I am actually in full agreement with you. Yeah, it's done for "shock value" for whenever the person cashes it in ... but the "shock value" of it all has been somewhat diminished since it obviously now has become a guarantee that whoever wins the briefcase will be the next champion. They have never once had the winner of the briefcase actually lose the match.
But if WWE wants to continue its realistic kick that it has been on for the past couple years, and they want to continue doing MITB, then they really need to redo the program so that a specific date is announced for the cash-in. Then, as mentioned, actually have the person lose once in a while, as well.
If WWE wants to now present its product as "realistic", then they need to do just that.
Sidious, with all due respect because you're a killer poster, I couldn't disagree with you more.
Over and over and over again the professional wrestling audience has been begging for surprises and unpredictability. Well, now that we have it, you're all STILL complaining. The MITB ladder match (IMO) has been the most innovative, exciting, and intriguing way to entertain all of the fans for MANY reasons...
It all begins with an exciting, violent, spot-happy, fan-craved gimmick match at the biggest show of the year... Wrestlemania.
The WWE answered all of your calls for more ladder matches. Not only did they answer it, but they threw 6 guys into it! And, by throwing 6 guys into it, this reduces the chance that some of your favorite upcoming stars will get injured while providing you with non-stop excitement.
It keeps the wrestling fans on their toes.
We've seen that a cash-in can happen on ANY show. So far, it's happened on Smackdown, Raw, AND a PPV. For everyone that can't stand when storylines leak on the internet (myself included), we can all still be surprised when a cash-in occurs because it doesn't need to be done with a week in advance. Hell, if Vince wants someone to cash in the MITB at the last minute, it wouldn't take many changes in the production of his show to put it together, thereby eliminating the chance of an internet leak. Also, when all of you NEVER thought Jeff Hardy would win the title last night because of his contract disputes, he did. Technically, he's a two-time champion now LOL!! And, not only were you surprised when he won, but I'm sure most of your hearts skipped a beat when Punk's music hit and he charged the ring. How much more unpredictability do you need?!?
It elevates new stars.
Edge (arguably) would be NOTHING without his MITB cash-in against the Undertaker on Smackdown. CM Punk's popularity jumped about 20 notches when he cashed in against Edge on Raw and now he just won it from Jeff Hardy. And this is only the THIRD year that the MITB match has existed! There are many other stars that can be built and elevated in the snap of a finger just by winning the MITB batch at Wrestlemania. It brings SO MUCH importance to the match and gives all of you yet another reason why you should purchase the PPV each year!
It provides compelling storylines.
I think we just learned about this last night. This could potantially be a BIG heel turn for CM Punk. And none of you saw it coming. And I'm willing to bet that if his heel status sticks, he's going to be hated as much as Edge. Most of the time, it takes the WWE MONTHS to heel turn a babyface of Punk's caliber. By utilizing the MITB ladder match, they did it in ONE NIGHT!
Now, many of you think the winner of the MITB match is a sure-fire future title holder and you have all very good reasoning to think that way. But remember, this is only the FIFTH year this has been running. Despite what most of you think, the WWE isn't stupid. I'm sure they will find a way to change this up down the road.
Edit: Thanks to Chihawks Rock for pointing out my mistake about how many years MITB has been running!