The Real Winners and Losers from WWE Money in the Bank 2021

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Credit: WWE.com

WWE Money in the Bank 2021 was not only the rare opportunity for new stars to emerge by winning the famed briefcase but also the first major WWE show back on the road with live crowds.

Everyone was walking in with fresh hope. It was like an era had ended, and normalcy had returned. The men and women that emerged from this show would get the biggest spotlight in the past 16 months outside of WrestleMania.

Two brand new wrestlers won the Money in the Bank briefcase. Nikki A.S.H. continued her fresh run with a new name and persona by winning the briefcase that nearly guarantees her very first title reign. Big E did the same with a huge victory over established stars.

However, two others that could have solidified their own spots at the top of WWE fell short. Kofi Kingston was squashed by Bobby Lashley. Rhea Ripley thought she could overcome Charlotte Flair, but The Queen had her number once more.

Money in the Bank was about establishing new stars as well as showcasing the top talent in WWE. Some thrived in the moment. Others fell too far short.

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It was easy to be skeptical of Nikki A.S.H. This new character stepped away from anything she had done before. She looked to be thrown into a comedy angle that would never allow her to be taken seriously.

However, she is a hard worker that can absolutely compete at the highest level. She was previously seconds away from a women’s title reign and has been frequently utilized as one of WWE’s most reliable women’s wrestlers.

This victory adds the first major singles accolade to her legacy. Whenever she does cash in, it should lead to her winning the Raw or SmackDown Women’s Championship. She has earned that opportunity over these past few years.

It will be interesting to see how she is treated as Ms. Money in the Bank. She is the rare babyface to capture the briefcase. This is a chance for a less conventional cash-in than the typical surprise cheap win. Hopefully, WWE will capitalize.

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Kofi Kingston walked into this match with hope. The crowd believed in a second miracle run for one of the great veterans in WWE. However, this was always about Bobby Lashley.

Heroes do not always win in WWE, no matter how popular. It is important that WWE not lose track of these popular stars, but only one star can be WWE champion. The All Mighty is the focus of Raw.

This does leave Kofi in an unenviable position, recovering from an embarrassing loss. He did not just fall to Lashley. He was squashed. This was as one-sided an affair as Kofi’s loss to Brock Lesnar that stopped his run cold a couple years back.

If we see the same response from Kofi this time around, this could be one of most difficult losses to stomach of Kofi’s entire career. He was ultimately just a stepping stone.

The All Mighty will move onto a new opponent. Kofi and Xavier Woods will likely return to the Raw tag team division. Everything will go back to the way it was before Kofi seemingly returned to the main event scene.

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Rhea Ripley won the Raw Women’s Championship in an impressive surprise run to the top at WrestleMania. Much like the woman she defeated, Asuka, The Nightmare won big, but she has always had one Achilles’ heel: Charlotte Flair.

That came to fruition again at Money in the Bank. Ripley lost her NXT Women’s Championship to The Queen and now the Raw Women’s Championship. Both have been devastating losses that stopped Ripley’s momentum immediately.

Few are considered a higher priority in WWE than Charlotte Flair. She is a 13-time women’s champion. She has defeated absolutely everyone. However, at times, she needs to fall into the background for the sake of the overall division.

Even if The Nightmare wins her title back as soon as SummerSlam, it will still feel like WWE lost faith in her. The company still went back to who they trusted more on the first major show with fans.

WWE has to remember to build a division not just individual stars, especially in the women’s division. Ripley can be one of the stalwarts, but she cannot lose right now when it matters most.

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Few have gone through a rockier story than Big E, who once looked to be an heir apparent superstar in WWE. He has won championships over the years, but much of his success came with New Day. Alone, he has long waited for what came at Money in the Bank.

The Power of Positivity has now captured a guaranteed world title shot, and it feels like the exact right time. E is in a position to build his legacy with a newly returned crowd by challenging either Roman Reigns or Bobby Lashley.

Both champions look absolutely dominant. The Power of Positivity though is an absolute star with the power and speed to truly match or exceed these two. He just needs the right momentum behind him.

The easy answer would be for E to challenge The All Mighty. Lashley recently attacked and dominated both other members of New Day. While E is still on SmackDown, the briefcase gives him the opportunity to challenge for either title.

However, it might be even more special if The Power of Positivity was the one to finally take down the dominant Head of the Table. Either way, E has to take this win all the way to the next level.