Shane McMahon made the big announcement on the May 23rd edition of Smackdown Live that not only would the Money In The Bank pay per view be a blue brand exclusive, but he revealed the 6 participants.
Generally, the Money In The Bank ladder match is one of the most unpredictable matches of the year, the match that awards the winner a guaranteed WWE World Heavyweight Title opportunity at the time and place of their choosing.
I actually correctly predicted all 6 of the competitors in the match a few weeks ago, so have already given thought on not only who should win, but who would gain the most from being the superstar to grab the briefcase.
Here are my thoughts on each participants’ chances of winning the 2017 Money In The Bank ladder match.
Baron Corbin
One of the most improved superstars of the last 6 months, ‘The Lone Wolf’ has impressed and gained a lot of respect from people of all descriptions in the pro wrestling industry.
Is Corbin ready for a World Heavyweight Title opportunity? I would say a confident yes. If recent events such as Jinder Mahal’s shock title victory over Randy Orton have taught us anything, it’s that Smackdown Live are more than willing to take a chance on new guys in the main event picture.
Some impressive bouts with AJ Styles have boosted his chances of an opportunity, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to win the match, and would welcome the company pulling the trigger on Corbin’s next level in WWE.
Sami Zayn
The problem with Sami Zayn, is how he’s been booked. On RAW he had the underdog/never giving up type character, which displayed his heart and character, but ultimately it made him look weak. I still don’t understand the logic of having him be repeatedly thrown around by the superman-like booked Braun Strowman, it didn’t do anything for him at all.
On Smackdown Live it’s clear he is there to play a bigger part, but I feel there’s a lot of work to do with Sami before he’s considered for a main title, and that might mean going through old foes to claim the United States Title.
Shinsuke Nakamura
No doubt many betting people would be lumping their money on ‘The King of Strong Style’ to continue his impressive start to his Smackdown Live career, but I believe in a phrase ‘too much too soon’. They should continue to build him as a main eventer, because let’s not forget a portion of the audience don’t watch NXT so will have just seen Nakamura since his debut the Smackdown Live after Wrestlemania (which I saw live).
There’s absolutely no doubt in my mind that Nakamura will be challenging for the WWE title at some point soon, but I just think right now, it’s TOO soon for him to be given that opportunity.
Kevin Owens
I’m always against current champions being in Money In The Bank ladder matches, because my first question is always, why aren’t they defending their title? Owens is the United States Champion, so why does he not have a feud for the United States Championship? That is a spot being wasted in my opinion, not for the Money In The Bank, but for a superstar to be challenging for the U.S title. I think Owens winning would be the worst case scenario for me, not just because I don’t like him, but because he needs to be in a meaningful feud for the title he carries on his shoulder, else there’s a risk of it losing its prestige.
Dolph Ziggler
My favourite superstar of the six, but probably the least popular choice with the fans to win Money In The Bank in honesty. There’s no doubt that Ziggler has the ability, the charisma and the personality to be a top guy in the company, just he seems to be missing that connection with the audience which is vital to get yourself over as either a heel or a face. I personally enjoy when he’s given a microphone and a chance to express himself and give the audience an insight to his mind, but those opportunities are limited. The only participant who has actually ever won a Money In The Bank ladder match (although a few have never been in one), so possibly many people have written him off already predicting WWE will continue their theme of giving new guys a chance.
AJ Styles
I think the clear favourite to win the match, is ‘The Phenomenal One’. WWE know he’s not only one of the most talented in ring performers of this generation, but a large money maker, so it’s no surprise they want to place a lot of their time on him.
Jinder Mahal being WWE Champion only increases the odds of someone like Styles being the one to challenge him for the title next. Although it’s unclear how long he would hold the briefcase for, I guess that all depends on how long they want Mahal’s title reign to last for, but Styles could carry it for months, teasing.
It would certainly be a big payoff at the end for Styles to finally cash in, and regardless of who the champion was at the time, the fans would love every second of it.
Maybe Styles is an obvious choice, but in my personal opinion he’s the right choice, and the safe pair of hands for the company to rely on, and to appease the WWE Universe.
We’ll have to wait and see on June 18th who walks out of Money In The Bank with the opportunity to become THE guy of Smackdown Live, and maybe begin the start of something big.
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