New Orleans gets its Mania make-up with WWE Money in the Bank 2026, but did the show deliver for the fans?
The Big Easy was originally the host city for WrestleMania 42, which took place back in April. However, following a pivot by WWE due to financial reasons [they wanted to make more money], the show returned to Las Vegas for a second consecutive year. In an attempt to make things right, New Orleans was given one of the biggest shows of the year on October 10. With Roman Reigns on the card, the signature ladder matches and the possibility of a new champion, did the company strike gold?
WWE Money In The Bank 2026 Review – Tiffany Stratton And Penta Have The Advantage
When it was announced that Roman Reigns vs. LA Knight would open the show, two things appeared to be set. First, Reigns would not be a victim of a cash-in at this show. Secondly, this solidified the fact that Knight was not going to win. Knight beating Reigns looked to be a long shot at best, even if the fans were clearly behind him. Despite an amazing BFT near fall, Knight ultimately fell to Reigns in the show’s opener. Although the WWE Championship has had some shocking title changes, Reigns is not losing that title until WrestleMania at the earliest. This was the match of the night, even if the result wasn’t the one many wanted.
Unfortunately, this was likely the closest Knight will come to winning a top championship. The company has been reluctant to pull the trigger and give him a major reign, even if it was a short one. It will be interesting to see how Knight progresses from here. For Reigns, it appears that he is set for a rematch with WWE Champion Sami Zayn at Crown Jewel, assuming that the show goes ahead. It should be noted that there was zero mention of Crown Jewel on this show. With a recent attack on Riyadh airport, there has been strong advice not to travel to the country. Hopefully WWE will listen to this, but the show still going ahead shouldn’t be ruled out.
Up next was the Women’s Money in the Bank ladder match. There was a scary moment in the opening stages as Stratton dove to the outside but didn’t get the desired jump and fell to the floor. Stratton’s head hit the floor and she was thankfully ok to continue. While the fans were very much behind Roxanne Perez, there was a case for nearly every entrant to win this one. Lash Legend has been on the rise on SmackDown, Lola Vice is the recent call-up, Jacy Jayne has found success on SmackDown with Fatal Influence, and Sol Ruca has remained popular despite a rocky start on Raw.
Ruca showed off her athleticism with dives to the floor and Perez using a miniature ladder was entertaining, but it came down to Stratton and Legend in the end. Stratton attempted to use the briefcase to knock Legend off the ladder, but it was clear that the case was not making contact. After a readjustment, Legend was knocked off, allowing Stratton to pick up the win.
Truthfully, the wrong person won here. The other five competitors have never won a Women’s Championship on the main roster, and there was an opportunity here to make a new star. Instead, WWE went with someone who has won the briefcase and the championship before, and it appears that Stratton’s alliance with Chelsea Green is a copy-and-paste story from two years ago. Given the result of the Women’s Title match, Roxanne Perez looked to be the most logical choice.
The Big E special followed as Oba Femi faced Bronson Reed. If you like big meaty men slapping meat, this was the match for you! With power moves, dives and action from the outset, both men understood the assignment here. The Vision inevitably got involved and handed Reed the brass knuckles among the chaos. Femi was hit with two brass knuckle shots and a Tsunami by Reed, but still kicked out. While big kick-outs have become common in wrestling, this was too much. Any suspension of disbelief was gone with Femi surviving two brass knuckle punches from a fellow heavyweight. With Femi previously surviving countless F5s from Brock Lesnar, this will be the new norm for The Ruler.
Femi won the match with a Fall From Grace, but also bizarrely shoved the referee after the bell. This has been the second time Femi has been seemingly unhappy on camera, the first being when Reed put his foot on Femi’s chest. Although nothing will come of this, it is strange to see someone booked so strongly act out on TV. That being said, Femi remains extremely popular with the fans and Reed looked great in defeat. Femi called out Reigns on the post-show, but this won’t be happening until WrestleMania at the earliest. Why it hasn’t happened yet is a conversation for another time.
The only title change took place next as Liv Morgan defeated Stephanie Vaquer and Becky Lynch to win back the Women’s World Championship and start her fourth reign. With Vaquer only winning the title a few weeks ago, the switch was a surprising one. The positive of this match was that Morgan didn’t rely on interference or underhanded tactics to pick up the win, especially as we had just seen that in the match before. There was no Judgment Day to be seen and no weapons apart from the ending spot.
Unfortunately, something felt off with certain spots in the match where things didn’t seem to gel. There were times when spots felt like they needed an extra step to set up, and Vaquer went for the Devil’s Kiss early on. There was also a strange moment where Vaquer and Lynch were arguing about where to place a table, allowing Morgan to capitalise. Morgan sent Lynch from the ring onto said table, but the table did not break. Morgan then hit Vaquer with the Oblivion to win. There was no hint of a cash-in, meaning that Morgan survives as champion. With Perez not in possession of the briefcase, it’s now unclear what’s next for the Raw women’s division, which has felt directionless for most of the year.
Rounding things out was the Men’s Money in the Bank ladder match, which featured a mix of veterans and up-and-coming stars. With younger talent Bron Breakker, Trick Williams and Je’on Evans doing the high spots, Kevin Owens, CM Punk and Penta were able to save their bumps for when it mattered. The match also featured the secondary story of the rivalry between Punk and Owens, which may lead to a feud between the two over the winter.
Commentary said that Breakker was the MVP in this match, and it’s hard to argue. Spearing everyone in sight and always being a factor, Breakker more than proved his place in the main event. Evans was stretchered out of the arena following a Breakker spear, but this would set up what is to come. An ambulance made its way into the arena later on, with Evans revealed to be the driver. Climbing a ridiculously large ladder, Evans was on the wrong end of the spot of the night. Breakker shoved Evans off the ladder, sending the Young OG crashing through the roof of the vehicle. Credit to Evans for taking the spot and for everyone who planned it out, as this could have been much worse if not executed correctly. Yes, it was a bit goofy, but this is wrestling. Over-the-top spots can be fun, just ensure that safety is a priority.
Just when it appeared that Breakker was going to win after laying waste to the rest of the field, Penta resurfaced to hit Breakker with a Mexican Destroyer off the ladder, allowing him to climb the other ladder and win the match.
Penta was the right decision here. It’s clear that WWE has something with the masked star, and he proved himself in the match with Reigns in Mexico. This was not a one-and-done, and Penta now has the opportunity to become a future World Champion. That being said, Penta needs to cash in successfully, hopefully on Reigns. However, that will all be dependent on what happens around Mania season.
WWE Money In The Bank 2026 Review – Final Thoughts
Credit to WWE for showing restraint in using interference in matches. With the 946, The Bloodline, The Vision, Fatal Influence and The Judgment Day all having a case to get involved in matches, there was only one where it actually happened.
Hopefully this isn’t the end of LA Knight’s main event run, but with more and more stars fighting for that spot, it’s hard to see him being put in this position again. WWE had multiple times where they could have done a title switch with Reigns, but it’s only going to happen at Mania. Stratton was the sixth-best option to win Money in the Bank. Unless they have Stratton fail, this will be a repeat of what we saw the last time.
WWE also need to think of something to do with Femi. He has demolished The Vision and is the clear favourite to win the Royal Rumble. However, with effectively four months until then, the company risks its next big thing spinning his wheels until that point. Here’s hoping that Reed also gets an opportunity soon given the work he put in on his time off. A Chad Gable match would be ideal.
WWE also appears to be in a rut with the Women’s Championship scene on Raw. Hopefully Naomi comes back soon, because Morgan is desperately in need of new challengers. Additionally, Penta is a can’t-miss opportunity. For years, there has been talk about finding the next big masked star after Rey Mysterio, and Penta is that answer. While the victim is unknown at this time, Penta needs to be successful when he strikes!
Featured image: WWE
