There might not have been any low blows on this week’s edition of WWE SmackDown, but the rivalry between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura is as heated as ever.

This week, General Manager Paige officiated a contract signing between Styles and Nakamura for their WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank.

 

Styles exuded confidence as usual as he needled Nakamura, saying his rival’s dirty tricks simply prove that Nakamura is scared of him.

But Nakamura has plenty of ways to sabotage his opponent’s composure. While Styles signed the contract right away, Nakamura coyly complained that the pen he was given was broken. Styles eventually lost his composure and slapped Nakamura.

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So while while Styles may claim that Nakamura’s strategy will ultimately fail, it’s clear Nakamura is getting under The Phenomenal One’s skin.

In the women’s division, Smackdown Women’s Champion Carmella told the crowd that she isn’t afraid of facing Asuka at Money in the Bank because Asuka’s loss to Charlotte at Wrestlemania is proof she’s lost her edge.

 

When Asuka came in to respond, she was quickly interrupted by Mandy Rose and Sonya DeVille, who both wanted a shot at The Empress. As a result, Paige announced Asuka would be facing both Rose and DeVille in a 2-on-1 match.

While most superstars would flinch at a handicapped match, Asuka took it in stride, holding her own against Rose and catching DeVille in an Asuka Lock.

But she was unprepared for a third attacker. Carmella dashed into the ring to knock Asuka off her feet with a powerful superkick, ultimately getting the last laugh.

 

While the villains may have had their night this week, Styles and Asuka clearly aren’t ready to give up just yet.

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