Multiple Surprises Added to Money in the Bank PPV?
New Superstar Added to Ladder Match, Legends Segment Planned
According to various online sources, it appears that WWE have a few tricks up their sleeve for the eighth annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view this Sunday. Chiefly among these rumours is the idea that a sixth female Superstar will be added to the women’s Money in the Bank ladder match; earlier today, WWE tweeted that six men and six women will compete for a chance at holding Money in the Bank, despite the women’s match only having five officially announced participants as of the go-home show of SmackDown Live this past Tuesday.
Six men will battle. Six women will collide. History will be made at @WWE #MITB, streaming LIVE THIS SUNDAY at 8e/5p only on @WWENetwork! pic.twitter.com/zr1mrIEO3B
— WWE (@WWE) June 16, 2017
Online speculation has narrowed the potential additions down to two names; current NXT Women’s Champion Asuka, or the newly returning Maria Kanellis-Bennett, last seen with WWE in February 2010. Mike Johnson of PWInsider reports that Maria and husband Mike Bennett will be present this weekend with the SmackDown Live roster for the Money in the Bank event, and then again at Smackdown TV the following Tuesday. As pictured above, the alumni page for Maria on WWE.com has also had an updated picture for the Slammy Award winner, lending further credence to the idea of her showing up at the event.
As for the longest reigning NXT Women’s Champion, many have speculated about Asuka’s main roster debut in recent months, and many see this as an opportunity for the Empress of Tomorrow to make her main roster debut in a surprising way. Odds going into the event are in the favour of Carmella, with Becky Lynch not far behind in the betting odds. However, as the surprise re-debut of the Hardy Boyz this past WrestleMania demonstrates, we can never really know the outcome of multi-person title matches anymore in WWE.
In addition to the surprise entrant, there are reports that various legends are scheduled to appear in a backstage segment during the event, with potential influences over the outcome of the WWE Championship match. The Wrestling Observer reports that Ric Flair, “Cowboy” Bob Orton, Larry Hennig, Baron Von Raschke, and Greg Gagne are all confirmed to be appearing, with rumours of Gerald Brisco, Rocky Johnson, and Ted DiBiase also appearing in this segment.
As for the reasons behind the legends appearing, they were all big draws in St. Louis (where the event is being held), but the structure and purpose of the segment are not apparent at this stage.
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