WWE Money in the Bank 2017: Match Card, Potential Spoilers, Predictions and More
History and havoc will be the foundation of WWE Money in the Bank 2017.
Sunday’s pay-per-view in St. Louis will see women battle in a Money in the Bank ladder match for the very first time. Lana has a chance to win the SmackDown Women’s Championship in her very first singles match on the main roster. And Baron Corbin, Sami Zayn and Carmella are among those who could be closing in on their very first championship.
The SmackDown-exclusive event is sure to be packed with cracked metal and bruised bods because it will feature two Money in the Bank ladder matches.
What daredevil moments await? Who will walk away with the briefcases in those bouts? Who may stroll in as uninvited guests?
Read on for a utter Money in the Bank preview, looking at the latest backstage whirr surrounding the PPV and suggesting predictions for all the contests on the card.
Potential Spoilers
Rusev is reportedly ready to come back.
He had been recovering from shoulder surgery and has yet to show up on SmackDown since joining the brand as part of April’s Superstar Shake-up. He’s evidently healthy enough to begin crushing his enemies again, tho’.
Ryan Satin of Pro Wrestling Sheet reported on Wednesday: " Sources tell us the Bulgarian Brute met with WWE docs yesterday and was given the green light."
Given that Rusev demanded a title chance at this PPV via movie clips, it’s plausible he could make a surprise appearance in St. Louis.
He may have company at Money in the Bank. Former Ring of Honor and Influence Wrestling starlets may be poised to make the hop to SmackDown.
According to PWInsider (h/t Squared Circle Sirens), Maria Kanellis and Mike Bennett are set to join the SmackDown brand and will be on the road with the showcase for the Money in the Bank weekend.
The light card for the PPV opens the door for either a talking segment from the duo or a quick match.
And the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that the PPV will feature a segment involving Ric Flair, Bob Orton Jr., Larry Hennig and others (h/t Cageside Seats’ Randall Ortman ) . One would assume this will be related to the Jinder Mahal-Randy Orton WWE Championship match. The Viper has been bringing up his father’s name a lot in in latest promos.
Match Card
- The Hype Bros vs. The Colons
- The Usos vs. The Fresh Day (SmackDown Tag Team Championships)
- Naomi vs. Lana (SmackDown Women’s Championship)
- Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match (Becky Lynch, Carmella, Charlotte Flair, Natalya, Tamina)
- Boys’s Money in the Bank ladder match (AJ Styles, Baron Corbin, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Shinsuke Nakamura)
- Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton (WWE Championship)
Predictions
- The Hype Bros over The Colons.
- The Fresh Day over The Usos.
- Naomi over Lana.
- Carmella wins Money in the Bank.
- Corbin wins Money in the Bank.
- Mahal over Orton.
Match Previews
Zack Ryder is back. After tearing up his knee months ago, the former U.S. champ is ready to make his comeback to the ring.
He will rejoin Mojo Rawley in a quest to be the best in the SmackDown tag team division.
The #HypeBros @ZackRyder & @MojoRawleyWWE reunite THIS SUNDAY on @WWE #MITB Kickoff to face @WWE_Primo & @WWEEpico! https://t.co/rJm2OqWDYg https://t.co/kqXI8FZUl4
Their very first test will be against Primo and Epico, the duo everyone from Breezango to The Fresh Day has been striking up on. That makes this feel like a welcome-back victory in the making for The Hype Bros.
Rawley will benefit from having some direction again. And the tag team division will be better off with more depth. Now the brand just has to find out where American Alpha is hiding.
Kofi Kingston, Xavier Forest and Big E wasted no time in stepping up to tag team champs The Usos when they arrived on the SmackDown stage in May. The former Raw tag champs confronted Jimmy and Jey and made it clear they wished the blue brand’s titles.
The gyrating trio is set to face the increasingly aggressive and thuggish Usos.
The two teams have shown strong chemistry in their early faceoffs. There’s also a compelling juxtaposition of positivity and fury, brightness and dark hearts. Their title bout promises to be one of the best contests of the night.
It makes sense to crown The Fresh Day as the fresh cornerstones of the division. The trio thrived in that spot on Raw for a long open up.
With the rest of the women’s division occupied in the Money in the Bank ladder match, there was a free space open in the No. One contender’s spot.
Lana took that in a hurry after debuting her fresh gimmick. What looked to be a burlesque dancer in her vignettes has been more of a shimmying egotist in a ballgown. That version of Lana is set to battle Naomi in the match of her life.
.@LanaWWE will make her blue brand in-ring debut when she faces @NaomiWWE for the #SDLive #WomensTitle at #MITB! https://t.co/UVRA817rUR https://t.co/pafxCnauzS
The Ravishing Russian’s in-ring practice is mighty limited. In fact, she’s yet to have a match on SmackDown.
She’ll likely fight to produce here thanks to being such a novice. And as she has just arrived on the scene, WWE isn’t likely to crown her already.
Carmella Is Ms. Money in the Bank
When SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon struggled to find a fresh challenger for Naomi through traditional means, he determined to make history. He announced that Flair, Lynch and the rest of the women vying for the gold would battle in a Money in the Bank ladder match.
Flair will come in with The Welcoming Committee—Natalya, Tamina and Carmella—sure to be targeting her. Lynch will have to worry about Carmella’s sidekick, James Ellsworth, interfering.
And everyone involved will have to grit through the anguish that comes with crashing through and diving off ladders.
More often than not, high-heeled slippers take home that contract-filled briefcase. The concept suits a villain better as it regularly leads to one taking advantage of an unfair situation. The Princess of Staten Island will have no issue going that route.
To launch her as a starlet and give her character clear direction, expect WWE to have Carmella unhook that briefcase on Sunday night.
Corbin Claims the Briefcase
WWE has a number of appealing choices for the next Money in the Bank winner.
Kevin Owens grabbing the briefcase with the United States Championship still in mitt would make it feel as if he’s set to reign over SmackDown. Shinsuke Nakamura claiming victory would kickstart his blue brand run. And Sami Zayn taking home the prize would be a excellent chapter in an ongoing underdog story.
A golden chance awaits #SDLive Superstars when #MITB rivulets LIVE this Sunday at 8e/5p on the award-winning @WWENetwork! https://t.co/iXVZ5YCRId
The Lone Wolf, however, is the most probable victor.
Baron Corbin is a heel on the rise. He has archetypal size. He’s youthfull and fresh with a high ceiling. Money in the Bank promises to be his ticket to the top tier.
He will be part of a thriller that sees the Owens-Zayn saga proceed, Zayn and Corbin’s rivalry escalate and AJ Styles produce a stunning moment or two.
At Backlash, WWE stunned its audience by crowning Jinder Mahal as its top titleholder. His rapid rise has been the subject of confusion and debate, hum and analysis.
But it’s time to stop being baffled by his rise from the bottom of the barrel to the top of the mountain. It’s time to get used to Mahal as champ.
#TheViper @RandyOrton gets his rematch for the #WWEChampionship when he battles #TheMaharaja @JinderMahal at #MITB on @WWENetwork! #SDLive https://t.co/YdwH91KRKu
He will fend off Orton here, just as he has promised for the past few weeks. This will be a major moment for Mahal as he emphatically puts an end to his rivalry with The Viper and looks like a legitimate champ.
The Maharaja is poised to have the best match of his career, one that helps quiet his doubters. WWE has set the stage for him, and it’s time to make that look like the right stir.