Carmella has an Asuka mask on and she is asked about facing Asuka. Carmella acts concerned that there is an expiration date on her title, and she laughs. She says everyone is waiting for her to slip and fall. She says she is not afraid of Asuka. Charlotte destroyed the myth of Asuka and Carmella reminds everyone that she beat Charlotte twice. That makes her twice as good as Asuka. Asuka can use all of the smoke and mirrors because Asuka should be afraid of her.

What can ruin any good Mellabration? Well, The Empress of Tomorrow coming for your title is a solid start.

At WWE Money in the Bank, Asuka aims to unseat SmackDown Women’s Champion Carmella at the same pay-per-view where the current titleholder’s march to championship glory began one year ago.

Carmella has always been about opportunity, something that served her well when she won the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match last year and secured a Women’s Championship opportunity whenever she wanted. After the IIconics assaulted Charlotte Flair on the April 10 edition of SmackDown, she cashed in her coveted contract and pinned The Queen for the gold following a wicked kick to the face. Her success was further amplified by her victory over The Queen in their rematch at WWE Backlash. The Staten Island Princess may scream at a fever pitch, and she may be outspoken, but she is undoubtedly armed with the ability to remain on top for many Mellabrations to come. It remains to be seen, however, if she is ready for Asuka.

Prior to WrestleMania, The Empress of Tomorrow stood undefeated for well over 900 days. She won the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble and the groundbreaking WWE Mixed Match Challenge Tournament alongside The Miz. She still stands as the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion in history. On The Grandest Stage of Them All, Asuka fell to Charlotte in an extremely hard-fought title bout, but she remains as dangerous as ever. And now that she has come to SmackDown LIVE, she is ready to claim the blue throne as any cost. The dynamic Superstar possesses an arsenal like few others, and if Carmella is not careful, she will possess her title as well.

Will Mella be Money? Or will the co-branded pay-per-view be all about Asuka? Find out at WWE Money in the Bank, Sunday, June 17, at 8 ET/5 PT, streaming live on WWE Network!

We see Carmella’s dressing room door, and we’ll get her royal Mellabration…NEXT!

An old dude in colonial-era attire comes out to introduce the woman who beat Charlotte Flair twice, the Smackdown champion of all women, god save CARMELLA! A trio of royal guards with the big furry hats come out, with one of them holding the Women’s Title belt on a pillow, then Carmella comes out, grabs her belt, and skips down to the ring to address her public. She wanted to give the fans the opportunity to show her how much they love her, so for the next ten seconds or so, they can feel free to shower her with as much love as she deserves for being the first Ms Money In The Bank and Women’s Champion. The fans boo her (I just noticed she has a tiara hair clip, which is a nice touch), and she asks what’s wrong with them for mobbing outside a hospital to catch a glimpse of a baby and they don’t show the Princess of Staten Island the respect she deserves.

She orders them to bow down before her, and a few do. She says the people remind her of the women on the Smackdown roster because none of them think she’s good enough or deserve to be Women’s Champion, but guess what, not-so-great Britain? Mella is money, and Mella is champion, and that makes her better than each and every one of the fans in the audience. She’s better than Charlotte, Sasha, Becky, Nia Jax, Alexa Bliss, and even Ronda Rousey! She’s even better than Trish Stratus and Lita combined! Oh wait, here comes Paige, and Carmella assumes she’s out here to show her people how to properly treat a princess. Paige says it’s great to be home, but she does have something to say to Carmella, and that’s that she has a royal proclamation of her own: her opponent at Money In The Bank. Carmella says she isn’t putting her title on the line at MITB, but Paige says she is, and it’s going to be against THIS WOMAN! She motions to the entryway, and out comes Asuka! Asuka takes the mask off and smiles at Carmella, who grabs her belt, yells at Paige, and heads for the hills.