Yet another pay-per-view is upon us. The Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri will be home to the eighth Money in the Bank event. It is a historic event because it will not only feature the first ever Women’s Money-In-The-Bank Ladder match, but it will also be the first time that the pay-per-view will be a SmackDown only event. There are many rumours circulating at the moment, and we bring you 5 of the hottest ones in this piece.
#5 A ‘Legends’ segment in the works; The Rock’s family member to return after 9 years?
Wrestling Observer Newsletter speculates that legends who were big draws in the Missouri market will be in attendance at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, in just a few hours. Some of the supposed names include Ric Flair, Cowboy Bob Orton, Larry Hennig, Baron Von Raschke and Greg Gagne. Rocky Johnson(The Rock’s family member), The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase and Gerald Brisco are some other names that have been discussed for this highly speculated event.
Since references have been made to Cowboy Bob Orton on SmackDown Live, there is a chance that the presence of these legends could directly impact the WWE Championship match.
Also read: 5 WWE Superstars who have held the Money in the Bank briefcase for the shortest time
#4 A Staten Island Princess wins the briefcase?
If one were to believe the betting odds in place right now (as posted on Wrestling Inc), Carmella seems like the odds-on favourite to win the first ever Women's Money in the Bank ladder match. It makes sense from a kayfabe perspective since she has James Ellsworth on her side, and he is known to interfere in ladder matches (remember the TLC Battle between AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose from last year?). Carmella has significantly improved in the ring and has a significant upside, making her the ideal candidate for WWE to push.
Alexa Bliss was recently asked who she thinks will make history and be the first ever winner of the inaugural Women’s MITB ladder match. Not surprisingly she picked Carmella and cited James Ellsworth as the X-Factor that other women on the roster are not privy to, at the moment. If Carmella were to win, the coming months would become interesting.
#3 A former diva arriving with a miracle?
Maria Kanellis is a name that may be familiar to long-time fans of WWE. It is very likely that she will appear at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view if rumours on the internet are to be believed.
This was further augmented by the fact that Kanellis and her husband, 'The Miracle’ Mike Bennett were spotted in a hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, as first reported by Wrestling News Co. They were also spotted at an airport alongside Epico from the Colons. A reported leak from WWE appeared to suggest that there would be a sixth contestant in the Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match, leaving the door open for the return of Maria.
Mike Bennett is a familiar name to fans of Impact Wrestling as well as ROH. Many have spoken about how apt he would be for the WWE style, through his tenure in other promotions. He could be a decent hand in the WWE mid card, and Maria too could bolster the SmackDown Live Women’s Division. We think it is unlikely that she will win the match, however.
#2 Rusev returns for his title shot?
Rusev had made a strong but venomous threat to Shane McMahon recently. The Bulgarian Brute threatened to pack his bags and head home if Shane didn't reward him with a title shot at Money in the Bank.
Well, the pay-per-view is here, and the question is, will Rusev be at the show as well? A report from Pro Wrestling Sheet suggests that he has been cleared for an in-ring return, and we wonder if this means that he will return to make his threat to Shane McMahon. Rusev will certainly add some fire and depth to a relatively thin SmackDown roster.
#1 The Maharaj’s Reign Continues?
Yet again, the rumour mill, the betting odds, and an educated guess from Wade Keller on the Steve Austin Show seem to indicate that Jinder Mahal will retain his championship come Money in the Bank. He is the odds-on favourite not only to win this match but defend his crown against John Cena at Summerslam.
We believe that this is a good call, considering Mahal has not really had a real run with the belt yet. While Mahal’s victory is not a certainty, he certainly seems like the favourite for right now. Will the Singh Brothers help Mahal win? Or will it be a clean victory, to prove his dominance?
Send us news tips at [email protected]
