WWE Money in the Bank

Wells Fargo Center

Philadelphia, PA

Without a doubt one of the most exciting PPVs of the year, it’s time for Money in the Bank! This PPV is known for establishing new stars and some of the best WWE Championship matches each year. I’ve always felt this event is more important than Summer Slam, as it gives you 2 Ladder matches with 2 MITB Briefcases on-the-line. Summer Slam really has coasted on its name value in the recent years. But I’m getting ahead of myself. We have some intriguing matches coming up this Sunday, but before we look forward let’s take a look back at the scoreboard from last month.

Me: 6 for 8- @PaulHcle

Victor: 5 for 8- @weenusenvy

Kick-Off Show- WWE Tag Team Championship:

The Usos (Jimmy & Jey) vs. The Shield (c) (Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns)

Putting a Title match on the Kick-Off show is somewhat annoying, especially when a large portion of the audience doesn’t watch the Kick-Off (even though it’s on the WWE App, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, & any other irrelevant social media site). I really don’t see a reason to take the title off The Shield. They need to reestablish their dominance and they need to be more aggressive. A loss to The Usos ends their credibility for good.

Victor says The Usos are getting a solid push and seem poised to win the Championship.

My Pick- The Shield retains (Believe in The Shield).

Victor’s Pick- The Usos win.

Chris Jericho vs. Ryback

This match came about when both superstars lobbied then Raw Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero for a spot in the MITB Ladder match. So she put them in a singles match at the PPV? How did that help either of them? It makes very little sense. But to escalate the feud, Ryback has suddenly became weak & vulnerable. Most notably asking the referee to stop his match with The Miz on Raw. Jericho is using this vulnerability to lay out Ryback whenever possible with a Codebreaker. Is there even a clear face & heel in this? If anyone can carry Ryback to a good match, Y2J is that guy. But the story playing out really doesn’t mesh with the characters. Low expectations for this one. Ryback needs a win to rebuild his monster status, which after taking an AA through an ambulance last month, is practically shot. Jericho can take a loss, Ryback can’t.

My Pick- Ryback wins.

Victor’s Pick- Chris Jericho wins (Junior).

Intercontinental Championship:

The Miz vs. Curtis Axel (c)

Congrats to Axel for his win last month (which I predicted). But taking a loss early in his repackage to Chris Jericho did him no favors. Paul Heyman is doing a great job putting over Axel, and while no one will mistake an Axel promo for a good promo, Axel’s gotten better on the mic. Hard to believe 2 years ago, The Miz main evented WrestleMania and retained the WWE Championship. Now, he’s challenging for the IC Title. For an up & comer that’s a great leap, for a former WWE Champion it’s a step-down. There’s no reason to switch the IC Title so quickly, so the job for The Miz is to give Axel a credible win.

Our Pick- Curtis Axel retains.

Divas Championship:

AJ Lee (c) vs. Kaitlyn

I enjoyed their match at Payback, and thought they told a very good story. I’m curious to see if they can repeat that performance at MITB. The continuing story of Kaitlyn breaking down, unable to handle the crushing defeat & AJ’s manipulation, is one of the better Divas stories since this Championship was created. Last month, the best Diva in WWE was finally rewarded. This month, she proves why she’s the best.

Our Pick- AJ Lee retains.

World Heavyweight Championship:

Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio (c)

The double turn is a tough act to play in wrestling as evidenced by the few times it’s used successfully. The double turn at Payback worked well at the time. Unfortunately, WWE did not capitalize on Dolph’s face turn and his momentum has stalled. Meanwhile, Del Rio’s heel act is tired and boring. The only reason Del Rio got over was Ricardo Rodriguez, who was suspended for 30 days for violating the WWE Wellness Policy. That will kill your momentum pretty quick. I still haven’t figured out how Ziggler outsmarting 3MB twice would make anyone think “Gee, that Dolph Ziggler is so smart! He’s got to be a World Champion!” What this feud needs is in-ring time. Let Ziggler do what he does best, shine in the ring, and let Del Rio amp up his heel gimmick and really zero in on Ziggler’s head. Have the announcers act in outrage at Del Rio’s viciousness (instead of the indifference we got at Payback). Then have Del Rio get a cheap victory, maybe a pin with feet on the ropes. That will build both stars and give the fans more than what they paid for.

Our Pick- Alberto Del Rio retains.

World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match:

Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Fandango vs. Jack Swagger vs. Antonio Cesaro

Our 1st of 2 MITB Ladder matches, this one for a shot at the World Title. This match features “up & comers” according to Teddy Long (I guess Jack Swagger’s World Title run in 2010 really was a bad dream). I like the idea that, except for Swagger, none of the participants have held the World Title. It gives the match a needed buzz, as everyone to cash-in the World Title contract has been successful. My biggest question, though, is who’s the face in this match? We have a match of heels, with no reason to want to see any of these superstars win. My expectation is a big ladder spot will essentially turn one of these guys face and he will end up winning the match. But with my pick, that doesn’t seem likely. I made my pick last month in the Payback Preview, and I’m sticking with it. Victor’s Pick is honestly the only other guy in the match I can see winning it.

My Pick- Cody Rhodes wins (He’ll hold on to the Briefcase until WrestleMania).

Victor’s Pick- Wade Barrett

I can see Wade Barrett being turned in this match. His no-nonsense, smash-mouth style fits this match and I would love to see him win the briefcase. But Cody Rhodes really needs this win to put him over the mid-card bump. But I really don’t understand why Fandango is in this match. His gimmick’s only been around since WrestleMania, suffered a concussion and has walked out of several matches. He has no World Title credibility whatsoever. I can see him taking a sick bump off the ladder.

WWE Championship:

John Cena (c) vs. Mark Henry

I love this angle. I loved Mark Henry’s retirement speech and damn near came out of my chair when he laid out Cena with the World’s Strongest Slam. His promo work during this angle is spot on. I love the way both stars are putting over the WWE Title for what it is, the ultimate prize in the business. The one problem I have with the build on this is SuperCena. I hate his promos. Why can’t he just say one damn time “Of course I’m scared of Mark Henry! He’s the World’s Strongest Man! I’d be crazy not to be worried when I face him.” Instantly gives Mark Henry more badass credibility, and gives Cena a little more vulnerability so his fans have a reason to see him beat Mark Henry. But that’s a minor thing. I’m looking forward to these 2 going at it, and I think we’re going to be surprised at how good this match is.

Our Pick- John Cena retains.

WWE Championship "All-Stars" Money in the Bank Ladder Match:

Kane vs. Randy Orton vs. Rob Van Dam vs. CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Christian vs. Sheamus

If there’s only one match you watch at this PPV, this is it. 7 of the top superstars, battling for the WWE Title contract, in the highest of stakes Ladder matches. Any of these guys could win this match. Which is a very good way to build the excitement of the match. A key attraction is the return of Rob Van Dam. His work in TNA was sloppy at best, even though he did win the TNA World Title & the X Division Title, so my expectations are somewhat tempered. But Victor & I are in agreement on one thing, the star of this match will be Daniel Bryan. There is no superstar hotter right now than Bryan, and he seems on track for a WWE Title shot.

One odd situation with the match is the match is all faces. Where’s the heels? This is another match where I wouldn’t be surprised to see a heel turn. The obvious choice is Randy Orton. I’m not suggesting that, but it just seems like it’s coming. I like Orton telling everyone he would cash-in the MITB contract at the PPV. It’s easily believable and the idea of Orton cashing-in on Cena instantly renews their rivalry and puts a solid title feud through the end of the Summer. Another question is the status of Kane after the attack by the debuting Wyatt Family on Raw. Great job on the Wyatt’s debut! But taking Kane out of this match takes the needed big man out of the equation. A simple solution is to turn the Ryback/Jericho match into a qualifying match for this MITB match. Either way, this match belongs to “The Dazzler.”

Our Pick- Daniel Bryan wins.

Looking forward to a solid show, with plenty of build. I won’t be watching the Kick-Off, but I will admit this PPV is one I look forward to each year. Theme PPVs aren’t going away, but at least we have a good one here, with 2 Ladder matches & the chance to see a new star made by winning the title of Mr. Money in the Bank. Thanks for reading, and I hope you’ll cash-in and come back next month for Summer Slam!

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