Here is The Jackal providing you fortunate souls with his WWE: ‘Money in the Bank’ preview and predictions for Sunday night.
By Kevin Flynn
The rules are simple.
The winner of the Money in the Bank match must climb to the top of a ladder and retrieve the metal briefcase that is dangling above the ring. In this briefcase is a contract that guarantees the holder of the briefcase a World Heavyweight Championship Title match at any time that he pleases.
This idea, which must be creditied to former undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Chris Jericho, first originated at Wrestlemania 21 in 2005, when Edge became the first ever Mr. Money in the Bank. Ever since then, every superstar that has won the Money in the Bank, cashed in at the most opportune of times to become the promotion’s champion, (with the exception of two: John Cena and Damien Sandow).
The idea became so popular that when the titles were split between the WWE Champion and the World Heavyweight Championship (Ric Flair’s Title Belt), the WWE had no choice but to take the match off of the Wrestlemania card and create a pay-per-view event that featured not one but TWO of these main event matches. Now that the titles have been unified once again, there is only one Money in the Bank match that will be taking place. That’s the good news….
The bad news is that the match is looking rather predictable. I don’t think there will be any title changes whatsoever, but we will have a new Mr. Money in the Bank. But there are some other matches on the card that will help make this event watchable.
Here are my predictions for the whole card:
Kickoff Match: King Barrett vs R-Truth
King Barrett continues his push toward the top after a bad arm injury that kept him out of Wrestlemania a year ago.
This year, he walked into the showcase of the immortals as Intercontinental Champion into an eight man ladder match for the title belt. Daniel Bryan came out victorious and had to give it up due to injury.
To keep his momentum going, Band News Barrett won the King of the Ring tournament and has thusly been dubbed, King Barrett. Nothing is going to change here, except that it should.
R-Truth is now playing the comedic role and he is slowly but surely becoming more over with the fans as a result. His cameo on Monday Night Raw last week when he started waxing poetic about how he was going to win the Money in the Bank Ladder match now that he is over his fear of heights was great….because he did not know that he was NOT in the match.
Now the only reason I’m bringing this up is because I was rooting for him a few week’s ago to win the Elimination Chamber match for the IC strap. That win went to Ryback. But the WWE writers need to know the truth, and the truth is that R-Truth needs a push. It’s coming……
WINNER: WADE BARRETT with the Bull Hammer
Intercontinental Title Match
Ryback (Champion) vs The Big Show (Challenger)
Speaking of Ryback, this is a match to put his strength on display. He gets to muscle up the Big Show and make the crowd chant “Feed Me More.”
The Big Show is not going to just be fodder for Ryback. Something tells me and everyone else that has watched Monday Night Raw the past few weeks that The Miz will make an appearance during this match.
My guess is that he will somehow interfere and cost the Big Show the title.
WINNER: Ryback by DQ or Count Out
Divas Championship Match
Nikki Bella (Champion) vs. Paige (Challenger)
This match is just not interesting for me as Nikki should have dropped the title to Naomi at the last pay-per-view.
She’s beautiful, yes. She’s marketable, yes. She’s championship material? Hell no.
The Bellas are great on Total Divas, but Paige is the much better wrestler. And when I say, “The Bellas” they are an excellent tag team when Nikki and Brie work Twin Magic. (That’s when on the girls switch illegally, and the healthy one that looks like the other one rolls in and gets the victory.)
That should happen here only to backfire for Paige’s advantage, but not for a title change.
WINNER: Paige
Tag Team Title Match
New Day (Champions) vs. Prime Time Players (Challengers)
New Day has so much heat working for them right at this moment that one of the three members is even in the Money in the Bank match. Kofi Kingston will not be competing in this match, but I’m sure we all know that he will interfere.
Prime Time Players have recently reunited and have some positive momentum going, but it will not unseat the champs because……(Clap with me).
New…Day Wins. New….Day Wins. New….Day Wins.
WINNER: New Day
U.S. Champ John Cena vs. NXT Champ Kevin Owens
Match number two should be another Main Event. The first meeting was a classic being promoted as the greatest debut for a WWE superstar ever. That match that took place at Elimination Chamber is a match of the year candidate now and this one should be no different….except for the outcome.
John Cena won’t lose two in a row.
Kevin Owens will shine again, but he will lose this one to set up a third match with a special stipulation at Summerslam in August.
WINNER: John Cena
Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Roman Reigns/Randy Orton/Kane/Neville/Sheamus/Dolph Ziggler/Kofi Kingston
Seven men enter, one briefcase hanging above the ring.
Last year, Seth Rollins was the Authority’s Chosen One to be “the Future” of the organization. Kane and Rollins combined forces and conspired to win the Money in the Bank ladder match. After the public outcry that the company suffered when Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble for a shot at the WWE World Heavyweight Title at Wrestlemania versus then champion, Brock Lesnar…..the writers had to go to Plan B and that is when Seth Rollins cashed in his opportunity to make that main event and three way match for the title.
Of Course, Brock Lesnar was cut and bleeding on the outside and Roman Reigns just got back from a trip to Suplex City.
So here we are a year later and the tables will turn. Roman Reigns will end up winning the Money in the Bank and the world will probably riot on social media once again.
Unless…….
And it’s just my opinion, but what if that funny moment last week on Monday Night Raw, when R-Truth though he was in the match somehow makes him a surprise entry as the 8th guy.
This match has always had an even number of combatants.
It’s just a guess…..but to shock the wrestling world and put a fan favorite as the next Mr. Money in the Bank which could turn Roman Reigns into a top bad guy would be not only the right move….but INGENIOUS!!!!!
I’m getting ahead of myself, but tell me it wouldn’t be cool??? When you start dreaming of “What If” scenarios, go with the favorite.
WINNER: Roman Reigns
WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match
Seth Rollins (Champion) vs. Dean Ambrose (Challenger)
The Challenger has the title in his possession. The rightful champion wants it back.
There’s turmoil in the Authority right now as the champ’s ringside security team, J&J security was just hand-picked by Rollins to be his opponent last Monday Night. When J&J got the victory over Rollins, they celebrated like they just pulled the upset comparable to the 1980 U.S. Hockey team’s “Miracle on Ice.” (That’s for all my hockey loving colleagues here at elitesportsny.com.)
Let’s calm down guys.
It was a 2 on 1 handicapped match and you guys were the two. You should have won, and Seth should win back his title when the Authority gets involved once again and all goes back to being right with the world.
(That is….until Brock Lesnar shows up on Raw the night after to promote a rematch at Summerslam.)
WINNER: Seth Rollins