Welcome to another edition of WWE Heat Index, wherein we discuss the interest level for the various feuds heading into the pay-per-view events. This time around, we’re focusing on Money in the Bank 2019 coming this Sunday night.
The way this works is a pretty simple three-way breakdown of Hot, Lukewarm and Cold. If you like something and you’re very interested in how WWE is setting up the program, it’s Hot (aka Good). If you’re a bit on the fence about it and see some problems, but it’s not awful, then it’s just Okay or Lukewarm. The ones that are the most problematic that you have no interest in are Cold (aka Bad).
Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section to let everyone know what your thermometer reads for each feud as I tell you what my thoughts are below!
Without further ado, let’s get started!
Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Ali vs. Andrade vs. Baron Corbin vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Finn Balor vs. Randy Orton vs. Ricochet vs. Sami Zayn = Hot
Ladder matches are fun and the Money in the Bank is one of my favorite concepts of the year that WWE puts on.
I like every single person in this match, too, which makes it even better. Yes, I even like Baron Corbin. Don’t kill me.
For the most part, if any of these guys won, I would be happy about it. I’ll naturally have my concerns about whether WWE will make the right decisions (in my mind) about how to use the briefcase, and I’m hoping they don’t give it to someone just to have them fail. But first thing’s first, let’s have the match itself.
Big thumbs up for the lineup this year and the possibilities that can come out of it.
Prediction: Andrade wins.
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Bayley vs. Carmella vs. Dana Brooke vs. Ember Moon vs. Mandy Rose vs. Naomi vs. Natalya vs. Nikki Cross = Hot
Pretty much copy and paste what I said about the men’s match, except lower the buzz and the performance value a few notches.
I’m curious if Dana Brooke will be replaced by Sasha Banks. Part of me wonders if WWE is going into this match with no idea in mind of what to do, which is equal parts scary and very exciting.
Will Bayley win this and turn heel with a cash-in? Is this how Mandy Rose will win her first title? And is someone going to cash in this very night on Becky Lynch?
You’ve got me for this one, too, WWE. Mission accomplished.
Prediction: Bayley wins, unless Sasha Banks is in the match.
Universal Championship Match: Seth Rollins (c) vs. AJ Styles = Hot
This could have been the main event of WrestleMania next year. It’s one of the best matches WWE could possibly put on, as far as pure potential for in-ring action goes.
In my mind, WWE didn’t need to do any “feud” between these two at all—at least, not for their first encounter. The tension they’ve had with each other hasn’t done anything for me as far as upgrading my hype. It didn’t need to. I was already sold just by putting the two names together.
Prediction: Seth Rollins retains the title.
WWE Championship Match: Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Kevin Owens = Hot / Lukewarm
I’m interested in seeing how Kofi Kingston wrestles as the WWE champion. Will he carry himself differently, or will he wrestle the same exact style that he normally would as a tag team champion?
For that matter, will this be a scenario where he gets to dictate how the match goes, or will WWE fall back on Kevin Owens setting the pace of the match because he’s not only the heel, but has more experience as a world champion?
This could be absolutely fantastic, or it could end up being something that is just okay and shouldn’t have too much hype, but I don’t think there’s any way it turns out to be bad by any means, and since I’m a big fan of both guys, I’m sold.
Prediction: Kofi Kingston retains the title.
Raw Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Lacey Evans = Lukewarm
I really want to be invested in this more than I am, but I just find it really difficult to get past how over the top they’re going with Lacey Evans and how little foundation they gave her.
If WWE toned down the “sassy southern belle” accent, at least, and had Evans do ANYTHING more before this than just the entrance shtick, then I’d be real gung-ho about it, as I think Evans has tremendous potential, and I’m a fan of Becky Lynch, too.
Basically, this, on paper, six months from now, with a better gimmick for Evans, would have meant more to me than what we’re getting, and that’s a shame.
Prediction: Becky Lynch retains the title.
SmackDown Women’s Championship Match: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Charlotte Flair = Cold
I’ve seen it a dozen or so times in the past 12 months. I’ve been over it for a while. There’s nothing going on right now that makes me any more excited about this. Frankly, I’m only interested in the possibility that Flair either wins outright, or someone cashes in the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Neither of those scenarios is a guarantee, which means I can’t give this match hype points for something that isn’t involved in the match.
Prediction: I’m leaning towards Lynch not leaving this event with this title, but it may not be Flair who has it, either.
United States Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Rey Mysterio = Lukewarm
Samoa Joe is great and Rey Mysterio has worked better this past year than he did the last 3 or 4 of his previous stint, but if I’m honest, the only thing I’m interested in for this match is the question of what Dominic’s role will be.
Is he going to screw Mysterio out of the win in an odd heel turn? Is he going to cost Joe the win and do something that results in Rey winning the title?
Whatever was going to happen at WrestleMania is happening here, I’m assuming, so it might be something rather decently big, and that’s the hook for me.
Prediction: Samoa Joe retains the title? I don’t know.
Steel Cage Match: The Miz vs. Shane McMahon = Hot / Lukewarm
Steel cage matches are tricky. They sound awesome at face value, but they can often be more laborious and painful to watch than amazing.
It all depends on the performers involved, the plans on the finish and the amount of time the match goes on for. The longer, the more of a chance it’s boring, with too much time spent waiting for someone to very casually stroll out the door in an unbelievable fashion.
The Miz and Shane McMahon being kept inside a cage means (at least theoretically) they should have no access to weapons, so if this ends up being a punch-fest, that’s going to be rough, too.
Also, is this going to just be The Miz getting his win, or will someone screw him to allow Shane to win and start a new feud with The Miz and his attacker? There’s the intrigue.
Prediction: The Miz wins.
SmackDown Tag Team Champions Daniel Bryan and Rowan (c) vs. The Usos = Lukewarm / Cold
Doesn’t it speak volumes to the lack of attention WWE put into balancing out the rosters during the Superstar Shake-up that they need to have The Usos come over from Raw in order to have challengers for Bryan and Rowan?
The Usos can’t possibly win these belts, if they are on the line, unless they plan on just moving them to SmackDown and defeating the entire purpose of moving them over. That would also likely involve moving Naomi, and that can’t happen all just because “lol, it would be fun to shock everyone.”
But it doesn’t even seem as though the titles are on the line to begin with, and without that possibility of a title change, there isn’t a ton of hype that I can have for this. I’m a fan of three of the performers and thinking they’ll do a fine enough job on the kickoff, but this is just a random exhibition of sorts.
Prediction: Daniel Bryan and Rowan win if the belts are on the line, possibly due to interference from The Revival, but if it’s a non-title match, The Usos win.
Cruiserweight Championship Match: Tony Nese (c) vs. Ariya Daivari = Cold
Noooooooobody caaaaaaaaaaaaaaares.
I hate saying that, but it’s true. If you polled the entire WWE Universe, I feel like maybe 10%, at most, would say that they are invested in this feud.
I’ve championed 205 Live for a long time and I keep talking about how it’s overlooked and can be some of the best in-ring action any week, but I can’t, in good faith, boost this up with any reasonable hype.
Tony Nese doesn’t work as a babyface, Ariya Daivari is so very clearly being fed to him that I don’t have any lingering doubts about whether the title could change hands, and their feud has only really consisted of Daivari winning a title shot and the two saying they would beat each other. There isn’t anything to it.
Prediction: Tony Nese retains the title.
Roman Reigns vs. Elias = Cold
Last year, Roman Reigns was in a random match with Jinder Mahal to keep him out of the Money in the Bank match, but make sure he was on the card. This year, it seems WWE applied the same logic, only with Elias in that Mahal spot.
I like Elias and I like Reigns, but I have no interest in this feud, particularly since it seems to revolve around Vince McMahon more than anything else, and Elias and McMahon have never had an alignment that would make sense enough for this to be a true investment.
It’s very clearly a case of “I don’t know, what if we do XYZ?” without really planning anything out or thinking of where it can go. It’s a placeholder feud that means nothing.
Prediction: Roman Reigns wins, unless the plan is for Shane McMahon to screw him and to have those two against each other in Saudi Arabia
Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about these particular feuds? What’s hot and what’s cold in your mind? Fill us in on your point of view in the comments below!
