Money in the bank might not be a pay-per-view that gets ranked up there with WrestleMania or SummerSlam in terms of history. However, as far as the impact it produces, Money in the bank deserves to be among the elite. The importance of the Money in the Bank briefcase is the main contribution to this phenomenon.
And this year, WWE has stepped up their game and booked some mouthwatering match-ups for the pay-per-view. With just days away from the show, here is the full match card analysis and predictions for the show.
Apollo Crews vs. Sheamus
This match is WWE’s idea of giving Apollo Crews something to do. He came into the main roster with some amount of hype, but all of that has been cooled down now. Crews is interesting if he is only seen as an in-ring talent, apart from that, WWE has not given any effort to make him look good and the randomly booked matches are not helping as well.
Going up against Sheamus is a great move forward, but as we all know, Sheamus is also someone who is struggling to be relevant in the current roster. WWE would want Crews to go over Sheamus but the path after this for Crews is not clear and is a problem that WWE needs to address at the earliest.
Prediction: Apollo Crews wins
Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin
Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin will be seen fighting in yet another pre-show match. And it is cringe worthy to know that WWE is not having any stipulations for this one. The Ziggler – Corbin feud is being dragged too much at this point and it would be hard to keep the fans invested in this one. Corbin is desperate to get a win to pick his momentum back up and it is probably the way WWE will head as well.
As far as Ziggler is concerned, he seems like he doesn’t care much about how WWE is currently booking him and this could reflect in this match as well.
Prediction: Baron Corbin wins.
The Club vs. Enzo and Big Cass vs. The New Day vs. The Vaudevillains (Tag Team Championship match)
The tag team division is enjoying one of its best time frames right now. WWE has some solid teams in their roster with the perfect blend of experience, in ring talent, promo skills and much more. The same is understandable as WWE had to leave off the legendary Dudley Boyz from this card to make way for others.
All of the teams are worthy of winning the title. But New Day could retain. This is because Enzo and Cass would need a less crowded situation to get their title win when The Club wouldn’t win as long as AJ Styles gets hold of a title. So the safe bet would be for New Day to retain with some interference from Dudley Boys playing a role.
Prediction: New Day retains
Titus O’Neil vs. Rusev (United States Championship match)
To WWE’s credit, they have tried big time to make this feud look like something special. But unfortunately, something is still missing and it is likely to fall face first when Money in the Bank arrives. Titus clearly deserves his shot at the United States Championship. On paper, he is the best person to carry the championship forward. He is a dream guy for WWE’s PR department, but at the same time, that is not enough to make you a champion.
Rusev could keep hold of his title until someone comes up from NXT and needs the title to take forward his main roster momentum.
Prediction: Rusev retains
Charlotte and Dana Brooke vs. Natalya and Becky Lynch
The Women’s division is getting a tag team match for this pay-per-view. The newly formed pair of Charlotte and Dana Brooke will face off against Natalya and Becky Lynch but the question is: Paige has two wins over the champion and she is nowhere in the picture. This shows that the Women’s division is back to the condition that it was for a long time.
As far as the match goes, Natalya and Becky will win it cleanly. This is because WWE needs to explore the ongoing friction between Charlotte and Dana and the best way to do this will be to let them lose. Charlotte will be able to blame Dana afterward resulting in a full blown feud.
Prediction: Becky and Natalya wins.
John Cena vs. AJ Styles
This match is hands down the most unpredictable match in the card. As WWE suggests this is indeed a WrestleMania worthy bout that could well be a match of the year contender. Although AJ signed the contract which banned the Club from ringside, we cannot be completely sure about this.
Also, as this is only the first match of the feud, the pendulum could swing either way. Despite this, John Cena has the upper hand since he is the baby face. AJ, though treated as a savior by the fans, is still a heel character on paper. If this feud is to continue, it would be best if WWE lets Cena get the win so that AJ can pursue him for a rematch.
Prediction: John Cena wins
Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Cesaro vs. Alberto Del Rio (Money in the Bank Ladder Match)
The money in the bank match line-up is enough to make everyone drool. Chris Jericho is a veteran when it comes to this match and fans of Ring of honor will know what Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens could do with ladders. Dean Ambrose comes in with his CZW background when Cesaro and Alberto Del Rio brings exciting factors to the table.
In short, this is going to be one match that no one would want to miss. Choosing the winner is a hard task but at the same time, we can rule out Cesaro, Alberto Del Rio, Chris Jericho and Sami Zayn considering the storylines that are possible with them as winners. While Ambrose and Owens are heavy favorites, the pick goes to Ambrose as his win could set up a Shield triple threat for SummerSlam.
Prediction: Ambrose wins
Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns
The Seth Rollins vs. Roman Reigns match had a lot of hype and potential right from Extreme Rules itself. But thanks to some forgettable booking from WWE, the feud has lost its steam and now, WWE has to bring this feud back to life through this match.
When it comes to in-ring action, this will be an interesting match. Reigns has been giving out quality matches throughout his reign when this is the first match for Seth after his injury. The rustiness of Seth could be there but that might not hinder the overall story.
Reigns is unlikely to drop his title at this point as WWE would want that to happen at a bigger stage. But WWE could protect Rollins since he needs to keep his momentum going.
Prediction: Roman Reigns retains
