship match already, despite this storyline being waylaid by his feud with King Corbin. Which brings us to our next point.
Corbin will interfere
We feel confident that Styles will retain the Intercontinental Championship because one, he has to. They need serious star power to legitimize the championship and having Styles drop it to Riddle will only undercut that no matter how good Riddle is. And two, King Corbin is still lurking around out there.
In what will undoubtedly be a great match as both Styles and Riddle are exceptional athletes, we’ll get to se glimpses of what they can do together before Corbin interferes and Riddle will win by Disqualification.
To be clear, Corbin will do this not out of loyalty or a favor to Styles, though they may have worked something out backstage, but simply his need to put Riddle in his place. It’s Corbin’s job as the resident bully to harass and torment the new kid on the block, so this will be a continuation of that and lead to a match between them at Extreme Rules.
We’re even willing to admit a possible Triple Threat Match for the Intercontinental Championship at the pay-per-view since Styles is part of this storyline.
If they go this route, the WWE would have painted themselves into a corner because if Styles loses the Intercontinental Championship it will be at Extreme Rules, and if it’s to Corbin or Riddle more fans will walk away.
Kinda takes away the unpredictability nature Vince McMahon wants to re-cultivate. But if they just keep the match between Corbin and Riddle, who will face Styles? Just a random thought, but how about Big E? he deserves a singles push like Kofi Kingston had last year.
What do you think will happen on tonight’s WWE Smackdown? Let us know in the comments.
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