Also Read: WWE Money In The Bank Results, Live Updates
WWE pay-per-views continue to come thick and fast, this weekend sees Smackdown Live present their brand-exclusive show, Money In The Bank.
The Money In The Bank ladder match is often one of the highlights of the wrestling calendar, not just for the high-risk, exciting action, but also for the potential rise to stardom for whoever captures the briefcase.
Also Read: Arguing why each of the MITB participants should win the briefcase (Women's Ladder Match)
This year’s event is arguably the hardest to call in many years. Smackdown Live has shocked fans recently, with the likes of Jinder Mahal and Breezango competing in Championship matches at their previous pay-per-view, Backlash.
Therefore, predicting the winner of this year’s Money In The Bank is difficult, each competitor has to be given serious consideration in the current climate.
So, with that in mind, here is an argument for why each of the MITB participants should win the briefcase this Sunday.
#1 Sami Zayn
The guaranteed title shot that the winner of the Money In The Bank receives may be Sami Zayn’s best chance of getting a championship opportunity on Smackdown Live.
Largely due to his ‘underdog’ persona, Sami feels like he is someway down the pecking order in terms of title contenders when compared to his opponents this Sunday. Capturing the briefcase would change this and he would have to be seen as a genuine threat to the brand’s top talents.
Also, it would be refreshing to have a babyface like Sami carry around the Money In The Bank contract. A surprise cash-in doesn’t seem to fit Zayn’s character and he would likely announce his cash-in ahead of time, prior to a pay-per-view, which we haven’t seen very often since the MITB concept debuted in 2005.
#2 Baron Corbin
One of the front-runners to capture the briefcase this Sunday is the ‘Lone Wolf’, Baron Corbin.
Corbin has seemingly been on the cusp of breaking out as a top heel on Smackdown Live for a number of months now and the Money In The Bank contract could be what he needs to elevate him to main event status.
He would be the typical briefcase holder in WWE, an opportunistic heel that is willing to take any shortcut he sees to further his own career. Corbin does not care what people think of him and would not hesitate to cash-in a Money In The Bank contract on a vulnerable Champion at the most opportune moment.
#3 AJ Styles
In my humble opinion, the most interesting winner this Sunday would be AJ Styles.
Since WrestleMania, Styles has veered away from his heel persona, but, although the fans love him, he is not a clear-cut babyface and you wouldn’t rule him out of cashing in the Money In The Bank contract on a babyface WWE Champion down the line.
Therefore, if he wins the briefcase, it would keep the audience guessing and he could take advantage of his Championship opportunity at any moment.
I could see AJ staying on the periphery of the title picture until around Royal Rumble and then cashing in his title shot on someone like Nakamura to set up a WrestleMania showdown, at least that’s what I want to see.
#4 Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler is arguably the participant most in need of the victory this Sunday, despite being the only competitor to have previously held the Money In The Bank briefcase.
After somewhat of a career resurgence last year, during his feud with The Miz, Dolph has faded back into obscurity and has become an afterthought on Smackdown Live. Money In The Bank could be seen as a ‘now or never’ situation for Ziggler, with rumours circulating that he is considering leaving the company when his contract expires.
Giving Ziggler the briefcase and keeping him involved in the title picture for a few months would slowly start to rebuild his credibility. If done right, it could transform him into the main event talent that many fans have always believed he could be.
#5 Kevin Owens
One of the best ways to make the Money In The Bank briefcase really mean something is to give it to an arrogant heel who lauds it in the face of his competitors and constantly reminds everyone that he is almost guaranteed to be the future Champion: Enter, Kevin Owens.
Owens is arguably the best talker in the company right now and is one of Smackdown Live’s biggest stars. Even though he is the reigning United States Champion, giving him the MITB contract too would send out a message that KO is the man to watch on Tuesday nights.
I can just see Owens putting a picture of his face on the side of the briefcase and carrying it around until he cashes it in to become, not just the face of America, but the face of WWE.
#6 Shinsuke Nakamura
Despite receiving the proverbial ‘kiss of death’ by standing tall at the end of Smackdown Live’s go-home show, I think Nakamura still has a good chance of winning the ladder match this Sunday.
It’s fair to say that his main roster run has been quite lacklustre so far, but it’s not too late to turn that around. Having Nakamura win the briefcase would keep him in and around the main event scene while not needing to do a lot with him.
I think less is more when it comes to Shinsuke, by letting him do his thing yet still have the guaranteed future championship opportunity would bring back some of the mystique to his character until he is ready to cash-in his title shot and rise to the top of Smackdown Live.
So that’s why I believe each competitor has a chance of winning this Sunday, but who do you want to see win the Money In The Bank briefcase?
Let us know in the comments below.
