|
Money
In The Bank
Markets,
Cryptos and Culture
April
21, 2026
Sydney,
Australia to Wall Street New York
Wrestling
With Numbers, World Situation and Pop Culture
Media
Man Watercooler
Markets
ASX
200 futures up 48 points/0.5%: 9023
AUD +0.1% to US71.79¢
BTC $75,646.69 +1.41%
Dow -0.01%
S&P -0.2%
NAS -0.3%
VIX +1.39 to 18.87
Gold -0.2% to $US4820.66 an oz
Silver 78.854 - 0.774
Brent oil +4.3% to $US94.30 a barrel
Iron ore +1% to $US106.80 a ton
News
April
21
Numbers
Double Check
Australian
Dollar: $0.7180 USD (up $0.0055 USD)
Iron Ore: $106.80 USD (up $1.05 USD)
Oil Price (West Texas): $87.80 USD (up $3.95 USD)
Gold Price : $4,820.54 USD (up $49.36 USD)
Copper Price): $6.0455 USD (down $0.0360 USD)
Dow Jones: 49,442.56 (down 4.87 points)
News
ASX
steadies amid renewed US-Iran tensions
The
Australian sharemarket edged higher on Monday, with
the S&P/ASX 200 adding 0.07 per cent to close
at 8,953.3 points. Iran's move to close the Strait
of Hormuz weighed on investor sentiment and boosted
the price of Brent crude oil. The Commonwealth Bank
was up 1.1 per cent at $180.15 and Wesfarmers advanced
2.4 per cent to $74.63. However, Woodside Energy was
down 2.9 per cent at $31.77 and Worley fell 5.8 per
cent to $11.13. (RMS)
News
Shares
TKO
Group Holdings Inc
$184.70
-1.61 -0.86%
Alphabet
Inc Class A
$337.42
-4.26 -1.25%
Netflix
Inc
$94.83
-2.48 -2.55%
Mp
Materials Corp
$66.23
+5.24 +8.59%
Wynn
Resorts Ltd
$108.79
-0.40 -0.37%
Light
& Wonder Inc
$88.80
+0.55 +0.62%
Red
Rock Resorts Inc
$56.29
-0.62 -1.09%
PENN
Entertainment Inc
$15.84
-0.0100 -0.063%
Caesars
Entertainment Inc
$27.65
+0.43 +1.58%
Caterpillar
Inc
$798.40
+5.26 +0.66%
News
WWE
RAW After WrestleMania
T-Mobile
Arena
Las Vegas, Nevada
Crowd
Attendance: 12, 596
News
Pop
Culture/WWE
CM
Punk Slaps Phone from Fan's Hand After WrestleMania
Loss
The
incident unfolded around midnight on April 20 in the
MGM Grand Hotel lobby in Las Vegas, where WWE stars
stayed during WrestleMania weekend. Video shows Punk
confronting the man, slapping the phone to the floor
after AJ Lee reportedly waved off the filming, with
the fan apologizing before security intervened. Amid
chaotic fan crowds mobbing wrestlers like Drew McIntyre,
many backed Punk for protecting his family's private
moment, though some called the physical response excessive;
similar tensions arose with Damian Priest aiding another
talent. (Media Man Peg-On): Way too many "fans"
(more like autograph stalkers) are extremly disrespectful
towards pro wrestlers and other people in general.
We've witnesses this type of situation a number of
times over the decades. Ambulance chasers, stay away
from pro wrestlers private lives. That goes for red
carpet "fans" (more like stalkers also).
Much respect to the wrestlers who have to put up with
these scum from time to time.
News
WWE
WrestleMania
Fan Tumbles Over Railing After Rollins Loss
During
Night 1 of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in
Las Vegas, the fan in full Austin gear lost his footing
in the steep nosebleed seats amid the crowd's devastation
from Gunther's win with Bron Breakker's help. The
bald spectator below took the impact like a crash
pad, shook it off without serious injury, and security
escorted the tumbler out. The clip spread widely online,
with fans joking about the raw passion in the cheap
seats while the event featured Cody Rhodes retaining
his title and other big matches. (Media Man Peg-On):
How many beers or coffees did the fan have? It's free
to ask. A number of NFL players we having drinking
contests over WrestleMania Weekend.
News
Combat
Sports/Boxing
Usyk
Stays No. 1 in Ring Magazine's Latest Pound-for-Pound
Rankings
The
Ring Magazine released its updated top 10 on April
20, with Usyk at No. 1 and Inoue at No. 2, followed
by Shakur Stevenson, Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, Dmitry
Bivol, Junto Nakatani, David Benavidez, Devin Haney,
Oscar Collazo, and Emanuel 'Vaquero' Navarrete. Artur
Beterbiev fell off the list due to inactivity since
his loss to Bivol, making room for Navarrete after
his super featherweight title unification. Fans agreed
on the top ranks but debated Navarrete's entry, with
his recent TKO win earning praise amid criticism of
a prior lightweight loss; the list builds buzz for
Inoue's May 2 defense against Nakatani. (Media Man
Peg-On): Usyk is the champ however much of the world
is more interested in what's next for the likes of
Tyson Fury and even Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. Pop
culture cut through is an important part of pro sports.
News
Oil/Mining/Politics
(Australia)
Stalemate
over race to fast-track oil field approvals
The
Queensland government wants its federal counterpart
to help fast-track the approvals process for the Taroom
Trough, which is regarded as having the potential
to be Australia's first significant new oil province
in five decades. Federal Environment Minister Murray
Watt contends that it completely in the state's control
to speed up approvals of the Taroom Trough; Queensland's
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie in turn says he is waiting
for the federal government to "make the next
move". Australian Energy Producers' CEO Samantha
McCulloch says all levels of government should worke
together to fix the approvals system; she adds that
the Taroom Trough could reduce Australia's reliance
on fuel imports. (RMS)
News
Mining/Resources:
Tasmania/Australia
Federal
support looms for smelter to save jobs
A
number of potential buyers have been conducting due
diligence on the Liberty Bell Bay manganese smelter
in Tasmania, which was placed in administration in
March. However, a deal between administator EY and
unions to keep paying the smelter's workers is set
to expire this week, and about 175 jobs will be lost
unless the workers agree to take leave without pay.
The federal government is expected to intervene with
a support package to fund the smelter's $1.6m fortnightly
payroll until prospective buyers have completed due
diligence. Industry Minister Tim Ayres has described
Australia's only manganese smelter as "efficient"
and "capable". (RMS)
News
Another
week, another gap down for EURUSD
•
The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East
has boosted demand for the US dollar.
• Washington and Tehran may be strengthening
their positions ahead of negotiations.
The
US dollar opened the week with a 0.2% gap upwards,
driven by increased demand for safe-haven assets.
EURUSD has opened with a downward gap for the second
five-day period in a row due to signs of an escalating
conflict in the Middle East. First, talks between
the US and Iran broke down; now, reports suggest a
second round may not take place. No sooner had Tehran
announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial
vessels than the Americans seized one of its tankers.
However, it should be noted that the initial fear
is being washed out of the market rather quickly.
It seems that major players are discerning positive
dynamics amidst this chaos.
On
Tuesday, 21 April, the ceasefire expires. Donald Trump
is threatening further air strikes if Iran does not
agree to a deal. Investors realise they have gone
too far in their desire to jump onto the last carriage
of the EURUSD train heading north. The markets, like
the US president, have been mistaking wishful thinking
for reality. It is time to shed these illusions. An
escalation of the conflict in the Middle East risks
triggering a renewed rally in oil and the USD index.
News
Australia
and World
Strait
closure to weigh on stocks, oil tipped to rally
Futures
pricing had initially suggested that Australian equities
will gain about 0.9 per cent when the market opens
on Monday. However, this was prior to Iran's announcement
that the Strait of Hormuz is again closed, a move
that is likely to weigh on investor sentiment. Wall
Street had rallied on Friday and the crude oil price
fell sharply after Iran had declared the key shipping
channel to be "completely open"; the Islamic
republic's subsequent backflip due to the ongoing
blockade of its ports has been labeled "blackmail"
by US President Donald Trump. The S&P/ASX 200
fell 0.09 per cent to 8,946.9 points on Friday. (RMS)
News
Millions
are on the AI train but we don't know it
AustralianSuper's
latest corporate filings shows that it has exposure
to artificial intelligence platforms via private equity
stakes. The industry superannuation fund has disclosed
that it had stakes in OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI at
the end of 2025. AustralianSuper has not revealed
the extent the extent of its exposure to the developers
of large language models ChatGPT, Claude and Grok,
or whether these stakes are managed directly or via
a third-party manager. OpenAI and Anthropic are not
profitable at present, but Alphinity Investment Management
portfolio manager Alphinity Investment Managemen believes
that they might book a profit more quickly than expected.
(RMS)
News
Independent
servo owners on edge
Australian
Beverages Council CEO Geoff Parker says that the fire
at the Viva refinery in Geelong is only likely to
add to the pressure that its members are feeling at
the present time. Parker notes many operate in regional
areas and are already dealing with a lack of fuel
and significantly high prices, along with price increases
for materials such as plastic and aluminium packaging.
The Geelong fire is also causing stress for small,
independent service stations, as has Iran's 'backflip'
on a commitment to re-open the Strait of Hormuz.
News
Directors
brace for rising costs, AI risk and global volatility
(Roy
Morgan Summary)
The
Australian Institute of Company Directors' latest
Director Sentiment Index survey was conducted by Roy
Morgan between 20 February and 10 March. It shows
that company directors are increasingly concerned
about Australia's productivity performance, rising
business costs and heightened geopolitical uncertainty.
The DSI survey for the first half of 2026 shows that
boards were already approaching the year with a level
of caution even before the outbreak of hostilities
in the Middle East, with expectations that economic
and operational risks would increase over the next
12 months. A quarter of directors reported that global
economic conditions had curtailed their investment
plans. Almost 90 per cent expect business costs to
rise, and for material impacts on Australia's trade
flows, supply chains and commodity prices. Productivity
growth remains the top issue directors want governments
to address both in the short and long term, while
domestic economic conditions are the number one thing
keeping directors awake at night. Concerns around
artificial intelligence, cyber security and regulatory
burden also continue to climb. (RMS)
News
Cryptos
April
20
The
crypto market has taken a step back, while remaining
in an uptrend
Market
Overview
The
cryptocurrency market capitalisation stands at $2.53T,
down 0.81% over the past 24 hours but up 5% over the
past week. The day’s top performers were SUSHI
(+2.5%), IOTA (+2%) and NEAR (+2%). Among the underperformers
were ZEC (-4.1%), ALGO (-2.5%) and ETH (-0.4%). The
Fear and Greed Index rose to 29 points — its
highest level since 28 January.
Bitcoin
is trading just below $75K on Monday morning, having
retreated from last week’s highs above $78K.
For now, we view the current movement as a pullback
within an uptrend, rather than a reversal back to
a downtrend. The pressure on the leading cryptocurrency
is linked to negative reactions in stock markets to
news about Iran, which has reduced risk appetite.
BTC has lagged significantly behind equities in recent
days, building up potential but not yet rushing to
realise it.
News
Background
According
to SoSoValue, net inflows into spot BTC ETFs rose
to $996.4 million. Net weekly inflows into US spot
Ethereum ETFs totalled $275.8 million.
According
to Glassnode, positioning in the options market remains
uncertain. Nexo confirms the contradiction: the rally
is gaining momentum, but the derivatives market does
not believe in it.
Bitcoin’s
return above $75,000 is met with scepticism: funding
rates on perpetual futures have remained in negative
territory for around 46 consecutive days, notes Bloomberg.
This is one of the longest periods of bearish sentiment
in the history of derivatives, comparable only to
the aftermath of the FTX crypto exchange collapse
in late 2022.
Traders
are actively building up short positions, betting
against a breakout. This creates conditions under
which a short squeeze becomes more likely should the
upward momentum persist, notes K33 Research. A break
above $76,000 could send BTC towards $85,000, suggests
Kaiko.
According
to TheEnergyMag, public mining companies sold a record
32,000 BTC in the first quarter amid a record-low
hash rate. This is more than in the whole of 2025.
The figure also exceeds the second-quarter 2022 data,
when miners liquidated 20,000 BTC following the collapse
of the Terra (LUNA) ecosystem.
As
a result of the latest adjustment, Bitcoin’s
mining difficulty fell by 2.43% to 135.59 T. According
to Glassnode, the BTC network’s hash rate, smoothed
by a 7-day moving average, has recovered from ~978
EH/s to ~992 EH/s since the start of the month. (FxPro)
Cryptos
April
18
Bitcoin
is gathering momentum around $75K
Market
Overview
The
cryptocurrency market capitalisation stands at $2.55T,
up 0.56% over the past 24 hours. The cryptocurrency
sentiment index has fallen from 23 to 21, while US
stock indices are rallying. The top performers among
the most liquid coins are APT (+7.2%), AAVE (+6.4%)
and IOTA (+5.2%); the underperformers are NEAR (-1%),
ZEC (-2.5%) and DASH (-3.2%).
Bitcoin
remains near $75K, showing little change over the
last two days. However, this is not a lull but a build-up
of momentum, as the leading cryptocurrency is at a
key resistance level where the 61.8% retracement of
the decline and the March highs converge. In the first
half of 2025, this area acted as support, halting
the correction, while in 2024 the rally ended at this
level. Given this background, the direction chosen
could determine the fate of the entire crypto market
over the coming months. And here, both sides need
thorough preparation.
Solana
has significantly outperformed the market over the
last day, attempting to bounce off an important long-term
support line, but failing to do so for over two months
now. We will only be able to declare a victory for
the bulls once it has consolidated above the $105
level, at which point we can talk about a return above
the 200-week moving average, a break above previous
local highs and a breach of the round figure.
News
Background
The
crypto market has entered a ‘no-trade zone’
and is awaiting a signal from the US Federal Reserve,
said BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes. According to
him, the current range-bound movement is due to the
lack of clear macroeconomic signals.
Pension
funds, insurance companies and large investors no
longer view Bitcoin as a speculative instrument. They
regard it as a standard component of an investment
portfolio — regardless of capital inflows or
outflows from crypto ETFs, Sygnum Bank notes.
Over
the next few years, Ethereum could exceed $62,000,
suggested BitMine CEO Tom Lee. According to him, the
recent downturn in the crypto market can be viewed
as a ‘mini-crypto winter’, which is nearing
its end.
One
of the Bitcoin developer groups has presented a new
proposal to improve the first cryptocurrency’s
network (BIP-361). The proposal involves freezing
1.7 million BTC held in obsolete P2PK addresses that
are potentially vulnerable to quantum attacks. (FxPro)
*Media
Man: Developing and fluid situation. Another update
in less than 12 hours approx.
News
Australia/Asia
Pacific
News
The
Lead Up
Clients
seek AI savings in consulting 'rug pull'
Revium
MD Adam Barty says that clients of the boutique advisory
firm are asking for discounts on contracts if they
find out that the company has used artificial intelligence
in performing the work. Barty says Revium generates
"maybe 30 to 40 per cent"of its code using
AI, with that proportion tipped to grow to "more
like 70 to 80" per cent by next year; he labels
as being "like a rug pull" in that it reduces
fees for IT work as fewer professionals produce higher
quality work, while he said the company is conscious
of not using AI for work that needs human judgment
and experience. (RMS)
News
Tabcorp's
controversial live pucks to enter Victorian pubs
The
Victorian Gambling & Casino Control Commission
is understood to have given Tabcorp permission to
install its live betting devices in the state's pubs
and clubs. Around 30cm tall and described as being
like a puck, they allow gamblers to tap their phones
and place bets during live racing and sport events.
As it stands, betting during live events has been
permitted only if a punter uses a self-service terminal,
speaks to a TAB operator in person or contacts its
call centre, with such restrictions aimed at protecting
problem gamblers, while rival bookmakers have expressed
a view that the devices are illegal. (RMS)
News
Australia
takes its social media ban global
Australia's
ban on children under 16 having a social media account
has attracted global attention, with France and Greece
among the countries set to follow Australia's example.
Greece announced earlier this month that it will implement
a ban on children under 15 accessing social media
from next year, while France aims to pass laws imposing
a ban for people of the same age from September. However,
some computer experts have raised concerns about the
effectiveness of Australia's ban, including claims
that it infringes on childrens' privacy and that it
violates their human rights. (RMS)
How
the daughters of WA mining pioneers came to be opponents
in high-profile legal fight
A
lengthy court battle that pitted the families of two
of Western Australia's iron ore pioneers against each
other concluded in the WA Supreme Court last week.
It saw Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest person and
the daughter of Lang Hancock, in a legal contest against
Angela Bennett, the daughter of Hancock's business
partner of many decades, Peter Wright. In her lengthy
judgment, spanning more than 1,500 pages, Justice
Jennifer Smith paid tribute to Hancock and Wright's
partnership, and the involvement of fellow prospector
Don Rhodes, witth Smith concluding that the Wright
and Rhodes 'camps' were entitled to more royalities
than they had been receiving from iron ore tenements
in WA's Pilbara region, although Smith affirmed Rinehart's
ownership of the tenements. (RMS)
News
Labor's
top lawyer warns of new wave of oil and gas lawfare
The
International Court of Justice found last year that
national governments have a legal obligation to protect
the climate system from greenhouse gas emissions.
Australian barristers Ruth Higgins, Jennifer Robinson
and Zoe Bush will publish a legal opinion on the ICJ's
ruling on Monday, with Higgins having been announced
this month as Australia's new solicitor-general. Higgins,
Robinson and Bush will claim in the opinion that the
ruling could see the boards of Australian fossil fuel
companies facing a wave of legal action, and that
new coal, oil and gas projects could be restricted.
(RMS)
News
WWE/Wrestling/Pop
Culture
Oba
Femi Pins Brock Lesnar in Stunning WrestleMania 42
Debut
At
WrestleMania 42 Night 2 in Las Vegas' Allegiant Stadium,
Nigerian powerhouse Oba Femi made his main roster
debut by squashing Brock Lesnar in under five minutes,
marking one of the quickest Mania matches ever. Lesnar,
48, left his gear behind and exited emotionally, fueling
retirement talk after handpicking Femi as his final
opponent. Triple H praised Femi's arrival with 'HOLY
S***!!!!!', while Kurt Angle posted a heartfelt tribute,
and Femi quickly called out new champion Roman Reigns
on the post-Mania show.
News
WWE
Roman
Reigns Beats CM Punk for World Heavyweight Title at
WrestleMania 42
In
front of a sellout Las Vegas crowd on Night 2 of WrestleMania
42, Reigns returned to his dominant Tribal Chief persona,
overcoming Punk's submissions and near-falls to win
clean with a Spear. The Original Tribal Chief celebrated
with his family ringside, hugging his kids and wife
before raising the belt high. On the post-show, he
promised to ditch his part-time label and appear all
summer, firing back at rising challenger Oba Femi
amid roaring fans who hailed it as one of WrestleMania's
all-time classics.
News
Pop
Culture/WWE/Wrestling
Shawn
Michaels Marks 30 Years Since Iron Man Classic with
Bret Hart
On
March 31, 1996, at WrestleMania XII in Anaheim, Bret
Hart defended his WWF Championship against Michaels
in a grueling 60-minute Iron Man Match before 18,853
fans. The bout ended 1-1 after regulation, but Michaels
won his first world title in sudden-death overtime
with Sweet Chin Music at 61:52, fulfilling his 'boyhood
dream' as announcer Gorilla Monsoon declared. Fans
cherish it as wrestling's blueprint for storytelling,
with many crediting the match for sparking their lifelong
passion, while Michaels' anniversary post brought
back waves of nostalgia for the reconciled rivals'
endurance test.
News
Pop
Culture/WWE
Stephanie
McMahon Headlines WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2026
The
WWE Hall of Fame ceremony at Dolby Live in Las Vegas
features Stephanie McMahon leading the Class of 2026
alongside AJ Styles, Demolition, Sid Eudy, Bad News
Brown, and Dennis Rodman, hosted by Michael Cole and
The Miz. Triple H's heartfelt tribute drew her warm
reply, 'Forever baby, with you, I can fly,' amid fan
reflections on the 10th anniversary of Chyna's death
and ongoing calls for her solo induction. Reports
indicate Vince McMahon won't attend, highlighting
family dynamics as WWE honors its evolving legacy.
News
Danhausen
Crashes WrestleMania 42 Weekend with Curses and Blimp
Chaos
The
indie wrestler, famous for his 'very nice, very evil'
persona and hexes, disrupted Friday's SmackDown vow
renewal in Las Vegas, then hit the Hall of Fame red
carpet Saturday in goth attire with his wife. Big
E jokingly called him a Hall of Famer, WWE trolled
with a 'Blimphausen' flyover where he waved cursed
teeth over Allegiant Stadium, and CM Punk praised
his entertaining throwback style. Fans love the mayhem,
pushing for a full-time WWE deal as Night 2 approaches
Sunday.
News
Politics/Resources
(Australia)
Albanese
Secures 100 Million Litres of Diesel Amid Oil Crisis
Criticism
Announced
on April 16, 2026, the purchase from Brunei and South
Korea uses new Strategic Reserve powers to direct
fuel to farmers, regional areas, and essential services,
as local shortages worsen from a Geelong refinery
fire and the Strait of Hormuz closure. Critics like
Pauline Hanson call it insufficient, blaming net-zero
policies for refinery closures and import reliance,
though most shutdowns occurred years earlier due to
economic pressures under prior governments. Albanese
described the move as practical protection against
shocks, while debates intensify over building domestic
fuel security.
News
Pop
Culture/Movie Box Office (U.S)
April
19, 2026
1.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie - $35m
2. Project Hail Mary - $20.5m
3. Lee Cronin's The Mummy - $13.5m
4. The Drama - $4.8m
5. You, Me & Tuscany - $3.8m
6. Hoppers - $2.9m
7. Normal - $2.7m
8. BTS World Tour Arirang - $1.8m
9. Busboys - $1.7m
10. Bhooth Bangla - $950,000
News
Roy
Morgan wins Media Man 'Media Services Company Of The
Month' award
The
Australian Financial Review wins Media Man 'Newspaper
Of The Month' award; Runner-up: The Australian
Google
wins Media Man 'Search Engine Of The Month' award
Netflix
wins Media Man 'Streaming Service Of The Month' award
WWE
wins Media Man 'Wrestling Promotion Of The Month'
award
UFC
wins 'Combat Sports Brand Of The Month' award; Runner-ups:
Most Valuable Promotions, Everlast, BKFC
Mack
Trucks wins Media Man 'Truck Brand Of The Month' award
CAT
wins Media Man 'Heavy Industry Brand Of The Month'
award
Dynasty:
The Murdochs wins 'Streaming Show Of The Month' award
(Netflix)
Media
Man
2013
Profiles
Money
in the Bank 2013 results - 15th July 2013
Full
Money in the Bank 2013 results:
Money
in the Bank video playlist
Randy
Orton won the Money in the Bank All-Stars Match (RESULTS
| VAN
DAM EXCLUSIVE | HEYMAN
EXCLUSIVE | PHOTOS)
WWE
Champion John Cena def. Mark Henry (RESULTS
| CENA
EXCLUSIVE | PHOTOS)
World
Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio def. Dolph Ziggler
(Disqualification) (RESULTS
| DEL
RIO EXCLUSIVE | PHOTOS)
Ryback
def. Chris Jericho vs. Ryback (RESULTS
| PHOTOS)
Divas
Champion AJ Lee def. Kaitlyn (RESULTS
| PHOTOS)
Intercontinental
Champion Curtis Axel def. The Miz (RESULTS
| PHOTOS)
Damien
Sandow won the World Heavyweight Championship Contract
Money in the Bank Ladder Match (RESULTS
| SANDOW
EXCLUSIVE | RHODES
EXCLUSIVE | PHOTOS)
WWE
Tag Team Champions Seth Rollins & Roman Reigns
def. The Usos (Money in the Bank Kickoff Match) (RESULTS
| WATCH
| PHOTOS)
|
