500 Words... Money in the Bank
Posted by Lee Baker
on 03/06/2007
“Money in the Bank” (MITB) has proven to be a big hit with WWE fans and at the past two Wrestlemanias the ladder matches themselves have been high quality and hugely enjoyable. In a sense, they have taken over the mantle from TLC as the WWE’s trademark
special ladder match. With the line-up for MITB III coming together, I ask myself the question: Why has the concept proven to be such a success?
As with all ladder matches a key factor is having a prize worth winning (and worth nearly killing yourself to obtain) and in the case of MITB it’s a guaranteed World Title shot. That’s very nice, but hardly earth shattering. The Royal Rumble offers a title shot at Wrestlemania as it’s prize (which is clearly more prestigious) but other World Title shots are dished out during the year in a variety of ways (random matches, battle royals, tournaments etc), so why is this any more special? In truth, it isn’t - but it feels that way. Why? For me, it’s all down to the symbolism. The use of the MITB briefcase is an inspired idea. Of course, Vince had to come up with
something for them to climb up the ladder and grab, but the decision to have the winning wrestler actually carry the briefcase around with them has added so much more value to the stipulation.
It could really have been any object. It could have been a clipboard, a folder or a T-Shirt with “I’ve got a Title shot” on the front for all it mattered; what the object was really wasn’t important. The point is that by seeing the winner with the prize in their hand on every show the fans never forgot about the guaranteed title shot. Too often in wrestling something happens that is totally forgotten two or three months later (by the WWE as much as the fans) and there was a danger of that happening after the first MITB ladder match in 2005, but with Edge carrying the briefcase around everywhere he went it not only stayed fresh in the fans minds but it also built unexpected levels of interest. When would he cash in his title shot? None of us knew. It’s to the credit of Vince that he waited right until January 2006 (nine months later) to book Edge’s title shot, because it showed that the briefcase holder really could cash his shot in at
any point during the year. It established the concept, and the concept got over - and now it looks like it’s here to stay.
The combination of a thoroughly exciting ladder match and “when will he use his shot” suspense has proven to be a real winner with the fans and credit should go to the WWE crew for coming up with such fun variations on old themes. The MITB ladder match adds drawing power to any Wrestlemania card, without doubt. For Vince and the WWE, it truly is “money in the bank”.
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My name is Lee Baker, and that was 500 words.
Any questions, queries, praise or abuse, feel free to email me at eoe4w@hotmail.com. A response is guaranteed.
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