5 Signs that suggest Otis will cash in Money in the Bank briefcase for SmackDown Tag Team Championships

Mr. Money in the Bank
Mr. Money in the Bank

While a good chunk of the WWE Universe is still surprised by the decision, WWE made the right call to crown Otis as Mr. Money in the Bank in my opinion. He's the most over Superstar on SmackDown and Otis' stature in the company will increase from here.

Now on the RAW after Money in the Bank, Becky Lynch announced her pregnancy and that the women's briefcase that Asuka won did not contain a contract for a title match but the RAW Women's Championship itself. So with the women's picture sorted, the focus now moves to the men's briefcase holder.

Otis may be expected to challenge for the Universal Championship, but there have been several hints which suggest that Otis could be looking to cash in his briefcase for a different title, the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

Let's look at five signs why Otis may decide to go after the tag titles of the Blue brand.


#5 Otis said so himself

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The whole reason behind the speculation regarding how Otis will cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase stems from an interview he had with Digital Spy prior to the Money in the Bank PPV. In that very interview, Otis claimed that since there's no restriction on which title he can go after, he'll be looking to challenge for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

"If I get the briefcase, we're challenging for the Tag Team titles. I don't think there's a rule of what titles to challenge for, so we're going to challenge for the Tag Team titles, cash it in and that's what's going to happen... if I can get up that ladder. I'm a little scared of heights. And I hope that ladder's going to be sturdy enough to carry my weight."

There's every possibility that Otis may change his mind and decide to go for a different title. However, there must to some truth to such a huge claim made by Mr. Money in the Bank so don't be surprised if Otis makes good on his claim and goes after the SmackDown tag titles.

#4 Otis is not good enough on the mic for a singles run

Otis is a fantastic performer inside the squared circle and for a man of his size, he's extremely agile too. His matches have been fun to watch and The Caterpillar is one of the quirkiest finishing maneuvers in the entire WWE.

However, as we all know, good mic work is extremely necessary for any singles Superstar to prosper. Unfortunately for Otis, he's not the greatest at cutting promos. Even during his Heavy Machinery run, Tucker used to do most of the talking.

Yes, Otis already has Mandy Rose as a partner but she herself is embroiled in a personal feud with Sonya Deville. In any case, The Golden Goddess isn't best suited for the role of a hype woman or manager either.

So there's a good chance Otis might struggle on the verbal front if he goes after any of the singles titles. Thus, it makes good sense for him to stay put with Tucker in the near future while he works on his mic skills.

#3 Will bring an abrupt end to Otis & Tucker's partnership

Ever since moving to the main roster in January 2019, Heavy Machinery has had a mixed run of sorts until the whole storyline involving Otis and Mandy Rose began earlier this year.

Otis & Tucker are yet to win a Championship together in WWE. So given just how well these two have performed together, it's safe to say that Heavy Machinery as a team still has a long way to go. Otis cashing in and possibly winning a singles title would affect the team's future.

While The New Day has shown us that a WWE Superstar need not part ways with his team to win a singles title, let's not forget that the additional member that The New Day had changed things significantly. It allowed Kofi Kingston to go after the WWE Championship while Xavier Woods and Big E went after the tag titles.

That doesn't seem possible in the case of Heavy Machinery because then Otis will be constantly needed to focus on two titles at the same time.

#2 SmackDown tag team division needs fresh blood

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Carrying on from the last slide, let's put our focus again on The New Day. Big E and Kofi Kingston retained their tag team titles back at Money in the Bank PPV in a Fatal 4-Way tag match.

Speaking of the SmackDown tag team division, Miz & Morrison seem to be losing focus, Lucha House Party seem to be involved only to take the pin, while The Usos are out due to injury. Only The Forgotten Sons seem to be credible challengers to The New Day's SmackDown Tag Team Championships.

That scenario could very well change if Otis decides to go after the tag titles on the Blue brand. SmackDown traditionally has been known as the hub for tag team wrestling in the WWE and for that reputation to remain untarnished, the division needs to have enough notable challengers for the title.

The addition of Heavy Machinery could help perfectly in that regard. Otis & Tucker are also known for pulling off high octane moves so expect some amazing spots too. Otis is a crowd favorite so that would bring extra eyeballs on the tag division too.

#1 Otis not ready to enter the world title picture yet

Conventionally, any Superstar who wins the Money in the Bank briefcase cashes it in for a shot at the top prize of whichever brand he's on. However, Otis should be looking to break the norm in this regard.

No matter how much of a hot streak he may be on and no matter the fanfare that he enjoys, Otis needs to have tons of experience under his belt before challenging for the ultimate prize on SmackDown.

If you look at the Superstars currently involved in the Universal title scene – Braun Strowman and Bray Wyatt – Otis just doesn't come across as dominant enough to get one over either of these two Superstars, no matter the nature of the cash-in.

At the end of the day, only time will tell how Otis goes about his business. But in my opinion, having him start with the SmackDown Tag Team Championships and then slowly building him into a bigger star should work in the favor of both the Heavy Machinery member and WWE too.

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