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We're about a month away from the next major event on the WWE calendar, Money in the Bank 2019, and now with the card beginning to take shape, we should start seeing some Money in the Bank qualifying matches next week. If this year is anything like last year, there will be eight participants in each ladder match - four each from Raw and SmackDown, respectively.
Who will compete in the men's ladder match? Let's try to read some tea leaves.
#1 Drew McIntyre (Raw)
We'll begin with the most obvious choice. Drew McIntyre has been featured heavily since he returned to the main roster last year and he has looked like a beast for the most part the entire time. Despite this, the former NXT Champion has yet to have a true breakout moment since his return to Raw. Money in the Bank might be his chance.
Barring an AJ Styles heel turn, no one else on Raw currently looks like as good a bet to succeed Seth Rollins as Universal Champion than Drew McIntyre. McIntyre has an aura and presence that can't be taught and seeing him carry around the briefcase would only add to it.
Drew McIntyre would be perfectly placed as the destroyer in the match, wrecking people with his strength and power. Supposedly, the company wants to book the winner of this year's Money in the Bank match as "a star" because of how poorly they booked Braun Strowman last year and Baron Corbin the year before. Drew McIntyre certainly fits the bill.
A feud between McIntyre and Rollins was rumored as well, and with AJ Styles already having a crack at the Universal Champion, McIntyre feels like the next big stop on the new champion's run with his title.
#2 Aleister Black (SmackDown)
To their credit, WWE has been consistent with Aleister Black's run on the main roster so far. It's easy to see why they look like they're impressed with the former NXT Champion. Now that he's moved to SmackDown Live and is back on the road as a singles competitor, a spot in the Money in the Bank match would be the next logical step in his main roster career.
While he's unlikely to win the briefcase this year, Aleister Black could use the match as a breakout moment on his own run to championship gold. Black isn't typically a high flyer or a powerhouse, but he'd bring a memorable presence and aura to the contest, and would have the opportunity to really stand out as one of the stars in the match. He could easily do a meteora from one of the ladders, or Black mass an unfortunate soul out of the ring and through a table.
#3 Baron Corbin (Raw)
He shouldn't be there, but WWE seemingly can't resist featuring Baron Corbin all the time, no matter how bad he has been for the company's ratings. They're just addicted to "heat," much to their own detriment. They're certainly going to play up that cheap heat as the match goes on and let the audience cheer when he takes some nasty offense or falls off one of the ladders.
With both Drew McIntyre and The Miz both looking to settle the score with him, we can expect him to be in the match, as their mini-feud continues there. He's also a big man that could do some power spots and make the smaller guys bump hard, which is always one of the Money in the Bank match's selling points. Watch him pull the ladder out from under one of his smaller competitors on at least one occasion.
#4 Andrade
The former "Cien" Almas is now back on SmackDown after some sort of backstage shenanigans or another. Unfortunately, now that he's back there, it looks like he's stuck in the same spot as he was before - jobbing to the notable names on the roster but doing nothing else of note. He has yet to have a breakout since he was called up to the main roster a year ago.
The Money in the Bank ladder match would be a good way for him to start changing his fortunes. Andrade is in many ways the perfect all-round competitor for the match. He can fly, he can bump, and he can do the technical wrestling needed to hold the match together between the big spots.
It's unlikely that he will win the match, but a good performance could open up a lot of eyes, both in front of and behind the scenes.
#5 The Miz (Raw)
The Miz is the textbook definition of an all rounder in WWE. He has evolved from a shaky career start into the guy that can do anything reliably. He's even performed very well as a babyface making the turn several months ago. With hostilities joined with both Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin as of this week, The Miz can continue to engage both of them in the Money in the Bank ladder match.
The Miz isn't a high-flyer, but he's a great bumper, and will make the likes of Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre look good as they dish out the pain to him during the match.
His chances of winning on May 19th are virtually zero, but The Miz will be one of the anchors that holds the match together. It's a role that he excels at in everything that he does in the company.
#6 Ali (SmackDown)
Lest we forget, it was originally Ali (before then "Mustafa Ali") who was supposed to get the push that Kofi Kingston eventually got. Yes, KofiMania happened by accident because of an unfortunately timed injury on Ali's part. While Ali probably wouldn't have faced Bryan at WrestleMania, the role he was supposed to be in suggests some level of investment in the former "heart of 205 Live."
He'll begin to resume his push in the Money in the Bank ladder match. He's the perfect man for such a match. His high-flying arsenal will create at least one memorable spot and he's one of the best bumpers in the company. That should make for at least one more memorable spot.
The Money in the Bank match is the chance for Ali to have a real breakout en route to at least midcard title contention before the end of the year.
#7 Ricochet (Raw)
Speaking of high-flyers, it would be a crime if the best high-flyer in the company, Ricochet, wasn't put into the Money in the Bank ladder match. We all remember Ricochet's performance in the legendary ladder match for the NXT North American Championship at TakeOver: New Orleans, and while we probably can't expect such intensity on the main roster, unfortunately, his presence at Money in the Bank should be a formality.
Ricochet will make for spots that no one else can possibly do. Could we possibly see a 630 senton off a ladder and through a table? Just imagine it for a moment and you'd see why Ricochet is a requirement in this match.
It would also be interesting to see him face off against his now former tag team partner, Aleister Black. Perhaps Ricochet's feud with the now-Robert Roode will continue in the form of a qualification match.
#8 Buddy Murphy (SmackDown)
There was no one more deserving of a main roster promotion than Buddy Murphy, who has turned his career around more than anyone else not named Becky Lynch in the last year. The former Cruiserweight Champion hasn't appeared on SmackDown yet, but he's coming. If he gets a chance, he'll knock it out of the park, and he should get that chance by qualifying for Money in the Bank.
Buddy Murphy could be the MVP of the match. He can fly at high speed and he can perform power spots. He can flip off a ladder or powerbomb somebody through a table as the situation requires. Seeing him interact with his old rival, Ali, alone would be worthy of putting him in, let alone potential face offs with Aleister Black or Ricochet.
The best kept secret is going to arrive on SmackDown soon and he'll be even less of a secret soon enough.
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