What’s the story?
Cagesideseats.com is reporting that the lineup for SmackDown’s Money in the Bank ladder match may not be finalised. The site is speculating as part of its ‘Rumor Roundup’ that Rusev may well be added to the match, depending on the injury status of the Bulgarian Brute.
In case you didn’t know...
WWE Money in the Bank takes place on June 18, 2017, and this year the much-anticipated ladder match will be exclusive to SmackDown Live. This past week on the blue brand Shane McMahon announced the six competitors for the eponymous ladder match, featuring a former winner, multiple former champions and three men who will be making their Money in the Bank debuts.
The match is scheduled to involve Dolph Ziggler, WWE United States Champion Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura, AJ Styles and Baron Corbin.
The heart of the matter
The line-up for the 2017 Money in the Bank ladder match is immensely stacked already, with the majority of SmackDown’s credible performers included in the match. Rusev has been threatening to return from injury for a number of weeks now, demanding a title match from Shane McMahon in the process, and introducing the former WWE United States Champion into the ladder match makes a lot of sense.
The number of competitors involved in the match has varied throughout the years. Once WWE made Money in the Bank its own pay-per-view it became a tradition for seven men to compete for the briefcase, but 2016’s version of the match only included six competitors. A return to seven participants could well be on the cards, and the potential addition of Rusev would add another intriguing element to this already fascinating match.
Rusev has been out of action since WWE Fastlane 2017, and the man from Plovdiv moved to SmackDown Live as part of the 2017 superstar shake up.
Also read: 5 ways to turn Rusev into a star
What’s next?
Money in the Bank is less than a month away, but there is plenty of time for the line-up of the match to change. Some may feel that Rusev is best kept out of the match to preserve some star talent for the rest of the card. Rumours suggest Rusev could be in line for a big push over the summer, and with his former tag partner now holding the WWE Championship, a run at the briefcase may well be in Rusev’s future.
Author’s take
This writer has been on the Rusev train for a number of years, and SmackDown will be all the better for his presence. Should the former Alexander be entered in the 2017 Money in the Bank ladder match? Both sides of the argument are understandable, but I would lean towards Rusev being kept out of the match for now. The rest of the card will need his presence, and a singles match against Luke Harper, Tye Dillinger or Mojo Rawley makes a lot more sense.
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