Money in the Bank Will Lana Be The Next Jinder?

[Grievous 3D]

Now...I understand why Jinder was pushed from a "business" point of view...but I'm not
here to talk abut Mr. Mahal.

I'm here to talk you about the Ravishing Russian Lana...and the fact she has showed up,
been laughed at, interfered in a match and been given a title shot literally "Out of Nowhere"

Now...I have no problem with Lana finally being a part of the division and hopefully her
wrestling skills are at least on par with Carmella & Alexa Bliss...but after the "Jinder
Incident" at Backlash...is it possible that the SmackDown creative team will have her
upset the prideful (and frankly poorly booked Champion) Naomi at Money in the Bank?

Now I'm all for shocking moments in wrestling...such as Goldberg defeating Lesnar in
86 seconds or Jinder winning the World title...

but...

Putting the SmackDown Women's title on Lana would seem like a huge step backwards for
the entire division...which some believe is already reverting back to the "Dark Era" with Alexa
Bliss currently enjoying a "huge" push and winning feuds against Becky Lynch & Bayley.

So...I'm here to ask you all...will the SmackDown creative team "Pull a Jinder" and put the title
on the Ravishing Russian? Or will Naomi finally have her first strong in-ring victory since the
4th of April?

Post your votes, thoughts, comments and opinions below...and I'll see you all around the traps.

 

[Jacob Fox]

Lana is just a Diva. WWE stopped calling them that, but they seem to be going back to it. I like Lana but she is not champion material. However, she is very popular and will likely be champion.

 

[Grievous 3D]

However, she is very popular and will likely be champion.

So...you think they are going to put the belt on her at Money in the Bank?

 

[Jacob Fox]

So...you think they are going to put the belt on her at Money in the Bank?

Possibly. I don't like the idea but it is very WWE. People no longer have to work their way to a title shot.

 

[Grievous 3D]

Possibly. I don't like the idea but it is very WWE. People no longer have to work their way to a title shot.

Okay...so your 50/50...No worries...

You can get a title run...you just need to be:
~ Tall...
~ Muscular...
~ Attractive...
~ American...
~ Blonde...
Or
~ Appeal to the right International market...

 

[Solid Snake]

She isn't someone who will hold the title long if she does win it. I preferred her managing. Nothing against her skills in ring but they marketed her in a way I can't take her seriously as a wrestler.

 

[Mustafar Reginald]

I briefly mentioned this in a nigh 2000 word long dream booking of Asuka/Charlotte because I'm bonkers, but yeah, I do think Lana is going to win the Smackdown Women's Championship at Money in the Bank. I'm pretty sure Rusev is going to cost Naomi the match. Now, I know WWE has separated the two but the fact of the matter is that Rusev and Lana are a couple and the fans aren't going to forgot that. But more importantly, it makes contextually sense. Rusev had been vying for a WWE Championship match at Money in the Bank and Shane McMahon refused to give him one, or completely ignored it, I wasn't paying much attention. But it's not happening and Rusev can't be happy about it. What Rusev also can't be happy about, is that Shane McMahon denied his wife Lana entry into Money in the Bank and a Championship match, only relenting when Naomi goaded him into it. So not only would him costing Naomi the match be him supporting his wife, it'd be him sticking it to Shane McMahon. Then you can separate them from there. Focus on Lana in the Women's Division as Champion, while Rusev deals with a feud with Shane McMahon, culminating in a match at SummerSlam. That Rusev will of course win.

 

[WholeFN'Moe]

I hope so... Better than Naomi having the belt because she's cousins to the rock by marriage

 

[Snowman1]

Okay...so your 50/50...No worries...

You can get a title run...you just need to be:
~ Tall...
~ Muscular...
~ Attractive...
~ American...
~ Blonde...
Or
~ Appeal to the right International market...

I miss the days when you got a title by being better than the person before at wrestling

 

[WholeFN'Moe]

I miss the days when you got a title by being better than the person before at wrestling

It still exists... just not in WWE... WWE isn't Pro Wrestling, it's a crappy tv show

 

[Snowman1]

It still exists... just not in WWE... WWE isn't Pro Wrestling, it's a crappy tv show

WWE is in... An identity crisis, to put it bluntly. There's much more pro wrestling in WWE than sports entertainment nowadays, and it often feels like they think they can get by off match quality alone... largely since the fans love to tell them that.
Outside of small Smackdown stuff like the Fashion Files WWE is about as pro-wrestling as it gets.

Hell I'd even throw in the current champ Naomi, who may not be the "best woman ever" but she can get the job done. And I could buy her beating the "crafty champion" Alexa much more than... many of the WWE title changes that happened this year for backstage reasons. Sometimes it feels like the buildup to a title change happens in the Wrestling Observer more than on Smackdown

 

[Prince Bálor]

I can totally see her becoming champ due to Rusev interference.

 

[WholeFN'Moe]

WWE is in... An identity crisis, to put it bluntly. There's much more pro wrestling in WWE than sports entertainment nowadays

Just none that they shed the important spotlight on... all the main spots are filled by idiots like Roman when it should be guys from CW, UK or NXT that have been trying to get that spot for 15 years working all around the world... also those are the entertaining matches.

 

[alexb]

In the vast majority of PPV's throughout the years, there's at least one title change to occur. Granted, it ain't any written rule that title changes MUST happen on each and every PPV but it's certainly very rare for any them to go by in which all title holders retain succesfully. On that note:

A) It should practically be considered a given that Jinder Mahal retains the WWE championship for reasons that, well, I don't feel are necessary to go through at the moment....

B) KO is in the MITB ladder match so there will be no US title defense on the show...

This basically leaves us with the SD Tag Team Championship and the SD Woman's Championship so in that essense I think it comes down to what each and every one of you feel is the most likely to happen, if at least one title change will indeed occur. Again, there's always the possibility that everyone simply retains but if you had to choose, where do you see it most fit?

That being said, the funny part is I still have an issue with all this cause I feel neither Naomi nor the Uso's should drop the belts just yet. In Naomi's case I think it would be a rather rushed move with very little "believability" cause, let's face it, when's the last time Lana had a fucking match on TV? As for the Uso's, there's no doubt this has been there best run ever since the heel turn and I would find it rather unfair for the New Day to just show up and immediately grab the gold on the first try. This is feud that has the potential to play out for at least another month or so and I think it would be foolish on WWE's behalf not to capitalize on it.

Exploring other theories, Rusev helping Lana is certainly an idea however his return I feel should be a lot more impactful than a run in in the Woman's title match so I personally can't see that happening. Another idea is the double switch but that will certainly depend on the order of the matches. In other words, if, say, they open the PPV with the Woman's MITB Ladder match, it would open the possibility of an immediate cash in later on the same night. On the other hand though, being this is the very first MITB ladder match involving the women, would they waste it with an immediate cash in? Probably not...

Man, the more I think about it, the more confusing this is getting but the good part about all this is it has us guessing....


P.S.: Completely off topic but wanted to share this. Was listening to the Steve and Larson podcast earlier today and there was a part early in their show where they shout out their partrons. Well, there was this one nickname that really cracked me up and felt I just had to shout out myself: The Eater of Fruit, Bray Diet 2:
I just loled on that one; kuddos to the fella that came up with it, really clever.

 

[Doxo]

I don't think she'll win, specifically because of Jinder. Of course, I don't mean Mahal interferes, I mean I don't think WWE will want to try to pull the same trick twice because then it wouldn't be as shocking, and since Lana doesn't really have the same international appeal that Jinder has, I see no real reason for pulling the trigger