Power Ranking Both WWE Money In The Bank Fields by Mitch Nickelson
WWE Money In The Bank is one of the more fun pay-per-views on the wrestling calendar. Due to the nature of the spotty ladder matches, it’s a night that’s guaranteed to not only offer a plethora of high spots, but it also has direct ramifications to the top titles. The winner gets a briefcase that has a contract for a title match at any time or place of their choosing, valid for one year. The success rate of the cash-ins are high as well, so winning this match means something big for whoever wins.
There are two MITB matches on this year’s show; one for the men that offers a shot at the WWE Championship and one for the women that does the same for the SmackDown Live Women’s Title. This is the first ever female version of this match, which should be a fun bit of history to witness. As for who should win, well that’s what this article is all about.
Beginning with the ladies (because chivalry is cool), I’ll rank all of the competitors in order of least likely to win to most likely. This is my analysis of both fields, so feel free to join the debate in the comments after reading, if you wish.
5. Tamina
I’ll give Tamina credit, she feels far more important now than she has in a long while. She’s in the mix among the other ladies, presented as the intimidating presence that towers over her competition. The Welcoming Committee may have a muscle, but I don’t like her chances on Sunday.
Tamina should be good for a couple of the big spots – for the role of catching the ones attempting the big dives. I don’t foresee her doing any high spots herself but I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t slam someone through a table or a barricade. She won’t win, but she might have a chance at turning a head or two.
4. Natalya
WWE would not be making a mistake if they chose this member of the Hart family to become the first ever female MITB briefcase winner. She’s got the pedigree as well as the talent to prove that she won’t disappoint if given the opportunity. She’s also the leader of her stable, which could give more credibility to the entire group if this accolade became the property of one of them. Despite all of these reasons for her to win, I don’t think her chances are terribly high.
When it comes to a strong pedigree, Charlotte also has a legendary family member. The Nature Boy’s daughter has been the cornerstone of women’s wrestling in WWE for a while, so I’d pick her to get the nod over Natalya if it were based on family name alone. When it comes to her group, I think there’s more to work with if one of her subordinates won. That would create some dissension, giving them a feud to fill the time before a title cash-in needs to occur. Natalya is a great wrestler, yes, but doesn’t strike me as someone who’s in strong contention for winning on Sunday.
3. Becky Lynch
The one wrestler I’m rooting the most for in this contest is The Irish Lass herself, Becky Lynch. Even though she’s won the top title on SmackDown Live before, she still strikes me as an up and comer who could do so much if she was just given a proper shot. She’s got so much more of her career ahead of her and she doesn’t need to ride it out on a tier below Charlotte and The Bellas.
I want Becky to win, but I’m not overly confident on her chances. Perhaps WWE wasn’t blown away by her run as the inaugural SmackDown Live Women’s Champion? Maybe they think she’s had her chance and it didn’t work out like they hoped, so she’s not getting rushed into the top spot anytime soon? But then again, maybe I’m reading too much into this and WWE will decide to let this feisty talent with undeniable skill have the chance to etch her name as yet another first for her brand. They wouldn’t regret it if they did.
2. Charlotte Flair
Charlotte is consistently the best performer in her division and has been for quite a while. She’s also one of the better overall characters in all of WWE. It’s a huge understatement to say that she’s really, really good at what she does. To further prove that she’s truly the Queen of wrestling, WWE could add to her accomplishments a MITB briefcase win.
Having Charlotte’s name as the first in the history books is a darn good way to start a new thing like this. Any future briefcase winner will forever say that they’ve achieved something that the great Charlotte has, which is good company to associate with. It’s tempting to not go ahead and call her as my top pick, but in spite of all of this I do believe that WWE will take a risk instead on a rising star.
1. Carmella
Interest is strong for this first ever No Y Chromosomes-allowed MITB ladder match. While it’s safe to pick someone with an established name, I think WWE is going in a different direction. I think they’ll use this platform to help give a boost to a younger performer. My pick to win the female MITB ladder match is The Queen of Staten Island, Carmella.
My reasoning is that when I picture a wrestler holding onto this title shot opportunity for months on end, Carmella is best suited for that role. With her homeboy James Ellsworth by her side, they can be annoying whoever the champion is at the time(as well as the fans) as they flaunt the fact that she’s all but guaranteed to be the next champ. She’s plenty skilled on the mic to be the character that’s needed in this scenario. This briefcase will establish her as a star as it she gets it off to the proper start. Carmella is my pick, although I wouldn’t be surprised if Charlotte won it as well.
Now, it’s the guys’ turn…
6. Dolph Ziggler
I like Dolph. He’s a super talented guy that for a long while felt like he was on the cusp of something truly great. For whatever reason, he never really got that huge stamp of endorsement from the important people in the back. He did sort of got the big deal treatment when he cashed in his briefcase against Alberto Del Rio the night after WrestleMania a few years back, but an unfortunate injury stopped that cold.
As much as I’d like to see him get a shot to prove himself as a top guy, it’s just not happening right now. WWE has plenty of other stars to build the future of their company around. Also, if there was any truth to Nakamura’s claim on Talking Smack, Ziggler has intentions of exiting the company as well as the continents soon anyways.
5. AJ Styles
AJ Styles is easily in the top echelon of performers in WWE. He was the 2016 MVP and is poised to remain among the company’s elite for the remainder of this year as well. He spent some time as SmackDown Live’s top champion during the end of last year and he absolutely should be back in the title scene the next chance he gets. However, I don’t see a future title run happening via briefcase cash-in.
The MITB briefcase is an opportunity to pick the most advantageous spot to defeat the champ when he’s most vulnerable. AJ doesn’t really need that method. He’s proven that he’s among the best wrestlers in the company and also, he’s currently a babyface – on any given night he should be able to beat anybody inside of a wrestling ring. I wouldn’t complain about Styles holding the briefcase but in his case, it would be kind of an awkward fit.
4. Shinsuke Nakamura
WWE could be doing so much better with Nakamura, but that’s not to say that they’re wasting him or anything. His entrance is still super-hot – it’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Also, he didn’t exactly put on a classic against Dolph Ziggler when they faced off in his debut match for the blue team, but that doesn’t change that the potential is still there. He’s been palling around with AJ Styles an awful lot lately, which is a sure sign that a singles match between these two is a lock in the near future.
He rates higher than AJ Styles in this power ranking because not only is he way newer to this audience than Styles is, he’s also never scaled the WWE main roster mountain. I’m hesitant to rate him too high to be the likely winner because he already feels like a big enough of a deal this his ascension into the upper card wouldn’t be confusing to viewers. In many fans’ eyes, he’s already a main eventer.
3. Sami Zayn
Out of all of the competitors in this MITB Ladder Match, Sami Zayn is the guy I’m most rooting for. He’s constantly presented as a weirdo in his interview segments despite the fact that he’s got the potential to be one of the best pure babyfaces on the roster. It’s so easy for fans to want to support Sami, it baffles me why they’re going heavy with the Woody Allen shtick as his primary focus.
I would personally go nuts if Sami won the briefacase, but I don’t think it’s happening. He’ll still be the one of the most talented in-ring performers after Money in the Bank but I would be beyond shocked if he somehow scored the big win.
2. Kevin Owens
KO is a former Universal Champion who’s currently enjoying a run as the pride and joy of the United States of America. Kevin Owens is one of those wrestlers who’s going to make whatever title he’s currently holding into a huge deal, whether or not it’s the top title on his brand. It’s only inevitable that he will one day be vying for the non-secondary strap.
If WWE has any plans of transitioning KO out of the US Title scene and moving him back up to the level for the WWE Championship, having the MITB briefcase would be the perfect prop to bridge that gap. Not only is a heel that fits the perfect mold of someone who would use this opportunity best to their advantage, he’s also a Prizefighter who could safeguard a prize for his possession for an extended period of time.
1. Baron Corbin
It’s hard to argue with the most obvious choice – and I’m hardly the only person calling for him to win – but that’s exactly what Baron Corbin is. He fits all the characteristics of what a MITB briefcase holder should be. He’s an upper mid-carder who could use a cash-in to crack into the main event. He’s a heel who happens to be a ‘Lone Wolf,’ ready to do what it takes to look out for number one. He’s also, and this might be the biggest asset he has, very big. That still means something in WWE.
It might be predictable to pick Baron as the most likely to win in the upcoming ladder match, but that’s okay because he’s perfect for it. WWE is always in need of the newest crop of top stars and he’s been developed fairly well up to this point. Frequently getting to lace it up over the past few months with the likes of AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, and Randy Orton has shown that he can keep up with top talent. If Corbin wins, it will be a good decision.
Final Thoughts
Carmella and Baron Corbin are mytop choices to win their respective Money in the Bank matches. I might be flawed in my logic to think that WWE will pick two up and coming heels, but I do think that they’ve got the best chances among their fields. Do you agree or disagree with me? Let me know your opinion in the comments below.
As always, you can find me on Twitter @MitchNickelson. It’s the best way to keep up with all that I do. One plug I will mention is that I podcast with my real life brother every week. You should check out our conversations by clicking HERE. Thanks for reading.