Early WWE Money in the Bank 2026 Match Card Predictions

Unless WWE adds a last-minute premium live event to their upcoming schedule, Money in the Bank is set to be the company's next major PLE on Oct. 10.

That gives WWE a solid two months to not only reset storylines and heat up certain stars but also put together a compelling card for what is traditionally one of the most anticipated events of the year.

It's all but confirmed that the show will feature the usual Money in the Bank Ladder matches for the men and women respectively. It's possible that qualifiers on Raw and SmackDown won't kick off until after Sunday Night's Main Event in early September.

The rest of the lineup is entirely up in the air, especially this far in advance, but it isn't impossible to predict what matches could take place based on the WWE landscape coming out of SummerSlam.

These are early match card predictions for Money in the Bank 2026.

Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

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Participants: Trick Williams, Penta, Je'Von Evans, Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn

There is a vast amount of Superstars who could benefit greatly from taking part in this year's Money in the Bank Ladder match for the men, let alone winning the whole thing. These eight in particular would make the most sense.

Trick Williams is fresh off losing the United States Championship to Baron Corbin at SummerSlam and failing to regain it on the subsequent SmackDown. By no means should he be wearing world title gold anytime soon, but he would be a perfect fit for the briefcase if he were to win it.

Penta should be challenging Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Championship next month on Raw in Mexico City, but when he loses, he should find his way into the Money in the Bank field seeing as how he'd excel in that environment. The same can be said for Je'Von Evans, who shined in the Intercontinental Championship Ladder match at WrestleMania 42.

Dominik Mysterio has fallen far from where he was a year ago, but perhaps partaking in such a stacked matchup and capturing the contract for a future world title shot would get him back on the right track.

Furthermore, Sami Zayn and Finn Bálor have been heavily involved in the top title picture recently on SmackDown and should also be considered early favorites to become Mr. Money in the Bank.

Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

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Participants: Roxanne Perez, Sol Ruca, Lyra Valkyria, Blake Monroe, Jacy Jane, Tatum Paxley

The women's Money in the Bank Ladder match won't feel quite as special this year with WWE just having held a five-woman Ladder match for the Interim WWE Women's Championship at SummerSlam, but featuring all-new faces would help differentiate it from that one.

Roxanne Perez initially teased tension with her Judgment Day stablemate Liv Morgan in the wake of WrestleMania 41. Nothing ever came out of it, but with Morgan still in possession of the Women's World Championship post-SummerSlam, The Prodigy clinching the briefcase and eventually cashing in on her mentor would be the way to go.

Sol Ruca and Lyra Valkyria have seen their momentum stalled in recent weeks with little of substance to do on Raw, but both of them would surely have stellar showings in a match of this nature.

On the SmackDown side, Jacy Jane should be a favorite to become Ms. Money in the Bank after how she stormed onto the scene with the rest of Fatal Influence a few months back. Blake Monroe has yet to make her in-ring debut on the blue brand but would be wonderful with the briefcase, while Tatum Paxley would be an exciting addition to the field now that she's officially arrived on the main roster.

Undisputed WWE Championship: CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens

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Kevin Owens made a massive impact in his epic return at SummerSlam by winning a star-studded Fatal 4-Way match to become the new number one contender to the Undisputed WWE Championship.

It also immediately dawned on fans that him being next in line for a shot at the prestigious prize meant that he and CM Punk would finally be feuding in a WWE ring. They barely scratched the surface in their first face-off on SmackDown the following Friday and yet it still made for must-see television.

It was announced soon after that Owens will get his opportunity at the title on the Aug. 21 edition of SmackDown on his home turf in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It's highly unlikely that the championship changes hands on that show, but it absolutely should.

Regardless of the outcome, it would be booking malpractice for their feud to be cut short after only two weeks. It should run through Money in the Bank at the very least where they can have a heated rematch and once again bring the best out of each other.

Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

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It's refreshing to not have Cody Rhodes directly in the Undisputed WWE Championship mix for the first time in a few years. Even during the rare periods where he wasn't champion, he was still in chase mode, whereas now his focus is firmly on Randy Orton.

The Viper resurfaced at SummerSlam by interfering in Rhodes' championship clash with CM Punk, planting him with an RKO out of nowhere and costing him the win. He explained on Friday's SmackDown that it was out of retaliation for his loss to Rhodes at WrestleMania 42, where he also punted Rhodes in the skull afterward and inexplicably disappeared from programming.

Rhodes vs. Orton is an excellent non-title rivalry to keep both men busy for the foreseeable future as well as allow them to make for the disappointing storyline they had going into 'Mania. That one interaction on SmackDown alone proved that it should have been only them from the get-go without anyone else getting involved.

It's possible WWE holds their next encounter at Sunday Night's Main Event, but if WWE wants a major attraction for the Money in the Bank event that's all about bad blood and not championship gold, Rhodes vs. Orton should be booked for that card.

Women's World Championship: Liv Morgan vs. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Becky Lynch

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Liv Morgan has been without much credible competition since winning the Women's World Championship at WrestleMania 42. Her sole title defense in over 100 days came at SummerSlam where she soundly defeated Iyo Sky, but it was only two days later on Raw that she was confronted by not one but two new challengers.

Becky Lynch and Stephanie Vaquer both returned to stake their claim at the title. In fact, Morgan's two title reigns kicked off with wins over Lynch and Vaquer respectively, so she has no shortage of history with the two of them.

Vaquer and Morgan's 'Mania match was solid albeit unspectacular, so they should get the chance to redeem themselves with more time. Meanwhile, Morgan vs. Lynch would be a quality contest as well, but WWE's best bet would be to put all three in a Triple Threat together.

Morgan can't go another three or four months without defending her coveted title, and with the Interim WWE Women's Championship picture in a state of flux at the moment, the Women's World Championship should be up for grabs in a matchup of his caliber at Money in the Bank.

World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight

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It would have been simple for WWE to write Roman Reigns off television for a few months and bring him back at the end of the year for WarGames without defending his World Heavyweight Championship in the meantime.

Instead, we're virtually guaranteed to get two title matches between now and October: one against Penta on Raw in Mexico City and another against LA Knight at Money in the Bank.

Knight pinned Jey Uso in six-man tag team action at SummerSlam and wasted no time in stepping up to Reigns on Raw that Monday. The two previously collided at Crown Jewel 2023, but outside interference from The Bloodline caused Knight to fall short.

Knight made it clear that he wants to run it back with Reigns without The Bloodline factoring into the finish this time. Although Reigns didn't accept his challenge, all signs point to that being the bout Money in the Bank is built around.

Of course, Knight will lose to Reigns yet again, but for him to be a part of the top title scene at all is an improvement over where he's been positioned for the past year. The electric atmosphere in New Orleans should make this match and the overall event feel that much bigger.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.