WWE has relied heavily on The Bloodline to carry its SmackDown brand. (Credit: WWE/Getty Images)
Getty ImagesWWE will look to continue its streak of strong pay-per-views in Toronto at Money in the Bank, the last stop before the upcoming SummerSlam spectacle.
Money in the Bank marks the company’s fourth consecutive PPV outside of the United States, and even without a Universal title match on the card, it’s one of the most pivotal shows of the year. In addition to The Bloodline’s big match against Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and Randy Orton, two MITB ladder matches will take a pair of stars one step closer to world title gold.
At Money in the Bank, WWE is once again following its recent formula of a five-match card, prioritizing quality over quantity. Successful record-breaking events at last month’s Clash at the Castle as well as May’s King and Queen of the Ring and Backlash France demonstrate that the formula is working.
But the “less is more” approach WWE continues to take with its marquee events makes the creative decisions on these shows even more imperative. Here are five smart booking moves WWE must make at Money in the Bank 2024.
Tiffany Stratton Wins Women’s Money In The Bank
WWE has relied heavily upon a handful of women’s wrestlers—ranging from Bianca Belair to Becky Lynch to Charlotte Flair—to carry the division for several years. Now, it’s time for a new star to infiltrate the main event scene.
The best choice? Tiffany Stratton. The 25-year-old up-and-comer has any and every tool WWE could want out of a future world champion: the in-ring skills, the charisma and the gimmick. It’s no wonder that Stratton has generated such strong reactions since debuting on the main roster in early 2024. She is someone who can be a cornerstone of the women’s division for the next decade or more.
Of all the competitors in the women’s Money in the Bank match, Stratton is the both the most ready and the star who can most benefit from holding the briefcase. As a relative newcomer who already has a strong crowd connection and is a fantastic heel, Stratton almost makes too much sense as the women’s MITB winner.
And aside from Chelsea Green, no other star in the match has been positioned well enough to make a case for holding that coveted briefcase.
Bron Breakker Wins The Intercontinental Championship
Much like Stratton, Bron Breakker has taken WWE by storm since debuting earlier this year, already proving to be one of the most entertaining acts on Raw.
At 26 years old, Breakker has been booked similarly to a young Brock Lesnar since moving to the red brand in the draft in April. He’s been virtually unstoppable while constantly wreaking havoc on Monday nights, which has helped him instantly transform into a must-see—and more importantly, believable—heel who is a future world champion in the making. WWE reportedly even has plans in place to make him a key player in the company in preparation for Raw’s big move to Netflix.
It appears, though, that WWE is taking the Gunther route with Breakker, using the Intercontinental Championship as a stepping stone to propel him to the top of the card. That should prove to be the right choice, as it did wonders for Gunther and could for Breakker as well.
When he faces Sami Zayn at Money in the Bank, Breakker should decimate and dominate the beloved star to further cement himself as a heel and continue his impressive run on Raw.
Damian Priest Topples Seth Rollins
Speaking of Gunther, the former record-setting Intercontinental Champion will face the winner of Damian Priest vs. Seth Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship next month at SummerSlam.
How does that affect the outcome of this match? Well, WWE creative head Triple H has proven time and time again that he prefers longer title reigns, so it’s difficult to envision the title switching hands from Priest to Rollins to Gunther in less a month given that Gunther is widely expected to become champion. No, instead the sensible outcome is for Priest to somehow outlast Rollins, remain in The Judgment Day and then drop the title to Gunther at SummerSlam.
Per the stipulations of this match, Priest must leave Judgment Day if he loses while Rollins, if he fails to win, can’t challenge for the world title as long as Priest is holding it. That ultimately may not matter, however, if Rollins loses and then Priest drops the title just four weeks later.
That way, WWE can still have Rollins involved in the world title picture without ending one of its best acts in The Judgment Day.
Drew McIntyre Wins Men’s Money In The Bank Match
Let’s do some process of elimination here.
Carmelo Hayes just debuted on the main roster and probably isn’t winning a world title anytime soon. Chad Gable appears to be busier with Otis and the breakup of the Alpha Academy—not to mention the Wyatt Sicks. Andrade has never been pushed beyond the midcard. LA Knight is likely headed for a SummerSlam match with Logan Paul and a United States title reign. Meanwhile, Jey Uso—despite his incredible merchandise sales—appears to be getting involved with The Bloodline sooner or later once again.
That leaves WWE with one clear choice to win the men’s Money in the Bank match: Drew McIntyre. Of course, McIntyre has been shortchanged time and time again when it comes to winning—and keeping—the world title, recently having just a five-minute reign and losing a massive world title match in his home country of Scotland.
It’s time for McIntyre to pick up another marquee win after several major losses, and there’s no one more capable, or ready, to win the MITB briefcase than the Scottish star. And with Priest vs. Rollins set to main event Money in the Bank, a McIntyre MITB victory and cash-in—whether successfully or not—on either Priest or Rollins is a real possibility, too.
The Bloodline Defeats Cody Rhodes, Kevin Owens and Randy Orton
The Bloodline storyline is red hot once again after Paul Heyman said he would not acknowledge Solo Sikoa as “The Tribal Chief” on SmackDown two weeks ago.
The latest storyline developments, including Heyman’s refusal, all appear to be building toward the return of Roman Reigns, who is widely expected to return at or around SummerSlam. In order to get toward the seemingly inevitable battle between the new Bloodline and its original version, however, Sikoa’s Bloodline needs to pick up a major victory in order to gain some credibility.
Especially with Cody Rhodes vs. Sikoa for the WWE title planned as the SummerSlam main event, there is only one logical outcome for this match at Money in the Bank. That is, Sikoa must pick up the win for The Bloodline in order to earn his shot against Rhodes next month.
In the ideal situation, Sikoa will get the win for his team by pinning Rhodes in order to create even just a tiny sliver of belief that he could actually beat Rhodes at SummerSlam.