Money in the Bank - The Ladder Matches...

 How’s It Going, Enthusiasts?

Happy Money in the Bank! So, it’s that time again and this one is very much not like any other. We’ve got these new kids that are all extremely talented and the Old Guard can’t be seen. The landscape is changing and what comes to be I can’t exactly say, but it’s that uncertainty that’s exciting. Before, that was what was missing. We all kinda knew what was gonna happen or more importantly, what wasn’t going to happen. Now, who knows. Let’s get into it.

I’m just going to focus on the MITB Ladder Matches because everyone else has to make it interesting. Becky Lynch and Lyra Valkyria have the most work to do if you ask me. With all the other dramatics, they’re becoming an afterthought.

That said, we’ll start off with the Ladies’ MITB Ladder Match. We have Alexa Bliss, Giulia, Naomi, Roxanne Perez, Rhea Ripley and Stephanie Vaquer battling for a chance to ruin a Titleholder’s day. Anyone who’s been watching for the past decade will look at this and maybe feel old. A lot of these ladies are new. Some could say they all are but this is a fresh squad before us. The newbies are intimidating as they are both attractive and capable in the ring. The Senior Class, however, aren’t completely out of luck ‘cause they were once considered the same. The bar has been raised, though and it will be interesting to see how they keep up. 

To look at the line-up, I would think the easy answer is Vaquer. They already built her as a born Champion by putting 2 titles on her at once and Saturday she’s got 2 shows. If she doesn’t win 1, it’s likely she wins the other. Could she win them all? Not sure any of us see her like that or would care. She’s good, I’ll give it to her. She’s a compelling persona but that’s the thing about the WWE Universe. We’re not really wrestling fans. We’re looking for a genuine pop more than anything else. 

You see it in how people talk about it. They’re all in it for themselves for some reason or another. I’m no different. This keeps me from beating people up and out of jail. I take what I need from it and go on my way. That’s why I’m only active at certain times. I like it but I’m only into it so much. I keep abreast of the gossip and whatnot but I only do this when there’s a standard show or PPV. 

I’m getting used to Vaquer but I’m not going to do any research or see any old matches. I’m just going to see if she impresses. Those who care, think she’s a big deal but the casual fan…not so sure. 

After SmackDown, I’d say Perez has the most momentum. She executed her reversal beautifully and that’s the sort of thing that sticks out. You have to go out there and be cool so we talk about it. And I have to hand it to her, that was awesome. It’s a double-edged sword, though. She’ll be expected to be consistently awesome but creatively so ‘cause people get sick of the same ol’thing. We’ll see if she’s able to keep it interesting.

Alexa Bliss is a fan favorite and an easy out. With the Wyatt Sicks back in play and Lord Rollins and Company taking over, it could be a good time to play up a new faction. It doesn’t do much for me but if it leads to some reasonable drama, I wouldn’t be against it. 

Giulia is another one with promise but her biggest hurdle may be getting over with the Crowd. There’s a standoffishness to her. Yet she calls herself the “Beautiful Madness”. So, there is the allure of danger but in this day and age you’re advised to avoid toxicity, not engage it as you were enticed in the 90s and early 2000s. What I’m basically saying is I don’t really know how to sell her and that doesn’t bode well for winning. 

That leaves Naomi and Ripley. In my honest opinion, I don’t think Ripley needs it. She’s imposing enough to just “take the Title” if she really wanted to and I think she should more or less go with that, especially if someone gets too big for their britches. She’s what we call, “a dose of reality”. She should be the type to remind people that they’re lucky she plays along more often than not.

Naomi could be a fun win. Given all she’s gone through, her overall history and her embracing Heeldom with her arms wide open, there’s a case she deserves it. It’s also hard to say how long she has left. She’s Bloodline adjacent so, if she stays fun and healthy there’s a good chance she stays until she wants to go but at the same time the New Guard may not care if “metrics” fall beneath a particular line. A case could also be made that this may be a now or never scenario. And so, that makes her my choice. It seems to be the most fulfilling outcome. Everyone else either got their accolades or can easily do so in the future.

For the Men, we have El Grande Americano, Andrade, LA Knight, Penta, Seth Rollins and Solo Sikoa. Now, we all know that Lord Rollins may very well rig this game. He made it clear he has no problem creating the outcome he wants so much of this may be what is everyone else going to do about it. 

Given that backdrop, there’s room for a surprise. Many feel Americano aka Chad Gable may sneak it out but I have a hard time seeing WWE Brass putting a major Title on him. It’s not that he doesn’t deserve the credit but he’s no Daniel Bryan/Bryan Danielson. His stature and goofy personality make it hard to take him seriously. He’s an exquisite technician but remember how the WWE Universe feels about wrestling. I see him staying in the midcard so, the Intercontinental or US Championship are fine and he can get those on his own.

LA Knight is the favorite but I’m not sure how that happens with Lord Rollins and his designs. Andrade is capable but the crux of the WWE Universe does him in. They don’t care about wrestling and I don’t see them caring if he were Champion. He’s respectable but they generally could care less. 

Penta aka Lucha-Mitsu is charming the Crowd but I’m not sure if we’re ready for him to have one of the top Titles. Midcard ones, sure. No problem! The Heavyweight or WWE/Undisputed…umm…. Maybe one day but I doubt it’s today. But it’s not impossible and I’m not upset if it happens. I like Lucha-Mitsu. 

That leaves Solo Sikoa and I think the midcard ceiling affects him too. I get the feeling that the Bloodline and Lord Rollins’ crew clash for the most part and we’ll probably see moments where he could win but I think they more or less screw each other over.

I’m really anticipating CM Punk crashing ‘cause that seems to be the pattern. Rollins dashed Punk’s hope so he’ll always return the favor. There’s the off chance that Roman Reigns joins the fun but I think Reigns should be handled like a Ripley. He’s the “dose of reality”. He should remind others that he could just take it if he really wanted it. He doesn’t need to be in this one but it makes sense given Punk’s need for retaliation. He could enlist Reigns and kick Rollins’ ass when he tries to rig the game. 

So, who should win it? Given what I’m seeing, I think it goes to Knight. It’s just a matter of being believable. He got in with his smarts, I think he wins with ‘em too. It doesn’t have to be genius, just timely. With who’s involved, there will be hijinks and Knight just has to play his cards right. Hungrier parties are more likely to take themselves out. Let them and he could very well take the prize. 

Besides, he’s another case of if not now, when? He’s been slanging, not getting any younger and he’s popular as shit. Might as well capitalize on it now. I can see him doing a stint as a major Titleholder, but I think that’s it. Maybe a few months and then Rollins “takes it from him” or something and we’re back to normal. I can live with that 😉

And so, that’s what I’m looking at. Everyone else knows what they got to do. We’ll see if they’re successful. The fun starts a bit earlier ‘cause of all the business going on. I’ll tune in at 4pm PDT, maybe a little earlier just to make sure. 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)