Shopping at the Should/Will – Money in the Bank 2019
Inspired by my decision to include who should win vs. who will win in my WrestleMania preview, I’ve decided to continue with that format for all WWE and NXT events. Behold, Shopping at the Should/Will – Money in the Bank 2019:
Tony Nese (c) vs. Ariya Daivari – WWE Cruiserweight Championship
Who should win?
Tony Nese
Another cruiserweight title match relegated to the kickoff show. Nese has only had the title since WrestleMania, so I doubt he’s going to drop it already, especially to Daivari, who is still getting built back up after returning with a new gimmick.
Who will win?
Tony Nese
As usual, this match will be used to pop the crowd, so expect the babyface champion Tony Nese to come out victorious.
Daniel Bryan and Rowan vs. The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso)
Who should win?
Bryan and Rowan
Pivoting Daniel Bryan away from the WWE Heavyweight Championship was smart and moving him into a tag team role with Rowan was a pretty smooth adjustment. With the Usos moving to Raw after years of locking down the Smackdown Live tag division, this match could almost serve as a passing of the torch to The Planet’s Champions.
Who will win?
Bryan and Rowan (and the planet)
This match was added at the last minute and is going to be on the kickoff show. There’s no reason for the current Smackdown Live Tag Team Champions to lose here, though there is always a chance the Usos pull one out, considering the titles are not on the line. There is also a non-zero chance that The Revival come out and distract Jimmy and Jey to further their feud on Raw.
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lacey Evans – Raw Women’s Championship
Who should win?
Becky Lynch
The WWE painted themselves into a corner with this one. On the one hand, you have Becky Two Belts™, First of Her Name, Collecter of Arms, Breaker of Planks, who just won the main event of WrestleMania by defeating 8-time Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair and previously undefeated up-and-comer Ronda Rousey. Why would you sacrifice all of that momentum and legitimacy to a walking MAGA hat whose only non-battle royal matches on the main roster have been squashes against Nattie?
Who will win?
Lacey Evans (via disqualification)
On the other hand, Lacey Evans has been parading to the ring every week for months, letting you know that Vince McMahon has big things planned for her. What sense would it make to have Lacey get nerfed in her first spotlight match? She would immediately lose all of the heat that the WWE has spent the entire year building.
Since Becky has two matches on the card (the other is against the aforementioned Flair), I think this one is going to lead off the show. I think Charlotte will interfere in the match as a way of softening up Lynch for their match, mainly working on Becky’s once-injured knee to set her up for the Figure-8 Leg Lock. This will allow Evans to say that she holds a victory over The Man without the Raw Women’s Championship changing hands (they have a lot of Becky Two Belts™ shirts to sell).
Sami Zayn vs. Ricochet vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Baron Corbin vs. Ali vs. Finn Bálor vs. Andrade vs. Randy Orton – Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder match
Who should win?
Sami Zayn
This would be the perfect opportunity to strap the proverbial rocket on to a returning Sami Zayn’s back. Corbin and Orton have won it before, Bálor is already the Intercontinental Champion, Ricochet is here for the high spots, McIntyre is already the top heel on Raw, and Andrade’s push (according to Wade Keller) won’t start until he learns English. That leaves Ali and Zayn. Ali is the purest babyface they’ve had since the NXT version of Bayley, so he’s not necessarily the best fit for a gimmick that relies on being opportunistic and sneaky (although it would be interesting for him to use it on Kofi Kingston as part of a heel turn, winning the title that he should have fought for at Elimination Chamber, had Kingston not replaced him in the match). Besides, can’t you see Sami obnoxiously skanking to the ring with the briefcase?
Who will win?
Drew McIntyre
Drew will win the match as a way of cementing his top heel status, though I’m not sure if he keeps it very long (that’s a tease for later in the column).
Roman Reigns vs. Elias
Who should win?
Elias
Elias needs a big win. He has only three pay-per-view victories since moving to the main roster two years ago, all of which have been on the kickoff show. His segments get immense heat, but WWE never does anything to capitalize on it. A victory here over the Big Dog would be huge for his credibility.
Who will win?
Roman Reigns
As great as it is to see Reigns back in the ring, WWE is already reverting to booking him like Super Roman. In fact, this past Tuesday on Smackdown Live was the first loss that Reigns has suffered since his return (though it was a handicapped tag match and one of the Usos ate the pin). His win over Drew McIntyre cooled the Scotsman off a bit, and a likely win here could bury Elias.
The Miz vs. Shane McMahon – Steel Cage Match
Who should win?
The Miz
Outside of Kofi Kingston and Becky Lynch’s championship victories, one of the best things about this past WrestleMania was the Falls Count Anywhere match between The Miz and Shane McMahon. It included the night’s most memeable moment and an inventive finish, where Shane essentially won by accident after being superplexed off of a scaffolding tower and ending up with an arm laid across an unconscious Miz. This match will likely contain some shenanigans by Shane’s cronies (Elias and The B Team), but I think Miz should get his revenge for what Shane has done to Miz’s dad.
Who will win?
The Miz
The Miz has consistently been one of the most entertaining people on WWE television over the past ten years. He’s also returned to his reality star roots with his USA Network show, Miz and Mrs. (alongside his wife, Maryse). WWE loves to push its reality stars, so look for Miz to get his WrestleMania victory back from Shane.
Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio – United States Championship Match
Who should win?
Samoa Joe
Samoa Joe is so good that his 30-second victory over Mysterio at WrestleMania should be the norm for his matches, not the exception. Eventually, he should lose to an underdog that he’s been bullying (like Rey Rey), but I don’t think that should happen until at least SummerSlam.
Who will win?
Samoa Joe
They really could go either way with this, especially with Vince McMahon’s love of 50/50 booking. He could give Rey his win back to say thanks for getting squashed last time, but I think that they will likely keep the belt on Joe, especially since babyfaces are currently holding all of the other singles titles. They need at least one chase storyline.
Natalya vs. Dana Brooke vs. Naomi vs. Nikki Cross vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Ember Moon vs. Carmella – Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Who should win?
Bayley
Even though this match has former champions (Nattie, Naomi, Carmella, and Bayley) and a former briefcase winner (Carmella), Bayley is still the biggest name in the match, and that means something in the Women’s Division. I think Bayley also gives WWE the most wiggle room when it comes to future storylines. If Becky Lynch keeps the Smackdown title, then they can use new attitude, “I’m all out of hugs” Bayley. If Charlotte Flair wins, she can still be super-babyface Bayley, as Flair is consistently the best heel in the company.
Who will win?
Bayley
This one is tough. I think the winner will come from Smackdown Live (as mentioned earlier, I believe a Raw superstar wins the men’s briefcase), so that gives us Bayley, Moon, Rose, and Carmella. Carmella has won before, and Ember is just returning from injury. That leaves Bayley and Mandy. All of the reasons listed above are enough for WWE to give Bayley the win, but there is a chance that Vince will decide that this is the moment to push Mandy Rose. Again, the Women’s Championship match may have an impact on this decision, as a win for Becky may mean a victory for Rose, who could be the next heel to challenge The Man.
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Kevin Owens – WWE Heavyweight Championship
Who should win?
Kofi Kingston
I think the big theme coming off of a WrestleMania where so many championships changed hands is “This person just won the title, so no need to take it from them already.” I think this is most evident with Kofi, who has shown that WWE did not make a mistake with putting the belt on him. As much as I look forward to seeing smug WWE Champion Kevin Owens at the start of every show, that can wait while Kingston enjoys this well-deserved run with the belt.
Who will win?
Kofi Kingston
There is enough excitement going on with the ladder matches that we don’t need a title change at the pay-per-view. Plus, Kofi is already scheduled to return to his home country of Ghana this summer, and I don’t see that happening without the title strapped around his waist.
Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair – Smackdown Women’s Championship
Who should win?
Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is still the most popular superstar in WWE and should keep winning. T-shirt sales alone would make this a smart move, but I think hot-shotting the belt back to Charlotte after only six weeks of Becky Two Belts™ would be a mistake. I also believe that Lacey Evans wins the first match by DQ (see above), so I don’t see Lynch losing both matches, even with shenanigans.
Who will win?
Becky Lynch
Another tough call, but I think it’s the right one. If they go with my theory of Charlotte attacking Becky in the first match as a way of softening her up, I think it is with the intent of having The Man work from underneath, which is what she does best. Flair will eventually get frustrated when she can’t put Lynch away, leading to a mistake on her part that will allow Becky to win. There is also an outside chance that Lacey Evans will come down and interfere, or at the very least distract Charlotte, as revenge for Flair ruining her title opportunity earlier in the night.
Seth Rollins (c) vs. AJ Styles – WWE Universal Championship
Who should win?
Seth Rollins
Another case of “He just won the belt, so we can’t take it off of him already” booking. Rollins led off WrestleMania by stomping the face of Jimmy John’s back to Canada and has already defended the Universal Championship on Raw more times than Lesnar did during either of his reigns, Roman, Luther, or otherwise. There’s no need to take it off of Seth yet.
Who will win?
Seth Rollins
As great as AJ Styles is, he doesn’t need the belt. Plus, I don’t think they’ve fully committed to him as a heel since he came to Raw. I think he takes the Kingslayer to the limit, loses clean, and goes back to being a full-fledged babyface. If that’s the case, then Rollins will need a new heel to battle. That sounds like a job for…
Possible Money in the Bank cash-in:
Drew McIntyre
All of that “He just won the title” talk goes right out the window when the Money in the Bank contract is involved. Seth will be worn out after a grueling match with Styles so he would have a storyline excuse for losing. Plus, McIntyre will have a hard time looking like a true Scottish Psychopath if he keeps coming to the ring with the work he couldn’t finish at the office. Best to get that briefcase off of him, pronto.
Who do you think should/will win at Money in the Bank 2019? How do you like this article format? Let me know in the comments below.
