Hold up, wrestling fans, because the word coming out of the WWE Universe is wild: Penta is reportedly the man to beat in the men’s Money in the Bank ladder match. This isn’t just a casual prediction, either. WrestleVotes via Fightful Select says Penta is viewed *internally* as the “heavy favorite” to snag that briefcase and earn a world title shot whenever he wants it. And get this, WWE didn’t even initially plan for him to win. Talk about a massive change of plans!
The Penta Push Is REAL
Seriously, this Penta surge is no joke. The whole outlook for Money in the Bank apparently flipped after his absolutely insane World Heavyweight Championship match against Roman Reigns on Raw in Mexico City. Our guy impressed WWE decision-makers so much with the viewership numbers and merchandise sales that came from that bout that they’re now thinking of a Penta vs. Reigns rematch down the line, even though it was supposed to be a one-and-done deal. Since his debut on Raw back on January 13, 2025, Penta has been on a tear, becoming one of the most popular Superstars around. He’s already rocked an impressive Intercontinental Championship run. If he pulls off this Money in the Bank win, it’ll easily be the biggest victory of his WWE career. He’s already qualified, taking down Dominik Mysterio and Dragon Lee on Monday, so the stage is set. Can he do it?
Referee Botch Almost Sunk SmackDown Main Event
Over on SmackDown, things got a little too messy last week during the WWE Championship match between Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens. You saw that awkward finish, right? Turns out, a referee error was to blame. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter says ref Ryan Tran actually took the blame, and yeah, there’s backstage “heat” on him because of it. Tran admitted he got confused. It all went down in the closing moments when CM Punk interfered, hitting KO with the WWE Championship belt. Zayn pinned Owens after the interference, but the ref didn’t count to three, and Owens didn’t kick out in time. Total miscommunication! To their credit, Owens and Zayn tried to save it, with Zayn landing his signature Helluva Kick right after and pinning him to win and retain the title. That mixup definitely took away from what was an otherwise strong main event, but honestly, both Zayn and Owens are too popular and too talented not to bounce back. They’ll make the most of it.
Worlds Collide Broadcast Plans Are a Mess
Meanwhile, there’s some serious confusion around the WWE Worlds Collide event this Saturday. It’s going head-to-head with AEW’s All Out pay-per-view in Chicago, but Worlds Collide isn’t even expected to air live! Back in July, a WWE source told False Finish that the plan was to stream it live on YouTube. But now, Sean Ross Sapp from Fightful, PWInsider.com, and Meltzer are all reporting there are no live streaming plans. The original source is “unsure” why WWE reversed course, especially since they planned to bring announcers into Chicago for the show as recently as two weeks ago. And get this: JBL, the AAA announcer and WWE Hall of Famer, confirmed on Something to Wrestle that he and the other announcers aren’t coming in. He thinks the revised plan is just for post-production commentary. What a mess!
So, with Money in the Bank shaping up to be a wild ride with Penta now the favorite, that SmackDown finish causing backstage drama, and Worlds Collide in broadcast limbo, WWE definitely has a lot on its plate. You just know everyone’s watching to see how this all plays out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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