Top 5 Most Likely Winners Of 2019 Men's Money In The Bank Match
Money In The Bank is set for May 19th and after the Superstar Shakeup the rosters of RAW & SmackDown look very different. WrestleMania left us with two new champions for both brands and no clear challengers for their titles have been identified. Now is a perfect time to speculate who will seize the opportunity and propel himself to the main event scene of their brand.
Last year's Money In The Bank match was dual-branded for the first time since it had its own show with 4 Superstars from RAW and 4 from SmackDown competing in the match. Although we don't know the participants in the match yet, we can glean from how Superstars have been featured on each program, their past victories, and the history of the match itself to identify which Superstars are most likely to win the 2019 men's Money In The Bank Match. In the comments below share your pick for a winner or who you'd most like to see win the match and why.
5.Rusev
Rusev has never held the WWE Championship in spite of having matches with top talents like John Cena, The Undertaker, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, and Randy Orton over the past two years. Rusev has been paired in various tag teams and stables in spite of the fact that his popularity as a singles star is undeniable. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing "Rusev Day" chants the week of WrestleMania 34. His popularity and camera presence increased with Lana being added to "Total Divas" on the E! Network. If the WWE wants to pull the trigger with Rusev, they can do it right here and he has the experience inside and outside of the ring to deliver arc leading to the cash-in of the Money In The Bank contract.
4. Ali
Since being called up from 205 Live, Ali set SmackDown on fire with a clean singles win over Andrade and managing to hit his 054 finishing move and pin (then) WWE champion Daniel Bryan in a tag match. Ali's positivity and thrilling wrestling style have connected with the WWE audience in a big way. Don't forget that before he was injured, Ali was slated to have Kofi's spot in the gauntlet match that propelled Kofi to winning the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Although the briefcase generally goes to a heel character, the briefcase could elevate Ali to a new level of stardom in WWE as it builds a new generation of Superstars for the future.
3. Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre's reinvention has propelled him to be the top heel on RAW. Drew has yet to win any singles titles since his return to the main roster but the Money In The Bank briefcase could be a great device to build "The Scottish Psychopath" as a threat to Seth Rollins. In spite of coming up short in his feud with Roman Reigns, McIntyre is the most logical number one contender for Seth Rollins' title who isn't named AJ Styles. Drew has defeated Seth four out of the six times they've faced each other in singles competition with Seth only picking up one of his two wins via pinfall while the other victory was a count-out. Drew would be higher on this list if he didn't already hold 4 singles victories over the current champion but winning the Money In The Bank briefcase could lead to months of McIntyre tormenting Rollins with threats of a cash-in attempt after each of Rollins matches to catch him while he's weak. This build could also highlight the knock-out capability of McIntyre's Claymore kick and how it can be utilized from any direction in almost any situation.
2. Andrade
Andrade has been nothing short of amazing on SmackDown this past year. He's had great singles matches with Daniel Bryan, Ali, AJ Styles, Jeff Hardy, Aleister Black, and Rey Mysterio. Rey Mysterio has had eight knee surgeries and is 44 years old but if you watch Andrade's matches with him in 2019 you would never know it. Andrade can wrestle any style and put on a fantastic match. He's been a top guy in NXT as well, having fantastic matches with Drew McIntyre and Johnny Gargano. Andrade also has the advantage of Zelina Vega on the outside directing him and getting physical with Andrade's opponents when he needs assistance. The combination of Vega and Andrade works brilliantly and the Money In The Bank Briefcase is perfect for a sneaky heel like Andrade. The prospect of Andrade and Roman Reigns getting a match together is exciting enough, but it's hard not to imagine what he could do in a match with Shinsuke Nakamura, Randy Orton, or Ali. The idea of Andrade working with other SmackDown talent like Aleister Black, Chad Gable, Kevin Owens, or Buddy Murphy is also exciting. After picking up a victory over Intercontinental Champion Finn Balor on RAW two weeks ago, it's clear that WWE sees a big future for Andrade on RAW. Andrade has all the tools and winning the Money In The Bank Briefcase will propel him to the next level as a top guy on SmackDown. It may not be his time just yet...
1. Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is back and he hates the WWE Universe. After a triumphant performance on "A Moment of Bliss" on RAW in Montreal this past week, Sami Zayn looks poised to break into the main event scene of RAW. Sami has been a top guy on NXT and is a top flight performer in the ring. Now he has the character to ride to the top. Sami has competed in two Money In The Bank matches already but had his hopes of victory dashed by former friend, Kevin Owens. This new mean streak in Zayn could be what finally propels him to the top of the RAW roster. Sami has been out of action for 10 months and the prospect of him finally going one on one with Rey Mysterio, Andrade, or playing villain against Seth Rollins is so much more enticing with his new attitude. Sami won't let anyone hold him back in this match now that he's completely healthy and has no mercy. Zayn has created some serious momentum for himself since being left out of WrestleMania and the Money In The Bank briefcase could be the key to Sami finally winning gold on the main roster. While Andrade & Drew McIntyre have legitimate claims as challengers for the Universal Title, Sami Zayn's momentum is almost undeniable right now. WWE has shown with the rise of Daniel Bryan & Kofi Kingston these past 6 months; once a Superstar becomes undeniable, WWE will ride that character to the top. Sami Zayn has four weeks to make himself undeniable for the Money In The Bank briefcase and he will succeed.