WWE Money in the Bank 2026 Winners, Live Grades, Reaction and Highlights

WWE Money in the Bank is one of the most popular and unpredictable events on the professional wrestling calendar, and the 2026 edition took over Smoothie King Center on Saturday night.

Featuring the men's and women's namesake ladder matches, as well as Roman Reigns' World Heavyweight Championship defense, the event promised noteworthy moments that could advance ongoing storylines and launch new ones.

What went down, how did each match rate, and what impact will the results have on WWE moving forward?

Get the details in this recap grading the October 10 premium live event.

Lineup

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Announced for the PLE:

• Men's Money in the Bank ladder match: CM Punk vs. Penta vs. Je'Von Evans vs. Kevin Owens vs. Trick Williams vs. Bron Breakker
• Women's Money in the Bank ladder match: Lola Vice vs. Sol Ruca vs. Tiffany Stratton vs. Lash Legend vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Jacy Jayne
• World Heavyweight Championship: LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns (c)
• Women's World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan
• Oba Femi vs. Bronson Reed

World Heavyweight Championship: LA Knight vs. Roman Reigns

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Last Time in Action: LA Knight and Solo Sikoa fought The Usos to a no-contest (Raw, August 24); Roman Reigns defeated Penta (Raw, September 14)

LA Knight entered Saturday's World Heavyweight Championship match against Roman Reigns with his legacy on the line. A win would have paid off his journey to the top of the pro wrestling industry, but a loss would make the questions about his ability to win the top prize deafening.

The Megastar threw everything he had at Reigns, driving him through the timekeeper's position and powerbombing him through a table. He countered a spear into a BFT in one of the best spots of the match and even pulled off the unnecessarily fancy top-rope jumps he is known for.

He did everything he could to put Reigns away and survived nearly everything The OTC threw at him. But on the night, he came up just short.

With desperation setting in late, Reigns crotched Knight on the top rope, then uncorked three Superman punches. He followed with a spear, and The Tribal Chief retained his title.

Afterward, Bronco Nima, Lucien Price and Royce Keys of The 946 taunted Reigns from the stands, only to be confronted by The Usos and Solo Sikoa, who brawled them out of the arena and into a waiting vehicle, which sped the heels away in retreat.

Result

Reigns defeated Knight to retain the title

Grade

A

Top Takeaways

• The crowd in New Orleans was as behind LA Knight as anyone has been over the last two years, but this loss could hurt that momentum and potentially do irreparable damage. After all, how long will fans keep supporting a guy who can never get the job done?
• Corey Graves and Michael Cole did a fantastic job on commentary of putting over the enormity of Knight's moment. Great work by the voices of the show.
• The entire WWE Universe held its breath as Knight launched himself to the top rope and superplexed Reigns onto the mat.
• The false finishes were nothing short of fantastic, especially after the powerbomb through the table and the subsequent kickout from The Tribal Chief.
• This was an outstanding contest, far better than their first encounter, and further evidence that Reigns is on a generational run during this stint with the gold. Another killer match that had the fans invested all the way.

Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

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Last Time in Action: Jacy Jayne, Lash Legend, and Tiffany Stratton defeated Sol Ruca, Lola Vice, and Roxanne Perez (SmackDown, October 9)

Four first-timers, a second-time participant and a previous winner made up the freshest field in recent Money in the Bank memory as Jayne, Legend, Vice and Ruca competed for a chance to win the coveted briefcase for the first time.

Perez sought her first win in two tries, and Stratton attempted to become the second woman to win twice.

In the end, it was Tiffy Time in New Orleans as the former WWE women's champion etched her name in the history books. Before she outlasted Legend to win the match, fans were treated to some big bumps, some scary near-misses and a look at the bright future of the women's division.

Legend took some big bumps, Jayne and Vice barely escaped disaster after a ladder bridge failed, Ruca stunned the WWE fans with a phenomenal frog splash, and Perez had victory within reach before a Sol Snatcher eliminated her in the final moments.

Stratton overcame a rough early-match landing to win the briefcase and instantly create drama on SmackDown, where her new best friend, Chelsea Green, is the reigning WWE women's champion.

Result

Stratton won

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• After she was established as the most physically dominant competitor on last night's SmackDown, Legend took a beatdown at the start of Saturday's match, a logical, smart opening.
• "Let's face it: Lash Legend just kicked Roxanne Perez in the soul," Graves said after one of the damnedest pump kicks in recent memory sent a step ladder back at The Prodigy's upper body.
• This was easily the most athletically gifted field in Women's Money in the Bank ladder match history, which led to some creative, unique spots. It was also the least experienced, which meant some of those spots landed and some did not.
• The camera angle on Ruca's frog splash from the top rope onto Legend and through a ladder at ringside was a big production win for WWE. It made an incredible spot that much more awe-inspiring.

• The crowd was totally behind Perez from the moment she entered the arena and even more so with every teased close call.
• An energetic, action-packed match that did not overstay its welcome and featured some eyebrow-raising performances from women who will form the division's foundation for years to come, this was a great showcase with some big spots and a surprising finish, given who most expected to win.

Oba Femi vs. Bronson Reed

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Last Time in Action: Oba Femi defeated Bron Breakker via DQ (Sunday Night's Main Event, September 6); Bronson Reed lost to Jey Uso (Raw, February 23)

Two of the biggest, baddest men on Raw squared off Saturday night as Oba Femi battled Bronson Reed, the latest match in his war with The Vision.

Despite interference from Austin Theory, Maxxine Dupri and Logan Paul, a shot to the face with brass knuckles, a Tsunami and a Jagged Edge, The Ruler recovered and showed his trademark fury as he tossed his opponent across the ring and finished him with Fall From Grace.

It was not easy, though.

Femi overcame a battered back, the result of a side suplex on the ring apron, and consistent assault by The Auszilla. He fought from underneath, as we have rarely seen him do, to overcome his opponent and secure another signature win in a series of them in 2026.

"He is the next big thing!" Cole exclaimed on commentary, and nothing about the way he has been booked suggests otherwise.

Result

Femi defeated Reed

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

• Femi and Reed struggled early on to find their chemistry but as the match progressed, they meshed nicely.
• The Vision's predictable interference did not detract from the match and, if anything, added drama, as there was little expectation that Reed would beat Femi straight up.
• Reed earned big props for how he put over Femi here. He took big bumps for a guy his size, even after losing the weight he has, and made The Ruler's offense look devastating.
• A good heavyweight battle, it highlighted Femi's resilience and toughness before putting him over another heavyweight on his path to the World Heavyweight Championship, and what feels like an inevitable match with Roman Reigns continues.

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

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Last Time in Action: Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan fought to a no contest (Raw, October 5); Stephanie Vaquer and El Grande Americano defeated Dominik Mysterio and Liv Morgan (Raw, September 14)

Stephanie Vaquer and Becky Lynch teed off at each other late in the Women's World Championship Triple Threat, with their hatred overtaking their focus on capturing the gold.

La Primera bumped Lynch off the ring apron and into a ringside table. That moment opened up the opportunity for a beaten and battered Morgan to recover and deliver Oblivion for the win and her fourth world title.

It culminated in a competitive matchup among three elite wrestlers, each shining at different points. Morgan survived the Devil's Kiss and a dual submission spot, showing toughness along the way.

It was that resilience that kept her hunting for gold, finally avenging her loss in Chile and leaving Vaquer in tears for the second time in 2026 as she celebrated a momentous championship victory.

Result

Morgan defeated Vaquer and Lynch to win the title

Grade

B

Top Takeaways

• Vaquer's aura will always win over crowds. She carries herself like a star, has a great presentation and is the equivalent to The Undertaker or Kane, without the supernatural absurdities.
• Vaquer limped noticeably after a dive from the top rope to the floor, landing awkwardly on her knee. Hopefully, it was just a bump or a bruise.
• Morgan sells the Devil's Kiss better than anyone, dropping her arms and stopping the mat slap to really sell its effects.
• Few women in the division, if any, sell a beating better than Morgan.
• Lynch and Vaquer took far too long to get on the same page during a tornado DDT spot in the corner. It was the only really ugly spot in the match.
• Lynch pulling Jessika Carr out of the ring to break up the pinfall, thus playing up their history, was a nice touch. She may be a babyface again, but some things never change.
• This was good, maybe not as great as expected, but it picked up exponentially down the stretch, with a quality finish that would have been better only if Lynch had broken the table. Morgan winning the title gives the Raw brand a heel for the women to chase while Vaquer vs. Lynch in a proper feud should net a genuinely great match or two.

Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match

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Last Time in Action: CM Punk, El Grande Americano, and Rey Mysterio defeated Dominik Mysterio, JD McDonagh, and Omos (AAA Worlds Collide, September 26); Kevin Owens defeated Cody Rhodes and Johnny Gargano (SmackDown, October 2); Trick Williams defeated Bron Breakker via DQ (SmackDown, October 9); Je'Von Evans and Penta defeated The Vision (Raw, October 5)

From the opening moments of Saturday's main event, Cole and Graves made it clear that fans should keep an eye on the rivalry between Punk and Owens, and that rivalry dominated significant portions of the match, especially late on.

Their obsession with keeping each other from winning cost them the chance to emerge from the bout with the briefcase, as Breakker wiped them out with a spear through the timekeeper's position.

Also wiped out by The Badass was Evans, who was carried out on a stretcher and left the arena in an ambulance, only to return later and unleash a beating on Breakker, Penta and Williams.

His brief burst came to a crashing end when Breakker sent him off a 20-foot ladder and through the roof of the ambulance.

Just as it looked like Breakker would scale the ladder, Penta reentered the scene. The fearless luchador delivered a Mexican Destroyer to the world tag team champion and retrieved the briefcase to win the match.

Result

Penta won

Grade

B+

Top Takeaways

• A bumpy, ugly start to the match saw several moments go awry or look disjointed.
• Penta struggled to get up for a flapjack spot with Williams, then nursed his right leg and hamstring for most of the match.
• Breakker broke up a Penta Driver attempt and German-suplexed both him and Punk in an excellent spot.
• Breakker ran the guardrails and wiped out Williams before showboating on the announce table, only to be tripped up and take a big bump courtesy of Owens in a great spot that humbled the second-generation star for the moment.
• Evans looked like a star here, but his delay in climbing the ladder, his failure to realize it was so far from the briefcase, and the big bump through the ambulance roof made him look foolish.
• Penta winning was the right call and allows him to build on his recent momentum.
• The match itself was nowhere near as smooth as other Money in the Bank matches in recent years, but it had its own charm. Still, getting to the ambulance bump required some questionable logic. Ultimately, the match has to be considered a success: It highlighted Punk vs. Owens, made Breakker look unstoppable and gave Penta a big win.

MVP and Overall Grade

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MVP: Roman Reigns

Plenty has been said about Reigns over the course of his career, some justified, but there is no denying his current run is by far his best. He delivered another phenomenal in-ring performance that did not rely on run-ins, overbooking or unnecessary elements. On a big night for Knight, where The Megastar proved he belonged, The OTC delivered another stellar showing that earned him MVP honors.

Overall Grade: B+

On a night when there were criticisms of booking decisions and match outcomes, there was no denying the effort up and down what was a strong show from beginning to end.

Reigns and Knight set a high bar. The women's ladder match featured some great creativity. Femi and Reed proved heavyweight battles are alive and well. The women's Triple Threat didn't disappoint. The men's ladder match was a lot, but it was still mostly enjoyable and featured the right outcome.

This was a great show to pay off a strong stretch of WWE programming.