With no regular installment of ‘Wrestling with Mediocrity’ this week I wanted to drop in quickly with some Money in the Bank predictions for the show tomorrow night in Hartford. This is usually one of the most anticipated shows of the year, but with interest in the product at an all time low at the moment there just seems to be no buzz or momentum going in to the event.
Vince has apparently finally broke the patience of even his most trusted allies and it’s hard to know if that will result in him realising his way isn’t working or defiantly digging his heels in, hoping to prove he was right all along. My guess would be the later, but it will be worth keeping an eye on to see how it plays out. With AEW now officially announcing a substantial TV deal the pressure to deliver a product that fans enjoy is higher than ever.
I haven’t wrote an article since the wildcard rule was introduced on RAW last week. What a load of shit that is eh? Unfortunately it has been coming. As soon as the ratings got low enough Vince was going to panic and put all big stars on both shows. It’s stage one of what is the inevitable end of the brand split. When the wildcard doesn’t get the ratings bump Vinnie Mac wanted I expect we will have the “shocking announcement” of unification matches as a final throw of the dice.
That is for another day though, so now let’s quickly break down each announced match for Monday in the Bank. I don’t have time to set up polls for each match this week, but that will return in the future. Let’s start!
SD Tag Titles: Daniel Bryan & Rowan vs. The Uso’s
Daniel Bryan on the pre-show. There’s not much more you need to say here. Complete idiocy. As the match is for the tag titles it means less than nothing to Vince McMahon, so given Bryan & Rowan were only just handed the titles I assume they will retain. Also technically the Uso’s are a RAW team, although as stated above I expect the split to be killed off imminently.
Winners: Bryan & Rowan
Cruiserweight Title: Tony Nese vs. Ariya Daivari
I don’t care. I’m sure it will be an entertaining, well wrestled match, but I just don’t care.
Winner: Pass
US Title: Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio
I don’t know what it is, but this match doesn’t excite me at all. I like both performers but despite the title being on the line it just feels meaningless. I’d say Joe beats Rey, which in turn starts the process of Dominic losing faith in his father.
Winner: Samoa Joe
RAW Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans
I’m not a huge fan of Lacey Evans. I didn’t like her NXT work and her character in WWE has done absolutely nothing since debuting at the Royal Rumble. A competent company would have had her on the road doing 10 minute house show matches every night to get her ready for such a spot, but instead she has worked a very limited number of matches. Lacey has done reasonably well on the mic since starting the feud with Becky and go I expect Vince to stick with her, but it’s way too early for her to get the belt. The match is likely to be a bit of a struggle and I fully expect Becky to retain. Also expect this match to go on before the Charlotte match.
Winner: Becky Lynch
Miz vs. Shane McMahon Steel Cage Match
I don’t care. Not a fan of either guy and the whole match will just be a smokescreen waiting for Shane to do something stupid.
Winner: Not anyone who has to watch it.
Roman Reigns vs. Elias
For a guy who wants to get Roman over so badly Vince sure is terrible at picking his opponents. This match won’t be very good. Expect 45 superman punches, 13 spears and THE BIG DAWG to get the win.
Winner: Roman Reigns
WWE Title: Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens
This feels like more of a midcard title feud to me. I have said it since before he even won it, but Kofi isn’t world title or main event level for me. It was a great moment when he won at WrestleMania, but now we are left with this! A pancake throwing world champ. It’s a bit early for him to lose it, so I expect a screwy finish. Maybe Kofi via DQ.
Winner: Kofi via DQ
Women’s MITB Match
On paper this looks like an absolute howler of a match. Bayley, Natalya and Ember Moon can wrestle. The rest struggle with basic matches. Alexa Bliss has been removed from the match as she is “not medically cleared”. It feels like only a matter of time until her in-ring career is over at this point, she can’t go two matches without getting hurt. In truth if she wasn’t one of the companies favourite performers she would have been finished already. Expecting Mandy Rose to win the match. These briefcases are best on heels and she would do a good job with it character wise. As long as Naomi doesn’t win it I will be content though.
Winner: Mandy Rose
Men’s MITB Match
On paper this is the match of the night. Any match with Ricochet and a ladder is must watch for me. There are definitely a few options here. Many are tipping Drew McIntyre at the favourite and while I can definitely see that happening I lean more towards Andrade picking up the surprise win. The briefcase would go a long way to establishing him as the main event talent we all know he could be.
Winner: Andrade
RAW Women’s Title: Becky Lynch vs. Charlotte
Expecting the bulk of this match to be a weakened Becky being taken apart by the ruthless Charlotte. As Becky begins to make a big babyface comeback Mandy Rose appears and cashes in her MITB. This keeps Becky looking strong and protects Charlotte from losing to someone who has already fought earlier in the night.
Winner: Mandy Rose cashes in!
Universal Title: Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles
This could be a cracking match if it is given time. Again Rollins title reign is in it’s infancy so I don’t expect him to lose. Styles has been hinting at a heel turn in recent weeks so I wouldn’t be surprised to see that either on the night or in the near future.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Well that wraps up this Money in the Bank preview. I hope you all enjoy the show and we get some logical booking. I’ll be back at some point in the next few weeks with the next Wrestling with Mediocrity article. Hit me up on Twitter with your thoughts and predictions! Until then, peace!
