After coming close to the World Title in Mexico, will WWE finally give Penta his opportunity following Money in the Bank?
The luchador was the big winner in New Orleans as he gained possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase for the first time in his career. Now having a year to cash in his opportunity, the former Intercontinental Champion could win the top prize in the company soon. However, as has been the case with the likes of Drew McIntyre, John Cena and Baron Corbin, there are no certainties that a cash in will be successful.
With two top champions, varying possibilities, and the opportunity to get a win over Roman Reigns, what is next for the new Mr. Money in the Bank?
Penta With The Money In The Bank Briefcase – Hero Or Zero?
Let’s get this out of the way immediately: the cash-in has to be for one of the top titles, the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship. Austin Theory tried to cash in on the US Championship, and this is still seen as the worst all these years later. Realistically, there are four ways this could play out for Penta.
Option 1 – Cash In On Roman Reigns
Penta cashing in on Roman Reigns to win the World Heavyweight Championship is the most logical option in storyline. The luchador took the OTC to the limit in Mexico and nearly won the title in his home country. Still being pushed to the main event, it’s clear that this was not a one-and-done. While Reigns matches are not the most frequent, there is definitely the opportunity for Penta to capitalise on Reigns after a TV beatdown or a hard-fought title defence.
However, if this is the direction WWE go, it won’t be a long reign for Penta. It’s clear that Reigns vs. Oba Femi is the WrestleMania match, likely from Femi winning the Rumble next year. With this in mind, if Penta does win the title off Reigns, he will have to drop it back to Reigns before Mania. The moment would be huge for the Raw star, but the following reign could be anticlimactic.
Option 2 – Wait Until After WrestleMania
Truthfully, this is the option that feels the most logical given the way storylines are expected to pan out. It is expected that Oba Femi will dethrone Roman Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 43 Night 2. Following Mania, Penta could either take advantage of a weakened Femi or the person who dethrones Femi for the title, which has a strong chance of being Bron Breakker. If WWE wants to give Penta an extended reign, as they should, this is the way to go.
Option 3 – The Cash In Fails
Although this is the option no one wants, it is a scenario that may occur. The Money in the Bank contract is not bulletproof, especially with the men. There is a distinct possibility that Penta tries to cash in his contract. Most likely on Reigns, and the cash-in fails due to interference or another clean loss. This is the option that absolutely should not happen given the luchador’s popularity, but it shouldn’t be ruled out.
Option 4 – A WWE Championship Cash In
Most people are fixated on Penta going after the World Heavyweight Championship, but it’s not the only title he could go after. The briefcase works on both brands, meaning that Penta could go after the WWE Champion, which is currently Sami Zayn. Although the WWE title has the lineage and is arguably more prestigious, the SmackDown main event scene is very crowded right now. Currently, Kevin Owens, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Finn Balor and Gunther are all gunning for Zayn. However, that being said, if Penta does become WWE Champion, please give us Penta vs. Gunther soon!
Ultimately, there are multiple avenues the company can go down when it comes to Penta. The biggest positive is that for the first time since 2023, WWE has the opportunity to make a male star a World Champion for the first time. There have been times when there has been hesitancy to pull the trigger on a hot star; see LA Knight and Bron Breakker, but this is the opportunity to make a main event star.
Featured image: WWE
