History
Mr. Money in the Bank became a name that we would be accustomed to saying due to the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Although its a great match and has awesome storylines that can be attached to it, the match has only been around since 2005. The match came about as an idea pitched to Eric Bischoff, who was the Raw General Manager at the time, by Chris Jericho so he could position himself into title contention.
The first match was contested at WrestleMania 21 and was won by “The Rated R Superstar,” Edge. Through the years, we have had WWE Hall of Famers win the match, as well as some not-so Hall of Fame worthy winners. It creates a great story that could last for a year or literally the next night on RAW after the pay-per-view. The match itself has now become its own PPV and has since added a women’s MITB Ladder Match to the show as well.
Trivia- Who is the only wrestler to not cash in their Money in The Bank Briefcase? The answer will be revealed later in the story.
Concept
The match is a pretty straight-forward match, as it is simply a ladder match with a briefcase with a guaranteed championship match contract inside. However, the matches leading up to the match are very interesting because the superstars involved have a chance to become what the originator meant for it to be. The winner becomes an instant number one contender because the briefcase can be cashed in for a title match at any time for up to one year. The drama that the winner of the briefcase brings to their role also makes them a instant superstar with all eyes on them.
Money in the Bank Matches, 2018
This weekend we have a stacked Money in the Bank pay-per-view. The winner of both men and women’s divisions will shape the rest of the year for two individuals. The match is crazy because it creates drama for the fanbases of both Raw and SmackDown Live with so many people involved.
This year has the added incentive that both brands will have four members representing their brand in both mens and women’s matches. Which brand will have the Money in the Bank winner adds a new wrinkle into the fold. RAW will be represented by Bobby Roode, Kevin Owens, Braun Strowman and Finn Balor, while SmackDown Live will counter with Samoa Joe, Rusev, The Miz and a member of The New Day.
Not to be outdone, this will be the third Women’s Money in the Bank match, which current SmackDown Women’s Champion, Carmella, won last year. RAW this year will be represented by Sasha Banks, Ember Moon, Alexa Bliss and Natalya, while Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Lana and Naomi will be the SmackDown contingent in the match. The women showed that they can bring in just as much intrigue as their male counterparts in the match, so the match will be continuing for the foreseeable future.
Future
The future of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view is very bright because it is a way to push someone’s story and adds lots of story angles. The match went from being a WrestleMania undercard match to being the featured pay-per-view event for both brands to crossover to.
There is little to be done to spice the match up, as we have seen all sorts of story angles used leading up to the match. However, after we have a winner, their stories have a abundance of options, which is what I personally like about the match. The match lets fans know that their is a very good chance that the winner will become a champion. Money in the Bank is this Sunday and whomever wins both the men’s and women’s match will be in a weekly featured segment to look forward to until the briefcase is cashed in.
Trivia answer: Mr. Kennedy, 2007. He lost his briefcase to Edge, who then cashed-in on The Undertaker to become the World Heavyweight Champion.