Money In the Bank has become a more important Pay-Per-View over the years and in some ways has replaced Survivor Series in the "Big Four." That saddens me slightly, and that's not a knock on Money In the Bank, but more along the lines of wishing Survivor Series was taken more seriously by WWE. That's neither here nor there! Much like last year, there will be two Money In the Bank Ladder Matches, one for the men and one for the women. One difference though, is that last year it was a Smackdown exclusive show, whereas this year both brands will be represented. For this blog, I will be talking about the men's match specifically.
Last year, Baron Corbin won the briefcase. In order to do it, he defeated five other men, including AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, and Dolph Ziggler. Out of those six men, Corbin was the one I dreaded winning the most. To me, it was bad enough that Jinder Mahal was the WWE Champion, but I felt Corbin would be even worse. He just doesn't do anything for me! I cannot care about this man whatsoever! When he failed his cash-in, I was ecstatic! It was a complete contrast to when Damien Sandow did the same years ago and I was quite angry that he didn't win.
Since most of the winners successfully cashed in to become Champion, I was trying to look at the participants in the 'what if" scenario and how I would react if any were to become Champion. Looking at it from a likely perspective, had someone like Zayn or Ziggler won, I would think either man would also fail their cash-ins. Although, it is believed Corbin failed his due to falling out of favor with the company at the time. I could have seen Owens win the Title after cashing in, as it seems to fit his character. Both Styles and Nakamura, though neither needed it unless they turned heel, would be believable in cashing in as well.
Usually, the match consists of wrestlers you want to win the briefcase and win the Title at some point, wrestlers you don't, and wrestlers that you're pretty sure have no chance so you don't even think about them. Maybe it's just me, but this year I am excited about not only any of the eight men winning the match, but also any of the eight men cashing in to claim their brand's World Title. I'm serious! Not only could I see any of those eight men winning the briefcase and cashing in, I would welcome it as well! This is the first time I've ever felt this way about all of the participants in one Money In the Bank match. I assume that the superstars from Raw would cash-in for the Universal Title, while the Smackdown superstars would focus on the WWE Championship. However, it was never confirmed. For argument's sake, let's say this is what they are going with. I will break down each participant and talk about how they could cash in and why I would like it.
RAW SUPERSTARS
Braun Strowman
If there was ever a man that could use a rocket strapped to his back right now, it's Braun Strowman. The man has been on fire for well over a year and is more than ready to win the Universal Title. Braun is definitely a strong contender to win the match, due to his popularity and plain old brute strength. However, with exception of Kane, Braun would be the largest man to win Money In the Bank and cash in. Due to his character right now, and even sheer size, I can't see Braun cashing in in a heelish fashion. He might go the route of Rob Van Dam, who challenged his opponent well ahead of time for a Championship match. Since it can be argued that Braun doesn't need the briefcase to win the Title, I can see him challenging Brock Lesnar for a shot down the line, possibly at SummerSlam. Braun may not need the win, but I would still definitely get behind a win for the Monster Among Men. Either way, seven men this year will get those hands!
Finn Balor
At SummerSlam 2016, Finn Balor became the very first Universal Champion. During the match, he was injured and was forced to relinquish the Title just a day later. Since then, Balor has made several statements claiming to once again win the Title he never lost. While it should be every superstar's motive to win a World Title, that particular reason would be Balor's. Due to their size difference, even in the world of professional wrestling where fans suspend their disbelief, some fans still see it not believable for Balor to defeat someone like Lesnar. If that's the case, cashing in on a vulnerable Lesnar would be a good way to do it. It wouldn't be the first time a babyface would cash-in this way. That's how CM Punk cashed in on Edge in 2008.
Kevin Owens
If ever there was the perfect superstar to cash in on a vulnerable Champion as a heel, Owens would be it. It completely fits his wrestling persona to a tee! After Finn Balor vacated the Universal Title, Owens became the next Champion, going on to have a a nearly six-month reign until he lost to Goldberg. Owens has always been hungry for Championships and would love to regain the Universal Title. As for his cash-in, there are a number of scenarios that could take place. If you want to talk about telling a story, he could cash-in immediately after an underdog Sami Zayn Title win. Then they could slowly build up to an ultimate showdown at an event like WrestleMania. Friend or foe, Owens wouldn't hesitate to cash in on anyone.
Bobby Roode
Though Roode did have a reign as United States Champion this year, he doesn't seem to have much momentum these days. Winning Money In the Bank could revitalize Roode on the Raw brand and I think a heel turn would go great with his cash-in. I'd even go so far as to say it would be...glorious! His over-the-top heel persona in NXT is what brought fans to cheer him eventually in the first place. I think Roode would definitely benefit from Money In the Bank. I would certainly welcome Roode winning the Universal Title.
SMACKDOWN SUPERSTARS
Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is someone that a few years ago, I never thought would be in WWE. Joe arrived in NXT first and became a two-time NXT Champion, defeating the likes of Finn Balor and Shinsuke Nakamura. He then made his presence known on Raw and has since moved over to Smackdown. He took the fight to Brock Lesnar last year and has a win over Roman Reigns. Since I feel the WWE Title is the real World Title in the company, Joe winning would make me very happy. Joe is a believable threat to any World Title holder on a regular day but having the briefcase increases his chances even more.
Rusev
If there was ever a time to push Rusev towards the WWE Title, this would be it. I think it would be smart to ride the wave of popularity. Since the dawn of "Rusev Day," his stock his risen significantly in the eyes of the fans. Anything Rusev does these days gets the fans excited. In fact, just by association, Aiden English has become a more important superstar than he was in the past. When Aiden comes out to sing, instead of booing, the fans cheer because they know Rusev will soon appear. In fact, the only way I would welcome Lana winning the Women's Money In the Bank briefcase is if Rusev won the men's. Dual husband and wife Champions hasn't been done since Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. It would be a lot of fun...because Lana is the best, Lana's number one! Hopefully, we can all have a Happy Rusev Day!
The Miz
The Miz is no stranger to Money In the Bank. He won the briefcase in 2010 and cashed in later that year on Randy Orton to win the WWE Title. For the longest time, I couldn't stand The Miz and especially felt he didn't deserve the WWF Championship. In the last few years, The Miz has become one of my favorites. While I still stand that he wasn't ready for it just yet back then, he is more than ready right now. He has elevated the Intercontinental Title back to its prominence and that accomplishment deserves a reward. In fact, I couldn't think of a more suitable cash-in scenario for The Miz than cashing in on Daniel Bryan directly after winning the Title. When it comes to this year, a win and cash-in by The Miz would be...awesome!
The New Day
As of now, we still don't know which member of The New Day will compete in the match. Since they are a unit, one of them winning means all three winning. They said as much recently. What's to stop all three from deciding to enter the match? It would certainly increase the odds of a member of The New Day winning with all three members in the match. Not only would I love The New Day holding the briefcase with the Freebird rule, I'd love to see it with the trio together holding the WWE Title. Freebirding a singles Title hasn't been done before and this is the perfect time for that to happen. While I don't see either man individually being good enough to hold the Title on their own, doing it together would be highly entertaining. Both a heel turn and a break-up story could also be figured into this down the line.
This is the most excited that I've ever been for a Money In the Bank Ladder Match and the first time I will not be disappointed with any outcome. In fact, I'd be down for most of the women winning their match as well. As I said before, if Rusev wins the men's match, I would enjoy Lana winning the women's match. One of the most likely winners is Charlotte Flair but any one of the women in this match would be great choices as well. When it comes to the men's match this year, who are some of the favorites and who would be welcomed eventual World Champions?
If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments. Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans. Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport. For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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