A huge weekend for wrestling! (Slammiversary and Money in the Bank)

Tonight is Slammiversary for Impact.  Tomorrow night is Money in the Bank for WWE.  A huge weekend for wrestling! Crowds are back for WWE and I’m sure the performers have missed live cheering fans.  Before we get to Money In The Bank, let’s run down Slammiversary, shall we?

Brian Myers and Tenille Dashwood face Matt Cardona and a partner of his choosing.  Several names have been thrown around, including real-life girlfriend Chelsea Green…..and then she showed up in NWA.  Maybe since Impact has a deal with AEW, his mystery partner will be a woman from AEW.  Nobody has mentioned that possibility.  Of course, other than Kenny Omega and the Good Brothers, that partnership hasn’t appeared to have benefitted anyone else.  Alas, unless Matt’s partner turns on him, I think she and Matt win.

Eddie Edwards faces W. (don’t call me Big Cass) Morrissey.  I say Morrissey wins it.  Eddie has had his success in Impact and this would be a big W for, well, W.

Violent By Design have a big test defending their tag titles against Swann/Mack, the Good Brothers and Fallah Bah and a mystery partner.  I say VBD retains no matter who the mystery partner is.  Those guys are on a roll!

Kierra Hogan and Tasha Steelz will be successful  against Havok and Rosemary.  Moose will defeat Chris Sabin.

Deonna Purrazzo will defend the Knockouts championship against a mystery opponent.  I’m guessing Mickie James but then I thought about who WWE fired recently.  But I don’t see one of them coming in.  I could be wrong, of course.  Whenever there is a mystery challenger, there’s usually a new champion.  Only question is: who is it?

Josh Alexander defends the X-Division championship in Ultimate X vs Petey Williams, Trey Miguel, Ace Austin, Chris Bey, Rohit Raju in what should be a fantastic match.  Ultimate X is always unpredictable but I say Alexander retains.

Sami Callihan walks to the gallows, I mean challenges Kenny Omega for the Impact World Championship in a No-DQ match.  I think it will be a good match until the Good Brothers(and maybe Young Bucks, too) get involved and make sure Kenny retains.  Looks like a very solid card!

 

24 hours after Slammiversary, we have Money In The Bank! Crowds returned for Smackdown Friday and Sunday will be the first pay-per-view since Edge’s Royal Rumble win that WWE will have a crowd.  I thought it was cool for Vince McMahon to come out Friday and welcome the crowd back.  Let’s run down the card.

The Mysterio’s defend the Smackdown tag titles on the kickoff show against The Uso’s.  I see the night ending with The Bloodline holding all the gold.  That means Jimmy and Jey win the titles here.

AJ Styles and Omos defend the Raw tag titles against The Viking Raiders, themselves former Raw champs.  I think AJ and his Omos retain in what should be a good opener.  Ro

Kevin Owens, Drew McIntyre, Riddle, Ricochet, John Morrison, Big E, Shinsuke Nakamura and Seth Rollins make up the 2020 men’s Money In The Bank ladder match.  This is my favorite pay-per-view and these ladder matches are the reason.  There’s always the whole “who should win/who will win” thing.  First of all, don’t give it to Drew.  Big E needs to win.  Big E was in talks for a short time of getting the nod to challenge Roman.  Then he suddenly won the IC title.  “Okay”, I thought, “maybe when he loses the title, he’ll be right back in the picture”.  If he wins this, that’ll be the case.  Other prospects include Seth and Owens.  I read Riddle somewhere and….no.  Just, no.  No way Ricochet, Shinsuke or Morrison win.  I’m picking Big E to win.

 

Asuka, Naomi, Alexa Bliss, Nikki Cross(or Ash, whatever), Liv Morgan, Zelina Vega, Natalya and Tamina round out the women’s field.  Neither women’s tag champ needs to win this.  Therefore I eliminate them.  They won’t have Naomi win it.  Zelina won’t win.  You know, I’m going to pick Alexa.  She’s been a bit adrift since the split with Bray.  Sure she’s been mysterious but what have they actually done with her? I say she wins the case, eventually wins the title and we have The Princess of Dark-Bliss.  Get it? Instead of Prince of Darkness…..

Charlotte will win the Raw women’s title again.  Will it occur his weekend? I really figured they’d make this a no disqualification match since Rhea got herself intentionally disqualified last time.  Is Charlotte now the face in this feud? I don’t think she could ever be a face again but that’s just me.  I do think Charlotte wins the title.  Because, you know, she desperately needs something to go her way in her career…..

There is talk of Becky Lynch returning.  Does she replace someone in the women’s MITB match and win it? Or does she return to go face-to-face with whoever wins the title, giving the champion two threats? I don’t think she takes anyone’s place in the contract match.

Roman Reigns will retain the Universal Championship against Edge.  Bobby Lashley will successfully defend the WWE Championship against Kofi Kingston.  As soon as both these matches were announced, I knew that neither challenger was winning.  Reigns is on too much of a roll.  Towards the end of August, Roman will reach a complete year as Universal Champion.  I won’t even entertain a notion that he loses the title until that milestone is met.  Lashley will also retain.  No way they give Kofi a second WWE Championship reign-at least no time soon.  I think Reigns and Lashley will continue to be dominant champions for a long time.  Big E may finally be the one to dethrone Roman if E gets that case.  It’ll be awhile, though.  I expect E, or whoever wins the case, to hold onto it for at least a few months.

There you have it: my predictions for Slammiversary and Money In The Bank. Enjoy both shows this weekend! Both look stacked.  Fans are back, friends are back and wrestling is fun!