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WWE will present Money in the Bank on Sunday 6/17. Here is our take on what should happen!
WWE Champion AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura – Last Man Standing Match.
Dave: I hope LAST is the key word here, as in last match between them. This feud had me so psyched when it was first announced, and it has fizzled in a big way due to its presentation. The matches haven’t lived up to my expectation and the booking has been bad. Nut shots have never been so dull. So my hope is that AJ wins and this just ends. It’s time to move on.
Mike: If there is any hope to redeem this feud from an inside the ring standpoint, this is it. They should really let the artists go and craft a great match and give them the time needed to do so. The smartest move, for Nakamura, is to have him win. That’s where I would go and then have Daniel Bryan work him with him. I don’t think that’s where WWE will go, however. I fully expect Styles to retain.
Richard: My enjoyment of this match will be inversely proportional to the number of low blows during this match. Since WWE is in Japan in 2 weeks, I can see them putting the title on Nakamura, even if AJ was extremely popular when he wrestled there. I might be in the minority, but I didn't have huge expectations for this feud when it started and it was almost exactly what I expected to see. With the ladder matches, will this be the main event of the show? I would let AJ retain because I didn't see Nakamura do anything to elevate himself to justify the title.
WWE Raw Women's Champion Nia Jax vs. Ronda Rosey.
Dave: This is one of those matches where neither person should lose. Nia is just beginning her run. But Ronda is Ronda and should be kept strong. Luckily, given that this is WWE and not NXT, I could see them having Natalya come out to root on her friend, only to turn on her for jumping the line and getting a Title shot so soon. Then, they could have Natty work with Ronda in real time and help her improve. If they switch the Title here, I would not like it. They are basically telling the world that a rookie from UFC is better than they top women on their roster. I don’t like that message.
Mike: Big test here for each woman and I am very interested in seeing how they each do here. This is the first time that Jax will be the veteran in the ring charged with carrying a match. It will be Rousey’s first big-time singles bout, period. Lots can go wrong but you know WWE has had them working on the bout and preparing for this. So, who wins? I can’t imagine Rousey losing here. I think we’re looking at a new champ.
Richard: I agree with everyone that there will be a new champion at the end of this match. Is that the right thing to do? Do you want to see Ronda wrestling every week because it would reduce the 'special attraction' you get (look how special Daniel Bryan's matches are now) or do you put her in a lot of tag matches to try to tease her next challengers? Nia as champ still has some logical contenders. With Ronda there is Nattie, when she turns. I would not be surprised to see a cash in after this match (if Nattie wins, she celebrates with Ronda and then hits her with the case and cashes in [even if a cash in would go against the idea of running with Ronda on top by having her get a title match so soon]).
WWE Smackdown Women's Champion Carmella vs. Asuka.
Dave: If this were NXT, Asuka would win. But, it’s not. I see them doing something where Carmella barely gets the win and hangs on to the Title. Perhaps James Ellsworth will provide the distraction for her.
Mike: I don’t see the title change here. I see Asuka losing or getting DQ’d and then getting her heat back beating the crap out of Ellsworth to get her heat back.
Richard: Asuka should be the champion and that is probably why she won't win the title on Sunday. Will it be Peyton and Billie or some turtle shaped humanoid helping her to retain because I cannot see Carmella not needing help to keep that title.
Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Braun Strowman vs. Finn Bálor vs. The Miz vs. Rusev vs. Kevin Owens vs. Bobby Roode vs. a member of New Day vs. Samoa Joe.
Dave: The odds on favorite if Braun Strowman. What I would like to see is him win, say he isn’t carrying around a stupid briefcase, he is challenging Brock Lesnar for the Title at SummerSlam. Him carrying the case would be goofy, plus Brock is never at TV so why would he carry it around? If they don’t go with the obvious, a Smackdown heel makes a lot of sense. Miz, Rusev (I know, I know) or Samoa Joe winning and providing the next chapter for AJ Styles works for me too.
Mike: This, to me, is all about Braun being the monster that no one else can stop. I think WWE will go all the way with him here. I am really excited about watching this one as they’ve cultivated quite a crop of talents involved here.
Richard: Since the Universal Champion is on Raw as much as I am, if someone from Raw wins the match, it would be stupid for them to carry the case. I have always thought this was a match for midcard or upper-midcard people who might not be considered in the title picture to get a chance to win the title. If that is the concept, Roode or the member of New Day should win. I would love to see Big E win the match since he deserves a chance to show what he can do. Joe would be a good choice because of what we could get from Joe and Styles or Nakamura. Rusev and Miz don't need the case because they are over on their own. Balor would be another logical choice since creative has done its best to keep him out of the Universal Title picture. Strowman will probably win because he can yell "GRAB THESE HANDS" as he takes the case.
Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Alexa Bliss vs. Ember Moon vs. Charlotte Flair vs. Becky Lynch vs Natalya vs. Lana vs. Naomi vs. Sasha Banks.
Dave: Bliss makes the most sense to me, mostly because she can do the “I am the champion as long as I have this” promos that make the gimmick of the briefcase work.
Mike: With the exception of Lana, who is still trying to find herself as an in-ring performer, there is an insane level of established talent, all of whom could be great choices for winners. I expect a lot of crazy spots. I’d really, really like to see Becky end up with the briefcase. Of everyone here, to me, she is the most underserved of the talents and I’d love to see that change. Just keep James Ellsworth away from the match please!!
Richard: Using the same analysis as I did for the Men's match, Becky Lynch would be the most logical person since she is a forgotten member of the roster when it comes to title matches. If Bayley was in this match, I would say that she would be the other one who should win. Ember has plenty of time to establish herself so she does not need it yet. Alexa and Sasha are always in the discussion about the title so they don't need the win. Charlotte is in the same boat as Alexa and Sasha so she does not need to win. Lana is the Carmella of last year's match (but I don't see Rusev helping her win). I would have Natalya win so we can see if she is working with Nia or Ronda because I can see her stabbing Ronda in the back to cash in and win the title from her (or it could all backfire like her great plans on Total Divas)
WWE Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins vs. Elias.
Dave: I really enjoy Elias but Seth has been on fire lately. He has gotten his mojo back after the knee injury. I have said I would like to see him be the one to unseat Lesnar (and if Dana White is right, someone has to do it by the end of the summer). So, I think he needs to retain here.
Mike: This is my pick for the best match of the show, outside of the carnage of the Ladder Matches. I can see a lot of reason to put the belt on Elias, but my guess is that Rollins wins here, as his current run has been extremely strong, and I see no real reason to curtail that momentum. I really expect a great back and forth competitive bout here, something that fits the legacy of the IC title.
Richard: Seth is on such a roll that he is the MVP of this brand. Letting him keep the title potentially lead to him cutting promos proclaiming himself THE CHAMPION of Raw. Then we can have that lead to Dave's wish of having Seth taking the Universal Title from Brock. This should be a good match and Elias has become the perfect heel for Vince. The crowd hates him, but they will still stop on a dime to do his catchphrases. After this match, WWE will stand for Won't Win Elias.
Roman Reigns vs. Jinder Mahal.
Dave: There is talk of a Reigns-Lesnar match at SummerSlam, which would be a bad move. Even without that, Reigns has to be the favorite here. That is why I would have Jinder win. It would shock the fans to see it and it may help Jinder going forward. There’s even an off chance that it could help Reigns with the fans that hate him.
Mike: Roman winning does nothing for him. Jinder could use the win. Therefore, using WWE logic, Roman goes over with the spear!
Richard: I would say this is the least intriguing match from the Raw brand but we have another match to write about. Jinder works over Roman, Jinder misses a move, Roman punches the mat and does the Superman punch followed by a spear. I miss the Orton/Mahal feud.
Sami Zayn vs. Bobby Lashley.
Dave: Lashley needs to pretty much destroy Sami here. Sami has earned a “Undertaker whipping John Cena at WrestleMania” beatdown.
Mike: I don’t know how any of what they have booked Lashley to do of late has been to his benefit, much less to the benefit of making Zayn a stronger villain. They would have been better off having the entire story be Zayn smearing him by claiming he was a fake veteran, because it would have gotten people behind Lashley as someone who stood up for his country and the truth. Zayn will be great at pinballing all over for Lashley, who should just crush him.
Richard: If there is a match that should be moved to the Kickoff Show, that is still a step or two higher than it deserves. Lashley should win in less than three minutes because if it goes any longer, I fear for Mike's sanity.
Big Cass vs. Daniel Bryan.
Dave: Given that this is still going on, Cass probably wins. That would stink. They need to let Bryan start having “fun” matches. Booking him like this may make him want to leave when his contract runs out.
Mike: I agree here. I think the idea here is to build Cass more than it is is to showcase Bryan. I just hope that Cass looks a lot better here than he did in their last match as he looked like he was working very gingerly.
Richard: This feud should have been a one and done (if not a none and done) so thank you WWE for this Father's Day present. At least we won't get a Cass promo while they are wrestling. Just give me Miz/Bryan already.
WWE Smackdown Tag Team Champions The Bludgeon Brothers vs. Gallows & Anderson.
Dave: I love Gallows and Anderson but it’s way too soon to take the belts off of the Brothers. I don’t know if their gimmick will work in the long run but they have to give them a chance and find out.
Mike: Gallows and Anderson are great, but they haven’t received any sort of strong push in forever and I don’t see that changing here. The Brothers retain. What the real shame here is if they gave them 20 minutes to go, this would be a lot of fun to watch.
Richard: When Anderson and Gallows were announced to be moving to Smackdown in the Superstar Shake Up, this was a match I was anticipating. That was then, this is now. The Smackdown Tag Team Division is a joke despite having so many good teams. They have killed the New Day and Usos so this is their chance to make sure they make a mistake putting this match on a Kickoff Show again.
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