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IS SETH ROLLINS THE RIGHT MAN FOR THE NEXT MONEY IN THE BANK CONTRACT?

The 2020 Money in the Bank PPV is in the history books, and most fans will be reasonably happy with how last month’s show turned out. WWE did a good job with the pre-taped men’s and women’s ladder matches, and some of the other bouts on the PPV, including Jeff Hardy vs Cesaro, were excellent. 

As you will be well aware, Asuka claimed the Raw Women’s Championship on May 11th, the night after the PPV. As for the men’s winner, Otis, it will be interesting to see if the WWE Creative Team pulls the trigger on him, or if he becomes a kind of gimmicky holder in the mould of Damien Sandow. 

Regardless, it’s interesting to speculate on the identity of the next Money in the Bank winner. The reason we bring this up is that a betting site, 888, has released a book on the next men’s contract winner. Yes, it feels a little far in advance, but the betting markets offer an interesting perspective, and the candidacy of some might surprise you. 

Indeed, 888 has zeroed in on a clear favourite – Seth Rollins. The Monday Night Messiah is given odds of 3/1 to be the next man with the briefcase. Of course, we all remember that it was Rollins who pulled off one of the greatest ever cash-ins at WrestleMania 31, but is he the right man at the right time to hold the briefcase next? Of course, Rollins is not guaranteed to win next year. The implied probability with those 3/1 odds converts to a 25% chance, and that’s far from making it a sure thing. 

Black would represent an intriguing pick

Four wrestlers sit in the next tier of 888’s odds – Aleister Black, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, and Bray Wyatt. They have each been given odds of 8/1. It’s easy enough to imagine WWE opting for any one of that quartet, although you would argue that Reigns or Styles would be deeply uninspiring. Neither of them has held the contract before, but they don’t really need it either. There are some interesting possibilities with Wyatt’s fiend character with the MITB briefcase, however, and Black would certainly benefit from the character development offered with the opportunity. 

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At 19/2, Kevin Owens is also an interesting pick. You could sense that WWE was trying to (again) capture the Stone Cold anti-authority magic with Owens, and that goes beyond allowing him to use the Stunner. But, too often, Owens seems like an afterthought. Each time you think an angle is going somewhere to let him shine, it seems to disappear. Baron Corbin and Elias are also both mentioned at 19/2, but it’s difficult to see WWE going with either. 

Zayn is an interesting price in the MITB betting 

One of the most interesting candidates, Sami Zayn, is found all the way down at 40/1. While those odds might seem like a long shot, it’s worth noting that 888 is featured at Freebets.co.uk, a site that gives you all the best free bets in the UK. So, it’s possible to take those long-shot odds with no risk to your wallet. Others in this long-shot category include Rey Mysterio (40/1), Walter (40/1) and, surprisingly, the Undertaker (50/1).  

Zayn sometimes splits opinion among fans, but we know that he has the mic skills and can capture the sense of the theatrical to pull off an exciting run with the briefcase. The best cash-ins (Rollins, Edge in 2005, Dolph Ziggler in 2013), are always preceded by plenty of drama in the weeks and months leading up to the match. Zayn has the ability to keep fans intrigued in his run with the briefcase, working them up to a frenzy when he finally cashes in. Rollins might be the betting favourite, but it would be something special to see Sami Zayn, assuming he buries the hatchet with WWE, execute his own spectacular cash-in moment. 

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