Mansfield’s Matchups Predictions Column for WWE Money in the Bank 2022

Ah, Money in the Bank, how my relationship with you is very much mixed. WWE’s annual “Try and get out of bad booking free” card sometimes has mixed results, especially in the past couple years. While many have said Money in the Bank has lost its value with how many winners have now failed to properly cash in, or whose wins of the titles with the cash in have meant hardly anything, the match and suspense itself of when a cash in may happen (provided the winner is a good one *cough*, Men’s 2020 and Women’s 2021 *cough*) always keeps me interested in Money in the Bank. It’s a quick way to make a mid-card star a world champion, and while it can have mixed results, it pretty much always shakes things up, even if only briefly. With that said, it’s still Money in the Bank, this is Mansfield’s Matchups, and I’m still excited, so let’s get to it.

UNDISPUTED WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
The Usos (Jimmy and Jey Uso) ( c ) vs. The Street Profits (Angelo Dawkins and Montez Ford)

Well, if there’s anything I can say for certainty about this match, it’s that it’s going to be a very fun watch. Both teams are great, and like The Usos matches with the New Day, you don’t really need to know the story to know these guys are going to have an absolute banger of a match. Not a fan that the Street Profits had to beat the Usos to get a title match instead of an actual #1 Contenders Match, but oh well. I still don’t like, whatsoever, that the titles are unified but still counted separately, and until they announce specifically that that a match is for one of the titles, not both, I don’t think there’s any danger of The Usos losing the titles. The Usos will have held the SmackDown Tag Team Titles for a year later this month, if they can keep them for that long. While I don’t think they should beat the New Day’s record necessarily, but on SmackDown, I don’t quite know who on the horizon can beat The Ones, and if it is going to be the Street Profits, it should be for the Raw Tag Team Titles only.

WINNERS – The Usos (champions retain)

UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Theory ( c ) vs. Bobby Lashley

HALLELUJAH!!! THERE’S A U.S. TITLE MATCH ON PLE!! This match was only interesting to me when I, like many, thought Theory had John Cena waiting in the wings for SummerSlam. Now, it’s been made known that this is not the case. So that tidbit of information has completely thrown a wrench into my thought process of who is winning this match. I’ve really not liked the build up that much, even though they are trying to make both look pretty strong and put some relevancy and prestige back on the U.S. Title, the posing contest and baby oil stuff has been stupid. But, knowing WWE, Theory is likely retaining so he can walk into SummerSlam as a champion.

WINNER – Theory (champion retains)

RAW WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Bianca Belair ( c ) vs. Carmela

This match, of course, was originally supposed to be against Rhea Rippley, but she got hurt. Since it was the only Judgment Day match on the card, my guess is she was originally supposed to win that match to start winning gold for her stable. Camela has not been, in my opinion, that credible lately (sorry Corey Graves, I don’t care) as someone who can beat Bianca. Granted, Mela is a former champion in her own right, but with the quick injury turnaround, it’s clear Mela is just a fill-in opponent there to hold the spot till Rhea is all healed back up for SummerSlam. Now, that’s not to say that these two aren’t going to try and put on a great match, but I’m pretty sure the winner of this match is not even close to being in doubt (don’t hate my Corey Graves).

WINNER – Bianca Belair (champion retains)

SMACKDOWN WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Ronda Rousey ( c ) vs. Natalya

I don’t really care what anyone says, apart from the Money in the Bank matches, this is the match I’m most looking forward to on this card. Ronda is, of course, Ronda, and Natalya is one of the best to ever lace up her boots. She is the BOAT, and anyone who disagrees with that needs put in a sharpshooter (but not by anyone in AEW since none of them can seem to do it right). She is one of the greatest talents of the women’s division and has really made Ronda look good and presentable again after her rough start before her “I Quit” match with Charlotte. Natalya is trying to keep this trend going, and because these two are best friends in real life, you know for sure they’re gonna give it everything they’ve got. Their promos have been personal, real, and Ronda literally gave her best promo to date during this feud. Natalya is a leader and she is bringing all of this out of Ronda, so I expect this to be one of, if not Ronda’s best *wrestling* match that she has had thus far in WWE. Yes she’s had matches against Natalya before on PLE, but this feels more personal, and actually seeing Natalya get a big shot like this again is something she absolutely deserves. While I don’t think the winner is in doubt, both women will give it everything they’ve got to prove why they are the Baddest and the BOAT.

WINNER – Ronda Rousey (champion retains)

WOMEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
Becky Lynch vs. Lacey Evans vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Liv Morgan vs. Raquel Gonzalez vs. Asuka vs. Shotzi

Now, talk about a VERY stacked field for this match. This match has two former winners and three former Women’s Champions. And on top of that, the four ladies in this match who have not been champion can all just as easily make a claim to being able to win this match. This one is probably the hardest of the two Money in the Bank matches to guess, not for who I think my primary choice will be, but who I think my secondary/dark horse pick will be. My primary choice for this match, like everyone else, is of course, Becky Lynch. Her story of her downward spiral as she tries to get back at least something, anything, so she can be champion again is so compelling. It’s almost like she needs the title to survive, to breathe, and this is eventually going to lead to her complete breakdown and return of The Man. Becky winning then holding onto it like it’s her own child until he cashes in will be great. But, and I absolutely hate this usually cause I don’t think the contract winner should ever lose, but what if Becky does? What if, when she goes to cash in, she fails? That would be completely rock bottom for Becky and seeing her try and scratch and claw back from that is a story in and of itself and is just worth it enough to merit her winning. But, there are six other ladies in this match who are absolutely deserving of it. So, who is my secondary pick? Realistically, it’s not Asuka. Asuka is there to look good and do spots, but she’s not winning again. Raquel is a little too green and new to win, but with how she shined in her match with Ronda, it’ll be interesting to see how she does here. Alexa *could* do it again, but WWE seemingly has no clear direction for her at the moment, but, granted, that’s usually the case with the MITB winner, so hey, maybe they’ll do Alexa again. Shotzi is personally who I would really love to win this. I’ve loved her since NXT, but it sucks she doesn’t have her tank and stuff anymore, cause Vince doesn’t understand wrestling (just like he doesn’t understand the word “no” either…), so I sadly can’t officially pick her no matter how much I want tp. That leaves us with Lacey Evans and Liv Morgan. Lacey is WWE’s newest project that they’re trying to push that’s honestly working really well. Liv is, without a doubt, the fan-backed choice going into this. Both of these women could just as easily win this match, and do it by knocking Becky off the ladder last. If it’s between these two, WWE could go with their new mega star in the making with Lacey or with who the fans have handpicked in Liv Morgan. *If* WWE was smart (which they usually aren’t, let’s be real here), then I think the solution is Liv Morgan winning that contract. You push a star that the fans have wanted to see continue to get a push, and one who has been absolutely proving it in the ring. YEs, she’s in a tag team right now, and that would continue to prove Sasha and Naomi right (which they are), I still don’t think WWE cares, and if they want to make the fans happy if it’s not Becky, they need to go with Liv.

WINNER –
P. Becky Lynch
S. Liv Morgan

MEN’S MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH

Seth “Freakin” Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Omos vs. Sheamus vs. Madcap Moss vs. Sami Zayn vs. Riddle

Bro. Really…Omos and Madcap Moss over, say, A.J. Styles, Miz, or Fin Balor? Really bro? Ugh. Anyways, my annoyances in some of the participants aside (especially with a second “last chance” match on SmackDown that made no sense), I think this match is absolutely going to be a fun watch…and then Omos is in it too and will smash someone through a ladder or the announce table or something. I don’t think the two potential winners here are in any serious doubt whatsoever, though. My primary pick is, without a doubt, Seth Rollins. This has been teased so much lately, of history repeating itself with Seth cashing in during Brock vs. Roman and winning again. Cody Rhodes basically gave it away in his interview on Raw that Rollins is winning and history will repeat itself at SummerSlam. It’s the only way to realistically get the WWE Title off Roman without him being pinned before he drops the Universal Title to Drew at Clash at the Castle. Because if Rollins cashes in during the Last Man Standing match, he can turn it into a normal Triple Threat and pin Brock Lesnar to win the Title, taking one of those Titles away from Roman without even pinning him to the mat. History repeating itself seems the obvious conclusion, and Seth has never had more momentum than he does right now. My second pick, who I would truly love to win, is Riddle. I’m not going to bother going through the other competitors in this match, because they really have no chance. This is between Rollins and Riddle. Riddle is absolutely a star in the making and has looked amazing since his main roster debut in 2020. A former United States Champion and two-time Raw Tag Team Champion with Randy Orton of all people, big support from the back, got the endorsement of Goldberg finally, has done some of the best RKOs in recent memory, and has cemented himself as one of the best and future stars. Riddle winning this would be no surprise. He can’t challenge Roman, but like Seth, he could cash in during the match at SummerSlam and take it from Brock, so he finally gets that Brock rub he’s been looking for. This will lead to, hopefully, Randy vs. Riddle at WrestleMania next year once Randy is healthy, cause we all know that WWE’s plans went to crap when Randy got hurt. Riddle’s popularity is soaring as high as he is right now, and Riddle with the MITB contract would be fun to see. Some may not like his current gimmick, but that, with his in-ring skills, are what makes Riddle *Riddle* right now, bro. If it’s not Riddle, then it’ll be Seth winning it by pushing Riddle off that ladder last. Either way, that could easily lead to a match or feud with them, and boy those would be fun matches to see.

WINNER –
P. Seth “Freakin” Rollins
S. Riddle