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Sasha Banks became the final woman to qualify for this year's Money in the Bank ladder match after her victory in the women's gauntlet match on Raw this week.
Banks will join five other former Women's champions, Lana and Ember Moon in the match, which will no doubt be one of the event's most exciting bouts.
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While Carmella was an obvious favourite going into last year's match, the sheer quality of the competition in this year's match makes it a lot more difficult to call. The company could use the briefcase to re-establish a former champion as a contender for the belt, use to continue an on-going storyline, or give it to someone who needs that little push to be taken seriously as a contender for the belt.
After the debacle of last year's finish, which saw James Ellsworth beat seven of the company's best female competitors to win the briefcase for Carmella, the company will pull out of all the stops to make sure this year's match goes off without a hitch.
There is an argument to be made for any of the eight competitors winning the bout, so let's take a look at each of the eight women in the match and consider their chances.
#8 Lana- 2/10
Lana picked up her first ever singles victory on last week's SmackDown to secure her place in this year's Money in the Bank contest.
The Ravishing Russian has finally been partnered back up with her real-life husband, Rusev and is one of the most popular female performers on the WWE roster.
Despite that, she remains incredibly inexperienced in the ring and is the weakest performer in the bout. While the prospect of Rusev and Lana becoming the first ever Mr and Mrs Money in the Bank is a fun one, it seems incredibly unlikely that the WWE would even consider Lana as an option to win this bout.
#7 Naomi- 4/10
Naomi is a former SmackDown's Women's Champion and the winner of the inaugural Women's WrestleMania Battle Royal. Despite her impressive resume though, Naomi is currently nowhere near the title picture on SmackDown and the chances of her picking up a victory here are highly unlikely.
Naomi spent the latter part of 2017 living in Charlotte's shadow, and the addition of Asuka to the SmackDown roster has just seen her slip further and further down the pecking order.
She has zero momentum heading into the match and while they did opt to surprise us all at Mania with her victory, there is much more on the line than just a silly trophy at Money in the Bank.
#6 Becky Lynch 5/10
If any female on the roster needs the briefcase, it's Becky Lynch. The first ever SmackDown Women's Champion has seen her career stall over the last 18 months, with the Lass-Kicker spending the majority of her time in Charlotte's shadow and competing in random tag matches.
Lynch is one of the most talented and over superstars on the SmackDown roster, but the WWE seems intent on not utilising her potential. She has drifted from random match to random match in 2018 and she really needs something to get her back into the title picture.
While there are some fans who believe she has a legitimate shot at Money in the Bank, in reality, she is nothing more than an extreme dark horse. She will likely end up being the plucky star who has the briefcase grasped from her hands in the dying moments, just to really kick a woman while she is down.
#5 Alexa Bliss 6/10
Former Raw Women's champion Alexa Bliss is being placed as one of the favourites for this match by a lot of fans but personally, I don't see it happening. Bliss, like quite a few women on this list, simply doesn't need to win the briefcase to be considered a top female on Raw.
While she has definitely lost some momentum since her back to back defeats to Nia Jax, Bliss is still one of the most effective heels on the Raw roster. When Ronda Rousey inevitably wins the belt and needs a good heel to go up against later in the year, Bliss will be first in the queue, whether that is with or without the briefcase.
Bliss and the briefcase would no doubt be a match made in heaven, and most fans wouldn't complain if she took it home next month, but I can't help thinking the briefcase would be wasted on her.
#4 Sasha Banks 6/10
After a red-hot start to 2018, Sasha Banks has cooled off a little in the last month or two and the former Women's Champion needs something big to happen to get her back on track.
She was impressive in the gauntlet match on Raw this week, and it would be foolish to rule her out of a big victory at Money in the Bank.
Banks spent the first half of 2018 teasing a heel turn, and a feud with Bayley, but neither of those came to pass. There is every chance, however, that the WWE is holding off on that feud until the summer, and if that is the case, it seems unlikely the briefcase will be involved.
A heel Sasha holding the briefcase would make for excellent viewing, and while Banks could really do with a little boost right now, in the long term, this would probably end up being a little bit of a waste.
#3 Charlotte Flair 7/10
Charlotte Flair has had an exceptional start to 2018. Her surprise victory over Asuka at WrestleMania provided the night with one of its best moments and her matches with the likes of Ruby Riott have been a reminder of just how incredibly talented she is in the ring.
Like Sasha Banks and Alexa Bliss though, Charlotte really doesn't need the briefcase to be considered a title contender on SmackDown. While she may have just lost to Carmella and is currently out of the title picture. She has the pedigree to simply come out and issue a challenge for the belt, as opposed to having to use the briefcase to get one. If Asuka wins the belt at Money in the Bank, then Flair can simply use the fact that she is the only women to beat her to earn herself a shot at SummerSlam, for example.
Giving Flair the briefcase would be reminiscent of when the company wasted the gimmick on John Cena back in 2012. The briefcase should be used to either expand a storyline or push a superstar into the main event who wouldn't have otherwise got there.
That being said, Charlotte is the biggest female talent on the SmackDown roster, and the WWE might want to restore some prestige to the match to the briefcase after last year's debacle.
#2 Ember Moon 7/10
The early favourite with the bookies, Ember Moon has had an impressive start to her WWE run and the WWE may choose to cash in on that momentum at Money in the Bank.
The former NXT women's champion is a future champion, that's for sure. It really is just a case of when and where the company decides to pull the trigger.
Moon has already defeated several former Women's Champions in her first few months on the roster, so having come out on top of a match which features six other former champions really isn't too much of a leap.
There is every chance that Moon will take home the briefcase next month, personally, though, I feel like it may just be too early for her. With Rousey likely to win the belt at the same event, the former UFC champion is likely to carry the belt through to Mania, and it would make more sense to keep Moon away from the title picture until then. Moon has all the potential in the world, so there is no point in just feeding her to Rousey and killing all of her momentum.
1 Natalya 8/10
WWE's decision to put Ronda Rousey in a title match in her first singles match with the company was at first, a baffling one. Rousey had a great match at Mania, but she has not done enough to warrant a shot at the belt just yet.
It also seems highly unlikely they would have her lose her first solo outing on WWE TV, which puts the WWE in a bit of a predicament. In the eyes of most fans, Rousey is not ready for a run with the belt just yet, and she is still hugely inexperienced in the ring.
Step forward, Natalya and the briefcase. The company has played off the history between Natalya and Ronda Rousey in recent months, and it is likely heading towards a match between the two women.
Having Natalya cash in on Rousey on the same night that she won the briefcase would be the best option for everyone. Not only would the briefcase protect Rousey in defeat, but it would also give her her first real feud within the company, and lead to a match between the two at SummerSlam, a match which Rousey would then win.
The story writes itself, with the master turning on the apprentice because she feels as though she has been outdone by her, and Natalya's experience in the ring would no doubt help Rousey look a million bucks when she beats her for the title.
The company waited for nearly a year before Carmella cashed in her briefcase, I think there is every chance we may see the total opposite this year.
Do you agree with this list? Who do you think will walk away with the Money In The Bank briefcase? Sound off in the comments section below. you can also send us news tips at [email protected].
