WWE Money in the Bank: Ranking the Chances of Raw's MITB Participants

With the Money in the Bank par-per-view taking place this Sunday, it's only convenient that I do some sort of an article.

So instead of just doing a typical article/slideshow on predicting the winners of each match at the PPV, I've decided to do an articles ranking each brand's participants—one through eight—by their chances at winning MITB.

I'll start off with the show that just had a pretty good buildup to its MITB match this past Monday night, with a six-man tag containing six of the participants.

Raw Money In The Bank:

8. Jack Swagger

Let's be honest here—there are two superstars in this match that we can eliminate from contention: Swagger and Evan Bourne.

Swagger won MITB last year at Wrestlemania and cashed in his victory quickly afterwards to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.

He has been in a pretty big fall down the card since then, and at this point in time, is really no more than a mid-carder who can be plugged into main-event and upper mid-card matches from time to time—case in point: the tag team match where he did the job to Alex Riley just recently.

It is highly unlikely that we see a repeat of Wrestlemania 26.

7. Evan Bourne

I like Evan Bourne, but there is no chance he wins this match. He is nice to have in these matches because he is one of the few true high-flyers left in the WWE, he has an extremely likeable "look," and he is a pretty popular face.

There's no chance that with guys such as the Miz, Rio, Truth, Mysterio, and now even Riley, Bourne walks out with the briefcase.

Bourne will be there to do his usual high-flying manuevers to add that element to the match—every other superstar in the match, with the exception of Mysterio and Kingston, can't do legitimate high-flying moves at all.

He gets the nod over Swagger simply because he is actually higher on the totem pole right now—he beat Swagger at Capitol Punishment.

6. Rey Mysterio

People may have a gripe about this, but I can't see Mysterio winning MITB this year.

Does he have a chance, unlike Bourne and Swagger? Yes.

Does he have more of a chance than the five that are in front of him? No.

Mysterio has been to the mountain top: He has won the world title on several occasions.

He is here because of his veteran/main-event presence, which adds legitimacy to the match. This is a role that Kane took up for years.

The Money in the Bank match is used to boost an upper mid-card talent to the next level and won't be won by an already-established main-eventer—case in point: Swagger and Miz winning MITB last year.

5. Kofi Kingston

Kofi is ready to take his talents to the next level. He is ready to be in the main-event scene after many IC and US title reigns and after many matches with Dolph Ziggler.

But will he win this match?

Unlike Mysterio, I can see Kingston winning this match. He fits the sterotype perfectly: young up-and-comer, never really been on the main-event level before, and not expected to win.

But they haven't really been building up Kingston as strongly as they have Riley over the past two months, have they?

In last year's MITB at Wrestlemania, nobody expected Swagger to win. Most were picking Christian; some, Matt Hardy.

Swagger was on a cold streak, as he is now, and he won MITB. So it wouldn't be a shock to see Kingston walk out with the briefcase.

But over the other guys in this match? I can't see it happening.

4. Alex Riley

They've been building up Riley like crazy over the past two months. I think he has three wins over the Miz and he is probably the hottest superstar heading into this PPV in-ring wise.

With that being said, it's too soon to give Riley the MITB, and with Cena holding the title for the near future, I highly doubt people would pay to see a Riley-Cena match.

3. R-Truth

Truth just had a title match at Capitol Punishment vs. Cena and has been involved in the title chase for the past several months. He is one of the hotter characters in the WWE right now after his heel turn, but is it me or has he been kind of an afterthought since Capitol Punishment?

With the CM Punk saga, the buildup of Riley, the frustration of the Miz and the "golden boy" Del Rio kind of overtaking the spotlight in this match, Truth feels like a third wheel.

With Truth being a legit heel now, he could easily win MITB and cash in with a rematch sometime over the next year vs. Cena.

2. The Miz

This is typical WWE booking: The Miz has been on a losing streak vs. his former protege, Alex Riley, the reason why he has gone into frustration mode.

Does anybody really believe that Riley has more of a chance than the Miz to win this match, really?

Really?

It would be perfect for the Miz's character to win MITB yet again.

1. Alberto Del Rio

With Del Rio winning the No. 1-contenders match a few weeks ago on Raw and its being forgotten and overshadowed due to the CM Punk saga, I think it's highly likely that we see Rio win this match.

With Del Rio's already having been involved in a world title match at Wrestlemania, it's only a matter of time before we see Rio holding the WWE title on Raw.