WWE Money in the Bank 2014

TD Garden

Boston, MA

The match synonymous with making new stars returns in its titular event! For nearly 10 years, the Money in the Bank Ladder match has made stars and helped establish the next generation of superstars in WWE. This year, the match is taking a bit of a backseat to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. However, 2 ladder matches are on the card for an event known for match of the year candidates. It is easily the most difficult event to predict simply because of the large number of superstars involved in the ladder matches. But we will give it a shot!

Paige (c) vs. Naomi

Naomi appeared to be on the fast track to a Title Shot earlier this year until she was injured in the ring by Aksana. Since then Naomi’s career has stayed in neutral, with Alicia Fox inexplicably receiving a title shot before Naomi. The Funkadactyls appear to be near the end of their run with a split imminent. Which is why we believe Paige will retain here. Expect Cameron to cost Naomi the title and then Naomi puts her on the mat.

The Usos (c) vs. Wyatt Family

Usos have run through what’s left of the tag team division. With only 2 legitimate teams left (RybAxel & the Wyatts) it seems inevitable the Wyatts would be in line for a title shot. The Wyatts really don’t need a win here because of their association with Bray Wyatt. The Usos don’t have a statement win during this title reign, and most of their tag opponents have since disbanded as teams or were not a legitimate threat to begin with. Look for Luke Harper to shine in this match as The Usos hit a Double Superfly Splash to win.

 Money in the Bank Contract Ladder Match:

Bad News Barrett (???) vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Seth Rollins

Great to see the Contract on-the-line in the Money in the Bank match. I like the assortment of talent involved, with Money in the Bank veterans such as RVD, Dolph Ziggler, & Kofi Kingston leading the charge. The emphasis will be on the former Shield mates Dean Ambrose & Seth Rollins brawling and how it will affect their chances in winning. I am not a fan of The Shield ending, but I like that it has a purpose. Rollins has noticeably improved both on the microphone & in-ring since the split. Ambrose’s promo work has never been questioned since his debut, but even his promo work has improved. His loose cannon character invokes comparisons to the late Brian Pillman.

But what matters in this match is climbing the ladder and pulling down the briefcase containing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship contract. Another question is the status of Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett. Reports are Barrett may have suffered an injury to his shoulder at the final Smackdown taping before MITB on Tuesday. At press time his status was unclear. I hope he’s healthy enough to compete as I would like to see him in the running for the contract. His Bad News gimmick has surprisingly gotten over with the fans and put Barrett into the upper mid-card in WWE. It would be a shame if an injury derailed his momentum again.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Cesaro vs. John Cena vs. Kane vs. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus

While I’m not a fan of dragging out the Daniel Bryan injury situation (which will continue at MITB on the Kickoff show), it’s nice to see the WWE Title decided definitively at MITB. This one, unfortunately, is the easiest match of the night to pick. John Cena doesn’t lose. Not in big match situations. And with Brock Lesnar on the horizon at Summer Slam, WWE needs its poster boy.

Pick- John Cena wins (15x… Woo)

While I have a moment, am I the only one sick & tired of every wrestling show starting with an in-ring promo? Especially with heel authority figures that think they’re cool. The goal is to get the superstars over, not yourselves (I’m looking at you Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, & Dixie Carter). I have no problem with the occasional promo to start the show, but a lot of the same things it takes The Authority 15-20 minutes to say could be accomplished in the first 5 minutes. For example: Michael Cole says “The Authority has decided to punish Roman Reigns by making him run The Gauntlet, LIVE, tonight on Monday Night Raw! (Insert WWE Network plug)” Instead of Triple H plodding through a promo where he makes fun of Daniel Bryan, the fans, and Roman Regins.

My point is there’s a difference between getting the fans behind a star and trying to keep your star shining. If you’re not an active competitor, I did not buy my ticket to see you. You are a bonus attraction. So shut up, be glad there’s an audience to listen to your bad jokes, and let the superstars have more time in the ring to tell stories instead of putting together spotfest matches that no one wants to see. Agree? Disagree? Let me know. I sat through Raw in Cleveland last week and sitting through a promo from The Authority is torture. I’ve sat through TNA Impact Wrestling and their promos are useless. Come to think of it, many recent promos from WWE & TNA have been pointless.

Enjoy the show either on PPV or the WWE Network. And we’ll be back next month.