Who will walk out of WWE Money in the Bank 2018 with a briefcase in hand? (Photo Source: WWE.com via Twitter)
This Sunday is WWE Money in the Bank 2018. Find out how the Daily DDT staff sees the event unfolding.
After what seems like a build that took forever, WWE Money in the Bank 2018 is finally upon us. On Sunday, June 17, the superstars of Raw and SmackDown head to Chicago for the latest in the co-branded special events.
What’s different about MITB compared to Backlash last month, though, is the length of the show. To help fit more action onto the card, Money in the Bank is starting an hour earlier than usual — the main card gets underway at 7 p.m. ET. Having four hours means that, counting the Kickoff Show match, there’s enough time for ten matches.
The main attraction, of course, is the two Money in the Bank Ladder Matches. Each one features eight superstars — four from Raw, and four from SmackDown Live — racing to climb the ladder and retrieve the briefcase suspended above the ring. Inside the briefcase? A contract guaranteeing the superstar who wins it a world title match at any time over the course of one calendar year. The vast majority of MITB winners have gone on to successfully cash in their contract and become world champion.
In the Women’s MITB match, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Naomi, and Lana will represent SmackDown Live. From Raw, we have Sasha Banks, Natalya, Alexa Bliss, and Ember Moon. It’s an eclectic mix of newcomers, veteran standouts, reliable workers, and, uh, dancers?
On the men’s side, Raw sends in Braun Strowman, Bobby Roode, Kevin Owens, and Finn Balor. And SmackDown‘s representatives are The Miz, Samoa Joe, Rusev, and one as of yet undetermined member of New Day. Or maybe everyone from New Day? Who knows?
Throw in a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship, two Women’s Championship matches, and a few grudge matches, and it could be a great show, poor build aside. Here’s how some of the Daily DDT staff sees things shaking out in a few marquee matchups.
Photo Source: WWE.com
Carmella vs. Asuka, SmackDown Women’s Championship
Bryan Heaton: Nothing makes a championship victory mean less than losing the title quickly. Carmella avoided that with a victory over Charlotte Flair at Backlash, but she’s still only managed a single defense of the SmackDown Women’s Championship. Without the undefeated streak hanging over Asuka’s head, it’s more likely that The Princess of Staten Island will continue her Mella-bration. With the IIconics lurking in the shadows ready to cause trouble, it may not be the cleanest victory. But I say Carmella takes it.
Christopher Jeter: The champ should get a bit of offense in, but this should be a glorified squash win for Asuka. Carmella has been a fun champion, but she doesn’t have the workrate nor the credibility to realistically hang with “The Empress of Tomorrow” in a back-and-forth match. A competitive title match between these two would hurt Asuka more than it would help Carmella.
Joe Soriano: Last month, if you asked me who should win this match, I would have said Asuka without any hesitation. I still think Asuka should win, but, yes, I want to see Carmella retain. Well, OK, I actually want to see Asuka kick her head off, but Carmella has been so good on the mic as a champion that I want to see her pull this off in the most underhanded way possible. Carmella is a cheater’s cheater, and a sick part of me wants to watch her talk ALL the trash after avoiding Asuka.
Photo Source: WWE.com
Nia Jax vs. Ronda Rousey, Raw Women’s Championship
Bryan Heaton: I’m in the camp that believes Ronda Rousey will one day be the biggest star in WWE, but it’s too soon to be putting her in championship matches. Yes, she’s a tremendous athlete, and yes, she seems to be taking to the world of professional wrestling very quickly. But to have her defend a championship that she won in just her second televised match is ludicrous.
It also seems like just the thing WWE would do. So figure Rousey to walk away new champ.
Christopher Jeter: I think that it’s too soon to put Rousey in a singles title match, especially against Jax, who isn’t exactly the most polished worker on the roster. The match probably won’t last long; with the story revolving around Rousey being able to lock in the armbar on Jax (although WWE foolishly gave that away last Monday). The company has big plans for Rousey, so I expect her to win the gold in decisive fashion.
Joshua Raibick: I was actually disappointed by the fact that WWE gave away the biggest question leading into this match: can Rousey apply an armbar to Jax? And every time it seems like we have all the answers or the babyface doesn’t have insurmountable odds, WWE goes the other way. Jax wins thanks to interference by Natalya.
Joe Soriano: I really, really want to care about this match, but WWE dropped the ball hard here. Ronda Rousey and Nia Jax did a great job on the go-home show, yet I still can’t wash out the foul taste of Nia’s sudden “bullying”. Anyway, I don’t think they’re going to do anything fancy here. Rousey wins her first title in WWE.
Photo Source: WWE.com
AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, WWE Championship
Bryan Heaton: You ever watch Lamb Chop’s Play-Along when you were a kid? Sing along with me to the tune of that show’s end credits: This is the feud that doesn’t end…. it just goes on and on, my friend.
So despite the seeming finality of the Styles-Nakamura feud with a Last Man Standing stipulation, I get the feeling that we’re going to get at least one more match between the two, likely at Extreme Rules in July. You’d think “Last Man Standing” fits that pay per view better than it does Money in the Bank, but whatever. The only way to give this feud one more match is to have Nakamura win, and give Styles his rematch at Extreme Rules. Then we can finally put this one to bed.
Christopher Jeter: The stipulation suggests that this match is the blowoff for this feud, which usually means that the babyface wins. However, a loss here would halt all the momentum Nakamura picked up since turning heel last April. So, I’ll take “The King of Strong Style” to win the title.
Joe Soriano: It’s gotta be Shinsuke Nakamura, right? If he doesn’t win this match, he’s in a really weird spot, since he’ll have lost multiple WWE Championship matches against both Jinder Mahal and AJ Styles. The guy is producing better heel work than anyone in WWE, and, yes, that includes Tommaso Ciampa. Because every ounce of heat Nakamura has, he had to quickly generate on the strength of his own acting ability. And man oh man, can the guy act. Just put the damn strap on him and watch him go to work.
Photo Source: WWE.com
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Bryan Heaton: I don’t know if it would happen, but how great would it be for New Day to win and Freebird the briefcase? I have this sneaking suspicion that the reason we don’t know which member is entering the match is because of something unique planned for the trio. Could all three of them actually enter the match, one after the other? Plus, if they cash in the contract and then Freebird the WWE Championship, it would set off guys like Jim Cornette, and I like to see people out of touch go nuts.
Christopher Jeter: For me there are only three interesting winners: Miz, Finn Balor, and one of the New Day members. The other participants either don’t need the briefcase or don’t have enough momentum to have a realistic chance. Big E (or Kofi Kingston or Xavier Woods) could win, leading to months of interesting storytelling regarding, when, and how one of them cashes in. Balor could win and challenge Lesnar in a babyface fashion. Ultimately, I think WWE will go the predictable route and give the briefcase to Miz.
Joshua Raibick: This is a two horse race between The Miz and Braun Strowman. Miz has held down the mid-card ever since the brand split, he is one of the best talkers in the company, and has improved in the ring. It is time that the A Lister gets a much deserved promotion to the main event of SmackDown Live.
Joe Soriano: Just give me The Miz cashing in on Daniel Bryan, damn it. How could WWE ever turn that down?
Credit: WWE.com
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Bryan Heaton: The lunatic in me thinks James Ellsworth makes his grand return to WWE and wins his second Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match because of course he would. But the most logical winner of the match would be for Natalya to take the case and eventually cash in on BFF Ronda Rousey.
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Christopher Jeter: Let’s do this by process of elimination. Charlotte Flair will probably get a title shot at SummerSlam in a couple of months, so she doesn’t need the win. Alexa Bliss would be a good choice, but she needs to stay out of the title picture for a little while. That goes double for Lana. Naomi is probably in the match to fill the “Kofi Kingston/Shelton Benjamin highspot” role. That leaves Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks, Ember Moon and Natalya as the favorites. As much as I would like the other three to win, Ronda Rousey’s expected title win probably means that her pal Natalya will become Mrs. Money in the Bank to set up a match between the two down the line.
Joshua Raibick: This match really feels like a flip of the coin between Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch. While Charlotte Flair is the biggest name in the match, and an argument can be made for Ember Moon, it is evident that Sasha and Becky both need this more than the other superstars. I believe that WWE has bigger plans in the future for Sasha Banks, and because of that I have to pick The Boss.
Joe Soriano: The safe pick is Alexa Bliss. Duh. It just is. And Natalya’s a solid pick, too, assuming she does compete in the match, as her “injury” may have just been a way to throw people off the “Natalya cashes in on Rousey” trail.
But me? I’m an idealist. I’m an idiot. So I’m picking Becky Lynch for the simple fact that I want it to happen.
Next: 3 Biggest Storylines Heading into WWE Money in the Bank 2018
What are your picks for this Sunday’s Money in the Bank pay per view?