Who Could Challenge for the World Title After Money in the Bank

Roman Reigns will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against LA Knight at the Money in the Bank premium live event, scheduled for October 10 in New Orleans. With that match set following weeks of confrontations on Raw, attention is already turning to who could emerge as the next top contender once the dust settles.

WWE’s premium live event calendar doesn’t slow down after Money in the Bank — Survivor Series WarGames, Wrestlepalooza and the Royal Rumble all loom before the road to WrestleMania 42 begins. That means whoever comes out on top in New Orleans likely won’t enjoy a long runway before a fresh challenger steps up.

Royce Keys stands out as one obvious possibility. The powerhouse formerly known as Powerhouse Hobbs has spent recent weeks making enemies of both men in the title match. Keys brought Lucien Price and Bronco Nima to the main roster on the August 24 episode of Raw, and the trio — now going by 946 — helped him take out The Usos, Solo Sikoa and LA Knight in one fell swoop. Since then, 946 has escalated its war with the Bloodline, torching The Usos’ car and abducting Solo Sikoa. With Reigns and Knight both having scores to settle with him, Keys has as strong a case as anyone to be next in line regardless of who walks out of Money in the Bank with the belt.

CM Punk is another name worth watching, even though his immediate focus is on the Money in the Bank ladder match itself. Punk punched his ticket to that bout by defeating Finn Balor and GUNTHER on the September 25 episode of SmackDown, putting him in position to chase the briefcase for a third time. But Punk has unfinished business with the World Heavyweight Championship — he dropped the title to Reigns at WrestleMania 42 — and cashing in a Money in the Bank contract against Reigns would give him a natural path back into that rivalry. It would also be a convenient way to thin out an increasingly crowded Undisputed WWE Championship picture on SmackDown, freeing up room for Sami Zayn and others jockeying for position there.

Then there’s Oba Femi, whose showdown with Reigns has been simmering since WrestleMania 42, when The Ruler laid down a challenge to the newly crowned champion during the post-show. WWE has kept the two apart ever since, and Femi only added to the intrigue by giving up his guaranteed title opportunity to instead win the King of the Ring tournament. Reports have suggested WWE may be building toward Femi and Reigns colliding at WrestleMania 43, but nothing says that first chapter couldn’t be told sooner if the creative team wants to strike while the anticipation is hot.

Whichever direction WWE goes, the World Heavyweight Championship picture is shaping up to be one of the more compelling storylines heading into the fall. Keys offers a physical, chaos-driven challenge tied directly into the Bloodline saga, Punk offers star power and a rematch angle with real stakes, and Femi offers a long-simmering dream match WWE has been patient in building. Money in the Bank should tell us a lot about which of those paths the company intends to take first.