Betting On Lashley's Successor

I've just made my (at least) daily visit to Sky Bet's WWE markets to take notes of the current prices and found myself having a gamble on the 'WWE Champion After Bobby Lashley' market.

Before I get to my bet, it's worth showing you how the market currently stands and how it has changed since I first began to follow it.

There have been some notable changes made to the market since I last looked over it shortly before Sunday's Hell in a Cell 2021 PPV.

With reports that Brock Lesnar is possibly on his way back to WWE in the very near future - and with many believing a Lashley .vs. Lesnar dream match could be a direction - The Beast Incarnate, who had been  second-favourite to succeed Bobby Lashley as WWE Champion, is now the favourite.

Lesnar was most recently available at 3/1, but he is now at 15/8.

Two other selections have shortened since the market was last available. They are John Morrison (33/1 to 25/1) and Ricochet (40/1 to 25/1). The adjustment makes sense, to a degree, because both men have qualified for next month's Money in the Bank ladder match.

Kofi Kingston, who will challenge Lashley for the strap at Money in the  Bank on July 18th, remains at 5/1. 

At Sunday's WWE Hell in a Cell show, Drew McIntyre failed to beat Lashley and - per the match stipulation - cannot challenge Lashley again during this current reign. As a result, Sky Bet has increased McIntyre's price from the most recent 5/2 and is now at 10/1.

I had a free bet with the company and thought I'd have a gamble on McIntyre.

On Monday night, McIntyre worked a Money in the Bank qualifier against Matt Riddle. He lost the match, but is set to be in a last chance qualifier - in a triple threat contest with AJ Styles and Randy Orton - next week.

If McIntyre is in the qualifier - and loses - that would be the third consecutive loss in eight days and I cannot see that happening. If he's in the qualifier - I believe he has to win.

I have prefaced with 'if McIntyre is in' because there was a backstage segment on Raw which showed Jinder Mahal - and others - complaining about not getting an opportunity to qualify for the Money in the Bank ladder match. The skit ended with Mahal asking to be considered as a reserve if one of the participants were to be removed from the match.

With McIntyre and Mahal having history, I would not be surprised if Mahal causes McIntyre to somehow miss the ladder match and to benefit from his actions by being the replacement leading to McIntyre and Mahal being a feud leading from late-Summer into Autumn. 

But - I would be equally unsurprised if McIntyre were to win the Money in the Bank contract and cash it in against Lashley with there being some loophole that winning the contract overruled the stipulation from Sunday's match.

There is history of stipulations not being honoured in WWE storylines. At 10/1, and using one of Sky Bet's free £5 wagers, I thought it was well worth a gamble on McIntyre to be the next WWE Champion.