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The build to Money in the Bank sets the stage for SummerSlam. Some things have already become clearer. Some haven't, but we can see a general direction that's likelier than not. At this rough midway point between WWE's big four shows, predicting the next set of champions is a fun exercise.
Who's being set up for a title run?
Note that I won't be discussing the United Kingdom Championship since the situation is in such limbo that it's essentially impossible to make a prediction.
Cruiserweight Champion: Buddy Murphy
This one seems like one of the more obvious predictions. Buddy Murphy isn't as big of a secret as he makes himself out to be anymore, having already had one of the month's best matches with Mustafa Ali and consistently putting on excellent performances on 205 Live.
Murphy will have a shot at the purple strap before the month is out. Cedric Alexander hasn't done much in his reign so far. It wasn't that long ago that he won the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament to become 205 Live's leading man, but for how long can Murphy, who has already established himself as the purple brand's leading heel be held off?
I suspect it won't be terribly long. Alexander might be successful in his first defence, but Murphy looks pretty likely to capture the title before the summer is out.
NXT Tag Team Champions: War Raiders
This is one of the more difficult championships to predict at the moment, as the Undisputed Era have already held the NXT Tag Team Championships since December with no feasible challengers in immediate sight to dispute their dominance. However, one other team has made a big splash already in the division, and that's War Raiders.
The duo has been on the squash match route since their arrival on the TakeOver: New Orleans post-show, but that won't last forever. It might still be too soon to build them up to challenge for the championships even at TakeOver: Brooklyn IV, but they likely will capture the gold before the year is out.
SmackDown Tag Team Championships: SAnitY
The Bludgeon Brothers bludgeoned their way to the blue straps with no trouble. They're undefeated as a team since making their re-debut in November. And yet, ever since their victory at WrestleMania, they've felt like afterthoughts, almost becoming invisible.
It feels very much like WWE is spinning its wheels until SAnitY debuts on SmackDown, and when they do, all bets are off. This summer, we should bear witness to a chaotic war between these two teams, with the Bludgeon Brothers likely dropping the titles.
Raw Tag Team Champions: Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler
Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt seem safely seated atop the Raw tag team division at the moment. However, one new team has already made a massive impact. Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler, in less than a month, have already demolished everything in their path, including a victory over the team of Finn Balor and Braun Strowman.
The team looks to be purposed with positioning Drew McIntyre as a main event player, and indeed, rumours have swirled today about Vince McMahon and Triple H being very high on the former NXT Champion and "Chosen One."
It seems likely then, that the duo will get a run with the titles, if only a brief one, before it splits up, giving McIntyre a more prominent position to win the feud with his current partner and vault straight into the main event role.
NXT North American Championship: Velveteen Dream
This is possibly the championship with the most difficult path to predict at the moment, with Adam Cole having only won the brand new title a month ago and the Undisputed Era fully dominant over NXT's mid-card. However, the Panama City Playboy will face serious challengers in the months to come. With the NXT Championship picture being much clearer for the foreseeable future, what's Velveteen Dream to do before he moves into that picture? Challenging Adam Cole seems like a logical choice.
Although it would ostensibly be a feud between two heels, they're very different from one another, and Velveteen Dream is almost a babyface at this point anyway. Look for Dream to get a good spot as he bides his time before moving up to the NXT Championship in the more distant future.
United States Championship: Andrade "Cien" Almas
Andrade "Cien" Almas made his highly-anticipated main roster debut this past Tuesday, defeating a local jobber convincingly. With Zelina Vega by his side, the former NXT Champion already feels like a big deal. He won't be facing jobbers for long. One rivalry seems inevitable this summer - a clash with the current United States Champion, Jeff Hardy.
A month can make a massive difference. Going into WrestleMania, SmackDown's mid-card scene had been struggling for a year. With the Superstar Shakeup yielding Jeff Hardy as champion, it has a new life, and there's no one better for the newly-arrived Almas to make a splash with.
Look for El Idolo to walk out of the Barclays Center in Brooklyn with the red, white, blue, and gold on his shoulder. Let's just hope they don't make him the generic anti-American foreign heel afterwards.
Intercontinental Championship: Jason Jordan
Seth Rollins has, no pun intended, been burning Raw down as Intercontinental Champion. His reign has a long life left in it, but there are two obvious challenges coming his way, both of whom are currently nursing injuries, and both of whom are his former tag team partners - Dean Ambrose and Jason Jordan.
Jason Jordan looks set to return first. He was already on his way to becoming one of the hottest heels in the business before his unfortunate injury. Should he make the full turn against his former tag team partner, the rivalry could well be one of the year's best, and the title will almost certainly change hands, possibly several times.
Let's hope we see this feud soon.
NXT Women's Champion: Kairi Sane
Shayna Baszler has been on an unstoppable tear since her NXT debut in December, rising to the gold in the women's division faster than anyone else ever has. She's become the big bully on the block, terrorizing everyone in the locker room.
One woman, however, has beaten her. That was Kairi Sane in last year's Mae Young Classic final. Baszler got her win back on Sane a few months ago, but the Pirate Princess has been kept warm on the sidelines, seemingly biding her time. She's the obvious choice to challenge the Queen of Spades at NXT's biggest show of the year, TakeOver: Brooklyn IV.
It's there where the princess will likely take the bully's crown in the rubber match between them, redeeming herself and ending the reign of terror.
SmackDown Women's Champion: Asuka
Shockingly, Asuka failed to claim the blue brand's women's title against Charlotte Flair at WrestleMania 34, which saw the first women's Royal Rumble winner's undefeated streak snapped at roughly 900 days by the queen.
However, the queen is no longer on the throne. It was stolen by Miss Money in the Bank, Carmella. Carmella's reign, however, hasn't been a good one so far, with an infamous showing at Backlash and several dud segments. Each performance makes her feel more like a transitional champion. Asuka being given a title shot randomly made it feel that much more likely.
With a tour of Japan coming right after Money in the Bank, Asuka appears likelier to take the title, and even if she doesn't in June, she probably will in July. Big matches would then likely await the new champion - further clashes with Charlotte and a champion vs. champion match with Ronda Rousey at Survivor Series.
Raw Women's Champion: Natalya
Nia Jax has challenged Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship at Money in the Bank. The match feels like a disaster in the waiting. Nia Jax is another bad choice for a champion, being abysmal both in the ring and on the mic. If the idea is to elevate Ronda Rousey, Nia is the worst choice to make that happen, given that the former UFC champion is a rookie between the ropes.
Things feel set up for Natalya to pull a fast one on her friend. Natalya is likely to qualify for the Money in the Bank Ladder match. She can then go on to win the briefcase and cash in mid-match, betraying her friend and walking out with the gold. A feud would develop from there, with Natalya being a solid hand in the ring to work with Ronda Rousey.
Surely, Natalya's been booked particularly strongly on Raw and turned face randomly for a reason. This is likely it.
In this way, Natalya would serve as a transitional champion, but an important one, and it would be the most notable run of her career.
NXT Champion: Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa has become 2018's year-defining heel and one of the best in the business. He's set to have a street fight with Johnny Gargano at TakeOver: Chicago II next month. Ciampa might have lost the last match in New Orleans, but look for him to win this one, possibly to the point of brutalizing his former DIY partner so much as to put him on the shelf for even longer than he has before. Afterwards, he must be the favourite to challenge for the NXT Championship in Brooklyn.
Aleister Black still hasn't lost a singles match since arriving in NXT, but the current champion's longer-term future already looks to be settling in. He's been working with the main roster talent at some house shows over the past few days. This is usually a sign that a call-up is on the way in the near future.
The dastardly Ciampa would be the ideal choice to unseat Aleister Black on NXT's throne, weaselling his way to the championship in the most cowardly manner possible to both send the Dutch Destroyer to the main roster in strong fashion and elevate the stakes in the long-term feud with Gargano.
WWE Champion: Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe was unceremoniously dismissed by Roman Reigns in a terrible main event for Backlash, but he's good enough and popular enough to easily put that loss behind him. His promo on Big Cass this week already made him feel like a threat again and he'll certainly beat the lumbering giant to qualify for the Money in the Bank match next week.
The Destroyer would be an excellent choice to win the briefcase, but even if he doesn't, he's made his intentions clear. He's gunning for AJ Styles' WWE Championship.
The Phenomenal One's reign has unfortunately not been so phenomenal. While he'll have fans' eternal gratitude for ending Jinder Mahal's stinker of a reign last November, there haven't been many highlights in his second run with the title.
First, he got embroiled in the never-ending Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn vs. Shane McMahon angle. Then, he began a very hot/cold feud with Shinsuke Nakamura. AJ Styles' reign has been solid, but underwhelming.
It definitely feels like it's run its course, and with Shinsuke Nakamura unlikely to fulfil his championship aspirations, Samoa Joe is set to be the next challenger. He's the ideal candidate to become the next WWE Champion.
Universal Champion: Roman Reigns
Honestly, I don't even know what to think about Roman Reigns or the Universal Championship anymore. The situation is a full-blown crisis at this point. While there's been some chatter recently about Seth Rollins challenging Brock Lesnar, I'll believe it when I see it.
Roman Reigns isn't being called the "uncrowned Universal Champion" by accident. It still seems like no one but Reigns will be allowed to get the "Brock rub" that is more fable than something fans care about at this point.
Since interest is dwindling by the day, let's just hope this whole business is over with as soon as possible so that we can finally move on.
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