WWE heads to Las Vegas this weekend for what is always one of the company’s best pay-per-views of the entire year.
After being moved from the larger Allegiant Stadium, Money in the Bank 2022 will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night. The PPV is being headlined by the men’s and women’s Money in the Bank ladder matches, with each winner able to cash in their title shot contract at any point within the next year.
It appeared that Money in the Bank was originally going to be what kickstarted Cody Rhodes’s journey to the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He was going to be the heavy favorite to win the men’s ladder match and set up a future showdown with Roman Reigns, but Rhodes is instead facing several months out of action after undergoing surgery for a torn pectoral muscle. As much as suffering a significant injury just two months into his WWE return is awful timing for Rhodes, he made the best of a bad situation with his heroic performance at Hell in a Cell. Working through his torn pec to still deliver an incredible Hell in a Cell match against Seth Rollins will always be a defining moment in Rhodes’s career—and it has only increased anticipation for when he’ll be able to return and go after the world title again.
In the meantime, Rhodes’s injury may be his rival Rollins’s gain. Rollins will be one of the seven participants in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match and is a leading candidate to take home the briefcase. He’s on a great run right now, delivering both in the ring and as one of the top heels in WWE. After three straight losses to Rhodes, Money in the Bank gives Rollins an opportunity to get revenge without Rhodes even being in the match. In-story line, Rollins is responsible for both initially causing Rhodes’s injury and later making it worse with a sledgehammer attack. He now has the chance to win Money in the Bank after injuring one of his biggest competitors.
Rollins’s Money in the Bank cash-in during Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 31 is one of the most iconic moments in modern WWE history. Seven years later, the stars could be aligning for a similar scenario. WWE has already announced that Reigns will defend his undisputed title against Lesnar in a last man standing match at SummerSlam later this month. Rollins winning the Money in the Bank briefcase would at least present the threat that he could again get involved in Reigns vs. Lesnar and cash in to become champion.
Very few people have felt like they’ve actually had a chance to defeat Reigns during his nearly two years as champion. Rollins being able to cash in at any time would add some needed intrigue to Reigns’s title reign. And if Rollins does win the title, there’s an easy story to tell with Rhodes returning from injury and challenging him.
It’s possible that Money in the Bank ends with the husband and wife duo of Rollins and Becky Lynch holding the men’s and women’s briefcases. Lynch has recently been doing the best work of her heel run and would be the most intriguing option to hold the women’s Money in the Bank contract. She has history with both Raw women’s champion Bianca Belair and SmackDown women’s champion Ronda Rousey, making both potential targets for her to cash in on. Lynch could either cash in quickly or hold the briefcase for months, tormenting Belair and Rousey with the threat that any given night could be when she cashes in and takes their title.
Money in the Bank will air live on Peacock/WWE Network starting at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday. Here’s a full rundown of the card, along with predictions for each match:
Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match: Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Sheamus vs. Omos vs. Sami Zayn vs. Riddle vs. TBD
One spot is still left open in the men’s ladder match after a qualifier between Kevin Owens and Ezekiel that was supposed to take place on Raw had to be postponed.
McIntyre and Riddle stand out as the strongest candidates to win the match if it doesn’t end up being Rollins. Reigns vs. McIntyre is all but confirmed for WWE’s Clash at the Castle PPV in the United Kingdom this September, so McIntyre winning the Money in the Bank briefcase would be a straightforward way to make that match official. For Riddle, Money in the Bank is his only path to challenging Reigns for the undisputed title again. A stipulation of Riddle’s loss to Reigns on SmackDown two weeks ago is that there’s no other way for him to get another shot at the title as long as Reigns is champion.
Still, Rollins is by far the best option to win this match. He shouldn’t come up short again after three losses on PPV since April.
Prediction: Seth Rollins wins
Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match: Lacey Evans vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Rodriguez vs. Asuka vs. Shotzi vs. Becky Lynch
If Lynch wasn’t going to win this match, it probably would have been best to leave her out of it entirely. She could have continued her post-WrestleMania downward spiral by failing to qualify for Money in the Bank and still obsessing over how she can become women’s champion again. It wouldn’t make much sense for Lynch’s momentum to stall out just as she’s starting to get back on the right track.
Evans, who recently returned after giving birth in October, is another viable option to win the briefcase. She could turn heel by cashing in on either Belair or Rousey.
Prediction: Becky Lynch wins
Ronda Rousey vs. Natalya for the SmackDown Women’s Championship
As friends outside of the ring, Rousey and Natalya have strong chemistry when they work together on screen. They had a great match on Raw in December 2018 and will be looking to replicate that here.
Shayna Baszler, who was part of the Four Horsewomen of MMA with Rousey, is currently Natalya’s tag team partner in WWE. It wouldn’t be surprising if this match leads to Rousey vs. Baszler happening at SummerSlam.
Prediction: Ronda Rousey retains
Bianca Belair vs. Carmella for the Raw Women’s Championship
Belair defending her title against Rhea Ripley was originally planned for Money in the Bank, but Ripley has been pulled from the PPV due to injury. Though Belair vs. Carmella is a much weaker match, it’s not the worst thing in the world that Belair vs. Ripley isn’t happening right now. Neither Belair nor Ripley should be losing at this point in time. Belair should be Raw women’s champion heading into SummerSlam, while Ripley and her Judgment Day faction need to be kept strong. Belair vs. Ripley should be a future WrestleMania main event.
Belair is definitely retaining her title here. The only question is whether we’ll get a same-night cash-in by whoever wins the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.
Prediction: Bianca Belair retains
The Usos vs. The Street Profits for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Titles
Almost a year into their reign as SmackDown tag team champions, The Usos added another championship to their collection when they defeated RK-Bro in May to unify the SmackDown and Raw tag team titles. This will be a great match, but The Bloodline’s dominance doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon.
It will be interesting to see if losing on Saturday leads to a change in direction for The Street Profits. If they aren’t going to be the team that eventually takes The Usos’ titles, WWE should try pushing Montez Ford as a singles star. The Street Profits can always stay united while that happens and then go back to teaming together full-time down the road.
Prediction: The Usos retain
Theory vs. Bobby Lashley for the United States Championship
This match is either going to end with Bobby Lashley becoming the new United States champion or Theory cheating to keep the title. Getting an underhanded win against one of the top stars in WWE would do a lot to help Theory’s title reign, but picking Lashley to win is the safer bet. He’s one of the few wrestlers on the roster who WWE attempts to protect at all times.
