Andrade and Bayley Money in the Bank Favorites and More WWE SmackDown Fallout

The road to Money in the Bank has more or less now been settled. After the April 30 edition of SmackDown Live, the ladder match participants have been set and the WWE Championship match has been determined.

This week, everyone got a chance to begin building momentum, with a few key stars emerging as favorites in the men's and women's ladder matches.

Andrade lost in a big tag team match, but he stood out as a potential favorite to win the briefcase on SmackDown Live. Ali also took the victory and superkicked Randy Orton for good measure.

Bayley went all out against Becky Lynch in their first singles match on the main roster. While she fell short against the double champion, The Hugger proved why she should be in title contention going forward, perhaps starting with a Money in the Bank win.

In more sobering news, Jeff Hardy announced a serious leg injury that forced him to relinquish the SmackDown Tag Team Championships alongside Matt Hardy. It was the latest sign that both veterans should consider retirement.

Roman Reigns continued to feud with Shane McMahon in a storyline that seems to only be pushing The Big Dog back out of the good graces of fans as he overcomes all the odds with nothing on the line.

This week's SmackDown was not all that exciting, but it set the stage for major events to come.

Andrade and Ali Set for Huge Boost in Status from Money in the Bank

Credit: WWE.com

The men's Money in the Bank ladder match participants for SmackDown were announced as Ali, Finn Balor, Andrade and Orton, with the four later facing off in a tag team match. El Idolo taunted all three men before the match and was left alone to take a corner dropkick and 450 splash for the loss.

While Ali stood tall this week, it feels like the man with the best odds at Money in the Bank is Andrade. He has long been on the precipice of a breakthrough, and this could be the perfect time to let him start climbing.

While Drew McIntyre is the favorite in this lineup, El Idolo and Ali are just as fascinating to talk about as potential winners. They have paid their dues to date but have yet to get a defining victory, and they will likely overachieve in the match.

Ali has probably been added to the match for the same reason as Ricochet, with both set to be the human highlight reels of the contest. However, Ricochet is only just getting started on Raw, Ali feels more ready to take that next step.

It would be a huge moment for either of these two SmackDown stars to take that leap and get a chance to prove they are worthy of main-event status.

Becky Lynch vs. Bayley Is a Money Match for SmackDown

The Man fought The Hugger in a competitive battle. While Bayley looked poised to take the upset, Lynch caught her off a diving elbow with double knees, then quickly locked in the Dis-arm-her for the submission victory.

Later in the night, it was announced Bayley, Mandy Rose, Ember Moon and Carmella would all represent the blue brand in the women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

This was the best singles performance from Bayley in months at the very least, looking confident and fluid working with The Irish Lass Kicker. The two friends are the last pairing of The Four Horsewomen to never feud, and they proved here that they should.

If Lynch doesn't lose the SmackDown Women's Championship at Money in the Bank, the next feud for The Man on SmackDown should be with Bayley. The two can bring the best out of each other, and it is a completely fresh matchup.

While the result of this match likely means The Hugger is not seen to be on the same level as Lynch, there's no reason that cannot change, especially if Bayley keeps putting on performances like this.

Jeff Hardy Should Consider Retiring After Latest Injury

The Hardy Boyz were forced to relinquish the SmackDown Tag Team Championships after announcing that Jeff would need surgery for an injury he suffered at the hands of Lars Sullivan. Sullivan headed to the ring and took down Matt before R-Truth attacked The Freak with a steel chair, only to get laid out.

The Charismatic Enigma has had one of the most impressive and volatile careers in professional wrestling. His work has changed the game, and he has never missed a chance to impress fans. His high flying was always going to catch up to him eventually.

He's celebrating 20-plus years in the business, and few make it that long in this brutal sport. It's a wonder that he is still able to compete at all, especially given his in-ring style.

While Jeff will hopefully make a full recovery after surgery from his latest injury (suffered legitimately at a recent house show), he should consider taking a step away from WWE. He's done enough in his career and could be risking permanent injury at this point.

It is likely Matt has already considered hanging up his boots. Neither man is the same anymore, and they have done incredible work in the business already. Both will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the next few years. They should not risk anything more.

Roman Reigns Has Returned to Regularly Overcoming Outrageous Odds

Credit: WWE.com

Shane interrupted Reigns and booked him against The B-Team in a handicap match with Elias as the special guest referee enforcer. Despite frequent interference from The Drifter, The Big Dog won with a spear to Curtis Axel.

Few men have been more divisive in the past decade than Reigns, who has struggled to get over fully as a babyface in WWE. After his return from defeating leukemia, though, he looked to have finally gained the entire support of the fans.

WWE has already managed to waste that support by throwing him back into stories that are obviously lopsided. Reigns does not need to dominate in three-on-one situations. It is far easier to root for him when he shows vulnerability.

If the company is not careful, fans will start turning against The Big Dog again. At some point, WWE needs to realize that the way to create a top star is to let them grow naturally by allowing them to fail at times so that it matters when they succeed.