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WWE Confirms Co-Branded Money in the Bank Matches, NXT TakeOver: Chicago Ticket Details

By Tommy Dinardi • Published 6th March 2018
TJR Wrestling

This year’s WWE Money in the Bank event will feature co-branded matches for both men and women for the first time, according to the latest event announcement.

While the men from Raw and Smackdown have competed against opposing brand members for their chance at the briefcase in the past, the women of Raw will get their first chance ever at competing in a Ladder Match.

The Chicago Allstate Arena posted the following for the on-sale announcement:

“WWE MONEY IN THE BANK COMES TO CHICAGO!
FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER…
A MEN’S AND WOMEN’S LADDER MATCH WITH SUPERSTARS FROM RAW AND SMACKDOWN LIVE.

DON’T MISS IN ACTION YOUR FAVORITE WWE SUPERSTARS INCLUDING,
ROMAN REIGNS
SETH ROLLINS
FINN BALOR
BRAUN STROWMAN
WWE CHAMPION – AJ STYLES
RANDY ORTON
UNITED STATES CHAMPION – BOBBY ROODE
SHINSUKE NAKAMURA
SASHA BANKS
BAYLEY
MICKIE JAMES
NIA JAX
NATALYA
LANA
NAOMI
BECKY LYNCH
PLUS, MANY MORE LIVE!!!!
WWE IS THE BEST VALUE IN ENTERTAINMENT!
TICKETS START AT JUST $25!!“

The WWE will also be running NXT TakeOver: Chicago the night before. Though tickets for NXT won’t be on sale for another month, WWE.com announced details for those looking for a Chicago vacation this June.

“In addition to WWE Money in the Bank, NXT TakeOver will also return to the Allstate Arena on the same weekend. Tickets for TakeOver: Chicago go on sale Saturday, April 14, at noon CT at NXTtickets.com. But, starting this Wednesday, March 7, at 10 a.m. CT, you will have a limited opportunity to purchase a combo ticket to both WWE Money in the Bank and NXT TakeOver: Chicago at Ticketmaster.com as part of the Money in the Bank ticket pre-sale period.”

WWE Money in the Bank will take place Sunday June 17th, with NXT TakeOver: Chicago being held the night before on Saturday June 16th.

Tommy’s Thoughts: Last year, I was upset that Money in the Bank wasn’t co-branded and that only the Smackdown girls were getting to make history. (At least that evened out with the Raw girls at Elimination Chamber.) So I guess we can add Money in the Bank to the list of events “WHEN BRANDS COLLIDE!” with Survivor Series and Royal Rumble, the occasional TLC substitute, Whatever They Call The Post-Mania Event This Year, plus the Andre Battle Royal at WrestleMania, as well as the 50-Man Greatest Royal Rumble Match…

With all these chances to “battle for brand supremacy”, I’m starting to wonder how they’ll rebrand Survivor Series this year? Or if they’re just gonna pretend we don’t see inter-promotional every-other-month on average? Probably the latter.

Any time a gimmick went to one of the brands in the draft era it seemed like a divorce, it seems that the opposite brand may have been better suited for the theme: did the Kevin Owens vs. Seth Rollins or Rusev vs. Roman Reigns feuds ever really need the Hell in a Cell stipulation in 2016? How come SmackDown was smart enough to get four stipulation matches on a TLC event when they host, yet Raw only does one stipulation match on the ENTIRE SHOW? And even then, TLC wasn’t enough without adding a dumpster truck in as another toy to play with.

Now just as I’m used to the Brand Extension Redux, of course they cut the split shows. If I was fantasy booking the decision process I actually would’ve been against the co-branded Money in the Bank matches, and no doubt my dream scenarios for what would become of Money in the Bank definitely would be the first ones shot down. Giving each brand their own Money in the Bank show would be overkill; meanwhile, the idea of four ladder matches on the same show would not only burnout the crowd by the end, but the chances of someone getting crippled would be virtually guaranteed. (I keep having flashbacks to Randy Orton getting OPENED UP by the out-of-place ladder back in 2014.)

At least the co-branded ladder matches seem poised to bring back an old stipulation: not since Jack Swagger’s victory at WrestleMania XXVI has a Money in the Bank Winner had his/her choice of two champions to challenge for their cash-in. The brand-switch/cash-in had always been one of the most exciting prospects of the early Money in the Banks and the same can be said for bringing that caveat back into the fold, especially if they play around with the usual expectations.