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It has been confirmed that, this Tuesday on a live episode of Smackdown!, dubbed “The Great American Bash”, we will see the remaining qualifying matches for Smackdown!’s ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. While the match traditionally features eight men fighting for the briefcase that contains a contract for a championship match, it looks like this year’s “blue brand” match will feature the largest field in the match’s history, with nine men vying for the briefcase. Five men have already qualified for the match, which means there are four more slots remaining to fill.
Rumor has it Vince McMahon really wants to put emphasis on making the MITB ladder matches really important, which is why we are not only seeing the RAW match filled with nothing but former WWE Champions (currently announced for that match: The Big Show, John Cena, Chris Jericho and Kane), but we have seen the return of qualifying matches for the Smackdown! ladder match, as opposed to just randomly naming wrestlers to be featured. So far, the Smackdown! ladder match is a mix of both young talent and veterans, with Damien Sandow, Tensai and Santino Marella and Tyson Kidd all making their debuts in the match. So far, Christian is the only one with experience, and is a former 2-time World Champion, making him an odds-on favorite for many.
It’s unknown who will take the remaining four slots for the ladder match, but there are a lot of options that are available. Men like Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre and Sin Cara are all options, as they each have experience in the match. There’s also the possibility of newer stars such as Hunico (whose high-flying would make for some exciting moments in the match) and Ryback, although WWE seems content with him squashing local wrestlers at the moment.
Currently, there are two storylines going with possible competitors in the match. Heath Slater has taken to Twitter, trying to get an online petition going for a slot in the match. At the same time, Cody Rhodes is filing a protest with the Board of Directors, stating he deserves a shot in the ladder match since David Otunga was the one pinned in their tag team qualifier against Christian and Santino Marella this past Friday night, and not him. Considering Rhodes is red-hot right now, there is a good possibility he will get one of the four remaining slots.
Another possibility is Wade Barrett, who is slated to return any time now. The Money in the Bank match was originally going to take place back at Wrestlemania this year, with the MITB PPV being scrapped, and Barrett was on-tap to win the match and successfully cash in against World Champion Sheamus at some point down the road. However, Barrett was injured the night after Elimination Chamber on an episode of RAW, and plans for the match at ‘Mania were completely nixed as a result.
