New Orleans Championship Lineup
WWE Money in the Bank 2026 Announces Championship Matches and Ladder Field
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Key Points
1
Roman Reigns and LA Knight’s rivalry stretches back to Crown Jewel in 2023, when The Bloodline helped Reigns defeat Knight; Knight has pursued a title shot ever since.
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The ladder-match lineups were completed on SmackDown: Kevin Owens earned the last men’s spot by defeating Johnny Gargano, while Tiffany Stratton secured the final women’s place by beating Indi Hartwell and Kayden Carter.
3
Stephanie Vaquer reclaimed the Women’s World Championship from Liv Morgan at a WWE live event in Chile on Sept. 12, with Becky Lynch acting as special guest referee.
4
The no-contest in Lynch and Morgan’s contender match followed interference by Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez; Lynch also accidentally struck Vaquer after Morgan dodged, before Vaquer took down both challengers and called out Adam Pearce.
WWE Money in the Bank returns on October 10 from New Orleans, with Roman Reigns defending his World Heavyweight Championship against LA Knight in a match three years in the making. Forbes reports that a chaotic Raw episode transformed the women's title scene: Stephanie Vaquer will defend her Women's World Championship against both Becky Lynch and Liv Morgan in a triple threat after their number-one contender match ended in a no-contest.
The ladder-match fields are locked in. 411Mania confirmed six men—including Penta, Bron Breakker, CM Punk, and Kevin Owens—and six women—led by favorites Lash Legend and 24-year-old Roxanne Perez—will compete for briefcases that guarantee world title shots within one year. The event streams on ESPN in the U.S. and Netflix internationally.
Knight Pursues Reigns After Three Years
LA Knight's rivalry with Roman Reigns dates back to November 2023, when Forbes reported Reigns defeated Knight at Crown Jewel with Bloodline assistance. Knight has chased a title shot ever since. On September 14, Knight ambushed Reigns after Raw went off the air, hitting him with a BFT. Raw GM Adam Pearce officially booked the match two days later.
Cena weighed in on Knight's odds. Fightful quoted the WWE legend: "I will say, now more than ever, I feel the business is reactive to the audience. Even though the math is heavily in Roman's corner, I also think if there was ever a moment to switch the decision, I think it would be a situation like it is now."
Vaquer Triple Threat Born From Raw Chaos
Stephanie Vaquer reclaimed the Women's World Championship from Liv Morgan on September 12 at a live event in Chile, with Becky Lynch serving as special guest referee, Forbes reported. The triple threat setup emerged from chaos on October 5 Raw. Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez interfered in Lynch and Morgan's contender match, and Lynch accidentally struck Vaquer after Morgan dodged. Vaquer then attacked both challengers simultaneously.
411Mania noted that the triple threat preserves momentum for both Lynch and Morgan without clean losses before a major event. Vaquer demanded Adam Pearce make the match official, and he obliged. The booking sidesteps a decisive winner between two former champions.
Ladder-Match Lineups Finalized on SmackDown
SmackDown on October 2 crowned the final qualifiers for both ladder matches. Kevin Owens defeated Johnny Gargano to claim the last men's spot, while Tiffany Stratton beat Indi Hartwell and Kayden Carter to round out the women's six-person field, Forbes reported. The men's lineup includes Bron Breakker, Je'Von Evans, Trick Williams, Penta, and CM Punk alongside Owens.
411Mania identified Penta and Bron Breakker as men's betting favorites, with Lash Legend and Roxanne Perez leading the women's odds. Analysts pegged the 24-year-old Perez as a potential same-night cash-in threat. Winners secure year-long world title contracts redeemable anywhere and anytime.
Historic Broadcast Shift to ESPN and Netflix
Money in the Bank becomes the first event to air on ESPN in the United States, marking Forbes's observation of WWE's ongoing distribution realignment. The event also streams globally on Netflix. The shift leverages major domestic sports subscriptions and international platforms as WWE continues migrating away from traditional cable.
The October 10 show from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans starts at 6 p.m. ET. This is the 17th annual Money in the Bank, but notably the first held in October rather than its traditional May–July slot, Forbes reported.
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