Seth Rollins and AJ Styles Credit: WWE.com

Breaking Down Biggest Matches on the WWE Money in the Bank 2019 Card

The Doctor Chris Mueller

WWE usually experiences a post-WrestleMania slump before the buildup to SummerSlam, but recent years have seen the Money in the Bank pay-per-view allow WWE to keep some of that 'Mania momentum going.

This year's event features a stacked card, with 10 matches. The two MITB ladder matches will be the main attractions, but the rest of the card gives fans plenty to look forward to.

Becky Lynch will be defending her Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships in two separate matches against Lacey Evans and Charlotte Flair, respectively.

We will also see Kevin Owens challenge Kofi Kingston for the WWE title. Seth Rollins will defend the Universal Championship against AJ Styles, and Shane McMahon will look to end his feud with The Miz inside a steel cage.

These are the matches that will make or break Money in the Bank. Let's go through each contest and look at what might happen on May 19.

Becky 2 Belts' 2 Matches

Lynch has been riding a wave of popularity for months, and the WWE Universe doesn't look like it is going to turn against her anytime soon.

Sometimes when WWE pushes someone as hard as it has pushed The Man in recent months, fans can grow tired of that person. We saw it with John Cena, Roman Reigns and countless other stars over the years.

Defending her titles in two separate matches is going to be her first major test as champion, and WWE has given her contrasting opponents to deal with.

Flair is the wily tactician who will look to weaken Lynch's knee until she is ready to put her in the Figure Eight, while Evans is establishing herself on the main roster with a debut push.

If WWE puts these matches back to back, there is a chance we could see one of the belts change hands. This would allow Lynch to focus on one brand again while someone else carries the load for the other show.

However, this is the first PPV since she won both titles at WrestleMania. She will likely have at least one successful double defense before she has to worry about WWE booking her to lose.

Then again, the MITB winner might take advantage of the situation if the women's ladder match happens first.

The Miz vs. Shane McMahon

The feud between The Miz and Shane McMahon looked like it was over after The A-Lister was drafted to Raw during the Superstar Shake-up, but he had other plans.

This storyline began with the two of them teaming up to win the SmackDown tag titles. After losing the belts to The Usos at Elimination Chamber and failing to regain them at Fastlane, McMahon snapped and attacked The Miz and his father.

Making this feud as personal as it has become has given The Miz more to sink his teeth into than he has had in years, but it needs to end at Money in the Bank before people grow tired of it.

Putting them in a cage practically guarantees McMahon will end up throwing himself off of the top of it and through a table. Whether The Miz is on the table will likely dictate who leaves MITB as the winner.

Kofi Kingston vs. Kevin Owens

The feud between Owens and Kingston is a bit weak, but the match is going to be a potential show-stealer.

KO's temporary alliance with The New Day just to turn on Kingston and Xavier Woods felt rushed, but it allowed Owens to fall back into a role he is comfortable playing.

This will be his first major title shot since moving to SmackDown, but like Lynch, it would be surprising to see Kingston lose the belt one month after he worked so hard to win it.

There are only two scenarios wherein Kingston leaves without the title on Sunday. Either the MITB winner cashes in on him or Woods betrays him and ends their tag team.

Either option would lead to outrage over WWE taking the belt off of him so quickly, so he will probably end up retaining.

Seth Rollins vs. AJ Styles

Other than a nine-year age difference, AJ Styles and Seth Rollins have a lot in common in both their career paths and how they work in the ring.

Both men worked for years on the indy scene before joining WWE, and both men pride themselves on their technical and high-flying abilities.

Rollins carried Raw while The Phenomenal One made SmackDown into "The house that AJ Styles built," as he likes to say.

They are evenly matched in many ways, and that is what makes this bout so exciting. These two have barely been in the ring together, so it's also a combination fans haven't had time to get bored with.

The potential for this to be a Match of the Year candidate is high. Considering Rollins worked for several months to defeat Lesnar and bring home the Universal Championship, it seems unlikely he would lose it so soon.

Then again, the same thing applies to Kingston and Lynch, so WWE might want to surprise us with a title change at MITB.

Men's Money in the Bank

The participants in this year's men's Money in the Bank match will be Baron Corbin, Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre, Ricochet, Ali, Finn Balor, Andrade and Randy Orton.

Strowman, Orton and Corbin have each won the briefcase once. Balor and McIntyre have been in Money in the Bank matches but haven't won. For Ricochet, Ali and Andrade, this will be their first MITB experiences.

Of the previous winners, only Orton won the championship after cashing in his title shot. Surprisingly, that makes him the least likely to win this one.

Given Strowman and Corbin are two of the few people who have been unsuccessful after cashing in their MITB contracts, they are even less likely to win.

It's too early for Richocet, Ali and Andrade, so they will be responsible for providing the WWE Universe with the high spots it expects from a match like this. That just leaves McIntyre.

This is the perfect time to push The Scottish Psychopath into the main event scene after building him up for the past year as one of the most dangerous competitors in WWE.

Women's Money in the Bank

Carmella, Alexa Bliss, Ember Moon, Dana Brooke, Natalya, Naomi, Bayley and Mandy Rose will be the third group of women to compete for the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Mella and Bliss are the two previous winners, and both women won the Women's Championship after cashing in their contracts.

This is the most unpredictable bout on the card. Some of these competitors are former champions, but none of them stand out as more likely to win than anyone else. And that kind of unpredictability is exciting.

This is also a rare instance when several of the people in the match would be acceptable winners. Naomi, Bayley, Moon and Natalya would all be cheered if they won.

A lot of what we will see on May 19 will depend on the order WWE books the card. If the briefcases are up for grabs before the title matches, we could see someone cash in that night.

                  


What are your predictions for Money in the Bank 2019?

   

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