Predictable Booking vs. Raw Entertainment

We are officially on the road to the most chaotic night of the summer, and the booking decisions made at Money in the Bank will shape the next twelve months of professional wrestling. While AEW is gearing up for Double or Nothing tomorrow night, WWE has a much bigger problem to solve over the summer. If they play it safe, we get another boring year of paint-by-numbers booking.

If they take a risk, we get the kind of television that gets screenshotted and argued about on Reddit for the next decade. The briefcase is a weapon of mass distraction. It can elevate a mid-card workhorse into a certified superstar overnight, or it can sit under a ring and gather dust while the creative team forgets what to do with it.

Look at what happened to Damien Sandow in 2013, a brilliant character absolutely wasted because the booking team chickened out at the last second. We cannot afford another wasted briefcase in 2026. This year's show needs to be a declaration of intent, a sign that the creative team is willing to burn down their own established plans to make something truly special.

The Men's Ladder Match Needs a Desperate Coward

Let's address the massive, red-hot elephant in the room: Bron Breakker does not need the briefcase. He is currently tearing through the roster like a freight train, destroying opponents with spears that look like they were launched from a military railgun. Giving Breakker the contract is lazy, uninspired booking that ruins the thrill of a surprise cash-in.

A dominant powerhouse does not need a sneak-attack gimmick to win a championship. The contract belongs to Chad Gable, whose recent heel turn has been the most compelling work of his career. He has turned from a lovable, catchphrase-spouting underdog into a delusional, abusive mentor who tortures his own students.

Gable holding the briefcase, constantly threatening champions with his Academy lackeys, is the exact kind of obnoxious heel work the main event scene desperately needs. He is desperate enough to use a rolling German suplex on the apron to protect his contract, and that makes him dangerous. He knows his time is running out, which makes him the perfect desperate villain.

Wrestling is always better when the briefcase is held by a desperate coward like Chad Gable who knows they cannot win a fair fight. Edge perfected this in 2005, lurking in the shadows like a vulture waiting for the champion to bleed. If WWE passes Gable over for a shiny new toy like Bron Breakker, they are throwing away the best character work on Monday Night Raw.

The Women's Division is Begging for Pure Comedy

On the women's side, the corporate consensus seems to be that Tiffany Stratton is a lock to win the briefcase, and it makes sense on paper. Her athletic ability is undeniable, and the Prettiest Moonsault Ever is a spectacular visual from the top of a twenty-foot ladder. A pink, glittery briefcase matches her aesthetic perfectly.

However, predictable booking is boring booking. If WWE wants to create truly memorable television, they need to hand that briefcase to Chelsea Green. Imagine the comedic gold of Chelsea complaining to general managers about the weight of the briefcase, or trying to cash it in for a tag-team title, or demanding a custom designer case.

Stratton will win a world title eventually because she is the future of the company, but Chelsea needs the briefcase to show what she can do with a spotlight. The briefcase is meant for characters who can squeeze every drop of entertainment out of a ridiculous prop. Chelsea Green is one of the few wrestlers on the roster who understands that this business is supposed to be fun.

If WWE plays it safe with Stratton, we get a standard championship run instead of legendary television. Chelsea Green running around with a briefcase she doesn't know how to open is worth more than any five-star match Stratton could put on. It is time to prioritize entertainment over work-rate.

The Bloodline's Ticking Time Bomb

Let's talk about the new Bloodline, which currently looks like a budget knock-off of the nWo. Solo Sikoa has taken the mantle of the Tribal Chief, but he has the screen presence of a wet cardboard box. He has surrounded himself with Tama Tonga and Tonga Loa, but the entire faction feels like they are just keeping the seat warm for Roman Reigns.

The only redeeming quality of this entire stable is Jacob Fatu, a legitimate force of nature who moves with the agility of a cruiserweight despite weighing three hundred pounds. The real story at Money in the Bank is not Solo Sikoa pretending to be a main-event player. The real story is the inevitable moment Jacob Fatu realizes he is ten times more terrifying than the man giving him orders.

We need to see the first crack in the new Bloodline's foundation. During a tag match or a chaotic brawl, Jacob Fatu needs to accidentally or intentionally overshadow Solo, showcasing his absolute dominance. The crowd is already itching to cheer for Fatu because his offense is so spectacular.

If WWE drags this out without giving us a hint of internal friction, the entire Bloodline storyline will run out of gas before the summer ends. Solo is a placeholder, and everyone in the arena knows it. The moment Fatu decides to stop taking orders is the moment the Bloodline becomes interesting again.

The Judgment Day is Dead, Stop Dragging the Corpse

The Judgment Day has been on life support for months, and it is time to finally pull the plug. The tension between Damian Priest and Finn Balor has been dragging on since the middle of last year, and we have reached the point of diminishing returns. The gothic school drama has run its course, and both men are suffering from the stagnation.

Priest has done an admirable job trying to establish himself as a fighting babyface champion, but the shadow of Balor's jealousy ruins every single defense. Money in the Bank is the perfect stage to end this alliance once and for all. We need Finn Balor to cost Priest the World Heavyweight Championship, not with a standard distraction, but with a brutal, undeniable betrayal.

Picture Balor pulling the referee out of the ring right as Priest is about to hit a South of Heaven. That is the kind of heartbreaking betrayal that turns a slow-burning feud into a white-hot rivalry. It frees Priest to run as a true solo babyface and gives Balor the platform to be the vicious heel he was born to play.

The crowd is ready for this explosion, and holding it back any longer is just bad booking. We have watched them tease this split in backstage segments for a year. It is time to stop teasing and start throwing punches.

A Legend Must Set the Summer on Fire

With the event taking place in a massive arena, WWE cannot rely solely on the ladder matches to deliver a memorable night. They need a surprise that alters the course of the entire company, and the perfect catalyst is the return of a legendary superstar. John Cena is currently preparing for his farewell tour, and his presence would instantly elevate the stakes of the entire summer.

Imagine the roof blowing off the arena when Cena's music hits after the main event. He does not need to wrestle a long match; he just needs to stand in the ring and lay down a challenge that shifts the focus of the entire roster. Compare this to his iconic return at Money in the Bank in 2021, which immediately energized the entire product.

If WWE relies only on the current roster to carry the heavy lifting of the summer, they risk a repeat of the flat, uninspired post-Mania periods of the past. A surprise return of this magnitude is the shot of adrenaline the company needs. It keeps the fans guessing, drives social media engagement, and ensures that Money in the Bank is remembered as a historic night rather than a disposable transition show.