Our 3 Cents - Money in the Bank 2020
This years Money in the Bank pay-per-view is sure to be unlike any we have had in the past. In addition to four championship matches, the WWE Universe will witness a men's and women's "Climb the Corporate Ladder" Money in the Bank matches. If that's not unique enough, the men's and women's matches will happen simultaneously! Jesse, Lonnie and myself offer you our predictions on what to expect Sunday night:
Fatal Four Way Match for WWE Smackdown Tag Team Championships
New Day (champs) vs. John Morrison & The Miz vs. Lucha House Party vs. Forgotten Sons
Jesse: Oh look, it’s time for this week’s edition of hot potato with the Tag Team Championships. These tag teams have been putting on some pretty good matches recently, and I expect nothing less from this match. New Day winning the titles a few weeks ago surprised and worried me, but Big E’s celebration quickly extinguished those doubts. I don’t see them holding onto the titles for very long unless they do a New Day break up story line when Xavier Woods returns. As much as I like Morrison and Miz, I think it’s time for Morrison to dip his toes into single competition soon, therefore removing them from the tag title scene. Lucha House Party is just there for some sweet moves and probably to get pinned by the eventual winners, Forgotten Sons.
W: Forgotten Sons
Lonnie: There is so much talent in this match and it gives me high hopes. Having eight guys all over the place should make for a very fun match. WWE had Lucha House Party beat Miz & Morrison and the Forgotten Sons beat the New Day in an effort to build up what everyone would consider the weaker teams. My fear is this is the usual quick building of teams to just have them lose. With that said, I feel there needs to be a title change and I see Miz & Morrison picking up the win here. I doubt they beat the New Day which will allow those two teams to continue their feud.
W: John Morrison & The Miz
John: First, I must stress that I hate when WWE does this. They put little thought into the tag team division most of the year. Then they attempt to build teams up in a month in order to have a multi-man match. I have no faith in the Lucha House Party. I feel they're there to take the pin. I could see any of the three other teams winning although it feels too soon for Forgotten Sons. Between New Day and Morrison/Miz, I see no reason to hot shot the titles back to the former champions. New Day hangs onto the titles for a little bit.
W: New Day
WWE Smackdown Women's Championship Match
Tamina vs. Bayley (champ)
Jesse: I will keep this one short and sweet. Bayley has been a tremendous heel and champ, but this isn’t the match we want. Bayley wins, but it is time for Sasha vs Bayley.
W: Bayley
Lonnie: Bayley is way better. The explanation is really that simple. Ok, I get that Tamina has been around forever and maybe they want to reward her with a title win. But let’s be honest, Tamina gets the same reaction whether or not there is a crowd....DEAD SILENCE. Her ring work has never been good, and Bayley should win here. Let’s just hope Bayley can make this watchable.
W: Bayley
John: This seems like the easiest pick of the night for me. I can't remember a time when Tamina was ever taken seriously. No reason to start that now. Especially at the expense of a good heel Bayley run. On to Bayley vs. Sasha at Summerslam in the Banks' hometown?
W: Bayley
Women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Asuka vs. Shayna Baszler vs. Nia Jax vs. Dana Brooke vs. Lacey Evans vs. Carmella
Jesse: My brain tells me this match will not be very good, but my gut is saying it has a possibility to be extremely entertaining. Add in that it will be going on at the same time as the men’s match is very intriguing to say the least. Between the 6 competitors, I believe the only possible winners are Asuka or Shayna. Asuka has been absolutely carrying Raw with her shenanigans at the Performance Center, so to see her with the briefcase would be a treat. But then you have to remember the dominance of Shayna at the Elimination Chamber and believe she could carry that performance over to this event. With that being said, WWE could completely throw us for a loop and have Lacey Evans win since it is Mother’s Day. Who knows, I’m picking Shayna.
W: Shayna Baszler
Lonnie: The strongest contenders here are Nia and Shayna. I could see Asuka and Lacey having an outside chance, while Dana and Carmella have no chance at all. I am very intrigued and nervous for this match at the same time. Having this match at the same time as the men is going to put these women in direct comparison to the men. If the men are doing crazy stuff the women will have to match it, or else it won’t look good. I am hopeful that creative booking (and editing) makes the women look good. That being said....I feel Shayna is a better choice than Nia. Shayna can use the MITB to get over the hump and put an end to Becky’s long reign. Losing to a cash in will keep Becky strong while laying the groundwork for them to have more matches.
W: Shayna Baszler
John: This is a unique line up. I think most would agree that Raw's representatives present a stronger line up than their Smackdown counter parts. No one is sure what to expect since this will take place at the same time as the men's match. Does that mean the women and men may interact with one another? Your guess is as good as mine. On the Smackdown side of things, I'm sorry but I don't buy Dana as a legit threat and Carmella has already won this event. Therefore, I don't see any of them winning. I'd personally rather not see Lacey challenge Bayley again so I'll pass on her as well. I feel like you could make a case for each of the Raw women. Asuka is the constant of the division and has been a silver lining in Raw matches with no fans. Shayna has unfinished business with Becky and holding the briefcase could mean she takes the title from a weakened champ. Let's not forget the history that Nia/Becky have going back to the fall of 2018 when "The Man" was on the rise. I believe it comes down to Shayna or Nia. I think the safe bet is Shayna but Nia could get nuclear heat with a win and cash in on Becky. I can see Kairi Sane costing Nia the win.
W: Shayna Baszler
Men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Daniel Bryan vs. Aleister Black vs. Rey Mysterio vs. King Corbin vs. Otis vs. AJ Styles
Jesse: My second favorite match each year is finally upon us. Granted it is a little different this year without the fans (except that giant one at the Performance Center). WWE used some creative wisdom and decided to have the match at the WWE Corporate Headquarters. The possibilities are endless with this change of venue. Who is going to throw King Corbin through a cubicle? What is Otis going to find in the break room fridge? Are they going to end up in Vince’s office? Will AJ really throw Rey off the roof? I am just giddy thinking about it. Before the gauntlet match on Monday, I thought Aleister had this one in the bag, but now I am not so sure. This would be a shot in the arm for Aleister who has been in a holding pattern since being brought up from NXT, but AJ Styles with the briefcase would make for must see TV. In the end I believe the "Phenomenal One" takes this.
W: AJ Styles
Lonnie: First, the person most helped by the build to this match isn’t even in the match. Apollo Crews. Giving him time to shine and using an “injury” to bring depth to his character will help him more in the long run than being in this match would. As far as the match, let’s go King Corbin!!!! Just kidding, I really hope he does not win. He would be unbearable to the point that it is not even fun to watch. I think Otis and Aleister Black could benefit greatly but I don’t see it fitting either character well. Fun Otis is not a weasel, and Black likes to fight people head on. Heels always do better with the MITB and AJ Styles will be great with it. I expect him to win and lay in wait for Drew to get done with Seth around Summerslam. This match should have plenty of cool spots. Plenty of nasty moves (Thank you Aleister). And last but not least, I hope to see Rey Mysterio gets thrown of the top of headquarters. Just sayin.
W: AJ Styles
John: We have a good mix of talent in this one. Looking at the lineup, I'd say none of the previous winners are going to win (Bryan and Corbin). Although if Corbin won, the crowd would would go crazy with hate! I don't think Rey is going win as it's not necessary at this point in his career. A better title moment would of been beating Brock last year with the help of his son. I like Otis being included in the match but I think someone will cost him a victory. Maybe Dolph? Maybe Tucker? Either way, I don't see Otis winning. That leaves Aleister and AJ. Before AJ came back and won his way into the match, I was all in on Aleister winning. Styles inclusion has made me have a little bit of doubt as I think Styles would be great with the briefcase. However, I feel like this is the time to pull the trigger with Aleister and give him the win and the briefcase. Although I feel Aleister may be the kind to cash his in straight up. This kind of match should be used to help make a new star and Styles can be the next challenger for the title without the contract.
W: Aleister Black
WWE Universal Championship Match
Bray Wyatt vs. Braun Strowman (champ)
Jesse: It will be interesting to see which way WWE is going with this match. Are we getting The Fiend or Bray? Is it going to be like the Cena vs. Fiend Firefly Funhouse match from WrestleMania or just a regular match? If it is just simply Bray, then I expect a boring match where Braun retains after a few running power slams. If we get The Fiend, then this is WWE’s shot at redemption for the Funhouse crew after the William Goldberg debacle. In the end, I think WWE will play it safe and bring out regular Bray to get beat by Braun to continue the story line.
W: Braun Strowman
Lonnie: While The Fiend is unstoppable, Bray Wyatt is not.....As Bray, he has not achieved the kind of success that Braun has. With that said, I believe Braun has to retain here. I feel like you have to keep the belt on him for a while after Mania to cement Braun legit as a main event contender. I feel it will be a close defeat for Bray who will then call on The Fiend to help him win in a month or two. (Also, props to WWE for having Braun fill in last minute at Mania and then running with him as champion in a compelling story line).
W: Braun Strowman
John: Boy, the Universal title picture is a mess! Strowman reaped the benefits of Roman Reigns not competing at WM36 and WWE needed to get the title off of Goldberg. You could say Strowman was in the right place at the right time. I feel like WWE almost booked themselves into another corner with this match which is something they have a habit of doing with Bray. Thankfully, they may be alright since Bray won't be appearing as The Fiend. Having The Fiend here would of been a disaster. They would have had to choose between hurting The Fiend with another loss so soon (he should of never lost to Goldberg) or making Strowman a transitional champion. If Bray hadn't lost to Goldberg, we would of never been in this spot. Since he isn't facing Funhouse Bray and not The Fiend, I believe Strowman hangs onto the title but this feud will probably continue.
W: Braun Strowman
WWE Championship Match
Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre (champ)
Jesse: If this match was on any other card besides Money in the Bank, then I would say this has potential to be match of the night. Drew has far surpassed my expectations as WWE Champion, especially since he is there every week unlike previous champs. We also know Seth can deliver great matches night in and night out. I look for this to be a longer drawn out match, with some interference from Seth’s minions, but in the end, Drew claymores his way to retaining the title.
W: Drew McIntyre
Lonnie: I’m kind of surprised WWE went with Seth as Drew’s first feud as champion. Maybe it’s the limited roster, maybe they just want Drew to continue to look good....And when you want someone to look good you put them in a feud with Seth Rollins. Both these guys have done a good job with the lack of crowd shows and I expect that to continue this Sunday. However, I think it makes the most sense for these guys to have a 15-20 minute match that ends illegitimately (DQ, count out, etc.) thanks to Murphy. Drew retains to keep him strong, and these two continue to build to something bigger.
W: Drew McIntyre
John: In my mind with all things considered, Seth is the best first challenger for Drew even though he lost at WrestleMania. He's the best option when you look at who is available and he will almost certainly have a good match with Drew. I feel bad for Drew in that I wish he was able to have his run with fans in attendance. I think these two are capable of having a good to great match. Hopefully they deliver. It's too soon for Drew to lose so I see him winning this one. Murphy will probably interfere but I don't think it'll make a difference. Either the feud continues after this or McIntyre faces Styles.
W: Drew McIntyre
Money in the Bank takes place Sunday night, May 10th! Be sure to watch and see how our predictions turned out. I'll be sure to review the event shortly after.