Money in the Bank Preview: Who walks out with the briefcase?

Two things at WWE Money in the Bank we can predict with certainty: Seth Rollins is going to leave as world champ, and John Cena is going to even his summer series with Kevin Owens. Who wins the match that is the title of the show is very much a question.

Roman Reigns seems the logical choice, but it’s too logical, and then also illogical, to give Reigns the briefcase, and the guaranteed shot at the WWE title that comes with it.

Reigns is a logical choice to win the Money in the Bank briefcase because it’s obvious that he is being groomed to be the WWE champ sometime in the near future, which is also why it’s illogical to put the briefcase in his hands.

The Money in the Bank briefcase is at its most valuable when it stays with its owner for a long period of time, six months, at least, and if it can linger into the WrestleMania season as a plot device, even better. Reigns is going to be world champ long before WrestleMania, though, perhaps by SummerSlam, or at SummerSlam, so what sense does it make to give him the briefcase to cash in this summer?

One way it could make sense would be for Reigns to win the Money in the Bank match before the WWE title match pitting champ Seth Rollins and challenger Dean Ambrose, then have Reigns cash the briefcase in later in the show, a la the Rollins swerve at the end of WrestleMania 31, but don’t count on that scenario unfolding.

A title change is in the cards, but it’s not going to come Sunday night.

So, who does walk out with the briefcase?

The bet here is Sheamus, setting up the Irishman as the heel who will be in position to challenge Reigns next spring after WrestleMania. Nothing else really makes sense: Kane is reportedly near retirement, Kofi Kingston is a member of the fed’s hot tag team heel group, Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler are yesterday’s news as far as main-event status is concerned, and Neville isn’t ready, and may never be, to step into the main-event limelight.

As for the rest of the show, Rollins leaves as WWE champ after what will be an entertaining-as-hell ladder match with Dean Ambrose, Cena defeats Owens with some controversy in the result to set up a third match between the two, thus further elevating Owens, and The New Day will retain their tag titles against The Prime Time Players, also with controversy, to begin a chase for the Players that will culminate with a title change at SummerSlam.

Then we get ready for the return of Brock Lesnar on Raw Monday night, and the buildup to the WrestleMania of the summer.

Should be fun.

– Preview by Chris Graham