As with WWE’s other programming since mid-March, the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated changes to the Money In The Bank PPV. Money in the Bank was originally announced with Baltimore’s Royal Farms Arena as host. On March 30, however, Maryland issued a stay at home order. Subsequently, Royal Farms Arena cancelled all events due to the pandemic. WWE initially did not announce whether the event would still go on from a different location, such as the WWE Performance Center in Orlando where most WWE shows have been held since mid-March, but on the April 17 episode of SmackDown, it was announced that the two Money in the Bank ladder matches would take place at WWE’s global headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut.
A new “Corporate Ladder” gimmick was also added to the matches, in which the participants must travel from the ground floor of the building to the roof in order to locate the briefcase, which itself would be suspended above a ring on the roof. On the May 1 episode of SmackDown, it was also announced that the men’s and women’s matches would take place at the same time. With the changes in format, the number of participants in each match was also reduced to six. Since the 2018 event, both the men’s and women’s ladder matches featured eight wrestlers that were evenly divided between the RAW and SmackDown brands. Who will retrieve the briefcases containing a contract that guarantees the winners a match for a World championship of their choosing at any time within the next year?
Note: this year’s Money In The Bank has already been completely pre-recorded. While some of the matches have reportedly been changed from what was previously advertised, we’ll do out best to bring you the most accurate card possible. Furthermore, nobody at SteelChair has any insider information to any of the match results, just to ensure these predictions are purely that, predictions.
Smackdown Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match
The New Day (c) vs The Miz & John Morrison vs Lucha House Party vs The Forgotten Sons
Since WrestleMania, the tag team division has been in hot water because the true ladder match that was meant to happen at Mania did not happen. If Morrison was able to retain for his team, Miz wasn’t that successful a few weeks after and The New Day became 8-time Tag Team Champions. The Lucha House Party and The Usos both expressed their intention to compete for the titles, but Jimmy Uso got injured, and then, The Forgotten Sons appeared. Last week, they crushed Kofi and Big E. To be honest, they brought a breath of fresh air in the division, a violent one.
The showdown promises to be a chaotic affair as each team has excelled in recent blue brand action. The Fatal 4-Way stipulation is a matter of opportunism. The Miz and John Morrison are pretty good at this game, but a few weeks ago, they were defeated by Lucha House Party. The Forgotten Sons stroke hard when they defeated The New Day
Danny Cause’s Prediction: The New Day – having only recently won the titles back, it seems really soon for them to lose them again. At this point, Miz & Morrison seem to be the only other plausible option. The Forgotten Sons could have a good future on the main roster if they’re looked after and are able to shed the image of them that plagued their NXT run. With the Uso’s reportedly out for some time, SmackDown’s tag division needs all the depth it can get.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Because I really have to choose one, Miz and Morrison’s abs… Hé, hé, ho, ho…
Smackdown Women’s Championship
Bayley (c) vs Tamina
Bayley won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match last year and cashed it in to defeat Charlotte for the SmackDown Women’s Title on the same night. She lost it to win it again the weeks after, turned heel and has been undefeated ever since. With her best friend Sasha Banks by her side, she has not given a chance to any woman of the division to dethrone her.
Tamina has been with WWE for 10 years, her career may not have been as successful than other female wrestlers but, despite injuries and setbacks, she has always been there. Recently reasserting her presence on Friday nights with a vengeance, Tamina has used brute physicality to overwhelm almost all of her fellow Superstars. After entering the SmackDown Women’s Title Fatal 5-Way Match at WrestleMania as arguably the odds-on favourite, it took all four of the other competitors pinning her at the same time to eliminate her. That didn’t slow Tamina’s pursuit, though. Bayley threw one final hurdle in front of Tamina in the form of best friend Sasha Banks, but it backfired thanks to Lacey Evans. Never forget that sometimes our best friends can become our worst enemies…
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Tamina – always a bridesmaid, never a bride, but now could be the time for that to all change. Having picked up a crucial pinfall over the Champ on the go-home edition of SmackDown, now is the time to strike while the iron’s hot. Plus, Bayley’s broken the record for the longest reign(s) as SmackDown Women’s Champion, so there’s nothing left for her to accomplish with it right now. A feud with Sasha Banks is waiting, and they don’t really need the belt for it.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Tamina, but to lose it soon after by Miss Money In The Bank (if Lacey Evans).
Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Otis vs Aleister Black vs Daniel Bryan vs Rey Mysterio vs King Corbin vs AJ Styles
WWE are still advertising the two Money in the Bank matches as separate affairs, despite stating that both matches will happen simultaneously, therefore the matches are depicted here separately in our predictions coverage. The men’s lineup to this year’s MITB has a very interesting lineup. Including former winners in Daniel Bryan and King Corbin alongside newer names on the roster in Otis and Aleister Black. Then in between, you have veterans in Rey Mysterio and AJ Styles, with both admitting they are coming towards the end of their careers and are looking to build on their legacies before they retire.
It’s a little difficult to imagine how these matches will work. We know they take place in WWE headquarters, and the participants will start in the lobby and fight their way up to the roof in order to retrieve the briefcase. Much like the Boneyard Match and Firefly Funhouse from WrestleMania, WWE are adapting to the circumstances they are in and these matches will probably be presented in a cinematic style. These matches could be very good or very bad, there’s unlikely to be an in-between.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: AJ Styles – I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he returned on the most recent episode of RAW and took Apollo Crews’ spot in this match. I predict the Phenomenal One to go all the way and add another achievement to his Hall-of-Fame-worthy career. This would also presumably launch Styles into a title feud with McIntyre in the near future.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: If one brand wins the 2 briefcases, it will look suspicious. If it has to be Blue, I would say only Daniel Bryan would make it, but I definitely think the briefcase will be for a Red talent. And the problem is I love both AJ Styles and Aleister Black. Styles is in his last ride with WWE, but Black is just starting his path of destruction.
Women’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Carmella vs Shayna Baszler vs Nia Jax vs Asuka vs Dana Brooke vs Lacey Evans
This match is probably one of the toughest in the history of Women’s Money In The Bank matches. It will feature WWE’s most daring female Superstars. The first three competitors qualified on RAW, as Nia Jax overcame Kairi Sane, Shayna Baszler defeated Sarah Logan, and Asuka bested Ruby Riott.
Dana Brooke joined from the blue brand after notching a shocking victory over Naomi, Lacey Evans punched her ticket with a victory over Sasha Banks, and Carmella grabbed the final spot by defeating Mandy Rose with a little assist from Sonya Deville. Carmella is the only woman of the match who already held the briefcase.
The level of fierceness coming from the Red brand is extremely high when the 3 competitors from the Blue brand surprised most of the fans because they are not the brawlers the RAW ladies are (maybe Lacey, but I’m not convinced.) The stakes are way higher for RAW than SmackDown, which could lead to a Red winner.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Nia Jax – She’s not like most girls, and she’s been on an absolute tear since returning to RAW following a lengthy hiatus. Nia is also on a shortlist of names that haven’t feuded with Becky Lynch. Speaking of which, it’s been advertised that Becky Lynch will confront the Women’s Money in the Bank winner on the next edition of RAW, which suggests there are only three people here who have a genuine chance of winning.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: It all depends on which brand. Blue wise, only Lacey Evans would make a correct Miss Money In The Bank. On the Red side, the three women are excellent but only one was not given a chance against The Man yet, and it’s Nia Jax.
WWE Universal Championship
Braun Strowman (C) vs Bray Wyatt
Just days into Strowman’s reign as Universal Champion, he was addressed from the Firefly Fun House by Wyatt, the man who brought Strowman to WWE years ago as part of The Wyatt Family. After accusing Strowman of turning his back on him, Wyatt asked for an apology. The Monster Among Men was anything but contrite in return, but Strowman saying sorry was far from the only thing Wyatt was seeking, as he soon declared that he wanted the Universal Title back after losing it earlier this year.
Though Strowman insisted he wouldn’t fall for Wyatt’s psychological warfare, he soon found himself pulled into the mind games regardless. Lured in by what he thought was a gift from Alexa Bliss on A Moment of Bliss, Strowman instead found a mask identical to the one he wore as part of The Wyatt Family. Bray Wyatt is the master of mind games and he made Strowman shiver. Then, Wyatt is the challenger, not the Fiend. It could make a difference, but we know Wyatt has more than a trick in his hat to surprise Strowman.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Braun Strowman – The way Bray Wyatt is pictured suggests that we won’t be seeing The Fiend this time around. That seems like WWE’s way of keeping the title on Strowman (for now) while also protecting the Fiend character. I like the way WWE have incorporated the history of these two from back when Braun was the Black Sheep of the Wyatt Family. It suggests to me that this feud will carry on a little longer.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: These two are able to bring us to hell a thousand times and we will follow them on this road with pleasure. Strowman retains and the mind games continue.
WWE Championship
Drew McIntyre (C) vs Seth Rollins
More than a decade after being dubbed ‘The Chosen One’ by Vince McMahon, Drew McIntyre has finally accomplished the boyhood dream of capturing the WWE Championship. In doing so, he is also the first-ever British World Champion in WWE. As wrestling fans, we are now quite deep into this era of empty arena shows, and Drew McIntyre has done a solid job of carrying the company in this era. In amongst that, The Monday Night Messiah, Seth Rollins is the perfect foil to go against McIntyre. As a former four-time World Champion, Rollins comes across as arrogant and believes he simply deserves to be Champion more than Drew does. WWE has done a lot to highlight the parallels between these two men, they’ve both defeated Brock Lesnar for World Championships at WrestleMania (and are the only two men in history to have done so). While this isn’t the first time these two have faced each other, it is the first time they have done so with a World title on the line, and WWE are relying on this being a can’t miss event.
Danny Cause’s Prediction: Drew McIntyre – it seems very early for Drew to lose the title, and I feel like he will hold it for quite a while. Seth and Drew are two of the strongest talents in this era, and this could be a great match under the right circumstances. Rollins will presumably have Murphy in his corner. I like the idea of the two of them using every trick in the dastardly heel book and coming close to stealing the title – but not close enough.
Steph Franchomme’s Prediction: Drew McIntyre will retain the belt but won’t necessarily win the match, there’s some DQ in the air.
Last-minute matches announcement:
- R-Truth vs. MVP
- Cesaro vs Jeff Hardy (Kickoff Match)
All pics courtesy of WWE