Analyzing Each Potential WWE Money In The Bank 2017 Winner
2. Baron Corbin
Speaking of potentially fresh main eventers... Baron Corbin is... well, he’s tall and has tattoos.
In all seriousness: Corbin is one of the biggest up-and-coming heels on the roster. Certainly thanks to his look and size, he has qualities that can make him a dominant champion in a Vince McMahon-booked company. Moreover, his character of a bully who doesn’t care about respect or fairness is perfect for something like the Money in the Bank briefcase.
Just imagine the scenario where someone like AJ or Sami won the title, and then Corbin swoops in, hits the End of Days, and cruelly rips it from them. The heel heat would be off the charts, giving Corbin momentum that would carry him into a title match at WrestleMania.
However... can Baron Corbin actually carry himself like a champion? Now, obviously, that’s a silly question to ask at this point when Jinder Mahal of all people is the champion on SmackDown, but still, if given the opportunity, can Baron Corbin improve himself to championship caliber?
Despite the occasional flashes of brilliance, it always feels like Corbin is a child in adult’s clothing (lotta kid metaphors in this article). His promos aren’t very convincing, and one would be hard-pressed to cite a really strong standard singles match in his career (most of his good matches are multi-mans or wild no DQ spotfests like chairs matches). The worst case scenario for world champion Baron Corbin is the Jack Swagger debacle: someone who ticked many of WWE’s boxes, but when given the title, was unable to convince anyone he was deserving of that spot. Obviously, Corbin exudes more natural charisma than Swagger thanks to his imposing demeanor, but man, those promos and matches will have to get better.
Still, Corbin’s relatively new status and the fact that SmackDown needs more top heels makes him an incredibly likely candidate.