Money in the Bank Preview

In the mid-nineties, the WWE used to air the Big Five pay per view events to go along with their monthly “B” level pay per view telecasts. The Big Five consisted of Summer Slam, the Survivor Series, the Royal Rumble, the King of the Ring, and of course, WrestleMania. Ever since the WWE eliminated the King of the Ring show, the WWE was without a “fifth” major pay per view. That all changed in 2010 when the WWE turned the Money in the Bank ladder match from just another WrestleMania match, and instead gave it its own pay per view telecast. Since then, the Money in the Bank pay per view was been the unofficial fifth major WWE event in the Big Five pay per view menu. Some may easily argue that the Money in the Bank show now ranks ahead of the Survivor Series on the major show list.

This year’s show takes place in Las Vegas at the brand new T-Mobile Arena. Aside from the Money in the Bank contest, the pay per view also features the dream match between AJ Styles vs. John Cena, along with Seth Rollins in-ring return as he tries to rest the WWE World Heavyweight Championship away from Roman Reigns.

DOLPH ZIGGLER vs. BARON CORBIN

This is the feud that will never end, or at least it seems that way. I can’t remember the last time a singles wrestler that is as tall as Corbin had debuted on the main roster with such little fanfare and momentum. Corbin seems to be on the fast train to nowhere. As for Ziggler, he’s the President of the 50/50 club. This is a match, and feud between two guys that are currently going nowhere in the WWE. Since Corbin has been getting the best of Dolph Ziggler lately, I think it’s time for Ziggler to get his win back and remain firmly entrenched in the 50/50 club. WINNER: DOLPH ZIGGLER

APOLLO CREWS vs. SHEAMUS

This is an interesting feud that could go either way. The WWE seems to like Sheamus a lot, as he is usually positioned in the upper main event/main event level. Apollo Crews was just brought up from development. Unlike Corbin, Apollo Crews does seem to have some momentum during his current run on the main roster. I’m going to go with the assumption that the WWE thinks Crews can be an up and coming star. I believe they would see a victory over Sheamus as a big win early in Apollo’s career. WINNER: APOLLO CREWS

CHARLOTTE and DANA BROOKE vs. NATALYA and BECKY LYNCH

This is what I would like to call the “putting on the breaks of the women’s division until we can get the belt on Sasha Banks match. As much as it was pretty obvious that the WWE should have put the Women’s title on Sasha Banks at WrestleMania XXXII, it would be downright comical if the WWE didn’t put the belt on Snoop Dogg’s cousin at the second biggest show of the year, Summer Slam. It makes no difference as to who wins this match, so I’m thinking Lynch pins Charlotte in order to have her wrestle for the title in July during the final pay per view before Summer Slam. WINNER: BECKY LYNCH/NATALYA

RUSEV © vs. TITUS O’NEIL: UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP

Here’s another match that can go in either direction. Rusev recently won the belt, so he should keep the title. On the other hand, the WWE has a golden opportunity to create a new star by putting the belt on Titus O’Neil. Since O’Neil was just released from the dog house, I’m going with the assumption that Titus isn’t out of trouble yet. However, being in a title match is a good sign that he is getting there. I think the WWE is going to try to build Rusev up more to become a solid main event wrestler, instead of trying to make a new star in Titus. WINNER: RUSEV. Well, O’Neil by DQ, but Rusev retains.

NEW DAY © vs. KARL ANDERSON/LUKE GALLOWS vs. ENZO AMORE/BIG CASS vs. THE VAUDEVILLIANS: WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Ever since the Bullet Club arrived to the WWE, I figured that it was a foregone conclusion that Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows would defeat the New Day for the WWE Tag Team championships. Instead, the WWE decided to put the titles up in a four team match. The New Day vs. The Club tag team match will have to wait, so to may a match between both teams be contested for the tag team belts. The reason is because, ever since Enzo Amore and Big Cass burst onto the scene from NXT, they have been incredibly over with the fans. “My name is Enzo Amore! I’m a certified G, and a bonafide stud. And you can’t teach that. This right here, this is Big Cass. And he’s seven foot four, and you can’t teach that!” This has to be the most ever ring introduction since the New Age Outlaws, “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, DeGeneration X proudly brings to you….” It’s been a long time since a tag team got over like this from day one on the main roster. While I see Anderson and Gallows as a main event duo, I can’t help but think that Enzo and Cass have a great shot at winning the belts. I don’t believe that the WWE considers tag teams as main event performers. Even though the New Day are over, and involved in an angle with John Cena, do you really think Xavier, Kofi,or Big E would become a serious contender to Roman Reigns? I don’t. However, I can see Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows in that position. This leads me back to the four team match. In the Attitude Era, whenever the WWE would put together a multi-team match, usually the winner would not be the favorite going into the match. I’m going to go with this old formula for this match. WINNERS: ENZO AMORE and BIG CASS- NEW WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS

AJ STYLES vs. JOHN CENA

The WWE has been pushing the John Cena vs. AJ Styles match as a dream match. While it hasn’t been a dream match for 15 years, like they would like you to believe, and it’s not a battle of the independents vs. the WWE, it is a match pitting the face of the WWE vs. the face of TNA. WOW, that seems strange just typing it. After jobbing at WrestleMania XXXII, and then at back to back pay per views against Roman Reigns, AJ Styles needs a big win. John Cena is the Moby Dick of big wins. However, as was said in AJ’s promo, normally a wrestler leaves a feud worse off than when he began a feud with Cena. The reason is because no wrestler ever beats John Cena in a feud. Sure, they will split the first two matches, but then Cena will win the third and deciding match to leave the wrestler in a worse position than when he started. The result will be interesting, because even though AJ needs a pay per view win, I can see the WWE using the same mentality that use when a WCW wrestler first enters the company. “We can’t let him win. Otherwise, we are telling the fans that WCW is better than the WWE was.” I can see them using this rationale with TNA taking WCW’s place in the argument. However, I’m going to go against my better judgement, and say that Vince McMahon doesn’t care about TNA. Thus, they will give AJ the win that he needs. WINNER: AJ STYLES

KEVIN OWENS vs. DEAN AMBROSE vs. CESARO vs. SAMI ZAYN vs. CHRIS JERICHO vs. ALBERTO DEL RIO: MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH

To me, this match is a two man show: Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose. Chris Jericho is at the stage where he doesn’t need the briefcase in order to feud with the WWE World champion. Same goes for Del Rio. Plus, I can’t see them having Del Rio become a two-time Money in the Bank winner. Sami Zayn is still too new to the main roster to get the briefcase. Cesaro, I still don’t have faith in the company that they will push him the way he deserves to be pushed. Dean Ambrose, like AJ Styles, needs a big pay per view win. Having him win the briefcase would cause an interesting dynamic between Ambrose and Reigns. Would Ambrose use the briefcase to ask for a title shot like Rob Van Dam did, or would he cash it in during a match that Reigns was involved in like Seth Rollins did? This would cause all kinds of tension between the two friends. You could also have Seth Rollins in the middle to antagonize both men. He could keep telling Ambrose to cash it in, while at the same time he would tell Reigns not to trust Ambrose with the briefcase. That being said, I like the briefcase to be carried by a heel, because cashing it in is really a heel move. There is no better heel in the WWE today than Kevin Owens. Plus, the fans would feel that Owens would be a legitimate threat once he decided to cash it in. The anticipation for the cash in would be through the roof. I think the WWE prefers a heel Money in the Bank winner as well. Thus, I am picking Owens. WINNER: KEVIN OWENS

ROMAN REIGNS © vs. SETH ROLLINS: WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGH CHAMPIONSHIP

Ahhhhh! Yet another backwards feud for Roman Reigns. Everything the WWE has done since Seth Rollins returned from his injury screams that he should be a babyface. However, not in the land of the WWE. Gotta get Roman Reigns over as the top babyface even though he’s better suited to play the top heel role. There’s nothing wrong with having the face of the company be a heel. Ric Flair was that for years in Crockett Promotions. Since the WWE is hell bent on making Roman the top babyface, they are just going to continue to feed him wrestler after wrestler until he’s beaten them all. I can’t see him losing now. As a matter of fact, the WWE had a plan. He was to beat Rollins last Survivor Series, and then Rollins would turn babyface on the Road to WrestleMania and feud with Triple H. I think the WWE is sticking with this story. Instead of the Survivor Series, Rollins will job to Reigns at Money in the Bank. Instead of turning face leading to a WrestleMania showdown with Triple H, he will turn during the Road to SummerSlam, and face Triple H at the biggest event of the summer. WINNER: ROMAN REIGNS