I don’t know about you, but I am a bit excited about the WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view live from St. Louis, Missouri, on Sunday, June 18. After the company just crowned a new top contender for the Universal Heavyweight Title held by Brock Lesnar in Samoa Joe, it’s SmackDown Live’s turn to steal the show.
The matches already announced for the event – which include the first ever Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match – are enough to set the table for a feast sure to leave fans feeling full.
I personally am curious to see how the MITB match plays out and whether WWE will take yet another chance at creating a news avenue with this “New Era” the company is preaching.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match — AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin. It sounds like a run-on sentence, but it might be the best match WWE has ever put together. The winner gets the briefcase and a shot at the WWE World Title. And with 10 days left until the show, there is plenty of time to continue the build of the future of this company. Each performer has their own reason for winning, but would WWE put the briefcase in the hands of Nakamura, the most recent addition to the blue team’s roster. Would it make sense to finally give Zayn a run toward the strap? Does Baron Corbin, who looks to be the least likely winner of this group, finally step over his opponents and bide his time until he can take the title off Jinder Mahal or Randy Orton, should he regain the belt?
Of course Owens, Styles and Ziggler all have just as much a chance to win – having carry a world title around their waist before. Owens is the current United States Champion. It’s unlikely he would own two belts. Styles was the most recent WWE World Champion in this match. I doubt the company will get behind another title push.
Ziggler will sell this match more than anyone else in the ring. His character of late is a mystery. He still puts in a full-day’s work each time he gets in the ring. But in the end, WWE does not have confidence in him carry the company banner.
Maybe that’s the greatness of this match. The unknown and the story being told. While the decision to make Samoa Joe the next in line for Brock Lesnar and the Universal Title was the best move for Monday nights, this match isn’t as easy to determine. WWE, in my opinion, should push Zayn as he and Mahal could have a solid program. Given that Zayn has been pushed down the ladder despite his work with Owens, I’m hoping for the unexpected to happen.