Tossing Salt Presents:
WWE Money In The Bank
Thoughts and Predictions
June 15, 2017

Coming up this Sunday, live from St. Louis, is the latest WWE pay-per-view offering. It’s WWE Money In The Bank, where this year, we have not one, but two Money In The Bank ladder matches, one featuring the men of Smackdown Live and another featuring the women wrestlers. It should be good. Also, new WWE Champion Jinder Mahal defends his title against the former champion Randy Orton. Five matches have been announced so far, but I suspect we’ll get some random match thrown together for the kick-off show as well announced probably on Friday or Saturday. I’ll address that on my Facebook page when it happens. As for the rest of the matches, it’s time to break out the “Sister Cleo” and do some predicting. But I won’t charge you $1.99 a minute and keep you on the phone with jibber-jabber. If I thought I could get away with it, then maybe, but I’m not that kind of guy so. Let’s do this, shall we…

WWE champion Jinder Mahal with the Singh Brothers vs. Randy Orton.

I really, really hope that the Jinder Mahal experiment continues long past this Sunday and he retains the title. Randy is okay, but he’s like Cena to me, best in small doses and just kind of boring if around for more than two weeks at a time. I expect a hell of a brawl and lots of shenanigans by the Singh Brothers (do they even have first names?) and plenty of near falls in this match. And I truly hope that when the smoke clears, we see the former member of 3MB standing tall with the WWE Championship still around his waist. Jinder gets the pin on Randy after Orton is distracted by the Singhs.

Winner and STILL WWE World Champion: Jinder Mahal

Money in the Bank Ladder Match: WWE United States champion Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn vs. Baron Corbin vs. Dolph Ziggler.

I’m fully expecting this to be the match of the night. I also expect that in their attempt to steal the spotlight and out-do the women, that there will be several bumps, bruises and stitches for several of the men at the end of the night. As for the end results and who will claim that briefcase and the Money In The Bank contract, let’s do the process of elimination. It won’t be Dolph because he’s kind of at loose ends with the company and there’s a been there / done that feeling where his character is involved. I also don’t think it will be Owens since he’s already the United States Champion. It won’t be Nakamura since it just wouldn’t be right with his character to be sneaky and diabolical with the Briefcase and contract deal. Sami Zayn is a generic face and while I can see him winning the match, I can’t see WWE pushing him as a challenger for the WWE title. Which brings us to Baron Corbin and AJ Styles. I like Baron and he could be a really good heel with the MITB contract, but I think they’re all about pushing AJ and building his resume while in the WWE. He’s the most logical choice and while my personal favorite would be Kevin Owens, I think that AJ will end up taking this one and being the man to climb that ladder at the end.

Winner: AJ Styles

WWE Smackdown Tag Team champions The Usos vs. The New Day.

It’s not if the New Day will be the next Smackdown Tag Team Champions, but more like when will it happen. This is the first match between the two teams that I can think of and it’s too soon in the rivalry to switch the belts. I think, that with so many other teams waiting in the wings to see what will happen, teams like American Alpha, Breezango, The Colons, The Ascension and the return of The Hype Bros as a team, as of Tuesday night, we might see someone get involved and cause a screw-job finish for this match. If I recall correctly, the Hype Bros. won a match making them the top contenders for the tag titles on the night that Ryder was injured. They won the match, but never got their title opportunity. That could come into play here, if not Sunday night then most likely on next Tuesday’s Smackdown Live. Look for a hell of a match, but I think that by hook, crook, or whatever it takes, the Usos will retain here and keep their belts, at least until SummerSlam.

Winners and STILL Smackdown Tag Team Champions: The Usos

*WWE Smackdown Women’s champion Naomi vs. Lana.

To be honest, Naomi as the Women’s Champion has been, for me, not good at all. She’s okay, but when someone uses a butt to the face as their finisher and looks like a walking Lite Brite set, that just doesn’t say “the best on the roster” and “champion” to me. I don’t really see Lana as Women’s Champion material either, but I think she’s in for a big push coming up and it wouldn’t make sense for her to lose her first big match on pay-per-view, even if it is against the current Women’s Champion. Plus didn’t I see that Rusev has been cleared to return to the ring and get back in action? While I know that WWE wants to keep these two apart on TV, wouldn’t it still make sense for Lana to use Rusev as her “insurance policy” and have him come cause a distraction in this match? I think that would be the way to go here and when Rusev distracts Naomi, Lana scores with the kick and gets the pin and title. Then Rusev can go do his thing, she can do hers and everyone is happy. Well, everyone but Naomi that is. Sounds like a plan here to me.

Winner and NEW WWE Smackdown Women’s Champion: Lana

*Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Charlotte vs. Carmella vs. Becky Lynch vs. Tamina vs. Natalya.

I am very excited and looking forward to this match because these women can go. I hope that the WWE puts this, if not in the main event, then at least second to last right before the WWE title match because I expect it will be one helluva match and these five women will steal the show. It won’t be quite as brutal in terms of physicality as the men’s match, but the intensity and danger will definitely be there. Now, let’s decide who wins. I’d love to see Tamina finally get her push here, but I don’t really think it will happen. I think we’ll see James Ellsworth take a sick bump or two and give Carmella a helping hand here and there, but I don’t see her getting it either. Becky just doesn’t do it for me and I think it’ll be between Charlotte and Natalya at the end. My mind says Charlotte, but my heart says that I’d really love to see Natalya get that chance to be on top for a bit, as the heelish bitch, and just dominate over everyone, showing that she is the best there is, was and ever will be. If Charlotte is to stay face for a while, then I’ll go with Natalya.

Winner: Natalya

And I guess that’s all for now. When the match for the Kick-Off show is announced, I’ll be back with a prediction, either here or on my Facebook page. As for now, I guess that’s it. Thanks for reading. Thoughts and comments are welcome. Have a great night and I’ll catch you later.

Ubuntu!