It’s that time of year where WWE crowns Mr. (and Ms.) Money in the Bank. The ladder match that this event is based on has a unique benefit for the winner: a guaranteed championship opportunity anytime, anywhere. For the first time in WWE history, there is going to be both a men’s and a women’s Ladder Match. Who should win these respective matches? Let’s take a look at the competitors.
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Kevin Owens
If it were up to me, Kevin Owens would not be in this match. Owens is one of the best Superstars WWE has to offer, but he is holding the United States Championship. Instead of defending his title, it seems completely ignored. If Owens wins the briefcase, he could make an immediate switch from United States Champion to WWE Champion, since he has mastered how to attack somebody when they’re down.
Sami Zayn
This seems like the perfect opportunity for Sami Zayn to make that last push to becoming a main event star. Zayn was in the Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match at WrestleMania 32, so he has some previous experience here. With SmackDown being the “land of opportunity,” Zayn’s first championship being the WWE Championship is more than possible.
AJ Styles
Styles is the only competitor in this match to have held the WWE Championship. He has excelled at everything he’s done in WWE, and this will be no different for one of the most agile Superstars in the company. However, Styles does not need the briefcase to ascend back into the title scene.
Shinsuke Nakamura
The King of Strong Style stood tall on the “go-home” edition of SmackDown Live and gave us a little preview of what he would look like with the briefcase. Shinsuke Nakamura has only been on the main roster for a little over a month and he has already picked up wins over Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, and Baron Corbin. Nakamura could easily be WWE Champion on his own, but the briefcase could help him be “the guy” really soon.
Dolph Ziggler
While Styles is the only former WWE Champion in this match, Dolph Ziggler is the only one to have already won a Money in the Bank Ladder Match before. His memorable cash-in was his only legitimate World Heavyweight Championship victory, and Ziggler is better when he has to overcome adversity, so he should not win here.
Baron Corbin
The only Superstar this match could benefit more than Sami Zayn is Baron Corbin. Corbin loves to attack people when he can, as seen with Sami Zayn and Dean Ambrose. He has yet to hold any championship in either NXT or WWE, and Corbin has the potential to become this generation’s “ultimate opportunist.”
Final Verdict:
While there are several great choices for who should win, the right pick here is Sami Zayn. Zayn is a fan favorite who will get a huge pop for winning, and the WWE Universe will tune in every week to see if it is finally Zayn’s night to win the big one. Winner: Sami Zayn
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Charlotte
With a historic 2016, Charlotte has quickly become one of the elite female wrestlers in WWE. She is a four-time Women’s Champion, a former NXT Women’s Champion, and the last-ever Divas Champion. She is always near the championship scene, so she doesn’t need the victory here.
Tamina
After returning from injury, Tamina still seems to be shaking off some ring rust. With more of a bruiser style, she could definitely benefit from the “No Disqualification” clause, but with very little in-ring experience compared to the rest of the women in this match, Tamina does not seem like the right fit for holding the briefcase.
Becky Lynch
If we’re comparing the two Ladder Matches at all, Becky Lynch is this match’s AJ Styles. She can adapt to almost any scenario, and she has previously held the Smackdown Women’s Championship. She hasn’t gotten a championship opportunity in a while, though, so this could be exactly what she needs to start her second title run.
Natalya
In the current WWE landscape, Natalya seems like the woman that is helping all of the other succeed while not having much success of her own. Her only title run in WWE was a 70-day long Divas Championship reign in 2010. While Natalya would benefit greatly from a victory here, it just doesn’t seem like it is going to happen.
Carmella
Carmella has a slight advantage in this match, and his name is James Ellsworth. Ellsworth can help provide distractions and protect Carmella from taking as much damage as the rest of the competitors. Carmella has proven that she can have good matches with the right opponent, so her becoming SmackDown Women’s Champion could happen very soon.
Final Verdict:
It’s hard to imagine anyone other than Carmella winning this match. She has the numbers game in her favor, and winning the SmackDown Women’s Championship by cashing in the briefcase makes a lot of sense for her character and her development as a wrestler. Winner: Carmella
