Money in the Bank: Naomi vs. Lana match preview

Finally, 2-time Smackdown Women’s Champion Naomi will get the opportunity to defend her title for the first time this coming Sunday night at the Smackdown exclusive Money in the Bank event in St. Louis.

A Fatal 5-Way to decide Naomi’s opponent at MITB a couple of weeks back went south quick when a brawl broke out causing Smackdown Commish Shane McMahon to intervene. Shane O’ Mac would reward the tenacity of all five competitors by announcing the first ever Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match at the PPV of the same name, thus giving all five women the chance to earn a contract to cash in at the very moment of their choice. Unfortunately, that would leave Naomi opponentless for the event. Enter, Lana.

On the following week’s episode of Smackdown Live, ‘The Ravishing Russian’ would interrupt Shane and the girls during a new briefcase reveal segment in an effort to insert herself into the historic ladder match. Thankfully for Lana and all of us, Shane would shoot down Lana’s request.

Let’s be honest folks, Lana making her debut in a ladder match would’ve been a terribly unsafe idea. The scheming Lana would find a way onto the card, however, by tripping Naomi on the apron, forcing her to take a pin later on in the night during a 6-woman tag team match. This would incite Naomi enough to make her request a match against Lana at Money in the Bank, so much so that she would even request to put her title on the line. Shane would agree to her demands and that would lead us to where we are today. 

With only a little over a dozen of singles matches on her resume during her time with NXT, we’re likely going to see a very green Lana being protected come Sunday night. Should we expect a short match with some kind of tomfoolery built in to get Lana a controversial victory? Could we see Naomi squash Lana? Will St. Louis be rewarded with an early cash-in from whomever climbs the ladder to unhook the briefcase earlier on in the night? Or maybe a recently cleared for action Rusev could play a part into all of this.

A Case for the Briefcase: Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match breakdown

One thing you can say about Lana is that as a former dancer in the National Latvian Ballet at a very young age, timing will not be a weakness for the former Usher backup dancer. Maybe Lana and Naomi can even recreate some of the ‘Glow’ they blessed us with on the finale of last season’s Total Divas. 

So, who do you see leaving St. Louis with the Smackdown Women’s Championship on Sunday night. Cast your vote below and make sure to get at us @Wrestling Desk to keep the conversation going.

Who leaves #MITB with the Smackdown Women’s Championship?

— Wrestling Desk (@Wrestling Desk) June 17, 2017