Welcome to another edition of eWN Round Table, where we gather some of the most active writers here on eWrestlingNews and share the platform to answer some questions surrounding a centralized topic, upcoming event, etc.
This is meant to showcase the potential for both a wide range of perspectives as well as how sometimes, there can be a group consensus no matter what your viewpoint is, so we also invite all of you to join in on the discussion by answering these questions yourself in the comments section below.
For this particular volume, we’ll be focusing on the 2019 WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view event.
Participants for this round = Anthony Mango, Richard Staple, Ethan Absler and Kyle Dunning.
1) “What match should start this show and what should be the main event?”
MANGO: I feel like they have to start with either the women’s ladder match or one of Becky Lynch’s matches, if not just to give her some time to relax a bit. I don’t want one of them being super fast to compensate or anything like that (unless maybe it’s Charlotte Flair losing in under 5 minutes). Depending on their plans for any cash-ins, I say start with Becky against Lacey Evans, end with AJ Styles against Seth Rollins.
STAPLE: “Should” is very subjective, especially when it comes to the Money In The Bank PPV. I truly believe with any PPV, however, the start and end are important to nail. For me, I believe the attraction of the PPV should start and close. I’d have the women’s MITB ladder match start and the men close off.
ABSLER: I believe that the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match should start the show and the Men’s ladder match should close it. The Women’s match is a great way to get the crowd invested and excited early in the show and the match will set the pace for the other contests of the night. Finally, the Men’s match is likely to send fans home happy and sure to be an exciting finish to the show.
DUNNING: Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans. It will get us in to the show, and give Becky time to rest between her first title match and the second. It’s hard to say what should main event, ‘coz nothing stands out as the big money match. As the PPV is called Money in the Bank, it should probably be a MITB match .. but knowing WWE it will be either the 1) Universal title, 2) WWE title, or 3) SmackDown women’s title match.
2) “What will Dominic’s role be in the United States Championship match?”
MANGO: I’m so torn on this. Logic would dictate that he helps his father win the title. However, this is WWE, where people turn on each other all the time. What if Dominic is really someone that Samoa Joe is going to groom instead of Rey Mysterio? There’s certainly a possibility there, but for now, I’ll play the safest bet and say Dominic gets picked on by Joe and that leads to Mysterio losing, but the story isn’t fully over and they continue to feud, just with Dominic involved in a physical capacity going forward.
STAPLE: It really is hard to tell at this point. I have my doubts that he’ll do something physical. At best, I’d say he would serve as a distraction. But honestly, there really isn’t much to this title feud so I can’t imagine whatever capacity he’s used in will be anything monumental.
ABSLER: I am not 100% sure what Dominic’s role will be in the US Title match, but I think it is a really good creative idea to have him out there. Dominic’s presence adds another layer of complexity to the storyline and gives Joe a good opportunity to get heat. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dominic tries to interfere in this match.
DUNNING: To stand around and watch his Dad get destroyed by Samoa Joe. Honestly, I was hoping Joe would’ve kidnapped him in a storyline reminiscent of Eddie Guerrero’s “Papi” storyline. But WWE probably won’t go for it, so he’s just there to show support for Rey.
3) “Who do you feel are the biggest favorites and underdogs in this year’s Money in the Bank ladder matches?”
MANGO: The biggest underdogs are Dana Brooke and Ali, and the favorites in my mind at this moment are Sasha Banks (if she’s involved) or Bayley if Banks isn’t in it, and Drew McIntyre on the men’s side.
STAPLE: For the men, the favorites have to be Andrade and Drew McIntyre. Young talent that can have their careers elevated with the briefcase the most in this match. As for the underdogs, I’d say Ali and Orton. Ali because his storyline of being robbed of an opportunity at Elimination Chamber could result in a victory, and Orton because it’s been a while since he’s been in the WWE Title picture. For the women, my favorites are Mandy Rose and Bayley. Bayley can be re-established as the elite competitor she is while making for intriguing storylines, and Mandy just because she seems to have a look WWE likes. My underdogs would be Ember Moon and Dana Brooke. Dana has gotten more TV time over the past month, and Ember Moon is a widely overlooked talent. Both good enough reasons to make for a surprising victory.
ABSLER: I think Drew Mcintyre is the favorite for the Men’s ladder match. Based on the way he is being booked, it would only make sense for him to walk out of the show with a huge victory. For me, the Women’s match is a little less predictable and I could see Alexa Bliss or Mandy Rose winning the briefcase.
DUNNING: If Alexa Bliss is 100% out of the women’s match, then I do not see any favourties or underdogs. Mandy Rose’s careless loss this week could be a red herring though, to trick people in to thinking she is not the favourite. I’d give the edge to Mandy, but not by much. As for the men’s, I think Drew McIntyre or Baron Corbin have to win. The biggest underdogs are Ricochet and Ali, as they haven’t done enough on the main roster to warrant such a push.
4) “Will someone cash in their briefcase at this event? If so, who and how?”
MANGO: If someone does, it will be the SmackDown Women’s Championship as the target. Charlotte Flair could beat Becky and then drop it to Bayley, or Bayley could turn heel and cash in on The Man. I don’t think it will happen this particular night, though.
STAPLE: I don’t think so. Alexa Bliss cashed in at the PPV last year and Ambrose did the same thing only two years prior to that. Having another cash-in on the same night would start to over-saturate the concept a bit. Also, sometimes it’s better to keep the audience guessing than to just pull the trigger for the sake of doing it. If any cash-in were to happen, the easy choice would be on Becky Lynch since she is pulling double duty. But I don’t think any of the potential winners would be bold enough to cash in anyway.
ABSLER: I don’t believe anyone will be cashing in at this event. I think both winners will stalk the Champion for a few months before eventually cashing in. In recent years, Dean Ambrose coming to mind for example, WWE has had the winner cash-in on the same show a few times and I think it would be smart for them to give that a little break and let the winner benefit from carrying the briefcase for a little while.
DUNNING: Highly unlikely. There’s no one like Kane who could win and be impatient enough to cash it in right away. All the champions have not had long enough reigns to give the idea they could be losing them anytime soon.
5) “Leading up to this, there were fake leaked images of an NXT ladder match. Do you think WWE should consider having any other Money in the Bank briefcases for NXT, midcard titles, tag titles or anything else?”
MANGO: I already wrote up multiple posts about this topic, yet I’m going to say the only one they should consider is a tag team ladder match. The midcard titles should be considered fair game to be cashed in on, which would help their prestige. NXT has their own events and 205 Live, sadly, doesn’t matter all that much.
STAPLE: NXT’s popularity is largely due to the fact that they don’t follow the main roster’s style of doing things, and that’s the way I like it. NXT doesn’t need to do anything to build excitement towards a sudden title change. They develop characters well, focus on storyline continuity and put on great matches on a routine basis. A briefcase isn’t needed to enhance the experience.
ABSLER: I’ve never thought of this idea before but I am certainly not opposed to an NXT ladder match. Whether it be on the actual Money in the Bank card or on a Takeover special, NXT ladder matches never disappoint and I would definitely enjoy seeing one.
DUNNING: No, NXT has TakeOver PPVs for a reason. I love NXT, and I’d rather see their matches in a NXT environment .. you know, where Vince doesn’t micro-manage every single detail.
6) “Which superstar do you feel is the biggest omission from this lineup?”
MANGO: Bobby Lashley is the biggest surprise for me. I could make the case for Ruby Riott and even Lars Sullivan, but out of everyone, I would have thought Lashley in the ladder match would be a guarantee.
STAPLE: Ruby Riot. I know she doesn’t set the world on fire, but she’s a serviceable performer at worse. Why not give her an opportunity to prove herself on a bigger platform?
ABSLER: The new Smackdown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan and Erik Rowan are not booked yet on this show and I believe because they are new Champions, it is important for them to build credibility early on and have a solid title defense at this show. It is a shame they are not booked and I hope they are added last minute.
DUNNING: I’m still not a fan of this question, because there’s many reasons why a superstar may not be included; and it’s not always because they are in the “doghouse”. See this article for the omissions: https://www.ewrestlingnews.
7) “If you could add one more match to this card, what would it be?”
MANGO: Asuka and Kairi Sane against The IIconics on the kickoff, rather than SmackDown.
STAPLE: I honestly don’t think the card needs anything else. We got two world title matches, two women’s title matches, two madder matches, a mid card title match and a steel cage match. That’s good enough for me.
ABSLER: To build off of my previous answer, I’d love to see the Usos rematch Rowan and Bryan for the Tag Team Championships.
DUNNING: Something with Bray Wyatt to introduce his new character. Don’t announce it .. just put a jobber like No Way Jose in there and introduce the new, dark side of Bray Wyatt.
8) “Which match are you most excited to see on this pay-per-view?”
MANGO: As much as I want to say AJ Styles against Seth Rollins or Kofi Kingston against Kevin Owens, I’m leaning toward the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match as my top most anticipated match.
STAPLE: Rollins/Styles easily. Their feud has been about as by the numbers as a feud between two faces can get, but these are arguably the two best performers on the roster and this is a legit dream match. While I would have waited for a PPV like Sunmerslam, I can’t complain. No reason why this can’t be a match of the year contender.
ABSLER: I am most excited for the Men’s ladder match or Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles. Both matches will be fantastic and I can’t wait for this show. The card looks stacked, the stakes are high, and we’re still riding the Wrestlemania wave; next Sunday should be a spectacular show.
DUNNING: I think Seth Rollins & AJ Styles have the potential to tear the house down. Becky vs. Charlotte rarely disappoints, and Lacey Evans will prove herself too. There’s no one match I’m looking forward to over the rest. It’s whoever is better on the night. Thanks for reading guys.
Big thanks to everyone who took part in this edition!
Those are our thoughts, but what do you have to say about these issues? Keep the discussion going by chiming in via the comments section below!
