Three days until the WWE Money in the Bank ladder match, and the company has done a solid job of pushing all six superstars at the same time.
There is no definitive favorite, although some wrestlers make more sense than others in claiming the golden briefcase. WWE has also done a solid job of promoting it’s “new era” which leads me to believe the winner could be an upstart who needs the right kind of push to become a major player, much like Jinder Mahal in recent months.
Here is a look at how I handicap the Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on Sunday night.
Baron Corbin – The “Lone Wolf” is the kind of wrestler who could bully his way to winning the Money in the Bank ladder match. WWE has done well to build him as a loner, someone who can take heat and use it to his advantage.
But he’s not winning the match.
If there is one weakness to Corbin’s game, it’s his robot-like ability at times.
That doesn’t work well in this type of scenario. I wouldn’t be surprised if WWE booked him as a contender for the US Title if someone like Nakamura or AJ Styles were to defeat Kevin Owens.
He could also find his way into a feud with John Cena should WWE feel he is worthy of a serious push.
Shinsuke Nakamura – He has the ability to defeat anybody on WWE’s roster. It’s a sure bet he could beat anybody in this match.
I’m curious to see how the company will book the neophyte main eventer moving forward. WWE has plenty of options when it comes to future matches involving the international superstar.
While I really like his character and his unorthodox style, it’s not time to anoint him as the next WWE World Champion. Give him time to develop, maybe put him in a program with Kevin Owens and see how much he develops.
The worst thing WWE could do is push him too quickly, which would hinder his development on Tuesday nights. Nakamura is a future world champion, but now isn’t the time for that to happen.
Kevin Owens – Of all of the performers in this match, it is a guarantee that the current United States champion will not win the Money in the Bank ladder match.
The best thing about Owens is he has not missed a beat once he lost the Universal Heavyweight championship and moved to SmackDown Live as the United States champion.
Owens has turned into one of the top five performers in WWE and his agility and how he sells a match is perfect for this platform.
Like I said, he won’t win this match, but he will make it interesting just like everybody else. He will move on to a program with Nakamura or possibly Randy Orton.
AJ Styles – The former WWE World Champion is one of the safer bets to win the Money in the Bank ladder match. But because he has been part of the main event for so long, I see WWE moving in a different direction. Styles has become a baby face wrestler again without having to compromise his style or his persona. That plays well into WWE’s booking plans for the summer.
A continuation of the fued with Kevin Owens or a program with Randy Orton would benefit Styles and his two opponents.
I don’t see him winning this match, but he will show why he is the best in the business.
Sami Zayn – Zayn is my pick to win this match. But as I look at all of the other competitors, no one presents the “underdog” charatcer like the former NXT star.
Zayn has been stuck in the middle card for so long. A great story told with Kevin Owens did nothing to help him move up WWE’s ladder. This could be the moment he needs to catapult himself to the main event.
Zayn isn’tt the super athlete that other performers in this match are. He is “every man” in terms of getting knocked down and picking himself back up.
Having him chase Jinder Mahal could be one of the better story lines over the summer.
Dolph Ziggler – I have said this before, but it bears repeating. Don’t sleep on Dolph Ziggler. The former WWE world champion is as good a choice as any of the six performers in the ladder match.
Nobody is going to sell the match like the “Show Stopper” and his experience in these type of matches is sure to be one of the highlights of the event.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Ziggler and Zayn are the last to climbing the ladder at the end of the match. WWE is still left with the issue of how to book Ziggler after this event.