We’re just a day away from the 2022 edition of Money In The Bank and what the show lacks in star power, it makes up for in what the hell is going to happen-ness. Given the injuries to Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, as well as the increasingly part-time status of Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, now suddenly feels like the time for a more unsung member of the roster to grab the briefcase and get a well-deserved cash-in moment down the road.
The women’s Money In The Bank ladder match also looks particularly intriguing with a mix of huge names like Becky Lynch, Asuka and Alexa Bliss, as well as emerging forces who WWE seem to be pushing including Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan and the returning Lacey Evans. There are a lot of different directions Bruce Prichard and the writers could go, which means there are a ton of different possible outcomes. That should make for an exciting premium live event, even if the biggest names on the roster aren’t there for a variety of reasons.
That being said, I still think some finishes are a lot more likely than others, and I’m here to put my "Genius" hat on and tell you which ones are most likely to happen. Ordinarily, I’d be a little more John Cena humble and a little less Bobby Heenan confident, but I correctly predicted every single match at Hell In A Cell. Every. Single. One. As such, I’m flying high and filled with all kinds of false confidence. So, without further ado, here’s what I think is going to happen at Money In The Bank…
The Usos (Champions) Vs The Street Profits For The Undisputed Tag Team Titles
The Usos have been champions for almost 350 days. That’s an insane run in the tag team division, but unlike their cousin/Bloodline leader Roman Reigns, they are not booked to look unstoppable. In fact, the two routinely lose singles matches, get the worse end of confrontations and lose non-title matches. They are made to look really beatable. They just don’t get beat because they’re still really over with the crowd/great on the mic/the best available option.
I like the Street Profits, but I’m not really into putting someone over for the sake of change. Thankfully, WWE doesn’t seem to be into that either lately, at least apart from the Intercontinental Championship, which may have suddenly found some stability with Gunther. The Street Profits are certainly over with fans, who will gladly shout “We Want The Smoke,” but in no universe are they anywhere as close to over as RK-Bro. I’m not even sure they’re as over as The Alpha Academy, who, by the way, I’m shamelessly in the tank for.
I guess, at least from my perspective, if you’re gonna put the tag titles on a team for almost a year, the team taking those belts should be REALLY OVER with fans or the change should be serving some kind of larger narrative (the tag team breaking up, etc). Neither of those conditions are in play here; so, I would look for The Usos to retain, though they'll likely drop at an upcoming WWE premium live event.
Predicted Winner: The Usos
Ronda Rousey (Champion) Vs Natalya For The Smackdown Women’s Championship
I think the build-up to this match, quick as it has been, is the best Ronda Rousey has been since she returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble. Their promo last week on Smackdown where Natalya dressed up as Ronda, and Ronda came out and threw some shade was really fun. There have also been some colorful exchanges on Twitter, some of which have been so stiff it has led people to wonder whether there is real animosity. I’d still like to see Ronda paired with a manager at some point, but huge steps in the right direction are happening, even if some of the more jaded members of wrestling Twitter won’t admit it.
That being said, I don’t really think the outcome of this match is in doubt. I like seeing Natalya get a little main event run, but nothing about her presentation for the last year has made her seem like a credible threat to beat Ronda or worthy of a run as a top tier champion. I just don’t think you can go from feuding with Aliyah to rocking the SmackDown Women’s Championship in six months. That’s too much of an abrupt u-turn, even for WWE.
I’d love to see a compelling match here though. This is a nice chance for Rousey to work with a veteran who should sell for her and make her look good, and it’s a chance for Natalya to remind everyone what she’s capable of. She’s been in tons of big matches, held major titles and once lasted 56 minutes in the Rumble. She’s capable of a lot. Maybe this is the springboard she needs to get a bigger role moving forward, especially with Charlotte Flair off and Sasha Banks and Naomi still in limbo.
Predicted Winner: Ronda Rousey
Theory (Champion) Vs Bobby Lashley For The United States Championship
I originally thought WWE was building toward John Cena and Theory. I thought they’d wrestle at Summerslam for the United States Championship, Cena would knock him down a peg, and we’d get a run for a few months with Cena as a mid-card champ. What a fantasy that (probably) turned out to be. The locker room leader showed up on Monday Night Raw for his 20th anniversary flowers. He even teased one more run, but he was also clear he had no idea when that would be. Unless there was some next level lying going on, I’m no longer expecting him to work SummerSlam, which means all possibilities are suddenly open.
It’s clear WWE writers love Austin Theory. He’s gotten numerous high profile matches and segments with his mentor Vince McMahon. They also put the US title on him, which should take on increasingly more importance with the Universal and WWE belts united under Roman Reigns. I get it. The crowd hates him in a good way. He’s so ripped he’s doing Rick Rude style posedowns, and he’s still in his early 20s. The future is really bright. But then again, WWE is really invested in Bobby Lashley right now too. He’s moved on from his Omos feud, and he’s getting main event treatment during his entrances.
My confidence level isn’t very high with this match, which is why I’m predicting shenanigans! I think Bobby Lashley takes the victory, but he does it by either disqualification or countout. Maybe we’ll see some interference from Chad Gable and/or Otis. Then I think WWE will spend the next month trying to build this up bigger before a rematch at SummerSlam with some kind of non-DQ stipulation
Predicted Winner: Bobby Lashley
Bianca Belair (Champion) vs Carmella For The Raw Women’s Championship
Let’s start with Carmella. She is a perfectly nice heel, and I like having her character around. She knows what she’s there for, works the crowd pretty well and is a nice in-ring performer. I also like listening to her husband Corey Graves be a shameless homer while commenting on her matches. None of this should be taken as a shot at Carmella. But come’on. Her beating Bianca would be as infuriating as Goldberg beating The Fiend in Saudi Arabia.
Bianca Belair is a star. She is an absolute freaking star. I recently rewatched her match with Becky Lynch at ‘Mania 38, and it’s far and away the best match from an event that had a ton of good matches. I’m not saying she needs to hold the belt for the next ten years, but she should only be losing, in my opinion, on rare occasions to elite level talents like Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair and maybe, maybe Rhea Ripley.
I would have loved to see that last match. That was the original plan here, but with Ripley out with an injury, we’re getting Carmella. To me, the only real question is how strong WWE will want Bianca to look. There’s a world in which I could see this being a squash. Then again, there’s another world in which I could see them getting 15-20 minutes to do some really athletic and cool stuff. I’d prefer the latter, but as long as Bianca Belair’s hand goes up at the end, it’ll be fine with me.
Predicted Winner: Bianca Belair
Women’s Money In The Bank Match Featuring Becky Lynch, Asuka, Alexa Bliss, Liv Morgan, Lacey Evans, Raquel Rodriguez And Shotzi
Predicting the winner of a Money In The Bank match is closer to predicting the winner of a Royal Rumble than it is a traditional main event. There are so many competitors and so many different places WWE could go with the storyline. Plus, unlike in a standard match, losing isn’t necessarily a step backwards for someone’s character. In that way, it’s less about who WWE wants to protect and more about who WWE wants to elevate and create storylines for, which opens up so many possibilities.
Let’s start with Becky Lynch. Everything she’s doing right now is working, and she’s maybe my favorite person on the entire WWE roster. Her recent storyline has dealt with her character coming to terms with taking a lot of Ls, and taking an L here seems like the next logical step. Sure, it would be fun to watch her carting around the briefcase and taunting everyone, but in my opinion, she doesn’t need it. At all. I would watch her character fight jobbers every week or do avant garde promos about life.
So, that leaves everyone else. WWE is clearly pushing Raquel Rodriguez and Lacey Evans, but to be honest, I don’t think either is that over with the crowd yet. I like Shotzi and think there’s talent there, but just being in this match is a nice exposure win for her. So, that leaves Liv Morgan, Alexa Bliss and Asuka. I love Alexa Bliss and would love to see her shoot back up to the main event, but recent televised wins over the likes of Nikki ASH, Doudrop and Sonya Deville don’t seem like the start of a big push. So, Asuka or Liv Morgan? I like Liv Morgan. She’s had recent big wins against Rhea Ripley and Alexa Bliss, and this could be a big chance to get to another tier.
Predicted Winner: Liv Morgan
Men’s Money In The Bank Match Featuring Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Riddle, Seth Freakin’ Rollins, Omos, Sami Zayn and TBD
I’m writing these predictions before Smackdown, which means we still don’t know who the last Money In The Bank participant will be. I reserve the right to change my pick if it turns out to be a prime Bret Hart, but barring that, I feel really, really good about Seth Freakin' Rollins. He’s been incredible for the entire year. His current unhinged lunatic character is a delight to watch every week, and he deserves so much credit for how well he put over Cody Rhodes.
Yes, I know the WWE Universe was primed to embrace Cody Rhodes when he came back for a variety of reasons, the most important of which is the man himself is so easy to root for, but getting over in wrestling requires another character with the charisma to push back. Seth Rollins was that for three consecutive premium live events, including Hell In A Cell where Cody fought injured, and the two put on a match that will be remembered for decades. I’d love to see that rewarded.
Besides, who the hell else is it going to be? Sami Zayn is a great heel and a really fun character, but this is way too big of a step up. He needs to stay in the mid-card. Omos obviously has the look and could get there someday, but nothing about his matches with Bobby Lashley proved he’s ready. Drew McIntyre has already been announced as the main event challenger at Clash In The Castle in September. There’s no point in him having the briefcase. Plus, I’m pretty sure him and Sheamus are going to somehow screw each other over and then fight at SummerSlam. That leaves Riddle and the other person to be added. I love Riddle and he’s over with the crowd, but he just got his shot at Roman Reigns on Smackdown.
Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins
