WWE Must Avoid This Money in the Bank Mistake

On October 10, Money in the Bank could possibly crown a new champion when LA Knight takes on Roman Reigns for the World Heavyweight Title. That’s not likely, but what is certain is that one man and one woman will earn future title shots of their choosing before the night is over. The women’s Money in the Bank match is made up entirely of younger superstars (and in our opinion, Roxanne Perez must win). The men’s ladder match is made up of six stars, both young and old. Who WWE chooses to win matters greatly. With one moment, they can create a new main eventer if they like. They can also do great harm by refusing to take a chance and instead making a huge mistake.

Someone New Must Win the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match

• Surprising names like Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Damien Sandow, and Otis have won the briefcase in the past.
• This year’s match incldues CM Punk, Kevin Owens, Penta, Trick Williams, Bron Breakker, and Je’Von Evans.
• Penta has passed up Trick Wiliams as a favorite to win Money in the Bank.

Money in the Bank is exciting due to its unpredictable nature. It’s similar to the Royal Rumble, yet perhaps even better, because while the Rumble always goes for a big star to win, Money in the Bank often attempts to build up someone new or underused. Whether they worked out in the end or not, the men’s match has had winners like Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, Damien Sandow, and Otis. You wouldn’t see any of them winning the Royal Rumble.

The 2026 men’s Money in the Bank ladder match is made up of incredible talent, from veterans such as CM Punk, Kevin Owens, and Penta, to rising stars of the next generation like Bron Breakker, Trick Williams, and Je’Von Evans. Any one of these six men could win and it would be believable. For a time, it looked like Williams, with his incredible presence, was the favorite. Then came Raw in Mexico City. After Penta’s thrilling match with Roman Reigns, fans began hoping for an eventual rematch through a ladder match victory.

CM Punk or Kevin Owens Can’t Pull Down the Briefcase

• Je’Von Evans and Bron Breakker won’t win Money in the Bank.
• Fightful Select reports that Owens and Punk are unlikely to win.
• One of the veterans may still win to add to the Sami Zayn feud on SmackDown.

Je’Von Evans feels like he’s not quite ready for such a huge spotlight and Bron Breakker doesn’t need it. This leaves CM Punk and Kevin Owens as other possible winners. As often as WWE likes to have newer talent win Money in the Bank, they’ve gone with veterans plenty of times too, whether it be Seth Rollins last year or the awful moment when Brock Lesnar won out of nowhere.

According to Fightful Select, Penta and Breakker are top favorites to win the ladder match, with Williams as another idea for a possible victor. Then there’s what they said about Punk and Owens.

We’ve also learned that CM Punk and Kevin Owens are unlikely winners at this time, in an effort to keep the main story on SmackDown alive with the collection of six to eight different superstars gunning after Sami Zayn’s Undisputed WWE Title.

A source did add that adding the Money in the Bank briefcase to the main event scene on SmackDown could juice up the storyline.

The first sentence is a relief. Neither Punk nor Owens need to win. But then there’s the troublesome second sentence. With WWE’s bad booking choices of the past few years, could Triple H and company decide to have one of them pull down the briefcase?

A CM Punk or Kevin Owens Win Only Sets up a Short-Term Storyline With Sami Zayn

• Money in the Bank is meant to create excitement and questions surrounding the win.
• What happens if Punk or Owens wins is predictable.
• It’s time for WWE to start moving away from aging veterans and give younger superstars a chance.

If Penta, Williams, Breakker, or Evans win Money in the Bank, it creates a heightened level of excitement and so many possibilities. How long will they hold the briefcase? Who will they challenge? Could they win? Give the briefcase to Punk or Owens though, and all of that excitement and the fun questions that go with it are stripped away. Suddenly, the ladder match victory becomes nothing more than a prop in an ongoing storyline.

Over on SmackDown, Sami Zayn is the WWE Champion. While he has wrestlers like Gunther and Johnny Gargano gunning for his belt, his main drama has been with CM Punk, the man he beat for the gold, and Kevin Owens, his forever foe, who he turned on once again. No disrespect to Gunther or Gargano, but they’re not winning the belt from Zayn. It’s all about Zayn, Punk, and Owens. If one of those latter two men is victorious at Money in the Bank, it’s not a long-term angle but a short-term one where the winner quickly cashes in on Zayn. This only keeps an already stale TV storyline going, and there’s not even a great chance that the Money in the Bank winner will be victorious. It’s easy to see Punk or Owens cashing in on Zayn, only to be screwed over by the other, creating yet another chapter in this convoluted drama.

Money in the Bank is a time to push younger stars and put the next generation in the spotlight. In WWE’s men’s division, where men in their 40s like Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Punk, and Owens rule the main event year after year, it’s more important than ever to begin the move away from them. If Punk or Owens wins the briefcase, WWE will be telling fans yet again that they don’t yet believe in its younger core and would rather keep doing the same thing over and over. That would be a huge mistake.