WWE ‘Money in the Bank’ 2026 Preview & Predictions

WWE will produce the 17th standalone ‘Money in the Bank’ PLE this Saturday at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, but the promotion has held 36 MITB ladder matches in its history. The 6-man ladder match debuted in 2005 at WrestleMania21, and WWE will hold its 37th and 38th installments, with six superstars in each men’s and women’s division vying for the briefcase hanging below the rafters.

This year’s MITB men’s match has shaped out to be something really special as it features four of the ‘big 5’ upstarts that WWE and the fans see as the future of the company—the only major name missing is Oba Femi, who already has a shot at the title after winning ‘King of the Ring’ this summer. The same is true for the women’s MITB, as five of the six competitors were called up last year or earlier.

MITB has become better than the Royal Rumble for match gimmicks that lead to title shots—coincidentally, both matches were created as attractions before becoming standalone PPVs/PLEs.

While the Royal Rumble is a favorite among the WWE Universe, MITB is the better event/gimmick for storytelling, character development, and unpredictability. The main issue is that Royal Rumble winners don’t just become #1 contenders; they’re also expected to “main event” Mania—such a prominent role requires a certain level of stardom.

MITB, with the booking flexibility for the winner’s title shot, is designed to give anyone a chance regardless of their level of stardom. For the 30 men and women who enter a Royal Rumble, the favorites can be narrowed to 2-3, but MITB gives 6 men and 6 women favorable odds, no matter where they fall on the roster. This year’s field exemplifies the tightest odds in recent MITB memory.

MEN’S MITB LADDER MATCH

CM Punk VS Kevin Owens VS Bron Breakker VS Trick Williams VS Penta VS Je’Von Evans

It’s been called the “Futures Game,” a reference to MLB’s All-Star Week festivities, where the best minor leaguers in the world are split between two teams to showcase potential superstars. A winner is decided in a Futures Game, but the point is to give them a spotlight before it’s fixed on them, and this year’s MITB can work in the same way.

There can be only one winner, of course, but the match’s design leaves opportunity for the likes of Penta or Evans to steal the show even in a loss. Between the four upstarts, Breakker has the most ‘main event experience,’ though Penta will enter the match with the more recent momentum.

Trick Williams has elevated himself this year, and he made the most of his summer as he heads into this opportunity. However, the ‘pop of the night’ would go to Je’Von if he holds the briefcase to close the show. Their victory percentages differ, but the narrative is the same for these four. What makes this match narratively better than Royal Rumble is that the cash-in is unpredictable, and it is almost WWE telling us who they plan to push.

If we go with this booking theology, then we’re asking ‘who needs and doesn’t need’ this opportunity. Breakker has already been a main eventer, and Penta feels like he’ll get to that spot without the briefcase. Evans might not be ready within a year, and since he is the youngest with ‘plenty of time,’ he’s the biggest underdog.

Trick is the guy to watch in this match and FightsATW‘s official pick because he feels like the ‘most ready’ while simultaneously needing that ‘rub’ more than the rest. CM Punk would be a 3-time MITB winner if he wins the briefcase, while Owens has the most experience in the match—competing in four MITB ladder matches from 2016 to 2021.

Williams is the perfect pick: safe enough to build long-term plans around, with enough surprise factor to deliver a memorable pop from the crowd.

WOMEN’S MITB LADDER MATCH

Tiffany Stratton VS Lash Legend VS Roxanne Perez VS Sol Ruca VS Lola Vice VS Jacy Jayne

PREDICTION: Stratton Wins Briefcase

The field is as wide open as the men’s match, maybe more, since only Tiffany Stratton will walk into this match with world championship experience. The women’s division has floundered on RAW with little direction and very limited stories, but this match shows the depth of this roster and gives fans a reason to be excited for the next five years, potentially a decade.

Stratton is the focus here because she stands out as a former MITB winner with a successful cash-in, and not for how she won the briefcase, but instead, who she cashed in against. It was a months-long program where she teased cashing in on her ‘best friend’ Nia Jax—it was the booking that sent her into the next ‘stratosphere’ of superstardom.

Her best work as a heel came after this ‘face’ experiment, and it’s safe to say her best chances at reaching the sport’s upper echelon will come as the female Randy Orton, or the Elizabeth Holmes of pro-wrestling. Plus, she is positioned to make a splash if she uses that briefcase to turn on her friend and fan-favorite Chelsea Green.

Every superstar in this match would make an interesting briefcase holder, and Stratton is the official FightsATW pick, but speaking for the entire staff: WAR LOLA VICE.

HAILMARY Booking: Stratton had a long ‘will she/won’t she’ cash-in storyline, so it makes sense for her to cash in on Chelsea Green, especially if Green is out there to help Stratton with Fatal Influence en route to winning the briefcase.

WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE

Roman Reigns (c) VS LA Knight

PREDICTION: Roman Wins CLEAN

To believe or not to believe, that is the question, and the Shakespearean clash that WWE created between Roman Reigns, the nepo-baby with all the breaks, and the challenger Knight, who resonates with the masses for his ‘every-man’ role in this feud. It is funny to think WWE fans could relate to a man in that kind of shape, but they can relate to not being born into a dynasty and having to earn your way up the ladder (no pun).

Bottom line: if Knight doesn’t get it done this weekend, the moment will likely never be recreated, and the iconic pop would be a hell of a way to end the show (yeah!). Unfortunately, they’re starting the show.

We want Knight to win; we want him to overcome the “coach’s kid,” but the reality is Roman’s character only works if he keeps winning. Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker were gimmicks that could be beaten and still feel larger than life, but Roman’s aura almost entirely hinges on him taking L’s that are ‘best for business ‘—his last loss led to a new starting QB.

At this point, Roman is at the ‘torch passing’ point in his career, and his next loss should come against a young(er) superstar with the potential to carry the WWE flag for the next decade or two. If anyone is beating Roman, it will be Oba… or maybe Penta in a rematch?

WWE WOMEN’S WORLD TITLE—TRIPLE THREAT MATCH

Stephanie Vaquer (c) VS Becky Lynch VS Liv Morgan

PREDICTION: Vaquer retains

This is one of the stranger programs currently in WWE, and it all starts with an untelevised title change where then-champion Liv Morgan lost her title to Stephanie Vaquer in front of her hometown fans. Becky was the ref in that match, and without relitigating her specific actions, it was anything but a clean win.

Instead of leaning into the in-house booking, WWE edited the footage for WWE TV video packages to downplay Lynch’s role—almost as if WWE pivoted from the original plan. Regardless of the route they took, we ended up at the intended destination: a match that could steal the show (difficult on a card with two multi-superstar ladder matches).

Stephanie must secure the title after Liv’s 2026 reign as the most inactive women’s champ not on the injured reserves. The title has had a tumultuous journey, and Vaquer is the perfect performer to reestablish the esteem that comes from a champion’s consistency.

Oba Femi VS Bronson Reed

The go-home angle for this feud was spectacular, with Oba really coming into his own on the mic. Paul Heyman continues to play an ominous role in this program, but we’ll likely get a schmozz regardless. This will be physical, and the ‘big spot’ of this match could be the single most memorable spot of the night.

Mario Mungia

Mario Mungia Jr. has a decade worth of experience as a combat sports journalist and correspondent which began with ThaBoxingVoice (TBV) as a podcast co-host, writer and editor-in-chief. Aside from his online resume, Mario spent a fair portion of his early career working for Spanish/English magazine Premier Round and the Mexican website Izquierdo. Mario has also contributed to NYFights while simultaneously working for MIC Sports Network as part of the broadcast crew covering local high school sports. Since then, he has launched his own podcast/live stream (Infighting/Work In Progress) and is covering pro wrestling for FightsATW.

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