Early Match Card Predictions for WWE Money in the Bank 2023 After Night of Champions

With Night of Champions in the rearview mirror, WWE will now turn its attention to the Money in the Bank premium live event, headlined by two namesake ladder matches.

We know those bouts will be the selling point of the show, but what else can fans expect out of the event and why?

Find out with these early match card predictions for the July 1 extravaganza, live from The O2 Arena in London.

Men's Money in the Bank

Predicted participants: Cody Rhodes, LA Knight, Dominik Mysterio, Damian Priest, Karrion Kross and Edge

Outside of a repetitive Royal Rumble win that may sour fans on the Cody Rhodes experience, The American Nightmare's best shot at returning to the main event of WrestleMania and a date with Roman Reigns is to win Money in the Bank.

The American Nightmare, fighting through the agony of a broken arm and still embroiled in a heated rivalry with Brock Lesnar, winning the match would add to the gutsiness the company is trying to establish as his trademark feature.

Having him overcome The Judgment Day's Damian Priest and Dominik Mysterio, not to mention the dangerous Karrion Kross, veteran Edge and red-hot LA Knight to do so only further legitimizes the feat.

There is a real possibility that the inclusion of Knight threatens fan backlash if he does not win, making his participation potentially dangerous to WWE's long-term plans. He faces Montez Ford Friday on SmackDown in the first qualifier. Perhaps the company should utilize that opportunity to book Ford to go over instead.

Either way, this feels like Rhodes' shot to win the briefcase and set up the Reigns match for Philadelphia.

Women's Money in the Bank

Predicted participants: Zelina Vega, Zoey Stark, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Iyo Sky and Michin.

The Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match has become a staple of the show over the year and, as we saw a year ago in Las Vegas with Liv Morgan, the winner does not typically wait long to cash in their title opportunity.

This year, the opportunity exists to highlight two ongoing storylines.

Zoey Stark interfered at Night of Champions and cost Becky Lynch her match with Trish Stratus. There is mounting dissension within Damage CTRL between Bayley and Iyo Sky.

Putting Stark, Lynch, Bayley and Sky in the match allows the company to continue to prominently feature those two stories while adding Zelina Vega and Michin to the mix and providing two of SmackDown's potential top contenders a platform to show out.

We know Vega will compete against Lacey Evans Friday on SmackDown in one of the qualifying matches and given the fan support surrounding her performance at Backlash, should be considered an underdog candidate to win the coveted briefcase.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Drew McIntyre vs. Gunther

We have not seen Drew McIntyre in a WWE ring since WrestleMania, when he fell just short of dethroning Intercontinental Champion Gunther in a Triple Threat Match also involving Sheamus.

With Money in the Bank taking place in London, and an established feud for the company to build on, the time is right to give fans the one-on-one showdown they have yet to see.

Based on the reaction and sentiment that accompanied his championship match against Roman Reigns in Wales last September, we know McIntyre will be over in London.

Booking him as the best chance to dethrone the seemingly insurmountable obstacle that is Gunther seems like the right route to go when reintroducing The Scottish Warrior to the current WWE landscape.

One would assume, in this scenario, McIntyre would have to win the title. That would hamper any attempt by WWE to have Gunther beat the previous record for longevity by an IC champion (Honky Tonk Man's 454-day reign) but it would provide McIntyre the title victory in front of a live audience that has eluded him and force Gunther to grow and evolve his character beyond dominant champion.

Neither is a bad thing.

The Usos vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa

The shocking conclusion of Night of Champions saw Jimmy Uso betray Roman Reigns, rocking The Tribal Chief with a superkick and doing what he believed his brother, Jey, should have done a long time ago.

They added a double superkick to their brother, Solo Sikoa after The Enforcer clearly pledged his allegiance to The Head of the Table.

With Reigns on the marketing materials for the Money in the Bank premium live event, marking his return to the event after a one-year absence, paying off the family feud with a high-profile tag match would be an appropriate development.

Reigns and Sikoa vs. The Usos is a rare tag match, with no title at play, that could convincingly headline the event thanks to the raw emotion and equity it has built with the audience.

With no obvious Undisputed WWE Universal Championship contender immediately on the horizon, and Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens hopefully onto something else, this would be the best way to utilize all involved and give the show another big selling point.