On Sunday, June 18th, SmackDown Live will officially have Money in the Bank under their brand. They have already slotted several matches for that night, which has brought a great deal of attention.
Whether it is Randy Orton's championship rematch against Jinder Mahal or the women's division's Money in the Bank ladder match, this event will certainly create some exciting moments. However, one match stands out as being worth the price of admission alone, and that is the Money in the Bank ladder match.
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As has historically been the case, this match will give someone a championship match opportunity at the time and place of their choosing. Although the match involves six of the biggest names on the Smackdown Live roster, there is only one Superstar who we feel will not walk away as the winner.
We won't divulge who that is yet, suffice to say that individual isn't considered a contender to win, and read on. For the purposes of this list, we will rank the others according to the likelihood of who will walk away the winner of the Money in the Bank match, least to most.
Here are five potential winners of the Money in the Bank matchup.
#5 Sami Zayn
Other than Dolph Ziggler, who is the only participant to have won before, Sami Zayn is the least likely potential winner. What fans can anticipate with Zayn in the match is exciting and captivating spots.
He appears more likely to be headed for a long program with Baron Corbin, and there is nothing wrong with that either. Zayn’s last ladder match was at Wrestlemania 32, where he was among the competitors seeking to walk away with the Intercontinental Championship.
Although a title isn't on the line here, the contract that comes with winning this match also ‘hangs in the balance'. To be picked for it should be considered a bit of a vote of confidence, but he isn't our top choice to walk away as the winner.
#4 Baron Corbin
Baron Corbin is our fourth choice and can certainly be considered a contender for the championship. Corbin is less likely to walk away as the winner, not because he isn't capable of winning, but for a couple of other reasons.
As it stands right now, he is in the midst of a program with Sami Zayn. Of course, this program will go on for a while longer, but the other reason is that a heel winning while another heel is the champion may not be the direction the creative wants to go.
While there aren't any certainties that Mahal will retain against Orton, it feels unlikely that they will build up the heel as champion just to have him lose it a month later. Therefore, a heel Money in the Bank contract winner with a heel champion doesn't seem likely.
This would also be a repeat of Seth Rollins as the Money in the Bank contract winner while Brock Lesnar was the champion, which was a rare sight.
#3 Kevin Owens
While he may not necessarily walk away as the man with the briefcase, there is no reason to believe he won't contend for it near the end. As it stands, he is the current United States champion, and regardless of what he does during the match, he will still be champion at the end of it.
However, to have the distinction of not only being the United States Champion, but the Money in the Bank contract winner would be something fans more than likely wouldn't anticipate. He would essentially get to have his cake and eat it too.
He is currently embroiled in a feud with AJ Styles, and that could ultimately impact the end of the match. However, the pomp and circumstance of his arrival have certainly suggested he will be elevated to a prominent position.
#2 Shinsuke Nakamura
The King of Strong Style has come to Smackdown Live and quickly ascended to the brand's main event picture. He has one singles match under his belt on Smackdown Live, however, the pomp and circumstance of his arrival have certainly suggested he will be elevated to a prominent position.
The brand has eyes on having the former NXT champion be a very credible and competitive option in this matchup. While he got the better of Dolph Ziggler during their match at Backlash, there will likely still be some bad blood between the two men during this match up.
Having a rivalry, leading into a match of this magnitude means challengers have to decide whether or not those issues are worth costing yourself a chance at winning the contract. Regardless, Nakamura is easily considered a threat to walk away as Mr. Money in the Bank.
#1 AJ Styles
Over the course of his first year with WWE, AJ Styles proved to be phenomenal. As he constantly says, Smackdown Live is the house that AJ Styles built. He is once again firmly entrenched in the role of a face. He still has an edge and boasts a sense of confidence that has made him as much of a success as he was when he was the WWE champion.
If there is the potential of a long-term reign for Jinder Mahal, then Styles walking away as the Money in the Bank winner is the most likely result. He has spent time putting over his opponents in the past, but that hasn't hindered his value, nor does it decrease the probability of him capturing the title opportunity.
His losses to the likes of Ziggler, Corbin, and Owens in the past could simply be mean Styles will be given the rub in the end. His victory could easily be seen as the brand having the most established competitor walk away with the win. This would be another first for him, and the chance of him cashing in at any point certainly gives the Phenomenal One a huge chip to play.
