WWE Money in the Bank 2015
June 14, 2015
Columbus, Ohio – Nationwide Arena
Watch: WWENetwork
It’s been a whole two weeks since the last WWE Network special, Elimination Chamber, so the build to Money in the Bank may seemed haphazard or rushed but this is the new world we live in. The notion that PPVs get one or even multiple month builds are a relic of the past and probably for the better. New content pushes the WWE Network cart, new content drives people to the Network and presenting special events every two weeks may become the new norm — get used to it.
Regardless, Money in the Bank projects as a very good show with a main event WWE World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match between former stablemates Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. The two had a sneaky great match at Elimination Chamber that got lost in Kevin Owens/John Cena hype. Much of the hype surrounding the match has to do with the semi-main, a Money in the Bank Ladder Match featuring a mortal lock to win in Roman Reigns. The big question isn’t whether Reigns wins (hey, maybe Kofi Kingston surprises us all…no? Okay.) but what he does with his newly-won briefcase. Does he interject himself into the main event? What happens if Ambrose wins, does Reigns still cash in? There are a lot of questions that need answers.
Elsewhere on the card, we get the way-too-soon but definitely still going to be awesome rematch between Owens and Cena. It’s criminal this match is happening so soon after the other but again, that’s the new world we live in, so there’s no use complaining. This is going to be a great match and should be every bit as good, maybe better than their tilt at Elimination Chamber. -Rich Kraetsch
King Barrett vs. R Truth
Sean Flynn (@spiffie6123): Wait, this is an actual match? Why? The only way this match could work well is if Truth skips it because he’s preparing for the Money in the Bank match. Otherwise it will just be awkwardly crammed in EPL and cricket references and Wade Barrett looking like he needs to hit the crapper right after the match. Going to use the Google Virtual Coin Flip, heads for Barrett, tails for Truth.
Prediction: King Barrett
Ru Gunn (@doctordala): Neither of these two have had an interesting match in weeks, so I can’t say interest is high here. R Truth has beaten Barrett twice recently, so maybe it’s time to trade wins back in the other direction, but it doesn’t seem to feel important or significant in any way: this is a true No One Cares Match.
Prediction: King Barrett
Rich Kraetsch (@voiceswrestling): Barrett and Truth have had 8 TV/PPV singles matches since 2010. Their overall record, you ask? 4-4. If you need a microcosm for the even-steven WWE booking that frustrates us dearly, well, there you go. Barrett probably wins this but who could possibly care? Truth beat Barrett two weeks ago on SmackDown and Barrett beat Truth in late April’s King of the Ring tournament.
Prediction: King Barrett
WWE Divas Title Match
Nikki Bella (c) vs. Paige
Sean Flynn: Nikki Bella is not very good. Paige was good once but seems to have regressed a lot. Brie Bella will be involved. I don’t really have any feeling about this match. My suggestion is take the time you would spend watching this match and go rewatch Sasha Banks vs. Becky Lynch from the last NXT special. My prediction is based entirely on the new season of Total Divas starting soon.
Prediction: Nikki Bella
Ru Gunn: Naomi’s omission from this match means that I don’t have to fear any impromptu Mike Bailey-style reverse hurricanrana that make me worry for Paige’s vertebrae, so that’s a relief. I keep on insisting that Nikki is a dynamic powerhouse, but she hasn’t really delivered lately, so I have my fingers crossed for a good one here.
Prediction: Nikki Bella
Rich Kraetsch: These two Diva powerhouses have met six times on TV/PPV since September 2014. The series total, you ask? 3-3. Do I need to go on? Paige is a special talent but she can’t seem to click with anyone on the main roster right now. On the other hand, we hear quite a lot about Nikki Bella improving and while she’s certainly better than she was a few years ago, she’s still not very good. Let’s hope these two can click but I’m not betting on it.
Prediction: Nikki Bella
Intercontinental Title Match
Ryback (c) vs. The Big Show
Sean Flynn: This is the match I am most excited for. Ryback is at this point the one saving grace character on Raw more often than not. Give him a speedball and a Red Bull IV before the match and let him just run around like a maniac bouncing off Show until eventually he hits the Shellshock and runs into the audience handing out self-help books and tinder swipes.
Prediction: Ryback
Ru Gunn: I was going to say that no one wants to see this match, but then I remembered the little kids who sat behind me at my last WWE house show, who whooped and cheered for Big Show, and who fantasy booked outlandish Ryback matches in hushed whispers. The magic is still alive for the 5-7 yr old boy demographic, and I think it’s important to remember that Big Show and Ryback are impressive and cool for these precious junior members of the WWE universe. Regardless, objectively, this match is going to suck.
Prediction: Ryback
Rich Kraetsch: I’ve really enjoyed the Ryback character as of late and am glad to see him in the IC Title picture. However, I just can’t do this Big Show thing again, I just can’t. Maybe he’s good, maybe he’s one of the best big men ever… I don’t know, I just can’t do it anymore. I can’t get “into” a Big Show match in 2015. Ryback spoiled one of the only redeeming spots in this match by hitting the Shellshock on Big Show Monday, so, yeah, I don’t know, I’m sure he’ll do it again and JBL will act like he’s never seen it before.
Prediction: Ryback
WWE Tag Team Title Match
The New Day (c) vs. The Prime Time Players
Sean Flynn: I love the PTP, though I would be giddy if somehow he could be transitioned into the IC-title picture. Should be a decent match with at least one legendary hot tag to Titus. As long as it doesn’t end up with a looooooong Titus face-in-peril spot we should all be fine here.
Prediction: The New Day
Ru Gunn: While the coveted Dad demographic will probably want to see Uber-Superdad Of The Century Titus pick up a clean win here, I think New Day are far too entertaining to want to see them drop the titles quite yet. I hope this will be kept short and sweet, with a minimum of shenanigans.
Prediction: The New Day
Rich Kraetsch: I’ve been a curmudgeon for the previous matches so I’ll get optimistic here: This is going to be a lot of fun. It may not be as good as your run-of-the-mill Cesaro/Tyson Kidd vs. New Day match but could be just as, if not more entertaining. Titus O’Neil is an acquired taste but once you acquire it, you’ll keep coming back for more. Look for his hot tag to be the key spot in a losing effort.
Prediction: The New Day
John Cena vs. Kevin Owens
Sean Flynn: Fortunes have been won by not being swayed by the tiny bumps in the road and always betting on John Cena to win. Sure the win rate isn’t 100%, but much more often than not it’s the safe bet. I think Owens has been hurt by mild crowd response the last couple weeks, as they’ve refused to play along with the idea that so many people are against Cena. Look for a very well-plotted match, a pop-up powerbomb kickout, an AA kickout, a package piledriver tease, and finally a top-rope AA.
Prediction: John Cena
Ru Gunn: All my predictions for the seemingly inevitable screwy finish in Owens vs Cena 1 have now obviously been rendered academic by Owens proving that he can beat Cena clean, so I’m at a bit of a loss for what’s going to happen here. I feel like space to breathe and anticipate would have been more beneficial than a fortnight-later rematch. I’m hoping for another definitive Owens win, but my inner wrestling pessimist can’t help feeling weird about betting against Cena. To guarantee an immersive and awesome match free of distractions, I hope that WWE have made the smart investment and funded Cena to go a ventriloquism course in the interim.
Prediction: John Cena
Rich Kraetsch: The smark in me is a little upset this match is happening so quickly after their first title at Elimination Chamber. Thankfully, the fan in me is telling smark me to shut the hell up and just enjoy it. Look, whether you were in love with their Elimination Chamber match or one of those who thought they “did too much”, you know what these two are capable of and you know they are going to put in a top-notch performance. It’s hard to make a prediction as I think we get some type of wonky DQ finish as Owens can’t afford to lose and another Cena clean loss would be quite bizarre in this universe.
Prediction: No Decision
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Neville vs. Randy Orton vs. Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus
Sean Flynn: Again, the temptation is to come up with interesting swerves. What if Kingston wins the case and the entire New Day win the title? What if all this leads to Neville challenging Brock Lesnar? What happens if Kane wins the case? Forget all of that. Roman Reigns is winning the case. I don’t know if he turns heel at some point, but in this match at least things will go exactly as you expect, even if you don’t like it.
Prediction: Roman Reigns
Ru Gunn: Roman Reigns is the only one who’s had to overcome an obstacle to get here, so it would follow that he’s the one emerging victorious. He’s due for the next big win to buffet along his story this year, after a quiet few months playing the sassy sidekick, slowly warming the fans to him again. It initially seemed easier to work out the winner by process of elimination, crossing out people it definitely WOULDN’T be, but most thought that Ryback definitely wouldn’t win the IC at Elimination Chamber, so don’t colour me entirely surprised (or disappointed) if there’s a swerve Kofi win. My hunch is that Neville will impress regardless of result.
Prediction: Roman Reigns
Rich Kraetsch: This has to be one of the easiest matches to predict in quite some time. We all know who’s winning and that’s not the worst thing. Roman Reigns has done his time, re-built his character and has actually turned into one of the more compelling characters on WWE television. It’s time for him to get back into the spotlight and the Money in the Bank briefcase is the perfect way to do it. Now the question becomes: does he cash-in right away or hold it over Rollins’ head for a little bit?
Prediction: Roman Reigns
WWE World Heavyweight Title – Ladder Match
Seth Rollins (c) vs. Dean Ambrose
Sean Flynn: Overthinking when coming up with WWE predictions is the most common mistake people make. We book all the awesome stories and moments we would love, ignoring common sense in order to get to those points. Seth Rollins is the champ. He will still be the champ when the show signs off for the night. The story is leading us to Lesnar vs. Rollins, and they’re not going to randomly chuck the belt to Ambrose for a couple of weeks. Rollins wins via awfulness, Reigns appears at the end of the night to threaten Rollins with his new briefcase.
Prediction: Seth Rollins
Ru Gunn: My heart is aflutter again with the whisper of betrayal, as I can’t help but think that this Roman/Dean friendship is getting a bit too cosy to be true. “You boys are always together, it’s so nice, everyone loves it,” Stephanie McMahon taunted sarcastically a few weeks back, and those words are echoing in my head as I see a mental slideshow of Roman interfering with this match result and brutalising Dean with a newly obtained briefcase. Either way, I can’t imagine Seth losing the title until he gets a rematch with Brock.
Prediction: Seth Rollins
Rich Kraetsch: Can you believe these guys have already had SIX (!) singles matches since the breakup of The Shield nearly a year ago… SIX! Regardless of those previous matches, there’s more at stake here and given their tremendous performance at Elimination Chamber, we should expect another good one. I’ve seen rumors of a Dean Ambrose win, Roman Reigns heel turn and cash-in on his “Best Friend” but that seems like really aggressive storytelling. I’m not banking on that. I think Seth Rollins wins via shenanigans (imagine that!) setting up his eventual Brock rematch at SummerSlam.
Prediction: Seth Rollins
