Money in the Bank Preview

 With the WWE returning to performing in front of live audiences for the first time since Wrestlemania, expect Money in the Bank to be one hell of a show. Friday's Smackdown was one of the most high-energy shows the WWE has hosted in recent memory.

I'm sure Money in the Bank is going to be more of the same with a few surprises in store. Rumors of pending returns from The Rock, John Cena, Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and Becky Lynch means anything could, and likely will happen. 

The first match of the evening will feature The Usos vs. The Mysterios in a Wrestlemania-worthy tagteam match that makes the kick-off show a must see event, rather than an hour of talk that usually features a match that few people, if any, really care about.

Given that the event is being treated as a grand return, I expect a title change to take place. Plus, an Usos win really furthers the storyline between Roman, The Usos, and at some point, The Rock. You can plan on a great march with plenty of near finishes, but given the match is taking place on the kick-off show, I don't think an appearance from Roman Reigns is going to happen.

Who I want to win: The Usos

Who I think will win: The Usos

The evening is filled with title matches, but I don't envision more than one other title change taking place, that is unless we see a cash-in following one of the Money in the Bank matches.

That title change I believe will take place in the Rhea Ripley vs. Charlotte Flair match for the Raw Women's Championship. Charlotte has just had too many opportunities in recent months to have yet another failure.

Charlotte and Rhea are bound to have another brutal match filled with lots of high impact moves that will have the audience mesmerized from the beginning.

Who I want to win: Rhea Ripley

Who I think will win: Charlotte Flair

I really enjoy The Viking Raiders, but I don't expect this match to be all their match for the Raw Tag Team Titles to be all that competitive. AJ Styles and Omos are just too much of a mountain for them, or anyone I see currently in the tag team ranks to climb.

Who I want to win: The Viking Raiders

Who I think wil win: AJ and Omos

Bobby Lashley vs. Kofi Kingston is another match that I don't think is going to be all that competitive. In fact I think it's safe to say Kofi and I have about the same odds of waking up on Monday morning as WWE Champion.

Had Bobby gotten soft? Yes, without a doubt, but his loss to Xavier Woods on Raw this week woke up a beast that is likely going to battle The Beast Incarnate Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam next month. Beast vs. Beast... that's going to be one hell of a battle. As great as a Kofi win would be, I don't think the world is clamoring for a Kofi Kingston Brock Lesnar rematch. What they want to see is Bobby vs. Brock.

Who I want to win: Bobby Lashley 

Who I think will win: Bobby Lashley

Outside of the two ladder matches, the match of the night will undoubtedly be Edge vs. Roman Reigns. This is going to be brutal affair with plenty of back and fourth action and near finishes. Ultimately though I do feel like Roman Reigns will come out on top.

I feel like Edge has a change though, especially if the storytellers behind the scenes at WWE don't want The Rock's comeback to be in a title match since people can likely assume his return will only be for an appearance or two.

What happens if Edge wins and The Usos win? Suddenly the head of the table finds himself without gold. It would make a nice twist to the story.

Who I want to win: Edge

Who I think will win: Roman Reigns

The women's Money in the Bank match is a tough one for me to call. The match is filled with young stars deserving of the opportunity. Representing Smackdown in the match will be Liv Morgan, Zelina Vega, Natalya, and Tamina. On the Raw side we have Nicki A.S.H., Asuka, Naomi, and Alexa Bliss.

Liv Morgan has been getting a push, as has Nicki A.S.H., and the recently returned Zelina Vega. While she hasn't been competing frequently, I also find the prospects of an Alexa Bliss win in this match very intriguing. It would add a twist to a storyline that seemingly has been going on forever. I also wonder if we will perhaps see an appearance from The Fiend or another version of Bray Wyatt, as he's been off TV for quite some time.

I just love Nicki though. I have been a fan of  Nicki Ash since she first became a singles competitor. Her energy is contagious, and I feel like she is more than deserving of a title opportunity. I know the Almost a Super Hero character is taking a beating in the online community, but for Nicki I think it works. Would I want to see Rhea Ripley, Tamina, or Charlotte Flair playing that role, no that would be crazy. I feel like though Nicki has a certain degree of child-like innocence that make this character work.

Who I want to win: Nicki A.S.H.

Who I think will win: Alexa Bliss

The men's Money in the Bank match is going to be a great match. With the list of competitors how could it not be? On the Raw side we have Ricochet, Riddle, John Morrison and Drew McIntyre. The Smackdown side includes Big E, King Nakamura, Seth Rollins and Kevin Owens. 

I think it's safe to say there will be some hard hitting spots in this match, as well as pretty memorable acrobatics. Following the debacle of Otis' Money in the Bank win last year, I look for the WWE to play it safe. I would love to see Kevin Owens, Ricochet, or Riddle win this match, but I think a win from this trio of my favorites is pretty unlikely.

My first thought as soon as Drew McIntyre lost his match with Bobby Lashley last month was, what if he wins Money in the Bank? Then all of a sudden Drew has another chance at Bobby Lashley. This is just too good of a storyline to pass up. I don't see Drew cashing in until after SummerSlam though or perhaps even that night, after he hopefully defeats Brock Lesnar (there's nothing I hate more than part-time champions).

Who I want to win: Ricochet

Who I think will win: Drew McIntyre


What do you think? DO you agree with my picks? Let me know in the comments and make some picks of your own. I'll be keeping track of my picks starting with Sunday night's PPV, so we'll see if I really know as much about wrestling as I think I do.

Enjoy Money in the Bank!

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