Murphy’s Blog: WWE Money in the Bank Predictions – MITB ladder matches, John Cena and Logan Paul vs. Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes, Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Title

By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)

WWE presents its annual Money in the Bank show tonight from Inglewood, California at Intuit Dome. Over the years, MITB has evolved into one of the marquee events for the company; however, I feel like this year it’s gone back to being a filler show. Perhaps it’s because there are only four matches and none of the major titles are on the line aside from the women’s Intercontinental Championship. I will say that in the case of the women, it’s been a little tougher to predict who will end up with the Money in the Bank contracts, so the show has that going for it. And while the main event tag team match is serving to build toward future events, both main champions will be in the ring at the same time, teasing the possibility of a men’s cash-in, which I like as well. That said, let’s run down the card!

Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match (Entrants: Alexa Bliss, Roxanne Perez, Rhea Ripley, Giulia, Naomi, Stephanie Vaquer): This is the one where I feel like it’s anybody’s guess. I feel like Bliss’ return needs something to spark her act moving forward, which makes her an option. Perez, Giulia, and Vaquer are new to the main roster, so a win here would help establish some credibility out of the gate. I’m not a fan of giving it to Ripley, though she’s still over, and who can resist selling a “Mami in the Bank” t-shirt? Ultimately, I think Naomi has the most potential to make the briefcase entertaining. In my opinion (and I’m seeing others feeling the same), she’s doing the best work of her career as the crazy stalker with the ability to cry one minute and laugh maniacally the next. She has some history with Smackdown Women’s Champion Tiffany Stratton, and it would be fun seeing her taunt her with the briefcase. Plus, should she successfully cash in, she has ready-made feuds with both Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill.

Don Predicts: Naomi wins the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match (Entrants: Solo Sikoa, LA Knight, Penta, Seth Rollins, Andrade, El Grande Americano). This one seems more predictable, though I don’t want it to be. Andrade and Penta are there to perform some crazy spots with the ladder. Knight creates some intrigue, as they’ve noted that this is his third opportunity to win the contract. I’d actually think it would be fun to see Americano win the match as they could do some fun cash-in teases. In the end, however, they’ll likely go with a predictable win for Rollins. He has history with the briefcase and one of most memorable cash-ins in WWE history. Plus, they’ve been heavily leaning into the story around his quest to control the company and his vision for the future. You could always find a way back, but I feel like a loss here would be a bit of a setback given the story they’re telling and their attempt to make Rollins and his faction the main event act.

Don Predicts: Seth Rollins wins the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match.

WWE Champion John Cena and Logan Paul vs. World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes. This slightly reminds me of the WCW/NWO days, where they’d take a break from Hulk Hogan defending the title by putting him in a tag team match with Dennis Rodman. The difference here is that, unlike Rodman, Logan Paul can actually put together a decent match. Nevertheless, I see this match doing three things. First, there will be some entertaining tension between Paul and Cena that will likely go nowhere. Second, Rhodes will likely pin Cena, setting up a rematch for the title, likely at SummerSlam, unless they promised the match to the Saudis. And finally, Uso defends the title against Gunther on Monday’s Raw, and the story has been that he’s been spreading himself too thin helping everyone else and risking injury. We’ve already seen this at the end of last week’s Raw when he took two Tsunami splashes from Bronson Reed. I expect the same to continue here to add intrigue to Monday’s match. In terms of a cash-in, it will likely be teased, but I don’t see it happening, particularly with Cena. With Jey, they could always do a major angle where he drops the title, and that person faces Gunther on Monday, but I think that they’ve invested so much time in the Gunther story that they’re going to see it through. Now – a cash-in after the Gunther match? That seems more likely to me.

Don Predicts: Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso defeat John Cena and Logan Paul.

Lyra Valkyria vs. Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Title (Lynch can’t challenge for the title again if Valkyria wins, Valkyria must raise Lynch’s hand if Lynch wins). A common trope in wrestling is when the babyface defeats the heel one or two times, the heel eventually gets her win back. For the last several days, I didn’t like the idea of Lynch winning, but felt that it was the logical choice given the story. First, she doesn’t need the Intercontinental Title, so it really doesn’t mean anything if she could never challenge for it again while Valkyria is champion. Plus, while she’s at the top level in the women’s division, you don’t want to run the risk of hurting her by taking too many losses close together. In the last 24 hours, however, I’ve changed my stance. I now see this as a vehicle to elevate Valkyria into the main event picture. It’s been an uphill battle, but both Lynch and Valkyria seem to be committed to it, and the crowd is slowly starting to respond. Having Valkyria raise Lynch’s hand sets that back. In terms of protecting Lynch, I think we’ll see Bayley return to cost her the match as payback for Lynch taking her out of the women’s tag team title match at WrestleMania.

Don Predicts: Lyra Valkyria retains the Women’s Intercontinental Title.