The Money In The Bank PPV is fast becoming one of WWE’s most must-see shows.
Fans love the unpredictability of it all, especially when it comes to the Money In The Bank Ladder matches. It has had a hugely positive impact on a lot of WWE Superstars’ careers, with people like Edge, CM Punk and Seth Rollins getting their first ever WWE/World Heavyweight Championships after cashing in the Money In The Bank contract.
This year’s men’s Money In The Bank ladder match has the potential to be something special. There’s the usual mix of powerful superstars (Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin), high flyers (Ali, Ricochet and Finn Balor) and conniving heels (Andrade and Randy Orton).
This article is gonna look at everyone involved in this year’s ladder match, and then rate their chances of winning.
Randy Orton
(MITB History: Appeared in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015. Winner in 2013)
A former winner of this match in 2013, Randy Orton has gone back to being an evil psychopath in the ring, which has meant that Orton has produced his best work in years.
A veteran of this match, it’s almost a guarantee that he’ll hit some sort of special, ladder-related RKO onto someone (Ali or Ricochet look the most likely candidates) to produce an OMG moment for the fans at home and in the arena. He’ll put in a strong performance but probably won’t win the briefcase.
Chances of Winning: 2/5
Baron Corbin
(MITB History: Appeared in 2017. Winner in 2017)
Another former winner in 2017, Baron Corbin has never really hit those heights since, but he remains one of the best heels on WWE television right now (YEAH, I SAID IT.)
He’s currently being unfairly blamed as a reason as to why RAW has continued to lose ratings, even though he’s vastly improved both in the ring and on the mic. It’s not his fault that the writing has been terrible, and he’s done well with the material he’s been given.
He’ll try to outsmart everyone in the match and will come close to winning a couple of times, before either Braun or Drew McIntyre take him out of the match for good.
Chances of winning: 2.5/5
Ali
(MITB History: Debut)
Injury robbed him of what looked like a WWE Title match at WrestleMania because he was on a huge roll before sustaining a concussion just before the Elimination Chamber PPV, which ruled him out for a few weeks.
Despite losing a lot of his momentum, he remains one of SmackDown’s best all-rounders. A possible feud with Finn Balor over the Intercontinental Championship looks very promising indeed and will show just how good Ali can be.
A dark horse in this match, Ali could end up being the match’s MVP. Like Orton, he’ll produce an OMG moment for everyone watching (If I don’t see at least one 054 off a ladder, I’m gonna be furious) and will have his hands on the briefcase, but ultimately, he’ll come up just short.
Chances of Winning: 2.5/5
Ricochet
(MITB History: Debut)
Like Ali, Ricochet could end up being the match’s MVP. The ‘One and Only’, Ricochet is basically a human highlight reel and will regularly do something that makes the crowd gasp and cheer in amazement.
He made his NXT debut in that fantastic six-man ladder match to crown the first ever NXT North American Champion, and very nearly won the match, getting knocked off a ladder by the winner, Adam Cole.
Like Ali, he’ll do something incredible that will have everyone gasping. He has already proved that he can be extremely innovative with ladders and will pull out all the stops in order to try and win. He’ll come close, but ultimately fail.
Chances of Winning: 3/5
Finn Balor
(MITB History: Appeared in 2018)
WWE’s most underutilised superstar, Finn Balor has always given 110% for a company that has treated him horribly with dreadful booking.
A fan-favourite, Finn will always try his hardest to prove just how good he is. Granted, he’s a former Universal Champion and the current Intercontinental Champion, but WWE have never seemed to trust him to be the face of the company. It’s frustrating, but inevitable in this era.
As said above, he’ll nearly kill himself just to prove how good he is. He’ll be the sentimental favourite but will not be able to grab the briefcase. ‘The Demon’ might be there at the very end but will probably come up short.
Chances of Winning: 3/5
Braun Strowman
(MITB History: Appeared in 2018. Won in 2018)
Another former winner, Braun has remained one of WWE’s most popular superstars, despite some awful 50-50 booking (I’m sensing a pattern here…). He’s one of the favourites, purely because its Braun, and WWE and the fans clearly love him.
He surprised everyone by winning last year, mainly because it didn’t feel like he needed it as much as some of the other people in the match. WWE wasted his cash in though, a Hell In A Cell match against Roman Reigns that stupidly went to a non-finish due to the appearance of Brock Lesnar.
Just like last year, he perhaps doesn’t need it as much as a couple of the other stars in the match. This shouldn’t rule him out though. He’ll probably do something to show off his freakish strength (I’m hoping he breaks a ladder whilst someone’s stood on it). He might not win it, but he’ll leave a lasting impression on the match.
Chances of winning: 3.5/5
Drew McIntyre
(MITB History: Appeared in 2010 x2, WrestleMania XXVI and Money In The Bank 2010)
The former ‘Chosen One’ looked to be heading to the top in late 2018, having come back earlier that year and dominating everyone in his path. He may have lost a lot of his momentum since then, but McIntyre is still one of the favourites, and for good reason.
He has improved so much since returning to NXT in 2017. By his own admission, he wasn’t ready in the early 2010s, so he returned to the independent scene, becoming one of the top stars in the world, and finally showing why WWE were so keen on him in the first place.
Drew is slightly less likely to win it here, mainly because it suits a conniving heel like Andrade more. Also, like Braun, Drew perhaps doesn’t need as much, because he’ll always be near the main event scene anyway and is due another big push soon.
Chances of winning: 4/5
Andrade
(MITB History: Debut)
My favourite to win this year, Andrade has been on the fringes of the main event scene for a while now, and it is time for him to become a full-blown main eventer, and it should start by winning the Money In The Bank ladder match.
Everything is in his favour here. For one thing, the ladder match is always a good match for a conniving heel. They can sneak in at the end and grab the briefcase. It’s worked for Edge, Seth Rollins, Alexa Bliss, and Baron Corbin, so Andrade has an advantage there.
Another advantage is Zelina Vega. Having a manager in a match like this could end up being a huge plus point. She can distract someone long enough for Andrade to take advantage of the situation.
He would be great with the briefcase as well. Have Vega cut promos saying how dangerous he is now he has the briefcase and you’ve got a couple of months of programs there alone. An Andrade vs. Kofi feud at the back end of 2019 could produce some amazing matches and show the wider WWE Universe that 2019 is the year of Tranquilo.
Chances of winning: 4.5/5
All this could of course change before the PPV, but for now, I’m picking Andrade to win the Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder match.
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