Every year, Money in the Bank sets up months of WWE programming. One man and one woman will earn an automatic shot at any title of their choosing to be used at any moment.
The drama and suspense of not knowing when and where the cash-in will happen makes for compelling television, and the ladder matches to determine who has the honor of being Money in the Bank briefcase holder will go down on Saturday in New Orleans.
In addition to the two ladder matches, two titles will be on the line, with Roman Reigns defending the world heavyweight championship against old foe LA Knight, and Stephanie Vaquer putting the women's world championship on the line in a triple threat match against Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan. In addition, Oba Femi is set to clash with Bronson Reed in a match between physical powerhouses.
With so much action set for Saturday, the CBS Sports wrestling experts sat down to make their picks for who will emerge victorious at Money in the Bank.
World Heavyweight Championship -- Roman Reigns (c) vs. LA Knight: While I appreciate that the Knight character is one of the only people in WWE who remembers that Reigns' incredible title run was almost entirely the product of endless cheating, he's not ending Reigns' current run as champion. There's a better chance if Reigns loses the belt on Saturday, it's a product of the Money in the Bank winner cashing in than Knight winning the belt. Pick: Roman Reigns retains the title -- Brent Brookhouse (also Shakiel Mahjouri)
Bron Breakker vs. Je'Von Evans vs. Trick Williams vs. Penta vs. CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens (Men's Money in the Bank ladder match): WWE have assembled a compelling cast for this year's ladder match. Every man, with the exception of Evans, has a reasonable case for winning the match. Breakker and Williams could launch into the main event scene, Punk has history with the briefcase, plus he and Owens would elevate its status. But after Raw in Mexico City, Penta is my pick. Penta put on a classic against world heavyweight champion Reigns. It helped people visualize Penta as a world champion. Winning Money in the Bank is the easiest way to complete the luchador's bridge between upper midcard and main event. Pick: Penta wins -- Mahjouri
As mentioned by Shakiel, you can make a valid case for five different winners here, though I'd personally eliminate Williams from consideration. I think this comes down to Punk or Owens as the winner since Reigns isn't around enough for Penta or Breakker to be compelling holders, and Breakker is likely tied up with Oba Femi for the foreseeable future anyway. I'll say Owens, simply because I think he would be a fun guy to see strategizing how and when to cash in. Pick: Kevin Owens wins -- Brookhouse
Sol Ruca vs. Lola Vice vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Roxanne Perez vs. Lash Legend vs. Tiffany Stratton (Women's Money in the Bank ladder match): The women's ladder match really emphasizes how the briefcase can turn a midcarder into a world champion. Excluding Stratton, no woman in the match has won a world title. Legend and Stratton are solid frontrunners, but Perez has a more compelling story to explore. Putting the briefcase on her creates conflict with her Judgment Day teammate Liv Morgan. The stable has been an important part of Raw for a very long time, and this gives them another storyline to dig into. Pick: Roxanne Perez wins -- Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Oba Femi vs. Bronson Reed: You can't have Femi retire Brock Lesnar and subsequently lose to Reed. It's that simple. Femi must look indestructible until he eventually crosses paths with Reigns, potentially at WrestleMania next year. That's a long time for now, but the payoff works best if Femi remains an unstoppable force. Pick: Oba Femi wins -- Mahjouri (also Brookhouse)
Women's World Championship -- Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan: Vaquer recently regained the belt and WWE doesn't flip titles around quickly very often. The triple threat nature of the match sets up Morgan to be able to cheat in various ways, but I could see Perez's involvement muddying things up if she won Money in the Bank earlier in the night. This is set up for Vaquer to get a win and retain the title in a way that doesn't feel satisfying for Lynch or Morgan as both continue to chase the champion. Pick: Stephanie Vaquer retains the title -- Brookhouse (also Mahjouri)
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