WWE Extreme Rules 2018: Preview and predictions

SmackDown Women’s Championship Match

Carmella (c) vs. Asuka

So the big stipulation here is that James Ellsworth, who returned last month at Money in the Bank to assist Carmella in retaining her SmackDown Women’s Championship, will be suspended above the ring in a Shark Cage so he can’t get involved. Yawn.

I really do believe that Carmella was finally starting to get over on her own. Her promos have been solid for months and her in-ring work really had gotten a little better. No, she’s not on the level of the likes of Charlotte Flair or Sasha Banks or Alexa Bliss or her opponent for this match, Asuka, but it’s improved. Bringing Ellsworth back into the fold seems like a step backwards, and watching Asuka vs. James Ellsworth on SmackDown Live has been absolutely dreadful. But it is what it is.

The match these two women had at Money in the Bank certainly wasn’t the greatest in the world, but it wasn’t the worst either. The story is there, even if Ellsworth’s involvement takes away from it, so they’ve got a little chemistry, but I expect another average matchup here. As per usual, I also expect Carmella to be screaming a lot, so be sure to turn down the volume on your television just a bit when this one gets going.

Prediction: We’ve seen Enzo Amore escape a shark cage before, so it stands to reason that little James Ellsworth could probably do the same and get involved here, which likely means that Carmella could retain her title. But I’m going to go with Asuka here. She needs to win this title now, win a rematch on Tuesday night and get something bigger set up for SummerSlam.