On the go-home episode of Monday Night RAW to Money in the Bank 2019, there was a whole new twist when Braun Strowman was replaced in the ladder match by Sami Zayn. It certainly is an interesting turn of events from last week, particularly because Strowman threw Zayn inside a dumpster.
On RAW before MITB, Zayn even offered to compete for Strowman’s spot. During the match, he spent a good part running away and getting bulldozed, but assistance from Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre meant that Zayn became only the fourth person in WWE to pin Braun Strowman.
While many fans are naturally incensed by what happened, we firmly believe that replacing Strowman with Zayn was the correct decision by WWE. Here’s why it was a good move.
#5.) Braun Strowman doesn’t have much momentum now
It’s sad to say, but 2019 hasn’t been Braun Strowman’s year at all. He was supposed to challenge for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble, but he was replaced by Finn Balor. Come WrestleMania season, he was doing nothing but feuding against Colin Jost and Michael Che heading into the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
Sure, he won the match, but that doesn’t really mean much in terms of getting a push. Moreover, the match saw him have a miscue with Harper and an injury scare with (Mustafa) Ali. He really hasn’t been doing much since and it’s a shame because he was the hottest superstar in 2017 and was hot throughout 2018 until Crown Jewel.
#4.) Sami Zayn is better suited to the match
From a stylistic perspective, Sami Zayn will always be a bigger treat to watch in a ladder match of sorts than Braun Strowman. Sure, seeing a man as big as Strowman climb a ladder is fascinating, but he can’t pull off the same moves that Sami Zayn does in that kind of a match because Zayn’s arsenal is just that much bigger.
Moreover, Zayn hasn’t been in the match for two years now. He was present in the MITB ladder match in 2016 and 2017, with both occasions seeing him have an incredible performance. He definitely adds a big element of excitement to the match.
#3.) Sets up a Strowman-Zayn feud right off the bat
Right after Money in the Bank 2019, we know exactly who Sami Zayn is going to feud with. It’s a no brainer that Braun Strowman will be the man chasing after Zayn to get revenge for MITB. If Zayn were to win the briefcase, it would be all the more interesting, because they could feud until SummerSlam and even have the briefcase be put on the line.
It would certainly be interesting to see how Zayn would successfully defend against Strowman. Atleast WWE doesn’t have to worry about two of them doing nothing creatively.
#2.) The unpredictability factor
One of the major things that WWE likes to do occasionally is throwing a curveball at the fans and catch them off-guard. This means a good swerve out of nowhere, which is most likely what WWE was going for in this case. Perhaps it didn’t even have to do with writing Strowman off due to a potential minor injury.
The same was assumed about his Universal title match at Royal Rumble, but he ended up competing in the Rumble anyway. This was perhaps Vince McMahon’s idea of taking fans by surprise.
#1.) Gives more than one superstar a chance
The truth is that Drew McIntyre is the easy pick favorite to walk out as Mr. Money in the Bank. Before Strowman’s replacement, there were three former MITB holders competing in the match – almost instantly eliminating the possibility of them winning again. The other competitors include a current champion, two young up-and-comers and then Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre seemed to be the clear pick, but with Zayn added to the fray, it’s clear that he has a shot as well. Now it’ll be interesting to see who walks out as Mr. Money in the Bank.
