My Friday column for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looks at WWE Money in the Bank becoming one of the elite events for WWE. Here’s an excerpt:
Money in the Bank has elevated itself to the four elite events for WWE.
It has bumped Survivor Series and now is following WrestleMania, SummerSlam and Royal Rumble.
Survivor Series was one of the original four when WWE pay-per-view events were in their infancy, but the concept has become outdated.
No longer are team elimination matches a big draw given how often one can see it year-round because of the volume of programming.
Since becoming a pay-per-view in 2010, Money in the Bank has been host to several significant moments in WWE history.
Perhaps most famously in 2011 when CM Punk and WWE were in the middle of a very public dispute over contract and booking, and we saw Punk win the WWE title and exit the arena through his hometown crowd.
Even beyond that historic moment is the consistency and guarantee that Money in the Bank delivers with its signature ladder match.
The winner of the MITB briefcase basically is a future world champion at some point in the next year.
The bigger questions are how and when the cash in takes place? It’s a license to steal. It provides endless creative options and moments for the audience to wonder: Will this be when the opportunity gets cashed in?
It’s one of the best concepts WWE has ever come up with.
This year’s MITB event taking place on Sunday, and has the most impressive card in its seven-year history.
To me, the traditional MITB ladder match has two logical options for winners in Kevin Owens or Cesaro. Everybody else is there to be a body fill out the match and contribute to what always has a chance to steal the show.
For months, like many others it sounds like, Owens screams as the the perfect guy to get the briefcase. After an impressive first year on RAW and SmackDown, his arrogance and opportunistic nature carrying the guaranteed title shot would be a great way to define his second year.
Since returning from injury, Cesaro has done a lot of work to add depth to his character to grab that brass ring Vince McMahon spoke about.
Making his entrance unique, ripping the suit off and his interaction with the audience during matches has given more layers to his character than just being known as an athletic freak.
I’m still sticking with Owens on the basis of his personality holding the briefcase as being the best fit. If and when Cesaro ever gets to the world title picture, a better story and money making scenario would be him chasing it more traditionally with the fans rallying support behind him.
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