This year’s WWE Money in the Bank pay-per-view may prove to be the most exciting in history. Not only will six Superstars fight tooth-and-nail for the coveted WWE Title contract, but the event will also feature the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi against Lana, SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos going head-to-head against The New Day and WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defending his title against Randy Orton.
To get you ready for this pivotal event, WWE.com’s editors offer their predictions for every match of the night, sponsored by GOLD BOND®. See what you think about our picks, and let us know what you’re thinking in the comments.
Money in the Bank Ladder Match
After Shane McMahon makes the match official, tensions rise between the participants in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
BOBBY MELOK: Baron Corbin has shown he thrives in chaos. The Money in the Bank Ladder Match is perfect for him. Look for The Lone Wolf to demolish everyone in his path and secure a guaranteed WWE Championship Match.
WINNER: Baron Corbin
RYAN PAPPOLLA: A lot has been made about Dolph Ziggler being the only competitor in this contest to have ever been in (and won) a Money in the Bank Ladder Match. However, none of them have the mastery of the air that AJ Styles possesses. The Phenomenal One takes the briefcase.
WINNER: AJ Styles
ANTHONY BENIGNO: Too close to call, but the victor in this match tends to be the Superstar you least expect. So, in a battle of outsized personalities, eternal rivalries and a former briefcase winner, it’s the Superstar who has cast both the lowest profile and the longest (literal) shadow who’ll grab the briefcase this time around. All of which is to say, get ready to call Baron Corbin “Mr. Money in the Bank.”
WINNER: Baron Corbin
SCOTT TAYLOR: While Money in the Bank Ladder Matches are historically difficult to predict, Baron Corbin’s brutality and penchant for inflicting pain will prove to be the difference maker in this contest.
WINNER: Baron Corbin
MIKE BURDICK: Though every Superstar in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match possesses tremendous ability, the smart money in on the guy who not only has the talent, but also the most relentless nature and the unyielding willingness to do whatever it takes to win in a brutal showdown where anything can happen. Whether you like it or not, that man is the United States Champion and “The New Face of America.”
WINNER: Kevin Owens
Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Shane McMahon reveals the Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase, only for Lana to finally arrive on SmackDown LIVE and demand to enter the match.
BOBBY MELOK: While she may not have an over-the-top personality like the rest of the field, Tamina has the ability to deal out swift and painful punishment. A playground of destruction like Money in the Bank suits Tamina’s strengths. She’ll crush the competition and take the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank briefcase.
WINNER: Tamina
RYAN PAPPOLLA: With all five Superstars in new terrain, any advantage will go a long way in determining who becomes the first-ever Ms. Money in the Bank. James Ellsworth is that advantage for Carmella. The Big Hog will pay dividends and put even more “money in the bank” for The Princess of Staten Island.
WINNER: Carmella
ANTHONY BENIGNO: A common thread among the New Era is history-making women’s matches, which means Charlotte Flair should stand out as an early favorite — she tends to win these things. But having someone who’s got your your back is key in Money in the Bank matches — just ask Seth Rollins. So, expect Carmella to finally turn that long-invested alliance/relationship/whatever it is with James Ellsworth into, er, money.
WINNER: Carmella
SCOTT TAYLOR: Charlotte Flair’s elite athleticism and experience competing in big matches will help her win the first-ever Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match and add another notable accomplishment to her already exemplary resume.
WINNER: Charlotte Flair
MIKE BURDICK: History doesn’t always dictate the future, but in the case of the first Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, it gives a pretty strong indication. Charlotte Flair has always shone in specialty matches and high-stakes pay-per-view bouts, and it will be no different on June 18. Prepare for The Queen to make history yet again.
WINNER: Charlotte Flair
WWE Championship Jinder Mahal vs. Randy Orton
The Viper addresses his rematch with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in his hometown of St. Louis and promises he'll leave with his 14th world title, though The Modern-Day Maharaja lets it be known that he disagrees.
BOBBY MELOK: Jinder Mahal needs to beat Randy Orton again to prove that his victory at WWE Backlash was no fluke and that he’s capable of hanging with WWE’s elite. The Modern-Day Maharaja has shown what he can do when motivated to prove his doubters wrong. Look for him to do just that in St. Louis.
WINNER: Jinder Mahal
RYAN PAPPOLLA: Rich Swann broke the “hometown curse” at WWE Extreme Rules when he triumphed in Baltimore. Randy Orton will follow suit when he avenges his loss against at Jinder Mahal and becomes WWE Champion yet again in his hometown of St. Louis.
WINNER: Randy Orton
ANTHONY BENIGNO: Every once in a while, you get a Superstar who fights their way to the mountaintop on sheer force of will alone, only to crumble when it comes time to follow up. This is not one of those times. Jinder Mahal is the real deal as WWE Champion, and for this Modern-Day Maharaja, the sunset is a long ways away.
WINNER: Jinder Mahal
SCOTT TAYLOR: Having home-field advantage is a very real thing, but I don’t see it making a difference for Randy Orton when he tries to recapture the WWE Title in front of his hometown of St. Louis. If Jinder Mahal beat The Viper before, what’s going to stop him from doing it again?
WINNER: Jinder Mahal
MIKE BURDICK: It is never wise to count out The Viper, but in this case, the odds speak for themselves as he prepares to face both The Modern-Day Maharaja (and by extension his devious cohorts). And whether the WWE Title showdown takes place in St. Louis, Punjab or the moon, it is still a nearly insurmountable battle that Randy Orton will have a very hard time overcoming.
WINNER: Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos vs. The New Day
Kofi Kingston, Big E & Xavier Woods arrive on SmackDown LIVE and challenge SmackDown Tag Team Champions The Usos to a title match at WWE Money in the Bank.
BOBBY MELOK: The Usos may be making a mistake getting into a verbal war with The New Day. Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods have been using their words to get inside the heads of their opponents for years. It’s how they held on to the WWE Tag Team Titles for a record-breaking 483 days. At WWE Money in The Bank, The New Day will prove that they have the actions to back up their big talk.
WINNERS: The New Day
RYAN PAPPOLLA: Although The New Day has looked positively sharp since arriving on Team Blue, no team on either Raw or SmackDown LIVE has been on as great of a roll as The Usos. It’s not paranoia, it’s a successful title defense.
WINNERS: The Usos
ANTHONY BENIGNO: As the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions in the history of time itself, The New Day stand no small chance in this match with The Ugg — uh, The Usos. (Sorry. Been bingeing on “The Fashion Files” lately). That said, Jimmy & Jey are on an absolute tear right now, and New Day will need a little more time in The Land of Opportunity before they can turn the calendar past this Day One Ish.
WINNERS: The Usos
SCOTT TAYLOR: The New Day are incredibly entertaining, but their comedic talents aren’t going to help them defeat The Usos, whose ruthless attitude has elevated their game to a whole new level.
WINNERS: The Usos
MIKE BURDICK: At WWE Money in the Bank, The New Day get to remind everyone why they are the longest-reigning Tag Team Champions of all time. Jimmy & Jey are a great tandem, armed with a new level of intensity, but … “New… Day Rocks!”
WINNER: The New Day
SmackDown Women’s Champion Naomi vs. Lana
After Lana cost her the Six-Woman Tag Team Match earlier in the night, Naomi demands to defend her SmackDown Women's Title against The Ravishing Russian at WWE Money in the Bank.
BOBBY MELOK: The biggest mistake Naomi could have made was mocking Lana for challenging her. In St. Louis, look for a determined Ravishing Russian to step up to the plate and silence everyone who doubted her – especially Naomi.
WINNER: Lana
RYAN PAPPOLLA: Sometimes, a Superstar just catches lightning in a bottle. Naomi was shortsighted in asking for the contest, and she will regret it. Lana gets what she wants, and right now she wants the SmackDown Women’s Championship.
WINNER: Lana
ANTHONY BENIGNO: Give Lana credit for finagling her way into a Women’s Title Match the first time she ever locks up in singles action. Total Divas buffs might also remember this as a rematch of the Season 6 finale’s heated dance-off. But for all Lana’s moves, this is one tango she can’t quite execute without a little more prep time. Naomi this time around, but The Ravishing Russian will be back sooner rather than later.
WINNER: Naomi
SCOTT TAYLOR: Lana is still very much an unknown inside the squared circle. However, that may end up giving her a leg up in this contest. Don’t be surprised if Lana shocks the WWE Universe here.
WINNER: Lana
MIKE BURDICK: You can’t just walk onto the blue brand, anger the SmackDown Women’s Champion and expect to get a title match … actually, if you’re Lana, that’s exactly what you can do. However, she should be careful what she wishes for because now The Ravishing Russian must contend with an irate Naomi at WWE Money in the Bank, and she will definitely get an education when she feels the glow.
