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Will Sunday night be the time WWE capitalise on Braun Strowman's popularity and momentum?
The Miz and Braun Strowman are the leading contenders to win the men’s Money In The Bank ladder match as far as the bookmakers are concerned.
But what of the six other men? How would having the briefcase fit into their current storyline and the company’s plans for them going forward?
We took a look at the eight men who will compete in one of WWE’s most highly-anticipated matches, live on Sky Sports Box Office from midnight on Sunday night.
Finn Balor
It is completely plausible that Finn Balor could win this match; he remains as popular as ever, is winning matches on both television and the house show circuit and is one of the company’s biggest merchandise movers.
Yet it also somehow does not feel like the right time for him to do so. Balor is an excellent in-ring mechanic and he will improve the match quality on Sunday night, but the briefcase may not be right for him at this time.
SkyBet odds: 7/1
Samoa Joe
The briefcase may not fit with Joe’s presentation as a legitimate bruiser who can brawl his way to victory against anyone and has no need for gimmicks to assist him along the way.
That said, he is in pole position to challenge the winner of the WWE title match between AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura and giving him the win here would set that up in the most clear and direct way.
SkyBet odds: 9/2
The Miz
Aside from Seth Rollins, The Miz has arguably been the top performer across WWE in the past few months and there is no shortage of people who are ready to see him enjoy a title run as a provocative (but ultimately cowardly) heel champion.
In terms of in-ring psychology there are few who can match Miz in WWE today in terms of getting a crowd response, and that – combined with his ability to be a company ambassador away from the glare of television – make him the favourite for the briefcase here.
SkyBet odds: 6/5 favourite
New Day member TBC
If you believe in foreshadowing, the chosen New Day member will be winning this match because the final act on the final SmackDown before it was The Miz opening a briefcase full of pancakes.
The fact the group is yet to choose their representative plays into the prospect of a split – and, one would have to assume, Big E heel turn – but there is little actual evidence to suggest New Day are about to brake up any time soon.
As far as the bookies are concerned, their success on Sunday night will depend on who they select.
SkyBet odds: Big E 5/1, Kofi Kingston 40/1, Xavier Woods 40/1
Kevin Owens
It is telling that WWE has kept Kevin Owens away from Sami Zayn in recent weeks, gradually downplaying the importance of the relationship between the two.
Is this because Owens is being groomed for a run at the top title? Possibly. But with Brock Lesnar so often absent from Raw – and, in fact, Box Office events – it would make it harder to book a red-brand winner around the briefcase than one from the blue team.
SkyBet odds: 5/1
Bobby Roode
Bobby Roode has struggled to truly find his feet after making the move up to the main roster from NXT and seems to be less of a natural fit as a babyface than in the rulebreaker persona which saw him gain major momentum in developmental.
His best moments on Raw have come when he has hinted at a heel turn – see the “what are you going to do now, big boy?” interaction with Braun Strowman last week – and this could be the right time and place for WWE to pull the trigger on that, potentially by costing a popular good guy the victory.
SkyBet odds: 12/1
Rusev
If Lana wins the women’s Money In The Bank ladder match then it will represent a major signposting of where WWE will be going with the men’s version.
A joint Happy Rusev Day is not completely out of the question but it would appear to be a major long shot, even though it would be a great way to capitalise on the extreme popularity of the Bulgarian Brute while he remains hot with the crowds.
SkyBet odds: 14/1
Braun Strowman
The Monster Among Men continues to be enormously popular with WWE fans, both on television and at live events, and it is vital the company does something soon to capitalise on that and harness it if they are to make Strowman into a genuine star.
Winning the Money In The Bank briefcase, in a match famed for its brutality, would appear to be the perfect fit for him, and could even lead to the “perfect scenario” of a triple threat at SummerSlam where Brock Lesnar is dethroned but kept looking strong by not being directly beaten by an opponent he has previously vanquished.
SkyBet odds: 9/4
Also See:
Sourse: skysports.com
