WWE Money in the Bank 2015: GSM's Pick, Preview and Potential for Each Match
On Sunday, WWE will present its sixth annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view event, live from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, at 8 p.m. ET. The show has been one of WWE's most highly anticipated events since its inception in 2010, and this year's installment is no different.
In the main event, Seth Rollins will defend his WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match against Dean Ambrose. Who of the former Shield members will become the undisputed champion, and could we see any interference from The Authority?
After their hotly contested bout at Elimination Chamber, John Cena and Kevin Owens will do battle yet again at Money in the Bank. Will Owens be able to follow up his unprecedented win with another over the United States champion, or will Cena avenge the embarrassing loss from last month?
Per usual, a multi-man Money in the Bank ladder match will be held to determine who will walk away with a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match at any time and any place of the winner's choosing. Who of the hungry Superstars will secure possession of the contract and get one step closer to superstardom?
Here, I will provide my personal preview and prediction as well as uncover the potential for every match on the advertised card.
R-Truth vs. King Barrett (Kickoff Match)
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Preview
On the May 28 edition of SmackDown, R-Truth and King Barrett went one-one-one in a match that saw the rapping Superstar score the upset victory. That Sunday, he repeated the same feat inside the Elimination Chamber, later laying claim to the crown for beating the "king."
Although the King of the Ring title isn't on the line in their match on the Money in the Bank Kickoff show, Barrett will be forced to prove his mettle against his adversary. He hasn't been able to find his groove as of late, but a win over the former United States champion would certainly change that.
Prediction
It's amazing that a guy with as much talent as Barrett continues to be marginalized on the main roster. Despite becoming the 2015 King of the Ring just recently, he continues to lose most of his matches for no reason, and I fear Sunday will be much of the same.
Barrett beating Truth won't lend him much credibility, but it's better than him losing for no reason again. Thus, it really doesn't matter who wins, but I'll go with Barrett simply because Truth has gotten the upper hand more often than not in recent weeks.
Potential
As entertaining as Truth can be at times, I find myself not caring about his matches most of the time because they're rarely ever exciting. However, Barrett is a good enough worker that he should be able to carry him to a passable match, though I'm sure very few fans will be invested in the action.
Nikki Bella vs. Paige (Divas Championship)
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Preview
Back in April, Paige won a Battle Royal to become the new No. 1 Contender to the Divas Championship, but she was later put on the sidelines after being brutalized by Naomi. She was eventually given her rightful shot at the title in a Triple Threat match at Elimination Chamber but came up short of winning the gold, despite not being pinned.
On the next night's Raw, Nikki successfully retained the title against the Anti-Diva with some help from her twin sister Brie. At Money in the Bank, Paige will be given one more chance to take home the title in her quest to bring "change" to the Divas division.
Prediction
Perhaps it's just me, but the state of the Divas division continues to get worse and worse. While I realize there hasn't been any real character development with the Divas for a great while, it seems as if none of the women are full-fledged faces or heels these days, making it difficult to care about who wins and who loses.
Likewise, this whole feud between Nikki and Paige has been a complete mess, and I don't have any interest in seeing either of them with the title. Simply because it looks like WWE wants Nikki to surpass AJ Lee as the longest-reigning Divas champion of all time, she's my pick to win.
Potential
Bad booking aside, Nikki and Paige are capable of having a half-decent match, given both are tremendously talented. However, that's only possible if they're given an ample amount of time, and I sadly don't see that being the case Sunday.
The New Day vs. The Prime Time Players (WWE Tag Team Championship)
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Preview
Since capturing the WWE Tag Team Championship at Extreme Rules, The New Day have taken the tag team division by storm. During their reign, they've defended their gold against all challengers, even inside the Elimination Chamber.
Recently emerging as a threat to the twin titles have been The Prime Time Players, who won a No. 1 Contender's match on the June 4 edition of SmackDown. Could it be their time to finally reign supreme as tag team champions?
Prediction
The biggest problem the tag team division faces right now is that the titles are changing hands every other month. WWE needs to find that tandem they can build the entire division around and give them a meaningful reign, and The New Day could very well be that team.
Meanwhile, The Prime Time Players are ready to become champions for the first time, but whether WWE should wait to put the straps on them until the next event is the question. While this bout could go either way, I'll make a bold prediction and say The Prime Time Players take the titles.
Potential
In addition to being an entertaining act, The New Day are also excellent in-ring athletes. They haven't had a bad match yet, so I'm counting on them having another gem of a bout with The Prime Time Players at Money in the Bank.
Ryback vs. Big Show (Intercontinental Championship)
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Preview
At Elimination Chamber, Ryback outlasted five other competitors to take home the vacant Intercontinental Championship. This marked his first major championship victory in WWE, and he hasn't shown any signs of slowing down since.
One night removed from capturing the prestigious prize, Ryback met his first major challenge in the form of the returning Big Show. The Big Guy managed to slay the giant with a Shell Shocked on the June 8 edition of Raw, but whether he can do it when it matters most at Money in the Bank remains to be seen.
Prediction
I'm in full favor of Big Show taking an extended leave of absence from WWE programming, but if he's going to be around, I'm content with him working a program with Ryback. Up to this point, they have seldom done battle, and at the very least, it's something we haven't seen before.
Ryback is fresh off winning the Intercontinental title, so there is absolutely no reason for him to lose it here, much less to Big Show. It was odd for them to telegraph the conclusion to this match on Raw, but there's always the off-chance the match ends in a non-finish.
Potential
Ryback and Big Show aren't exactly known for their exceptional abilities in the ring, but I have faith they can put together a solid bout. I may eat my words after the event, but if there's anyone who can get a passable match out of Show at this stage of his career, it's The Big Guy.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match
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Preview
The Money in the Bank ladder match has been an annual tradition in WWE since 2005. Once a staple at WrestleMania, the matchup was given its own pay-per-view in July 2010.
The stipulation of the match states that whoever claims the contract hanging high above the ring is able to contend for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at any time and any place. The contest typically features some of WWE's brightest prospects and most talented athletes, and this year's installment is no exception.
Prediction
The only two Superstars you can make a case (no pun intended) for are Roman Reigns and Kane. Personally, I have no desire to see Kane with the briefcase again, and Reigns is more deserving at this point, anyway.
There are several stories they can tell with Reigns as Mr. Money in the Bank, so he is without a doubt my pick to win. Neville is definitely a dark horse, but it still feels too soon for him to be in possession of the contract.
Potential
Of the two ladder matches on this show, I think this one has the potential to be better. Not only because the talent is of main event caliber, but also because they're all fantastic athletes who will go to great lengths to entertain the audience.
John Cena vs. Kevin Owens
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Preview
On the May 18 edition of Raw, Kevin Owens shocked the world when he made his main roster debut and accepted John Cena's United States Championship open challenge. Instead of contending for the gold, he made a statement by laying Cena out and stepping on the star-spangled prize.
In his first official WWE match, Owens soundly defeated the U.S. champ at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. At Money in the Bank, they'll go to war for a second time, and both Superstars will have something to prove even more so than in their initial encounter.
Prediction
I was pleasantly surprised to see Owens beat Cena in clean fashion at Elimination Chamber, though I'm unsure if lightning can strike twice and he can do it once again. While it may seem obvious that Cena gets his win back here, it shouldn't be that simple; this feud is unlike any other he has had in recent years.
In my opinion, Owens should be the one man who Cena is unable to beat. That's not to say Cena can't score a win over him down the line, but it's far too soon for Owens to be suffering his first loss, especially when neither championship is on the line.
Potential
I figured they would hold back in their last bout so they could deliver more memorable matchups in their subsequent meetings, but they went all out and had one of the best matches of 2015 to date. They'll have a tough time topping it, but I have faith they'll come close to doing so at the very least.
Seth Rollins vs. Dean Ambrose (Ladder Match for WWE World Heavyweight Title)
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Preview
Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose have a storied history together, dating back to their time in The Shield, but their most recent encounter at Elimination Chamber is where this Money in the Bank match stems from. Right when Ambrose thought he had won the prestigious prize, the decision was reversed, and he was awarded the disqualification win but not the championship.
Despite that, Ambrose took the title belt and has been parading around with it for the last two weeks. With the strap up for grabs in a Ladder match, this contest will determine who the true champion is.
Prediction
If there were any place to put the belt on Ambrose, it would have been at Payback or Elimination Chamber. A two-week title run wouldn't have sat well with some fans, but it would have at least freshened up the title picture a bit.
Nevertheless, I'm a firm believer in keeping the belt on the champion for the long term going into his rumored match with Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. In a perfect world, Rollins could retain here without help from The Authority, allowing Ambrose to be protected in defeat because he won't have to be pinned.
Potential
I've gone on the record before in saying this, and I'll continue to say it going forward: The Rollins vs. Ambrose feud has all the tools to be this generation's next iconic rivalry, given all the great gimmick matches they've had up to this point. I have a strong feeling this could be their best bout to date, and I'm looking forward to seeing what these two brilliant competitors bring to the table in this type of environment.
Read more prediction pieces for past WWE pay-per-views here.
Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, is a journalism major at Endicott College. Visit his website at Next Era Wrestling and "like" his official Facebook page to continue the conversation on all things wrestling.
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