A tale of two very different Money in the Bank ladder matches

Money in the Bank is going to be an exciting show with two very different ladder matches to set the tone for the future. 

The 2023 Money in the Bank ladder match is coming in hot. The Saturday, July 1 event takes the WWE back to London, England and they’ve packed out the O2 Arena. Two of the showcase matches for the PLE are the money in the bank ladder matches. Seven men and six women are battling for the briefcase that holds a contract to a promised title match. While the concept is the same, these two matches are drastically different in 2023. It’s that difference that is a great change and a positive step heading into the show.

The women’s MITB ladder match has two key stories

Starting with the women. This match features three former champions and three individuals who’ve never reached that point. Becky Lynch, Bayley, and Trish Stratus are all Hall of Famers in their own ways. They are the type of performers that do not need a briefcase to declare themselves top contenders, but they are still in this vital match. Zelina Vega, IYO Sky, and Zoey Stark are three rising, certainly not new, names that fans are behind as the next ladies up at the top of the division. There’s no telling who is the woman to come out with the win, but that victory will help carve out the future of the women’s division.

The story heading into this match is Lynch versus the World. She is locked into an angle against Stratus and Stark, so much so that she accidentally gave Stratus her spot in the match. This is coming after her long feud against Bayley and Damage CTRL – so there’s no love loss there. Vega doesn’t fit into either one of those narratives, making her an interesting, odd woman out in a sense, but in a position to be booked to steal the win.

And that’s not the only angle. Bayley and Sky have a growing issue between them that can lead to the implosion of Damage CTRL. Does Bayley take onus with Sky carving out her own place as a top contender? Does she cost Sky the briefcase in an effort to secure it for herself? That’s the moment that can make or break this match.

These are heavy stories that will carry this match from the moment the bell sounds. Fans and media members alike called for WWE to invest more time into non-title stories in the women’s division, and in doing so they’ve developed a great ladder match.

The men’s MITB ladder match is all about who is up next as a main event star

Then there’s the men’s ladder match. Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight, Santos Escobar, Butch, Damian Priest, and Logan Paul are slated for the match. None of these individuals have held a top title in WWE. That creates a narrative that whoever walks out of this match is someone that WWE looks at as a potential champion in the future. Fans want LA Knight to walk out with the title, but it looks like momentum is surging in the direction of Paul.

This group doesn’t have the pre-match stories that the women’s ladder match contains. Instead, it is focusing on a group that could be the first main feud for Seth Rollins and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. As Rollins continues to burn the house down as the champion, it is time that WWE crafted a legit threat to his belt and the briefcase is one way to get there.

Both matches come with a lot of anticipation. Fans should pay close attention to how things go in the days leading up to the PPV and that night. WWE is taking steps to build major angles heading into SummerSlam, and these lineups and angles built into Money in the Bank go a long way in doing so.