Penta secured his spot at WWE Money in the Bank by beating Dominik Mysterio and Dragon Lee on the latest episode of Raw, in a match he wasn’t even originally booked for. He took Solo Sikoa’s place a few hours after a brawl with The Judgment Day.
Of the wrestlers who have qualified so far, Penta may have the best mix of experience, style and momentum for this type of match. There are at least five reasons to see him as the most dangerous entrant in the field.
He’s been through Money in the Bank before
Penta won’t be figuring out the chaos of a Money in the Bank ladder match on the fly. He competed in the 2025 men’s match against Seth Rollins, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, Andrade and El Grande Americano and nearly won it.
In that match, Penta suplexed Rollins onto a ladder and dropped Andrade onto one with a Mexican Destroyer. He got as far as climbing for the briefcase before El Grande Americano stopped him. A year later, he’s back with far more experience in this kind of match.
His style is a perfect fit for the match
Ladders make Penta’s signature moves considerably more dangerous. Take the Mexican Destroyer. He delivered it right onto a ladder at both Money in the Bank 2025 and WrestleMania 42.
This week’s qualifier made the point even clearer. Penta hit Dragon Lee with a Mexican Destroyer on the apron and, shortly after, beat Dominik Mysterio with a springboard version of the move. In a match with no pinfalls or submissions, taking an opponent out of the action for a few seconds can matter much more than simply dominating him.
He has won a major ladder match in WWE
There’s a big difference between being in a ladder match and winning one. Penta has done both.
At WrestleMania 42, he put the Intercontinental Championship on the line against Rey Mysterio, Je’Von Evans, Dragon Lee, Rusev and JD McDonagh. He survived the chaos, climbed the ladder and pulled down the belt to retain the title.
In other words, what he’ll face at Money in the Bank isn’t new territory. On top of that, he has shown on WWE’s biggest stage that he can make the right call when everyone is chasing the same prize.
His current run is much better than it looks
The loss to Roman Reigns may overshadow what Penta has done over the past few weeks. He earned his World Heavyweight Championship shot by winning a tournament of eight luchadores. Along the way, he beat big names like Laredo Kid, La Parka and Rey Fenix.
Penta came close to taking the title after a springboard Mexican Destroyer and forced Reigns to go all out. Seven days later, Penta was a last-minute replacement for Solo Sikoa in the qualifier and beat Dragon Lee and Dominik Mysterio.
There’s no sign the loss to Reigns has cooled the buzz around Penta. If anything, it’s fair to say he’s more over than ever.
The Sacrifice can take out any opponent
This is what really sets Penta apart. Reaching the top of the ladder isn’t enough to grab the briefcase. It takes arm strength to climb, stay balanced, fight off another wrestler and retrieve the contract. Penta has a move made for exactly this.
Against Roman Reigns, the Sacrifice injured the World Heavyweight Champion’s right arm and completely changed the match. At SummerSlam, Penta also went after Chad Gable’s shoulder.
In a Money in the Bank ladder match, leaving an opponent all but one-armed can be just as decisive as knocking him off a ladder.
To be fair, it’s too early to call Penta a lock, especially since the field isn’t even set yet. But right now, no other qualifier matches his mix of ladder-match experience, that kind of offense and momentum in WWE.