With the obvious exception of The Royal Rumble, there probably isn’t any stipulation match that generates more excitement and speculation amongst WWE fans than Money In The Bank. And with good reason. The match itself is, more often than not, must-watch entertainment filled with fast-paced action and high spots. I would watch it if it was for nothing but bragging rights on a random episode of Raw, but throw in the fact that the winner gets a title shot that can be cashed in on any champion at any time and the combined result is one of the best matches WWE puts on all year, as well as one of the most argued about.
Wrestling fans can and will argue about anything. Yelling at your friends about some nonsense is half the point of watching it, but unlike most of the nonsense we go back-and-forth about, who wins Money In The Bank is actually worth arguing about. The winner typically gets a massive push almost immediately and apart from a handful of notable exceptions, almost always wins a major title. So, arguing about who wins Money In The Bank isn’t just arguing about who gets their hand raised at the end. It’s arguing about which of the participants should get an increased role moving forward.
So, let’s argue about it. Right now, WWE has qualified six superstars for The Men’s Money In The Bank Match. I suspect a seventh person and perhaps even an eighth person will be added prior to the pay per view. I’ll speculate on that some at the end, but for now, here’s my ordered ranking of the participants and my analysis on who is most likely to win and why.
6. Butch
Don’t let this last place ranking fool you into thinking I’m not a Butch guy. I love The Brawling Brutes and I love Butch. He’s somehow both super athletic and also mean-spirited and brutal. Many are hoping he’ll eventually get back to the Pete Dunne character, but I personally don’t see any reason why he can’t just develop Butch. The potential is there, and he’s gotten some good fan responses alongside Ridge Holland, even when Sheamus isn’t around.
But it just doesn’t make sense for him to win this match. WWE hasn’t given him the story or the character development to make him a believable singles champion at this point in his career. He’s very clearly a supporting player right now for Sheamus. That being said, putting on a great performance in a match like this is a great way to break out and start becoming someone who would actually be considered to win a match like this in the future. And there’s no reason to think he can’t put on a great performance. I’d expect him to be involved in a few terrific spots, and I think the European crowd will really get behind him and push. This could be the thing that leads to the other things.
5. Santos Escobar
The LWO is having a nice little moment right now. Joined by Bad Bunny who rocked the shirt, they were the unquestioned stars of Backlash and have been getting regular television time and some good crowd reactions, but in order to be at a winning Money In The Bank level, Santos Escobar needs to show he can generate star-level reactions outside of Rey Mysterio. He hasn’t really done that yet, and I think it’s an open question as to how fans would even respond if he won the briefcase.
But just like with Butch, a big event like Money In The Bank is the best place to start generating momentum. Santos has good physical strength but also tremendous athleticism. That should allow him to be considered and possibly used for all the match’s coolest moments. I’d love to see him come out of this event looking like a star and maybe emerge as a candidate for a mid-card belt. A feud with Austin Theory, as an example, could be a good speed for him.
4. Ricochet
It’ll be interesting to see what Triple H and company want to do with Ricochet. He had a nice little tag team with Braun Strowman going before the big man was injured. I saw them live a few times, and they were very over with the crowd. Is there a future in which he once again competes for and holds mid-card titles as a singles performer? Or is he mostly going to be a guy who loses key matches but looks great doing it? I don’t know what the long-term plan is, but in the short-term, he’s almost certainly going to lose this key match and look good doing it.
I’m putting him fourth and above the other two, however, because he’s more established as a solo singles performer who the crowd knows and appreciates. He gets some nice pops when he comes out, and he’s always good for a few double-take moments during every match. It really might be a viable option to have him feud with someone like Austin Theory, but given Roman Reigns, who isn't losing, isn’t the only one with a major belt anymore, I expect the cash-in to come on Seth Rollins and that feels like a bridge too far for Ricochet at this point in his career, especially since he hasn’t shown the mic skills to properly take advantage of the awesome promo opportunities the briefcase usually offers.
3. Shinsuke Nakamura
Shinsuke Nakamura has had a weird career in WWE. He won The Royal Rumble, which is one of the biggest shows of support the company can give to a performer; yet, he’s also gone through periods where he’s taken a lot of losses to pretty lowly opponents. Fortunately, the writers seem to be trying to build him back up since his return. He’s picked up a lot of recent wins over people like Karrion Kross, The Miz, Ricochet and even Bronson Reed. That’s allowed him to get a bit of momentum, but unfortunately, when he’s stepped up one level higher to the likes of Finn Bálor and Seth Rollins, he’s lost.
I think fans would love to see Shinsuke Nakamura finally raise a world title in WWE. He’s had such an incredible career and has come close in the past, but I don’t know that he’s the best fit right now for Money In The Bank. The briefcase typically works better with a heel or at least someone who is super comfortable on promos. I’d rather see someone else win the prize and Shinsuke get his moment later, since I suspect the new World Heavyweight Championship will change owners a lot more than Roman Reigns’ new title. Ultimately, I think he could win, but I don’t think he will win.
2. LA Knight
YEAH! The megastar has gotten himself over big with fans, despite being beset by F- booking. It was like WWE was intentionally trying to bury him, but even amidst all those losses and a supernatural program with Bray Wyatt that would have ended most performers, he came out the other side looking spectacular. He’s, without question, the sentimental favorite among more plugged in WWE fans, and he’s certainly got the on-mic talent to exploit every last opportunity out of the briefcase. Watching him hype himself up and taunt his potential opponents while he waits to cash has the potential to be a spectacular storyline. If done right and pushed, that could be a prominent part of the show for months.
But a win here would represent a massive step up in screentime for LA Knight. He’s been making the most of five to ten minutes here or there for the last several months. That’s a country mile away from being involved in a storyline related to a world title. In a perfect world, you’d like to see him, you know, compete for and hold mid-card belts before working with the most popular performers on WWE’s roster. If Triple H wants to feature LA Knight more, there’s no reason he couldn’t craft a compelling storyline with someone like Austin Theory. Fans would be electric for that match if it happened at SummerSlam.
1. Damian Priest
With the exception of those involved in the Bloodline story, I’m not sure anyone has gotten more consistent television time in key spots this year than Judgment Day. It feels like they’re always involved in A-level storylines and wrestling in main events of Raw. With the exception of Rhea Ripley, however, they’ve done a lot of losing lately. Finn Bálor and Dominik Mysterio both lost at WrestleMania. Damian Priest lost at Backlash. I suspect Bálor will lose to Seth Rollins at Money In The Bank and Dom Dom will lose to Cody Rhodes. At some point, they need to start stacking some wins to be taken seriously, and giving the briefcase to Damian is the perfect way to do that.
Priest has really started coming into his own over the last few months. He had, without question, the match of the night with Bad Bunny at Backlash, and his promo work has been improving exponentially. It’s time for him to take the next step. I’d love to see him win the match and eventually cash in on Seth Rollins and become World Heavyweight Champion. That victory would elevate Judgment Day to a level they’ve never reached before, given they’d have two world champions with Rhea, and it would allow WWE the opportunity to explore more of the interpersonal dynamics between the group members. To me, it’s pretty clearly the most obvious and best choice.
Other Possible Options
WWE has said this is who we’re getting in the Money In The Bank match, but do we believe them? Last year there were eight people including Austin Theory who was added at the last possible second. It’s possible WWE could stick with six this year, but I think we all need to be prepared for the possibility that more may be added. So, let’s talk out who those people could be.
I think the most likely is Drew McIntyre. He currently seems to be locked in some kind of stand-off with WWE over his contract that allegedly expires later this year and also, if the rumors are to be believed, his displeasure with some of the creative choices around his character. You’d have to think he’d be open to returning if it meant winning Money In The Bank, especially since it’s taking place in Europe where he’s sure to get a raucous ovation.
It’s also possible we see some kind of representation from The Bloodline. Rumors are swirling that Roman Reigns will be featured in the main event, maybe against Jimmy Uso who he’s been sniping back and forth with. Could that mean that Solo is given the chance to compete or maybe Jey Uso? Either one of them winning could add a very interesting dynamic to the storyline.
If anyone officially gets added to the match, I will update the rankings and give them their own paragraphs. You can stream the event, which will take place on July 1st, with a Peacock subscription.
