Early Predictions for Entire WWE Money in the Bank 2019 Match Card

Money in the Bank has always been one of the biggest nights of the year for WWE. For a time, it was being treated as the fifth-biggest show on the WWE calendar. It has now been crowned as the new post-WrestleMania event.

In that position, it will help establish a fresh roster of talent and create new challengers with the central ladder matches. Whoever emerges victorious from this show will be established as the top focal points of Raw and SmackDown going forward.

It is often a fool's errand to predict a card weeks out from the event, and MITB will not be airing until May 19. That doesn't mean that there haven't been some key hints laid down about where this show could go, though.

While a few matches have already been announced, others have been heavily hinted at. This card is shaping up quickly. Moreover, the likely results of these matches have been established.

Who will win the Money in the Bank briefcases, more or less guaranteeing future title reigns? Which world champions will come out on top? Who will steal the show? Which matches on this card will come out of nowhere to change the game?

None of these questions will be answered just yet, but these are the best predictions for this card at this point in the process.

Regardless of fans' mixed reaction to their name change, The Viking Raiders are clearly already in title contention. They pinned Zack Ryder in their debut and have been the focus of the Raw tag team champions since that time.

While this is not the most exciting pairing of styles, it could be a surprise hit. Erik and Ivar are fantastic athletes who are both powerful and fast, which allows them to work well with anyone. They also present the perfect test for the underdog veteran pairing of Ryder and Curt Hawkins.

As WWE attempts to rebuild the tag team division, the first step will be establishing fresh threats. Much the same way as The Authors of Pain only became relevant once they won the titles, this may be the time to quickly put the tag team titles on The Raiders.

While Hawkins and Ryder have a great story behind them, they are not built to be long-term champions. If Ivar and Erik take them down, it will open up a whole host of fantastic matchups, including a perfect return moment for Akam and Rezar.

Prediction: The Viking Raiders become the new Raw tag team champions.

The IIconics' title reign has been a controversial topic since the moment they emerged with the championships at WrestleMania 35. While most of that controversy has been focused on Sasha Banks' disappearance, many are still unsure how to take this heel duo.

Peyton Royce and Billie Kay have shown their worth as entertainers, but their match quality has been less than stellar, even with strong competition. Moreover, the company has yet to commit to them, giving them losses against every major challenger.

Their biggest rivals would be Paige's team of Asuka and Kairi Sane. If anyone can bring the most out of The IIconics, it is this Japanese duo. Both are excellent performers who will push Royce and Kay to show off their best offense.

While it would be easy to move the titles to the new team and just forget The IIconics ever won the titles, the better long-term choice would be to test the champions and allow them to sneak away with a victory. Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville will likely be involved as well.

This will keep people talking about the division and hopefully allow both teams to grow into the spotlight over time as their rivalry continues.

Prediction: IIconics retain the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.

After a brief hint on the post-WrestleMania SmackDown, Samoa Joe and Braun Strowman have not interacted, but that's mainly because The Monster Among Men has not been on Raw. It feels likely that The Samoan Submission Specialist was moved to the red brand for this feud.

The two monsters have never wrestled one-on-one, and it will be fascinating to see what they can do together. Both are big lethal threats to anyone who gets in their way, and they can also move as fast as some cruiserweights.

This will be an easy story to tell, with two big personalities clashing. Joe will try his best to catch The Abominable Strowman with the Coquina Clutch while struggling to match him blow for blow. It's one of the rare times when the heel almost feels as dangerous as The Monster.

This will likely only be the beginning of their rivalry, so it makes sense to keep the title on Joe while protecting Strowman. The two should fight for a while in a feud that will hopefully bring relevance to a long forgotten title.

Prediction: Strowman wins by count-out, with Joe remaining United States champion.

This match is already set for Money in the Bank, with the expectation being that it will be another step forward for Roman Reigns on his WWE return. It will be an important match because The Big Dog showed ring rust at 'Mania.

But Elias is not a perfect opponent for Reigns. He's a charismatic performer who can put on a quality showing in the ring. However, he has little major singles match experience and will struggle to help Reigns if the former WWE champion is still not ready to go at full speed.

Shane McMahon will play a heavy role in this match likely. Unfortunately, this may all be a set up for Reigns vs. Shane, which sounds like a disaster on paper. The Drifter is the far better performer of the two heels but not the bigger star.

While it is unlikely, it would be fascinating if Shane-O-Mac managed to get Elias the win in this match. No one has missed out on big wins more than WWE's lead musician.

Prediction: Reigns wins despite Shane's interference.

Participants: Bayley vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella vs. Natalya vs. Ember Moon vs. Ruby Riott vs. Naomi vs. Mandy Rose

The Money in the Bank ladder matches are always huge moments in WWE, as fresh faces can emerge as stars. So far, both Alexa Bliss and Carmella have successfully cashed in their briefcases to win championships.

Both will likely be in this year's match, but neither stands out as a favorite. In fact, no one comes off as a a clear winner yet, but there are a few possibilities. If WWE wanted to commit to Bayley, she would likely have defeated Charlotte on SmackDown.

Natalya has always been a favorite in WWE, and Naomi feels like a star WWE is ready to rely on for Raw. However, this comes off as the perfect moment to get behind a star who is coming back with a ton of untapped potential.

Ember Moon was briefly NXT's top female performer and remains one of the best in-ring performers in the division. An injury sidelined her for a while, but the women's division is in need of a new star near the top. Moon is the best option and the easiest pick right now.

Prediction: Moon wins the women's Money in the Bank briefcase.

This will be a huge testing ground match. Becky Lynch's best work has been opposite established talent. She has done well enough with others, but she will be asked to do a lot working with the developing Lacey Evans.

The Lady has been given the ultimate chance at stardom. She rarely got an opportunity in NXT, and she has spent the past few months doing almost nothing, waiting for this story. If she succeeds here, she will likely make a huge jump long term.

While it is highly unlikely Lynch loses at MITB, it is not about winning or losing in this case. The focus is on who will step up and deliver. A bad match from Evans here could send her to the back of the line with a gimmick that is not going to be taken seriously.

The Man must show she can carry this division in the ring as well as she has on the mic, and Evans must prove she can be one of Raw's top stars—mainly because the brand is desperate for fresh talent.

Prediction: Lynch retains the Raw Women's Championship.

Fans have seen this matchup far too many times over the past year, but that won't keep it from being great. If The Lass Kicker is going into this after a long competitive fight with Evans, she will be vulnerable, similar to her fight with Charlotte Flair at Fastlane.

The story will be strong. Both women are at the top of their game, ready to over-deliver in what should be their last match together for at least a year as they head to separate brands. They will get physical quickly and not waste a second of their time.

But this feud cannot end with The Queen coming out on top. The entire focus has been on Lynch having Charlotte's number. If WWE concludes the rivalry by having Charlotte come out victorious, especially in a situation where Lynch was clearly vulnerable, it would ruin the story.

She can, however, be the one to soften up The Man just enough to make sure someone else can sneak in and take the title.

One of the reasons it feels likely that Moon will win Money in the Bank is because it is improbable that Lynch will be walking out of Money in the Bank as Becky Two-Belts. Since she is going to Raw long term, it needs to be a SmackDown star who dethrones her.

This would be a huge spot for Moon, establishing her suddenly and clearly as a top heel on the blue brand. She has never had a chance in that role, but fans would hate her immediately for taking advantage of The Man after two successful title defenses.

Prediction: Lynch retains the SmackDown Women's Championship, but Moon cashes in and wins the title.

Participants: Finn Balor vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Randy Orton vs. Baron Corbin vs. Ali vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Andrade vs. The Miz

The men's Money in the Bank ladder match needs to deliver this year after several failed attempts to push talent forward, and the roster is too deep for someone not to benefit from the spotlight. However, it is tough to say who will get that chance.

It is also hard to decide who will be included in the match. This lineup is far from certain, but key names do stand out. Drew McIntyre, Baron Corbin, Randy Orton, Andrade, Rey Mysterio and Miz feel obvious, and if Balor doesn't have a rival soon, he will likely be in the ladder match as well.

That leaves one opening for someone to play the spot man, and Ali is perfectly suited to that role. He could hopefully be more than that as the underdog of this group, but he will be a vital part of the match either way.

Who wins? The best answer should also be the right answer. The Scottish Psychopath has been on the precipice of breaking out, but he has just fallen short of taking that next step. This could be his moment.

He makes perfect sense as a heel who would gladly take any shortcut, and his Claymore is the type of finisher suited for a surprise attack before cashing in his guaranteed shot. He's the guy best suited to dethroning Seth Rollins when the time comes.

Prediction: McIntyre wins the men's Money in the Bank briefcase.

While not officially announced, this was more or less confirmed on SmackDown. Kofi Kingston has been on fire for a while, and he seems poised to make any story work. Kevin Owens was ready for this opportunity to step back into contention.

There's some surprisingly deep storytelling already at play in this feud. KO returned to steal Kofi's title spot, but he could not get the job done. Instead of graciously accepting that, he manipulated the new champion and ambushed him to guarantee another opportunity.

Now the stage is set for what could easily be the best match of the night. Owens spent WrestleMania on the sidelines and has been ready to step up. Kofi will not disappoint with the spotlight on him.

It would be a mistake to have The New Day leader to fall this early. He's as popular as ever, and Owens is not the lead villain made to dethrone him. The Prizefighter will push him to his limit, but bigger rivals are still coming for the WWE champion.

If a SmackDown star won the men's Money in the Bank ladder match, this would be a perfect spot for them to ruin Kofi's run early. Hopefully that is not the plan.

Prediction: Kofi retains the WWE Championship.

This is a dream match for which fans have long waited. With Brock Lesnar finally staying out of the title picture, the Universal Championship can begin to be rebuilt as a fighting champion's belt. Beginning with Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles is a phenomenal start.

These two are among the best in the business. While The Architect is on the run of his career, Styles has been close to the best in the business since he came to WWE in January 2016. The two are focused and determined to be the best.

They have similar styles that have a heavy focus on high-flying and striking, primarily with kicks. They are almost certain to be the main event, and that will give them the spotlight and the time to deliver an epic, hopefully making up for their lack of time at 'Mania.

This will be a must-watch match that could be the start of a long feud or just be an exciting one-off clash. Either way, it should be a great way to highlight the night and finally get Raw's main event scene back on the right track.

Prediction: Rollins retains the WWE Universal Championship.