WWE made several changes to its original plans for both of Saturday’s Money in the Bank Ladder Matches in New Orleans, according to False Finish.
The outlet reports that Roxanne Perez and Bron Breakker were set to win their respective briefcases, but the company made a last-minute decision to go with Tiffany Stratton and Penta instead.
TC of WrestleVotes said the change in the women’s ladder match was driven by fan predictions. WWE noticed that a large share of fans were picking Perez to win, he said, and decided to surprise them with a Stratton victory.
According to TC, WWE is increasingly looking to avoid that kind of predictability by steering clear of finishes seen as obvious. He added that the win will allow the company to build on Stratton’s current storyline with WWE Women’s Champion Chelsea Green.
Plans for Penta in the men’s ladder match had picked up steam before the event, according to WrestleVotes Radio. Its Sept. 24 report on Fightful Select said members of the creative team had begun to view him as one of the top favorites to win.
The shift came after Penta’s World Heavyweight Championship match against Roman Reigns on the Sept. 14 episode of Raw in Mexico City.
The backstage reaction to the match reportedly led WWE to start viewing Penta as a possible main eventer for future shows.