A women’s Money in the Bank ladder match is reportedly in the works. That’s great news. It’s one of the most exciting match types in WWE and waiting for someone to cash in their briefcase at the right time has always been fun. So the female Superstars of WWE deserve to get in on that.
However, there is a slight problem with this. See, this idea was floated around last year before it was ultimately scrapped. And at the time, there were several Superstars who could have competed in the match. Now with the brand split, it’s not as easy.
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There is going to be a Women’s Championship match at MITB as well. So in addition to Naomi being unable to compete in the ladder match as champion, her future challenger also won’t be competing in it. Since only six women appear on SmackDown regularly right now, this means that means just four of them will be available for a potential MITB ladder match.
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That’s not enough. They could maybe get away with five, but four is simply too little. And ideally they should be able to scrounge together six, so they can keep the match with the number of Superstars it typically has.
So which women could be called on to fill these spots? Here are a few possibilities.
#5 Asuka
The prospect of Asuka competing in the MITB ladder match is interesting but comes with one big caveat. If she were to be in the match, she would absolutely have to win it.
Asuka boasts the greatest undefeated streak of anyone in wrestling history after she surpassed Goldberg’s legendary 173-0 streak. She has defended her title against anyone and everyone who has come after her and has established herself as the most dominant force in women’s wrestling.
Therefore, her first loss absolutely cannot be in the Money in the Bank ladder match. It would be a huge waste of everything she’s built to this point. Of course, it’s understandable to lose a multi-person ladder match, but it would still be a blemish on her record and an anti-climactic way to lose her streak.
But if WWE really wants to make a splash with the Empress of Tomorrow, they could enter her in the match and have her win it. SmackDown needs more female Superstars, and Asuka would bolster the division better than anyone else.
It’s impossible to know if WWE plans on bringing Asuka up anytime soon. But if they are, she should undoubtedly join the SmackDown roster, and even better, she should enter and win the MITB ladder match to debut with a splash.
Also read: Ranking the Superstars most likely to win Money in the Bank
#4 Lana
This is a big step down from Asuka in the wrestling department, but Lana is another valid candidate for the women’s MITB ladder match.
The Ravishing Russian has had vignettes advertising her SmackDown debut for the past couple of weeks. The MITB match surely would not be her first match, but once she establishes herself as part of the SmackDown roster with a few victories in the coming weeks, she’s a prime candidate to be included.
After all, beggars can’t be choosers. And in this situation, SmackDown is essentially begging for more participants in a potential women’s MITB match. They need as many warm bodies on the roster to participate in this match as possible. And although she’ll likely be green in the ring, Lana qualifies.
However, that lack of in-ring experience probably makes her participation a little dangerous. If she’s not completely comfortable in regular matches yet, should she really be put in the middle of some potentially dangerous ladder spots? Probably not.
But WWE could always make sure she’s not at too much risk. You don’t necessarily have to take an insane bump to be a participant in a ladder match, so Lana could still have a case to be in the match.
#3 Summer Rae
At this point, Summer Rae’s picture is probably on the side of a few milk cartons out there. She hasn’t been on WWE TV in months despite being healthy, and it’s likely just a case of WWE not knowing what to do with her.
And yes, she is in fact on the Raw roster. But with her total lack of appearances since the brand split, she could seamlessly move to SmackDown if WWE decided to go that direction. And with nothing for her to do on the red brand and SmackDown hurting for potential MITB participants, Summer Rae could answer the call.
Something people may have forgotten about Summer Rae is that she’s actually a good wrestler. Between being Fandango’s valet and being the love interest of Rusev and Tyler Breeze, it’s easy to forget that she helped pioneer NXT’s Women’s division before the four horsewomen took over.
Since she’s one of the better wrestlers on WWE’s roster, it’s a shame that she isn’t being used, but a jump over to SmackDown and participation in a women’s MITB ladder match could be just the jumpstart her career needs.
Would she stand a chance to win the match with the likes of Charlotte and Becky Lynch also involved? Probably not. But at the very least, it would give her a presence on WWE television.
#2 Ruby Riot
Ruby Riot is another NXT option here, and she's probably a more realistic bet than Asuka. Calling the Empress of Tomorrow up to the main roster would call into question the fate of the NXT Women’s Championship, while Riot has no such complications.
Riot being called up would be one of the fastest ascents to the main roster ever. She signed with WWE in January but didn’t make her debut until March 22 when she showed up to help neutralise Nikki Cross.
It would be an impressive rise, but it’s definitely not out of the question. It doesn’t seem like anyone is going to take the title from Asuka right now, and if it’s going to be anyone, it will probably be Ember Moon. That leaves women like Ruby Riot, Nikki Cross, Peyton Royce, and Billie Kay without much to do.
Those other women would be candidates to move up as well, but it wouldn’t be as easy. If Cross were to move up, what would happen to the rest of SAnitY? As for Royce or Kay, they would probably have to be moved up together, which may not be in the cards right now.
Riot coming to the main roster is the easiest call-up SmackDown could make right now, and she would add a unique dimension to a women’s MITB match.
#1 Nikki Bella
Well, this one was pretty obvious, wasn’t it? Nikki Bella might be the biggest name on the SmackDown roster even though she takes frequent breaks. She was the face of the Divas division when it still went by that name, but even in the era of the Women’s Revolution, she has held her own.
With still nearly a month to go until Money in the Bank, Nikki has plenty of time to continue her little vacation and return in time. Plus, John Cena tweeted that a return home to WWE was long overdue, and it would make sense for Nikki to follow suit.
If she were to come back in time for MITB, the match would be filled with stars. Of course, one of Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Natalya, Carmella, and Tamina will be facing Naomi for the Women’s Championship, but that still leaves plenty of star power for the ladder match.
And not only could Nikki participate in the match, but she also stands a pretty good chance to win. She’s bounced between heel and face for most of her career, so no matter what WWE wants out of their MITB briefcase holder, she can deliver.
She’ll also keep fans invested as the briefcase holder. She’s a big deal, and she is yet to win the Women’s Championship in its present iteration. So if she entered the MITB match and won, her eventual cash-in would be one of the cooler moments created in the SmackDown Women’s division.
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