Ranking Each Star's Odds of Winning Women's WWE Money in the Bank 2019 Briefcase
Eight Superstars will be competing in the 2019 women's Money in the Bank ladder match, and for the first time, the entrants from both WWE Raw and SmackDown Live all have the same target.
Heading into her two title defenses at the pay-per-view on May 19, Becky Lynch holds both the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships, which means the MITB briefcase winner will have only The Man in her sights as her reward for victory.
But while Lynch is in danger from Superstars from both brands, not all the competitors in the ladder match are equal in terms of capturing the briefcase.
Let's take a look at the entrants and rank each woman's chances of winning in ascending order.
8. Dana Brooke
1 of 8
Never say never in WWE, but when it comes to Dana Brooke winning the Money in the Bank, it's not going to happen this year.
If Sasha Banks wasn't in a dispute right now, she would likely be in this spot instead of Brooke, who may only be a placeholder.
In the event WWE has it planned for The Boss to replace someone, it will be Brooke who gets taken out because she's the most expendable of the bunch.
Brooke has received a bit of a push lately, mostly from fans who feel like she's been dumped on for far too long and could use a break, but not much has manifested from this slight step up.
WWE hasn't shown any confidence in her or giving her legs to run with something as important as the Money in the Bank contract and a future title shot.
Being in the match was already enough of a victory for Brooke, and it would be silly to predict anything more than that happening.
7. Carmella
2 of 8
Carmella was the first woman to win the Money in the Bank briefcase and used it to earn her first title, but she isn't in the same position as she was two years ago.
The momentum she had with James Ellsworth is no longer there, and while the dance-break gimmick with R-Truth turned heads a few months ago, it is nowhere near as popular as it once was.
Carmella is a babyface who has no business cashing in the briefcase on Lynch, and it's unlikely she'd hold on to it long enough to dethrone whichever heel takes the belt off The Man, so there's no motivation to giving her a victory.
The Princess of Staten Island's role in this match is that of filler. As a former winner and champion, she adds legitimacy to the lineup. In the end, though, she'll come up short.
6. Natalya
3 of 8
Not too far above Carmella is Natalya, who is only one spot higher on this list because winning the MITB briefcase would add an accolade to her career.
It's no secret Nattie is well-loved and a future Hall of Famer, so she's always within distance of capturing a title or doing something like winning a Royal Rumble, if only as a pat on the back for having been in WWE for so long.
What hurts her chances of becoming Ms. Money in the Bank, though, is the possibility she and Beth Phoenix may not be finished seeking the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
If there are any plans to have The Divas of Doom fight for those belts again, it wouldn't make much sense to give Natalya the briefcase and focus on her as a singles star, particularly with a babyface like Lynch holding the titles.
Rather, it seems The Queen of Harts could be the first victim for Lacey Evans if she becomes champion, and being fed to her does not require the Money in the Bank briefcase.
.jpg?w=256 "WWE NXT Live Grades")
5. Naomi
4 of 8
Naomi is in a similar position to Natalya in that she's been around so long that she could win big matches out of nowhere, such as her WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal victory last year.
What separates her from Nattie, though, is that she isn't tied to a potential tag team and is actually fresh on the Raw roster.
She still falls into the trap of being a babyface who wouldn't likely capitalize on a wounded Lynch, but who's to say she won't be turning heel in the future?
That would solve a problem and rejuvenate her, since she's been doing the "feel the glow" gimmick for a long enough time to try something different.
However, if a heel turn is in the pipeline, someone else higher in our rankings fits the role much better.
4. Ember Moon
5 of 8
Theoretically, if WWE were to go with a babyface who could challenge Lynch to a straight-up fight in the hopes that even in a loss, her stock would rise considerably, Ember Moon would be the pick.
Moon has had more of a struggle than she deserves, both on the main roster and in NXT.
She was unable to defeat Asuka to become NXT women's champion and only won the title after The Empress of Tomorrow vacated it, only to drop it relatively soon after before coming up to the main roster and not having much of a push.
Now that she's on SmackDown, there's a chance WWE is ready to utilize her for more than just jobbing out every couple of weeks, and capturing the briefcase could be what legitimizes her.
It would be a fast-track option to somewhat erase the previous lack of build, but it would do the job.
What hurts Moon's chances of being higher on this list is that she's yet to prove herself with any notable feuds, so it's doubtful WWE will want to put all its eggs in the one basket and hope things work out.
3. Alexa Bliss
6 of 8
When in doubt, put the belt on Alexa Bliss—the Superstar above all others on this list who can be trusted to carry the weight of the championship when it comes to promos.
Her character work far outshines the seven other competitors, which is why she's won the title so many times and is also a former Ms. Money in the Bank.
Bliss is easily the safest pick if WWE wants to fall back on a proven commodity, but her in-ring status makes her less of a certainty. Since her injury last year, she hasn't wrestled more than a handful of times.
Perhaps this is a coincidence, but the prevailing theory has to be that WWE has limited her physicality out of fear of further injuries, which isn't the sturdiest foundation on which to build a title reign.
With that being said, Daniel Bryan just held the WWE Championship, so there's nothing preventing The Goddess from being champion again, especially if she can cash in the briefcase and win through unscrupulous means.
2. Mandy Rose
7 of 8
If WWE wants to have a heel Ms. Money in the Bank who can take a title off Lynch, Mandy Rose becomes a top contender in light of Alexa Bliss' recent injury concerns.
She isn't as seasoned in the ring as some others on this list such as Natalya or Naomi, but that isn't stopping Lacey Evans from getting a title shot, is it?
Rose has the look of someone WWE would want to give the belt to, as her character screams "hate me" and being champion would magnify that ego. Plus, she has Sonya Deville in her corner, who may be the helping hand that paves the way for her victory.
However, something is fishy about how Deville gave up her spot in the match, and instead of it being to help her friend, this may be the start of a split.
WWE teased their breakup last year and decided against it, likely due to the Women's Tag Team Championship coming into play.
Assuming she and Deville are still on the same page, Rose fits the bill as a heel who could win the title through a cash-in to help explain how she beat a superior wrestler.
1. Bayley
8 of 8
Bayley is in desperate need of a change to her character after doing the same thing for six years, and the temptation of the Money in the Bank contract may be the perfect catalyst for her heel turn.
In the past few years, she has tried to fight the good fight, only to come up short or suffer heartbreak on many occasions. Even when she's been successful and won titles, the reigns haven't been stellar.
Since she and Becky Lynch are part of the Four Horsewomen, there's a built-in feud waiting to happen by having Bayley finally snap and take advantage of her weakened friend for selfish purposes.
It doesn't have to happen at Money in the Bank, as WWE could tease Bayley succumbing to her more villainous desires over the course of weeks or even months, but the eventual turn would pop the crowd.
To be fair, there's even a chance WWE would pull a fast one by having Charlotte Flair beat Lynch, only to have Bayley cash-in on The Queen and become the new champion and really throw everything for a loop.
These options make it hard not to think Bayley is in one of the best positions to become the next Money in the Bank holder.
Anthony Mango is the owner of the wrestling website Smark Out Moment and the host of the podcast show Smack Talk on YouTube, iTunes and Stitcher. You can follow him on Facebook and elsewhere for more.
.jpg?w=480 "WWE NXT Live Grades")
.png?w=600 "Who Will Panthers Take at No. 9 ? 🤔")
