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It's safe to say that the build to Money in the Bank has been lacking, to say the least, as it has been lacking every year. Nevertheless, this year's card looks better than the last few have. Most of the matches at least look solid, and if booked right, this should be one of WWE's better showings in 2019.
The company better put its best foot forward on Sunday, because All Elite Wrestling's premier event, Double or Nothing, comes a week afterward, and there's considerably more hype about the nascent competitor's maiden show. WWE has the chance to take some of that spotlight back.
Which of the 11 matches have the potential to steal AEW's thunder? Which should you probably avoid? Let's take a look.
#11 Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans
Becky Lynch might be a double champion, but she's mostly been riding on inertia this year. Truthfully, she hasn't had a standout match since the one with Asuka at the Royal Rumble. This is unlikely to be such a standout match. Lacey's performances at the Royal Rumble and against Natalya on Raw don't inspire much confidence. She clearly has a long way to go in the ring and was thrust in this spot entirely too early.
Hopefully, the company realizes that and keeps the match short as a result. If it goes on too long, Lacey's weaknesses are going to get exposed, especially against an opponent that won't be optimal in masking them.
With Becky Lynch doing double duty on the night, one of her matches will probably be kept short. It's a no-brainer that this should be the one on the shorter side. Either way, nothing about this match screams "must see", especially in the face of strong competition throughout the Money in the Bank card.
#10 Roman Reigns vs. Elias
The build to this has been lackluster, to say the least, and there's no doubt about the victor. This is going to be the standard Roman Reigns Superman match, much like his match against Jinder Mahal was at last year's Money in the Bank show. Truthfully, it doesn't feel like this match needs to be happening at all, at least not on pay per view.
Hopefully, the Superman formula is shorter, rather than longer. There's simply no need to see Elias put Roman Reigns in rest holds for 10 minutes and then get speared. If that's the formula, it might be the worst of the night.
#9 The Miz vs. Shane McMahon
It's the WrestleMania rematch no one really wanted to see, this time taking place inside of a Steel Cage. Unfortunately, I don't think this match will make the most of the stipulation. Instead, Shane McMahon's obnoxious booking is set to continue, especially since he might well be facing Roman Reigns in Saudi Arabia.
Shane will certainly perform one of his usual stunts and likely escape from the cage that way, even if it hurts him in the process. The Miz will have to suffer the embarrassment of having once again fallen short of avenging his father thanks to Shane's deus ex machina booking.
#8 Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte Flair
The company was clearly full of hot air in December when it said that fans would "be the authority," because nobody wanted to see another match between these two. While it opens up the women's Money in the Bank match, this is the classic WWE booking of extending a feud long past its expiration date, and the meat is beyond rotten.
That lack of hype is going to be the first thing that hurts this latest rematch.
The other thing that will hurt the match is that Charlotte and Becky Lynch aren't brilliant together between the ropes unless there's some kind of stipulation involved. The Evolution and TLC matches were fantastic. The Hell in a Cell and Super Show-Down matches were decent but ultimately forgettable.
No one will want to see Charlotte win, so there's at least some hook, but there's no excitement about this match.
#7 Tony Nese vs. Ariya Daivari
This will be Tony Nese's first real test as Cruiserweight Champion, his first real test in terms of carrying the purple brand. As usual, his showing will be on the kickoff, but there are worse things WWE can do that put the high-octane Cruiserweights there to excite people.
Tony Nese might not be Buddy Murphy, but he's always dependable. This match might well punch above its weight on Sunday night. There's just going to be much stronger competition from here on out that make me rank it here.
#6 Women's Money in the Bank ladder match
There's no question that the addition of Nikki Cross helps this match substantially. As of yesterday, I was prepared to rank it much lower. Now, there will be Ember Moon to do the high flying spots, Bayley to carry the lulls between the ropes, and Nikki Cross to do the craziest spots of all. We all know what Cross is capable of. We haven't forgotten that last woman standing match with Asuka two years ago.
This could be Cross' big breakout. Let's hope she does well.
#5 Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio
This won't be the squash that the WrestleMania match was, and with the names involved, it should be a good, if unnecessary, match. The addition of Rey Mysterio's son, Dominick, promises to make it a good Samoa Joe angle. We all remember that match with AJ Styles at SummerSlam, with Wendy in the audience.
Mysterio and Joe will take it to each other, with it almost being a match of a bird against a bear. Hopefully, it will get a decent amount of time.
#4 Men's Money in the Bank ladder match
This is where things start to get difficult. The lineup of Ali, Finn Balor, Sami Zayn, Andrade, and Ricochet in a ladder match is salivating. Drew McIntyre should perform well as the powerhouse in the equation. Unfortunately, Randy Orton is notorious when it comes to phoning it in, and worse, much of the match is likely to focus on Baron Corbin, especially if he's set to challenge Seth Rollins at Extreme Rules.
While that means he probably won't win, hopefully, Corbin is minimized compared to the other competitors. It will suck the heat out of the match and might set it down on the comparative quality card.
#3 Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs. The Usos
I don't know why this match is happening. We just saw it two weeks ago and The Usos are on Raw, but there's no reason to look a gift horse in the mouth. As jarring and inconsistent as it is in the storyline, these four competitors are going to deliver a show to remember if they get enough time, especially without commercial interruption.
It will be on the kickoff, but it will be a great entry there.
Also, Daniel Bryan and Rowan reveal their environmentally friendly title belts or I riot.
#2 Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
Unsurprisingly, Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles should rank high on any list of potential quality matches. That it's completely fresh is a major selling point. And yet, despite its being a first-time "dream match", there are some reasons to be concerned.
This match should feel like a huge deal, but it doesn't. The build has been boring and academic as part of a boring, academic Raw brand. There's also a tendency for AJ Styles to disappoint in some of his "dream matches". The one with Shinsuke Nakamura is definitely an ominous warning. Even the one with Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble wasn't good.
Yet, if this is a one and done, we should feel more confident. Seth Rollins doesn't phone in his matches. Let's just hope there's no screwy finish as Styles matches have become infamous for, because then this could begin feeling like the feuds with Nakamura, Joe, and Bryan, which started hot but got worn down with repetitive, terrible booking.
#1 Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens
Kofi Kingston has been one of the MVPs this year and his presentation as champion has been spot on. Unlike the Universal Championship match, there's a great deal of heat in this one. Kofi Kingston never seems secure as champion and there's a much higher chance he loses than Seth Rollins does. I've been predicting that very outcome since this feud began.
Kevin Owens has also performed well and he's bringing the heat to the New Day member. He serves as a perfect foil heading into Sunday.
We should put our faith in Kofi Kingston to deliver, as he has for most of this year. Certainly, his insecurity on top will keep people on edge as his title match goes on. He's the most over superstar among the men, at least.
There's no apparent reason why this shouldn't be the match of the night.
