WWE Money in the Bank 2017: Early Predictions for Matches on the Card
WWE Money in the Bank is one week away, and the show is shaping up to be a barnburner. There will be not one but two Money in the Bank ladder matches, and for the first time ever, the women will compete for a briefcase, which will give one of the women a title shot at any time of her choosing.
Meanwhile, the men's MITB ladder match is one of the most talent-stacked there's ever been—a combination of up-and-comers, indy veterans and solid hands. It'll probably be of of the most "extreme" matches on the card—ironic, considering that Extreme Rules has recently passed.
Here are the early predictions for the pay-per-view set for June 18 in St. Louis. But of course, as Vince McMahon was fond of saying, anything can happen in the WWE.
The Usos vs. The New Day
1 of 5
The Usos have held the titles for a little over 80 days. That's the same length that Heath Slater and Rhyno held them. That's the same length that American Alpha held them. And that's probably the length that The Usos will hold them, because The New Day will be winning them at Money in the Bank.
It seems, finally, that everything is going well for The New Day. Xavier Woods is back on TV, and the live audience isn't trolling him over his extracurricular activities. Kofi Kingston's leg is all healed up. And Big E is just himself, which is all he needs to be; whenever New Day breaks up, that man deserves a singles push.
By giving the titles to New Day, the WWE ensures that three of its most entertaining mic workers have a guaranteed segment on every show. And The Usos, who are their best selves as heels, will shine by chasing the titles rather than defending them.
Naomi vs. Lana
2 of 5
Naomi will win, and she'd better win. She's never been treated as a dominant champion—she seems to get pinned in non-title matches more than ever she wins them—but losing to Lana, who is completely unproven, would be beyond the pale.
The best thing Lana can do at Money in the Bank is put up a good fight; perhaps she can come close to winning, or even hit her finisher. But an actual title win, this early in her run, would make no sense. But then again, Jinder Mahal is the WWE champion. And he was a regular loser every week until WWE decided to hand him the top prize in the company.
Mahal, however, has the ring experience to carry the title, even if it's narratively illogical. Lana doesn't even have that.
Naomi will lose the title soon, probably to whoever wins the briefcase. But it wouldn't do the women's division any favors, at all, to have Naomi lose it to Lana.
Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton
3 of 5
Now that Jinder Mahal is WWE champion and nothing's going to change that, one would hope that WWE commits to its decision. Mahal will successfully defend his title at Money in the Bank. And if they really want to commit to him, the writers will have him win cleanly without the Singh Brothers' help. A guy that big and muscular should not need too much support.
Randy Orton is reliable, but he's not exciting. And as he moves into the twilight of his career, he's done very little to overhaul or change his character to keep things interesting.
Meanwhile, Mahal, as unlikely a champion as he is, is a strong character. He also seems like a readymade opponent for John Cena, who can rerun the "All-American vs. Evil Foreigner" routine he ran with Rusev.
Mahal will probably hang on to the championship until Cena returns from his most recent hiatus. And then, Cena can break Flair's record without burying a younger up-and-comer in the process.
Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
4 of 5
This outcome is very much up in the air. Everyone has a compelling reason to win. Tamina would be the unlikeliest choice, which ironically gives her a slight chance. Charlotte Flair is the most obvious choice, which makes her unlikely—she needs this opportunity the least. Becky Lynch would be a crowd-pleaser, but she seems like too much of a babyface to cash the briefcase in an opportunistic manner.
That leaves Natalya and Carmella. Natalya has only won the top title once, and as the de facto leader of the women's heel faction, she could benefit from a mini-push with the briefcase. Carmella would benefit the most, but she's still green in the ring.
Still, the Princess of Staten Island is the most likely to win, considering all the outside factors. James Ellsworth can interfere on her behalf, and the visual of him carrying the briefcase for Carmella could make for some entertaining backstage comedy.
Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
5 of 5
Everyone in this bunch, with the possible exception of Dolph Ziggler, could conceivably win the briefcase and have a good rationale for doing so. The most likely winner, however, is Baron Corbin.
Sami Zayn is talented and has the ring experience, but he has not been built up for this sort of big push. AJ Styles doesn't need the briefcase to be a contender. Shinsuke Nakamura is too obvious. And Kevin Owens already has a title; on a roster this big, WWE will not be doubling up a single person with two titles.
Corbin's had a rough road to get to this point. He won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at last year's WrestleMania, and WWE subsequently did nothing with him. Then, he fought on the pre-show at this year's WrestleMania.
But finally, he has a little buzz going. He's getting better on the mic (the man is so much better when he's speaking from the heart rather than reading off a script). And if WWE is going to roll the dice with its new big man, now's the time to do it.
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