8 Ways Money In The Bank 2017 Could Shape WWE's Summer
The brand needs a refresh, and this weekend could provide it...
WWE Money In The Bank 2017 couldn't be coming at a better time for SmackDown. Once considered WWE's standout weekly show, the blue brand's decline through the annual summer slump has been far more noticeable than Raw's, with a crowded Women's Title scene, meek WWE Champion, and a series of lame, go-nowhere feuds rendering most episodes entirely skippable.
With the viewership hitting a dismal 2.072 million this week (the lowest of 2017 thus far), there's a clear need for change. Fortunately, few pay-per-views come with as much paradigm-shifting potential as Money In The Bank, and with a series of major title fights and two signature ladder matches lined up, the show could provide the jolt of unpredictability and excitement SmackDown needs to kickstart its summer.
Adding male and female briefcase holders will bring an edge back to the WWE and Women's Title scenes, while the championship bouts themselves should give a strong indication of WWE's plans ahead of SummerSlam (20 August). MITB is a potential game-changer, and if the company book it well, it could completely rejuvenate their summer programming. Get it wrong, however, and the next few months are going to be a slog...
8. Lana's Victory Spawns A Honky Tonk Man Reign
When Lana challenges Naomi for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at Money In The Bank, it’ll be just the second televised match of her WWE career. Her last bout was a ten-person tag at WrestleMania 32 in which she played a minimal role, and with just 35 career house show matches to her name, she’s one of the least experienced wrestlers to ever compete for WWE gold.
This should theoretically give her little chance of taking the title on Sunday, but recent reports suggest that ‘The Ravishing Russian’ will inherit Eva Marie’s old role as SmackDown’s resident avoidance specialist. If this is the case, and WWE want to give her as much heat as possible, there’s a strong chance she could screw Naomi out of the title, though last week’s “we want Lana” chants suggest she might not get the desired crowd reaction.
If WWE are to make her the next Eva, they could book Lana’s run much like the Honky Tonk Man’s lengthy Intercontinental Title reign. Honky became one of the company’s biggest villains by constantly retaining his belt through count-outs, DQs, and other avoidance tactics, drawing monster heat in the process. This could be the ideal way to mask Lana’s in-ring shortcomings while pushing her as one of the brand’s top stars.