The June 5 edition of WWE SmackDown was driven by stars looking to prove their worth. That was clear just from the opening segment in which Carmella questioned Asuka's status in the company and goaded her into a handicap match.

The women's champion set the tone for the whole night with her strong 30 minutes of air time, which brought the best out of multiple underrated female wrestlers. Sonya Deville looked strong in a losing effort, while Becky Lynch showed why she deserves more of a spotlight in her surprise victory over Charlotte Flair.

SmackDown's main event heels also continued to show why they are so important to the brand with Shinsuke Nakamura proving why he's so much better in his new role and The Miz more than earning his way to a top spot later in the year.

These performances defined a night that looked forward, setting up a series of interesting takeaways with little time left before Money in the Bank on June 17.

Carmella Can Carry the Women's Division as a Top Heel

This week's SmackDown opened with Carmella, and she did not cede the spotlight for a while.

Running down Asuka in the center of the ring and on commentary, she was the star of the first quarter of the show and the biggest highlight of the night.

The SmackDown women's champion may not be the best in-ring worker, but she continues to be one of the strongest mic workers on the brand. Few, if any, women can match her. She comes off as a star and is certainly being treated as one right now.

In WWE, star power is a big deal because it sells tickets and merchandise. A good match is only enough to keep fans engaged. Carmella is the type of star who can get fans invested even if she still needs to improve in keeping that when the time comes to actually wrestle.

Even great performers such as Naomi and Natalya took much longer to find their niche than Carmella did. The roster needs The Princess of Staten Island as much as Asuka, and hopefully they will help each other grow as complete performers.

Sonya Deville Shows Promise but Remains Strapped to Mandy Rose

Asuka put to bed her short feud with Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose this week by defeating both in a handicap match.

This clearly established that neither former Absolution member was at the level of The Empress of Tomorrow, but it did allow Deville to stand out in a long match.

The pairing of Deville and Rose was originally conceived as an alliance to protect Paige, with both women clearly moving up too soon to the main roster. When The Raven-Haired Renegade was injured, it left both struggling to make an impact. Of the two, though, Deville has always had higher potential.

The former mixed martial arts star is clearly well-suited for her role even if she's inexperienced. Her matches late in her NXT run with Ruby Riott indicated what she could be, but her main roster run has not come close to those physical contests.

Her battle with Asuka, the larger portion of this handicap match, proved even more what potential she had. Her partner remains a project, but Deville has the cardio and technique to go long with top stars. She just has to prove it more often.

Even if The Golden Goddess gets more opportunities, Deville will likely always do more with her chances to continue rising up the ranks.

Becky Lynch Should Be Treated as Charlotte's Equal

In a solid-but-short match between best friends Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch, The Irish Lass Kicker emerged victorious by making her opponent tap out to the Dis-arm-her.

While the two have always put on a good show together, it was surprising to see Lynch take the victory.

Charlotte is arguably the biggest female star in WWE, excluding multimedia superstar Ronda Rousey. The Queen's win over Asuka further solidified her status, shining brighter than just about anyone at WrestleMania 34. Lynch is talented but has never been given that type of recognition.

Just a few weeks removed from her devastating loss to The Golden Goddess, the Irish fighter will take any momentum she can get, but this was particularly sweet. It showed what Lynch could be doing every week if the company committed to her as one of the division's best.

This win will likely be quickly forgotten as was the last time she made Charlotte tap out around 11 months ago. As much as Lynch seems to have the number of The Queen, she still can't seem to capture victories when it matters.

Would it be too much to ask to let Lynch finally take down the Money in the Bank briefcase, a title she was so close to winning last year?

Shinsuke Nakamura Was Born to Play a Heel

In a short contract signing, Shinsuke Nakamura once more got under AJ Styles' skin with his antics, using just a few words to set off The Phenomenal One. It was a concise showcase of just how good The Artist has been since his change of direction.

Most wrestlers are better as heels than faces, but certain stars are just too good at being bad to ever be a hero. Nakamura is charismatic and engaging, so he will always be cheered when he wants to be. However, his mannerisms and slick mocking style are too good to be wasted on generic pops.

The Japanese star has been playing SmackDown's top heel, and it's easy to see him staying in that role for the long haul. He could work with anyone with his current persona. Whether he wins the world championship at Money in the Bank or not, he must remain near the top of the division.

As good as Styles is, he has rarely had a rival who brought the best out of him especially since he turned face. Nakamura is making one of the greatest performers in the company better, and he is elevating his own game as well with each appearance.

All SmackDown Needed Was the Miz

If there is one man on the SmackDown brand looking to give Nakamura a run for his money for the top heel spot, it's The Miz.

Although The A-Lister lost to The New Day, he did so with flair as he managed to even get his own teammates to turn on him.

SmackDown went through a bit of a slump in 2017, and it was hard to pinpoint the exact reason why. Many stories were just not quite cutting it, but the return of The Miz seems to have brought new life to the brand.

He makes the most of every opportunity while putting on great matches with his second straight strong showing against New Day in a six-man tag match. He is entertaining, engaging and makes the most of every moment. It's hard to imagine anyone else taking up Miz's current role and making it work.

While The Miz has already won Money in the Bank once, he is a completely different star now. He would bring a fresh perspective to the contract that no one else could. Coupled with his eventual return to a rivalry with Daniel Bryan, he would be the ideal Mr. Money in the Bank.