Time to close the bank account?

[We Are Legion]

A common questions by WWE fans this time of year is whether or not there will be a Money In The Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania. Every since Wrestlemania 21 in 2005, the match has been immensely popular among wrestling fans and perhaps with good reason. Although the matches usually consist of less-popular wrestlers and are filled to the brim with choreographed spots which are a common pet peeve for the wrestling purist, most will make an exception for this annual stipulation which is known to guarantee a future world championship run for whomever wins. It is a match that can instantly turn a middle-of-the-rung talent into a main event-caliber superstar almost instantly. Fantastic concept, right?

However, in 2005, WWE was still engineering many superstars the old fashioned way. John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, JBL, Chris Benoit, etc... none of these guys ever needed a briefcase suspended from the ceiling to transform them into credible names in the business. You needn't look any further than the two current world champions. Daniel Bryan and CM Punk were both propelled to great heights, mostly due to their success with Money In The Bank. And even though CM Punk's first run as world champion in 2008 didn't last long and ultimately bombed, WWE took another swing at it with him in 2009 and he's managed to remain relevant and has appeared at most pay per views every since.

The problem I have with this match happening every single year is that it obligates WWE to roll the dice from time to time. It puts world championships around the waists of wrestlers who are either not ready or just not championship material whatsoever. In 2006, Rob Van Dam was suspended for drugs and eventually left WWE less than a year after winning the match and his first WWE Championship. Mr. Kennedy didn't even get an opportunity to cash in his briefcase and ended up getting suspended, dropping his briefcase to Edge, and getting released from WWE. After Jack Swagger won the match in 2010, WWE bailed on his push almost immediately after he won the championship and eventually kept him off television altogether. The Miz had a good run with the WWE Championship and even main evented Wrestlemania XXVII, but again... WWE has abandoned him completely every since.

Every since MITB's inception in 2005, the mid-card scene has become less and less relevant. The United States Championship and Intercontinental Championship aren't worth the leather straps they're attached to anymore, and that's because MITB really does all the work those belts used to and does it much faster. But where's the fun in that in the long-run? Sure, it's nice to see wrestlers you generally don't care about getting thrown off of ladders and taking 20-foot plunges onto one another, but what happens next week? Maybe the briefcase-winner wins the championship, maybe he doesn't. Rinse, repeat. And it's been this exact same movie for the past 7 years.

While everyone else fights for the highest rung on the ladder, Kofi and Shelton wait to grow taller.

What I don't understand is how the Royal Rumble hasn't taken a hit in prestige. I mean really, which sounds like a better deal to you? Beating 30 other guys by lifting their 250-500lb bodies over the top rope and dumping them all to the floor below and having to wait another 2 months to challenge for the title when the champion knows you're coming... or beating 5-6 other guys by climbing a ladder, and getting to challenge for the title literally any time, any where you wish. You could theoretically sneak into the champion's house in the middle of the night with a referee and win the championship while he's sleeping. And don't even wake him up, let him find out when his alarm clock goes off and his belt's missing. Why even enter the Royal Rumble anymore? If I don't draw #30, screw it... I'm not even going to worry about it.

The point is, there shouldn't be two events with such a similar reward happen every year. It makes it too easy to win world championships and seem like literally anyone can. The mid-card scene with the US and IC Championships made the journey more believable and consumed more time. Plus, there was never many debates on whether or not the current champion deserved to be a champion. Unless of course his name was "David Arquette".

I'm definitely not saying that WWE should abolish the MITB concept altogether, but it's seriously time to chill out on it, maybe give it a 2-3 year vacation. It was enough back when it was only happening once a year. 3 times in 2010? Twice in 2011? Are the WWE writers just lazy now? That's a little beyond lazy, actually. That's whatever it's called when you're laying naked in a pile of Cheetohs on your couch while making castles out of empty beer cans. Plus, it would be great to see some 1-on-1 ladder matches again for a change, an art that's practically rendered obsolete due to MITB.

I imagine the majority of wrestling fans would disagree with me on this, considering the match has become "tradition", but this is not a healthy tradition when you consider the repetitious, uncertain, and unevolved nature of it's tenure. I would like to see more stars like Sheamus who still manage to climb the ranks the old fashioned way. It's always a little unfortunate to see exciting young stars like CM Punk and Alberto Del Rio win the title for the first time, and it be tainted in hindsight because of the dastardly nature they won it. I feel the glory days of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Steve Austin... how these stars shattered the glass ceiling in magnificent fashion... have been replaced by a briefcase hanging from the glass ceiling. It's unfortunate and it's a rip-off to the fans and the wrestlers.

 

[John McHenry]

Very good well thought out article. But a MITB only once a year at wrestlemania I don't think would do as much damage I think the damage comes for the most part from the MITB ppv where you have both brands going for their own case combine this with WM that's three cases I think if it were kept to the 1 the issue wouldn't be so bad. But I do agree with it being a convenient roll of the dice.

 

[Defiant]

Very good read, you've done a great job of outlining MITB's history and concluding what we can learn from its past.

However I think its important to remember that the concept doesn't just have to be used to boost up-and-comers to their first WWE Title, it doesn't have to obligate WWE to roll the dice on younger talent every year. I think the comcept could be just fine if WWE looked at the match as a device to advance an angle or push an already prominant star as equally as a "instantly push young guy to front of the line" tool (preferrably one match a year, though). Kane's win, for example. It can give an already over wrestler or former champion a ticket back into the main event title scene at whim within the following year and easily justified by the contract he won. The advantage here is that at the same time, WWE can begin pushing the young guy they also considered having win MITB by pushing him the old fashion way on the side, in that Sheamus kind of way.

I'd love to see the MITB match stay at Wrestlemania every year because its unique, gets plenty of guys on the card, its exciting and a proven successful show-opener. But I do agree that any more than one much a year is overload, and I also can't argue the detriment the match has on the IC and US Titles.

 

[John McHenry]

Good usage if it were to happen this year would be for Big Show to win it.

 

[Vivido]

The point that I would like to touch on is the beating 29 others in the rumble but only 7 in the MITB. The thing with that is that you have to be 1 of the 8 selected in the match anyway, so you beat most of the roster by just being asked to be in the match in the first place.

Well written.

 

[PHX]

Great point made on how it has affected the midcard scene cause that is a true point. Same time they still can use the midcard without MITB to propel guys if they try and Dolph is an example of that even though they now have scaled back on him. I think it's due for sure for them to use the mitb and have someone cash in and lose it yet still use it as a way to move them up the card for a heel esp.