While not one of WWE’s official “big four” PLEs, Money in the Bank is one of the most anticipated events on the wrestling calendar. With two guaranteed championship opportunities quite literally hanging in the balance, MITB can simultaneously serve as a star-making night and reset moment for the men’s and women’s main-event scene.
With the stakes high as WWE descends on New Orleans this weekend, the Uncrowned Horsemen — Kel Dansby, Robert Jackman, Drake Riggs and Anthony Sulla-Heffinger — are here to preview the event and make predictions for one of the most unpredictable nights in professional wrestling.
Let’s ride!
1. Do you prefer MITB cash-ins the same night as the PLE or more drawn-out teases?
Kel Dansby: I think the key to a great Money in the Bank run is the constant threat of a cash-in. It takes a special talent to use the briefcase as a tool to pull the crowd in week after week without letting the gimmick become stale.
Oh, and while we’re at it, the briefcase is always better in the hands of a heel. There’s something inherently weird about watching a babyface sneak-attack an exhausted champion to steal their title. Give the briefcase to a heel who can spend months lurking in the background, teasing cash-ins and making the champion paranoid. That’s when Money in the Bank is at its best.
Robert Jackman: Give me a longer run with the briefcase, please. Part of the charm of someone having the MITB case is that it gives them that extra edge when you know they could pull the trigger at any time. Sure, it gets a bit repetitive when they milk the whole trope of having someone sitting ringside or whatever, but WWE has also managed to tell some fun stories along the way.
Remember that angle they did with Tiffany Stratton back in 2024 where she was being increasingly bullied by Nia Jax (who was Women’s Champion at the time), and she’d get a huge pop every time she gave a furtive glance toward the briefcase to suggest she might cash in soon? That was an example of the long tease game working really well.
Tiffany Stratton is the only former MITB winner in this year’s women’s field.
(WWE via Getty Images)
Drake Riggs: I think it really depends on the situation, but I will say, it’d be fun to remove the cash-in expiration. At least for one year. Try it out, let briefcase holders overlap to make things extra weird. This might only work best in an injury instance/angle, but it’s something I’ve always thought about.
But overall, I probably prefer some breathing room for extra surprises. The first cash-in from Edge always comes right to mind, of course. What I absolutely hate, though, is when people cash in ahead of time and set a date — with the exception of Rob Van Dam. That’s literally the only time it ever reasonably worked, considering the event he chose. Otherwise, don’t ruin the damn surprise, man. It’s the entire point of the briefcase.
Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: I actually prefer the same-night cash-ins, if only because it’s a better payoff for the fans who are there and is essentially a full reset of one of the main championship pictures.
This year, I think it works even better considering the timing of the event itself. Despite being one of the “big four” PLEs, Survivor Series has always been less about major championship main events than the namesake match or WarGames. With 2026’s MITB taking place in October, an instant cash-in would allow for a new champion to have some extra runway before we get to the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania season in earnest.
Is this Kevin Owens’ year?
(WWE via Getty Images)
2. Does the idea of Kevin Owens winning MITB and adding a new wrinkle in his forever story with Sami Zayn intrigue you? If not, what is your vision for the men’s match and eventual cash-in?
Jackman: I’m going to say yes. If we want to talk about being intrigued, then we should acknowledge that the whole multi-man scramble for the Undisputed Championship on “SmackDown” is probably the single most intriguing thing on WWE programming right now. And giving the nod to Kevin Owens or CM Punk (or maybe even Trick Williams) would add more grist to that mill.
I could definitely see a play where Owens totally screws Sami Zayn by executing a ruthless cash-in at an opportune moment. “KO’s” whole character is built on him being untrustworthy and unscrupulous, so this seems like as good a moment as any to remind us of that fact. As an added bonus, having Owens cash in on Zayn would set the latter up for a huge babyface angle running into next year’s ‘Mania.
After being screwed over yet again, Zayn can embark on his own personal odyssey to prove his champion credentials, emerging as the last man standing in a seriously stacked Elimination Chamber match (think Gunther, CM Punk, Finn Balor) next spring. He then gets the right to go to Riyadh — where Zayn is loved like few others — to get justice against Owens and reclaim his title for the third time.
Riggs: Mildly. Even though there’s been plenty of space between them now, thanks to Owens’ injury, I just don’t care too much for stories between these two anymore. They’ve exhausted damn near everything they can possibly do together, except for maybe chasing the other for world titles. So perhaps this definitely would be the final move, if there ever was one.
As for my vision for Saturday’s match, I had a thought in my head that would be straight-up “Attitude Era” lunacy: Bron Breakker wins the ladder match. LA Knight defeats Roman Reigns. Breakker cashes in on LA Knight and takes the title from him the same night, then Oba Femi dethrones Breakker down the line, singlehandedly destroying The Vision. However, what I believe is more likely is a fraction of that: Breakker wins and fails his eventual cash-in because of Femi. It’s a race to see who will be world champion first, right? At this rate, it has to be Femi if Breakker isn’t doing it with that briefcase.
Sulla-Heffinger: It certainly is intriguing and the easiest built-in story in the men’s MITB match this year.
That said, would Owens or another veteran like CM Punk winning the briefcase be the best use of it? Probably not.
This isn’t a knock on Owens or Punk — quite the contrary, rather, as both men are essentially plug-and-play in the main-event scene in WWE for as long as they’re around. MITB should be used to elevate someone to the main event, and I think you have two really compelling options this year in Trick Williams and Bron Breakker.
Williams lurking on “SmackDown” with the briefcase adds a new layer to a crowded Undisputed WWE Championship picture, so if he were to win, I wouldn’t bank on him to cash in right away. Breakker, on the other hand, could screw over LA Knight and free up Roman Reigns for a WarGames match against the 946 in one fell swoop on Saturday night. It also sets up a path for Oba Femi to challenge him.
Dansby: Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn is the real-life version of Peter Griffin vs. the Chicken on “Family Guy.” They are destined to do this forever.
That’s why Owens winning Money in the Bank absolutely works for me. No matter where their careers take them, “KO” and Sami always seem to find their way back to each other. Putting the briefcase between them gives WWE another chapter to add to a rivalry that has followed them across promotions and throughout their careers.
Most importantly, Owens vs. Zayn in a ladder match for a world championship must happen before they retire. If you’ve never seen their ROH ladder match, do yourself a favor and watch it right now.
Roxanne Perez (L) and Lola Vice (R) are two fresh faces in this year’s women’s MITB match.
(WWE via Getty Images)
3. The women’s MITB ladder match features relatively new stars. Which wrestler has the brightest future and who should win the briefcase?
Riggs: Justice for Tatum Paxley!
If only.
Jacy Jayne couldn’t be a better choice for this one, but her status as the U.S. Champion likely eliminates her right out of the gate, I fear. So, she’s probably my answer for who has the brightest future — though Sol Ruca still exists as well. But realistically, I will be stunned if Roxanne Perez doesn’t win this whole thing. And I don’t mean to undermine her; she’s just been booked as the weakest link out of everyone involved in this match by barely winning over the course of so many months. But this match has the perfect setup for a same-night cash-in and a long-awaited Judgment Day implosion.
Perez wins. Liv Morgan wins. Then Perez dethrones Morgan right after she wins the belt back. (Pinning Becky Lynch, mind you.)
I do have some reservations about WWE wanting to drag out the drama between the stable, with Perez and Morgan holding their statuses for an extended period, but this is long overdue. Run with it and reset the divisions with fresh blood atop the roster.
Sulla-Heffinger: While all of the women in this match seem to be destined for major roles on the main roster, it’s hard to argue that Roxanne Perez doesn’t have the brightest future. She should win the MITB briefcase.
Perez shined in NXT, and while she has been a Judgment Day crony for the majority of her time on the main roster, she’s undeniably going to be the catalyst in the inevitable breakup of the group — something that’s been teased and we’ve been calling for seemingly forever.
With a built-in arc, and recent pushes like challenging for the Reina de Reinas championship in AAA, it’s clear Perez is thought of highly by WWE, and her ascent should begin in earnest on Saturday when she cashes in and pins Becky Lynch while Liv Morgan is knocked out in the triple-threat match for the Women’s World Championship.
Dansby: WWE has the deepest women’s division in professional wrestling right now, but that only matters if the talent is used correctly.
I could make the argument that two of their brightest future stars, Blake Monroe and Giulia, aren’t even in this ladder match. But looking strictly at this field, Roxanne Perez makes the most sense.
Somehow, some way, Perez should leave with the briefcase, and that’s where things start getting interesting with Judgment Day. Liv Morgan doesn’t even need to win the championship at Money in the Bank for this story to work. She just needs to slowly become jealous of Perez having a guaranteed world title opportunity hanging over everyone’s head.
Let that jealousy build until the briefcase eventually drives a wedge between them. Money in the Bank is at its best when the briefcase becomes part of the story instead of simply a prop waiting for someone to cash in.
Jackman: Let me make it unanimous — give it to Roxanne Perez! She’s leapt over every hurdle they’ve put in front of her since she came up to the main roster and she’s still yet to get that main-event push you would’ve expected by now. WWE has also hinted strongly that she’s going to be the catalyst for the long-awaited Judgment Day implosion, or at least the one who’s going to knock Liv Morgan from her pedestal.
Please, can we finally move that storyline forward?
Will LA Knight actually upset Roman Reigns?
(WWE via Getty Images)
4. Should WWE finally pull the trigger on an LA Knight World Heavyweight Championship run? Does 946 factor into the match at all?
Sulla-Heffinger: Despite what I said earlier about Breakker and the men’s MITB match, I do not think that’s the path WWE should take here. I also do not think Knight should beat Reigns on Saturday.
What should happen — and this is a Hail Mary pitch — is 946 should get involved and cause a disqualification right as Knight is about to win the championship. This opens up a bizarro door where Reigns makes an offer to Knight: Help The Bloodline beat 946 and I’ll give you a rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble.
As crazy as it sounds, 946 did kidnap Knight’s buddy, Solo Sikoa, and The Bloodline actually wouldn’t have been the reason for the DQ in the first place. This protects Reigns, keeps Knight in the title picture and builds up a story for your next two or three PLEs.
Dansby: 946 has tormented every member of The Bloodline except Roman Reigns. It’s overdue.
We all know Reigns can’t — and probably won’t — lose clean. So give me complete chaos. Have 946 interfere, let the match turn into one giant Bloodline brawl, and then have Solo Sikoa make the final turn on Reigns to deliver the championship to LA Knight. Knight finally gets his world title moment, Reigns is protected, and WWE gets its next major Bloodline story.
That sets up 946 and Sikoa against Reigns, The Usos and Jacob Fatu at … WARGAMES! (Regal voice.)
946 — Royce Keys, Bronco Nima and Lucien Price — continue to cause chaos every week on “WWE Raw.”
(WWE via Getty Images)
Jackman: No and no. WWE’s one job with Roman Reigns is to make him look as dominant as possible, thus ensuring his eventual dethroning by Oba Femi at WrestleMania 43 feels like the tectonic shift that it really should be. The best way to do that is to keep feeding him some babyface scalps in the meantime, all of which makes us want to see his downfall even more.
As for 946, I just don’t think there’s space for them on this show. We already have two world title matches, an Oba Femi showdown, and two star-studded MITB matches. I guess maybe you could do some kind of tease at the end where Reigns is walking out with the belt only for the arena to go dark and one of their video packages to play. But what could they do to raise the stakes after already kidnapping Solo Sikoa and running over Jacob Fatu?
Riggs: Yes. If they don’t do it now, then they never will. And, why put Knight in this position to lose again? Sure, he hasn’t been built strongly whatsoever this year, but I maintain that Reigns doesn’t need a world title at all at this stage, and Monday nights very much need the world title around weekly, because it is a middling show at best without Reigns’ appearances. Even then, not every time he’s around is he doing anything of significance. Give Knight his turn. Even if it’s not for very long.
I’ll repeat that I’ve completely lost faith it’ll happen. It absolutely will not, but it should. Give the fans what they want.
As for 946, I’d be surprised to see them. Reigns practically isn’t even part of that angle, and neither is Knight, who only interacted with them during their debut. Despite Reigns being the clear Bloodline leader, he’s been booked entirely separate from the group, and the running story is that he’s doing things alone. This past Monday, he didn’t even want to help Bloodline fight them, and he had Solo Sikoa take his spot on the next “Raw” for a trios match. Reigns just isn’t a part of this, and that’s being made abundantly clear.
Oba Femi is back in action this Saturday against Bronson Reed.
(WWE via Getty Images)
5. Has Oba Femi’s momentum stalled at all? Would he be a better fit in the Men’s MITB match or taking on Roman Reigns on this card?
Dansby: There’s absolutely no reason to rush Oba Femi into anything.
The pops keep getting louder from town to town, and WWE has plenty of opportunities later in the year to insert him into the world title picture. Right now, continuing to establish Femi as an unstoppable force is more important than rushing him into Money in the Bank or Roman Reigns.
This is easy to book: Femi gets the win on Saturday, and afterward Bronson Reed hits him with a few Tsunamis to elevate The Vision.
Side note: It’s time to give Austin Theory the keys to The Vision and see what he can do as its leader.
Jackman: Has Oba Femi stalled? Not judging by the reaction he got in Milwaukee last week. My read of this situation is they’re deliberately keeping Oba Femi away from the world title scene until they get to next year’s WrestleMania. That’s the most obvious explanation for that whole King of the Ring about-face, where Femi just suddenly announced that — after winning the tournament — he wouldn’t be claiming the customary world title shot after all.
That raises the obvious question of what you do with Oba Femi in the meantime. They need to give him PLE-worthy feuds without putting him in proximity to Roman Reigns or any of the obvious No. 1 contenders. Having Femi feud with Bronson Reed, and the rest of The Vision, feels like a good compromise in that situation.
Riggs: Absolutely. The man is treading water by doing nothing but save attempts. It’s all been one big stall-fest after his now-meaningless King of the Ring win. He should have gone after Reigns immediately after that, like he teased.
Putting him in Saturday’s ladder match would have been hysterical, considering the King of the Ring saga. WWE has lost the plot here by waiting. It was 0 to 100, and now it’s down to, let’s say, 50, because someone can still cool off drastically despite being over with the crowd. That perfectly describes Femi right now.
Sulla-Heffinger: I am going to compare Femi to Josh Allen.
Allen is arguably the top quarterback in the NFL and a former MVP. He’s on a trajectory to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his career ends. All of that being said, Allen’s momentum has stalled because the only thing that matters now is him leading the Bills to a Super Bowl (and our own Ariel Helwani losing his mind when it happens).
Femi is in the same boat.
He has a killer presence, is wildly over with fans and is destined to be the next big thing in WWE. The problem is, because of that undeniable future, this feud with Bronson Reed just feels like a tactic to delay it.
I’m not saying we can’t enjoy the ride Femi is bringing us on, but we all know where it’s headed, and impatience will kick in sooner rather than later.
The flip side of this is that it also has to feel big, and all due respect to MITB (one of the best events of the year), Femi winning the briefcase doesn’t fit his character right now, and dethroning Reigns here doesn’t move the needle the same way it would at WrestleMania or SummerSlam.
WWE Money in the Bank 2026 predictions
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World Heavyweight Championship: Roman Reigns (Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. LA Knight (Dansby)
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Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (Dansby) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Liv Morgan (Jackman, Riggs); Roxanne Perez cash in (Sulla-Heffinger)
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Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match: CM Punk vs. Kevin Owens (Dansby, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Penta (Jackman) vs. Trick Williams vs. Bron Breakker (Riggs)
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Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match: Lola Vice vs. Sol Ruca vs. Lash Legend (Jackman) vs. Jacy Jayne vs. Roxanne Perez (Dansby, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Tiffany Stratton
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Oba Femi (Dansby, Jackman, Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Bronson Reed
2026 standings
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Robert Jackman: 73-30
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Anthony Sulla-Heffinger: 73-30
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Drake Riggs: 66-37
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Kel Dansby: 62-41