Has the MITB Concept Become Backwards Booking?

[D-Man]

First off, I purposely did not this topic in the WWE PPV section because it's not about the Money in the Bank Pay Per View program but about the concept itself. This concept applies to all of the WWE so I feel it fits this section much better.

Now, in lieu of Daniel Bryan's Money in the Bank title win from last night, it got me thinking about past winners of the briefcase and what ensued, as a result. In the past, Money in the Bank winners were basically main eventers waiting to happen. They were superstars that had been built up over the course of an extended period of time and finally reached the level of world champion status. As a result of their momentum, they were given what they rightfully deserved; a legitimate symbol of a future world championship - the Money in the Bank briefcase. As we all know, no one has ever cashed in the briefcase and lost. So, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that whoever wins the briefcase will become a world champion.

Some of the winners of Money in the Bank were more than ready for a world title, a main event run, and a push through the glass ceiling (i.e. Edge, Rob Van Dam, Mr. Kennedy, Kane). However, some recent winners of Money in the Bank really can't compare to the original winners of the accolade.

The Miz - Many can give a great argument that he deserved his Money in the Bank achievement. He was white hot for a good stretch of time and, if not for MITB, I'm sure he would've reached a world champion in due time, even without the briefcase. But his MITB win was quite the jump from midcarder and US Champion to the WWE title.

CM Punk - Again, I'm sure many arguments can (and will) be made for this guy who has been supported by internet fans and smarks everywhere. But similar to the Miz, and discarding his recent achievements, what did CM Punk do during that time period to make him deserve that MITB win... or TWO wins, for that matter? It almost seemed as if his first, babyface run was so lackluster that he needed to do it again as a heel, just to see what kind of reaction it got. Thankfully, it was done properly and it turned him full-fledged heel again Jeff Hardy and made for a TERRIFIC feud that basically rocket-launched his main event career.

Jack Swagger - Now, onto the first superstar that completely proves my point in this thread. Sure, he was rolling a little bit during the time period of his MITB win. But did he really deserve that briefcase? Or was the briefcase a prop to push him to the main event?

Alberto Del Rio - Before JGlass leaps a tall building in a single bound to join in on this, I'll say it first; ADR was really shoved down our throats. After his lackluster Royal Rumble win, the WWE was desperate to make this guy a main eventer so they used MITB as the conduit.

Daniel Bryan - He is the newest addition to the list of MITB winners. But what the heck was DB prior to last night's win? He had (basically) zero momentum going into his cash-in. His US title run was a flop, he jobbed out to midcard and main event likenesses from the MITB PPV until his cage match with Mark Henry, and aside from a great performance in a fatal fourway match and a win over Cody Rhodes, he really didn't fit the MITB winner profile.

My question to all of you is this:

While, in the past, the WWE only gave a MITB briefcase to superstars that were on the cusp of breaking through a glass ceiling, do any of you feel that this role has recently reversed? In other words, are they using the briefcase to shove a new world title contender down our throats? Or do you feel the briefcase still has proper justification?

 

[HoHo]

I believe the WWE is doing both shoving contenders down our throats,and the role has been reversed.I believe WWE has picked the wrong winners for the MITB briefcase at times, and I never wanted a match of this caliber to have it's own PPV.I wanted it to be a WM, where top World Title contenders will be involved, now it seems WWE just puts random guys together, and their is the match.Swagger is one of those guys, where I stratch my head, why he won.I thought that win would help me, but Swagger proved he wasn't ready, as they eventually gave the title to Rey Mysterio months later.Miz was a good win for him when he won the MITB, as it took him from a Mid-carder to a Main Eventer.WWE are hit and miss with the winners, and positive of negative it does for their Careers.This year since Bryan won the MITB, we will find it he get to the level of Punk, and have fans thinking who the better champion, or he might end up back in the mid-card.If it was me, use the MITB only at WM, and give it that prestige it had, and see where it goes.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

I believe that the briefcase still has it's proper justification.

The point of the concept itself is that a new star will be created due to the inevitable cash in. In every case (excluding Jack Swagger) it has done just that. When you compare guys like RVD, Edge, and Kane to guys like Miz, Punk, Bryan, and Kennedy you are going to see a difference in pre-MITB winner accolades. However their biggest factor in common was that after the cash-in WWE had a main eventer for a a short while (Kane, RVD, Punk's first win) or solidified ones as big players (Miz, Edge, Punk after 2nd win). In my eyes Money in the Bank is like a cycle: Someone (2 in recent years) wins the briefcase, cashes it in, then WWE test him as champion. If he immerses himself into the main event scene as a champion well, mission accomplished. If he stays there for a short period of time, well then you have next years winner to count on. Which of these categories Daniel Bryan and ADR fit into remains to be seen. The concept works, it always has, and will probalby continue to do so.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

WWE needs to give up the concept for a whole year. No 2012 Money in the Bank winners. The concept has gotten stale.

Not only that, but officially there have been nine World title switches that occurred in non-matches (and that's without counting "Mitb-ish" switches like Batista vs. John Cena at Elimination Chamber 10.

Can you seriously justify that? Sure, it was a cool concept at the beginning, but it has overstayed its welcome. WWE has to give it up for a year, and bring it back fresh at WrestleMania 29. Then, they can go back to rewarding top guys who are on the cusp of breaking through instead of just giving it to the most shocking winner.

(I definitely believe that both Swagger and Bryan got it because of shock value and nothing else.)

 

[legendkiller1979]

I despise money in the bank. It's like the WWE goes out of the way to piss off the fans.
I have found my blood pressure rising each time that music hits and you know that the briefcase is getting ready to be cashed in. There are three examples that really pissed me off. When Jeff Hardy won the world title I was beyond excited. Then I continued to read the results. Then I just got angry. It wasn't even that Punk had the title but that Hardy got screwed. I watched that highlights on youtube the other day and it made me just as angry. Last night when I read that Big Show had won the title I was so happy for him. I would like to see him get one more run. Then I continued to read. I can't stand Daniel Bryan. He's beyond boring in the stick, and he looks like Opie. Michael Cole is so right about him. He is good in the ring but that's not what get's a person over. I would have thought that after the epic failure that was Jack Swagger's title run, the WWE would have learned it's lesson. I'm getting tired of the briefcase being used to to piss me off. I really hate the logic of "Nobody will ever in a million years that this guy could be world champion, so let's give him the opportunity to be completely unbelievable as champion with a cheap win and make a lot of people angry in the process."

 

[Mustang Sally]

For quite some time, they've been needing to change the notion that winning MITB is an assurance of taking a world title. If the guy cashing in the briefcase actually lost the damn match, the deed would have been done. It might restore a sense of mystery to the whole concept.

In Daniel Bryan, I was sure we were finally going to see this come to pass. He was talking as long ago as last Summer about how he was going to take MITB to Wrestlemania and insert himself in the main event, right? I was sure he was going to cash in the briefcase as a face, go to WM at the start of a match instead of showing up after the champion had exhausted himself in an earlier encounter..... then, put up a valiant fight while losing. This would have broken the streak without compromising the excitement offered by MITB.

Instead, it was the same old thing; do it the cowardly way and steal the title from a battered champ. Now, even the good guys do it that way, apparently.

Backward? No, I say it was the same old booking because it was done in the same manner it had been all along......the only difference being that the new titleholder doesn't present as a world champion. Yes, you could say that applies to Jack Swagger too, but at least Swagger had the size and attitude of a heel that might be believable in the role. After all, the MITB winners were all heels, weren't they?

Instead, we have Daniel Bryan. Yes, he's a technical wrestling marvel, and I enjoy watching his matches. But he's small, he seems vulnerable and diffident......and standing among the giants in the division he's now ruling, he looks completely out of place.

But the way they handled the MITB concept was the same as it's been all along, sorry to say.

 

[a member of wwe universe]

Im sorry the concept needs to be scratch. It is stale and overdone to the point nobody finds excitement and give a shit.

It obviously aint doing any midcarder a favour elevating them to the next level. People who actually buy into midcarders cashing in the briefcase as full fledge main eventer are ignorant. Swagger, cm punk first two reign, del rio, were test subjects and had failed miserably.

D bryan is a test subject and he is gonna fail.
I read comments saying they expect a dbryan vs orton headling mania. WHAT? D bryan is not gonna carry the title till mania, dream on ppl. His amazing wrestling ability is not gonna make him huge star but rather his size and the character himself are gonna prevent him to be a maineventer in VKM's mind.

This is not the hardcore title. Midcarders need to win the world title through the traditional route. Earn your spot, have good matches, have great promos.

 

[mykeymayhem]

The problem with WWE is they wasted a lot of time just building randy and cena and neglecting the mid card/tag team cards.
It seems like the only time anyone got a push before this year it was just to make him look like a legit threat to Cena or Orton.
I feel like WWE knows they can't count on those 2 guys to be there forever and now try to fast track guys to the main event to create a future.

Sometimes this works like in the case of Punk and sometimes the fans don't buy it (Del Rio). Putting new guys in the world title picture can freshen things up.

Giving a guy like Db a shot or even swagger is not a bad idea, Not everyone can have a slow Cody/Dolph build up or you would just see it coming every time.

I don't agree with the one month hot potato title game though.
If you give a guy the title give him a chance to run with the ball, you still have your mid card and guys like cena, Orton, and punk to boost ratings while the guy gets himself over. If he's still drowning with the title after 3 or 4 months switch it up to one of your slowly built up guys like Dolph who has proven he can carry a title for 5 or 6 months.

I agree that it should by someone who earned it in a since...but at the same time it seems like WWE likes to de-push guys before giving them an epic push...so while I agree with your point at least give DB a chance to prove you wrong. Maybe he does deserve that title.

 

[CH David]

Im sorry the concept needs to be scratch. It is stale and overdone to the point nobody finds excitement and give a shit.

Nobody finds excitement or cares about it? Strange, I guess Daniel Bryan cashing in wasn't exciting or anyone caring. Nope, you're just full of shit. Having a chance to cash in is what makes the MITB concept fun and exciting for fans. It can be after a beat down, after a match, or if the guy wants, a straight up match. Overdone a bit? Sure, but a lot of things are overdone. Hell people complained about Randy Orton doing the RKO to a diving opponent last night. That should tell you something right there.

It obviously aint doing any midcarder a favour elevating them to the next level. People who actually buy into midcarders cashing in the briefcase as full fledge main eventer are ignorant. Swagger, cm punk first two reign, del rio, were test subjects and had failed miserably.

Okay now I know you are full of shit. Punk's first reign was complete dog shit. Sure, but we all know it wasn't meant for him in the first place. It was thrown together last minute thanks to Jeff Hardy. But you calling his second reign horrible, I just can't help but laugh. Cashing in on Jeff Hardy and having a GREAT feud with him for that summer was definitely not a failure. The guy had soooo much heat on him it was ridiculous. Then he went on to do the SES and garner more heat.

Now as far as the concept goes, I think it's just the E's fallback into lazy booking. It's an easy way for a guy to get a big cheer or big boo. Now when you look at Miz, he was the only one in recent memory truly built up to be a threat and earn his spot before and after he won the briefcase. Del Rio has been pushed like the dickens for the past year but nobody cares. His Mexican aristocratic character is a boring bastard that I couldn't give two shits about. Bring something new to the table instead of talking about your destiny. Add dimension to the character.

Swagger they tried to legitimize, but it just didn't work. I don't know why, I can't remember his run on SmackDown.

As far as Bryan goes, it's kind of a wait and see where it goes project. It's easy to criticize his cash-in right now or say "What the fuck did he do to be able to cash it in?" because we don't know where it's going. For all we know he could go on to have an interesting run with the title and become a big player for years to come. He could also fall flat on his face, be relegated back to the mid-card, and never sniff the main event again. We need to see what happens.

What I'm getting at is that now the MITB concept looks like it's meant to create stars, not a guy on the cusp. It helped with CM Punk and helped Miz along. Del Rio and Swagger failed badly. What happens down the line, well we will see.

 

[DjinnNTawnik]

I think the real problem here, is that WWE creative has forgotten the concept of grudge matches. The reason that mid-level feuds never have any relevance is because Creative refuses to understand that two men could have other reasons for (kayfabe) fighting each other than the belt, and consequently both the WWE/World Championships have become irrelevant except as a prop for their lack of effort. Think back to some of the best matches in the 80’s and 90’s if you will. Many of them were for a belt, but what about things like the feud between Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and Randy Savage in the early 90’s. Those matches we’re fueled by (kayfabe) pure hatred. We could also look at Brett Hart Vs. Stone Cold, again pure hatred. These are just a couple of example but if you look back you can find many more.
I understand the concept for MITB is that you can catapult a future star into the Mainevent spotlight, but in an era where double digit title reigns are becoming more and more common (Remember when Ric Flair being a 13 time world champion was a big deal), all it does is serve to water down the title scene. As a quick side note, you know who else was of the opinion that “Belts” were nothing but a prop? Vinny Roo that’s who.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Winning the championship by cash-in after another guy already had a match is silly (for a face to do it) or wrong (for a heel to do it). I equate Bryan's title win to anything other than what it should have been for him. If they were ever going to give him a world title, it should have been through a story that "anyone that has ever been the underdog can believe in", not "there is a loophole in the system so I am going to expose it when I get the chance". It degrades Bryan and his title win in my eyes. It's not too late for him to have a great WHC title reign but if he doesn't, the "former WHC" title will look great on his resume but not if I remember how he got it.

I don't know if I would call this reverse booking. I just think the concept has lost value in a lot of our eyes. The case definitely works better for a heel than a face. Having Bryan blow his shot may have added some life in the concept but that ship has sailed.

In the end though, I really enjoy multi-men ladders matches so I hope that concept sticks around.

 

[klunderbunker]

The briefcase seems to act as something like a Deus Ex Machina at times. A guy (let's say Swagger) can be doing absolutely nothing at all and all of a sudden he's the world champion. Basically he had to win two matches (qualify for MITB, win MITB) then wait for the right moment and go in for a stolen win and a stolen title.

On the other hand, let's take a look at say Jeff Hardy's rise to the world title. He rises up the card over the years and manages to win the world title after getting closer and closer every time. Then he finally wins the world title at Armageddon 08 and the place erupts. It's the great story of him finally winning the title and grabbing the brass ring.

Now what does this mean?

In short, with Swagger, it was about when is he finally going to lose it, whereas Hardy was how far can he take it.

The problem that MITB presents is that it takes all of the hard work and emotional investment by the fans. Let's take last night for example. Big Show had been injured by Mark Henry months ago and was coming back for his ultimate revenge here. He was going to take what Henry valued the most: the world title. Somehow, Show does what no one else has been able to do and slays the giant, winning the title. It's a feel good moment and there's a clear progression to the story of good triumphing over evil.

Then Bryan cashes in and wins in 7 seconds. That's it. No big build, no momentum built up, barely no story behind Show vs. Bryan. There's no malice there. In short, it's LAZY. It was shocking and a feel good moment, but Bryan looks like another guy that won a pair of matches and then stole the world title from an injured champion. That doesn't work and it makes him look weak in the process, much like Punk's first title win.

In short, yes, MITB is against common sense booking and it exchanges storytelling for shock value.

 

[CDR]

My question to all of you is this:

While, in the past, the WWE only gave a MITB briefcase to superstars that were on the cusp of breaking through a glass ceiling, do any of you feel that this role has recently reversed? In other words, are they using the briefcase to shove a new world title contender down our throats? Or do you feel the briefcase still has proper justification?

To simply answer the question, yes, the briefcase has proper justification. It's not like the briefcase holder always has to win the title. Just because it hasn't happened yet, doesn't mean it couldn't. And I think it hasn't happened yet because Creative hasn't come up with a storyline for the briefcase holder except making the holder opportunistic, pouncing on the champ when he's down - be the holder face or heel.

Now, who they give the title to could take away from the briefcase itself. If the briefcase were to be given to a main-event type, then it would diminish the briefcase because the guy wouldn't need it. If it were given to somebody who wasn't in the main event yet, the briefcase could be used to test the waters on putting the guy in the top of the card. If Creative decided the briefcase winner wasn't ready yet, they could have him lose or they could take it off of him. They could set up a match, winner gets the case. Hasn't that happened before? Is that not proof?

All in all, I'm saying that the briefcase winner doesn't always need to be destined to win. Creative could come up with other things. I guess what I'm saying is that the briefcase isn't diminished because you don't always know that the holder will become champion. Now, nothing has happened to strengthen that idea, but it could happen. Maybe I'm just giving Creative the benefit-of-the-doubt. Either way, I still like the idea of the Money in the Bank.

 

[VinnieSunshine]

The whole concept of MITB has become stale. Storyline wise they dont abide by the rules anymore, and seem to change them when they see fit. Plus you have the added MITB holder cashing in on champs that are down or beaten after a brutal match, such as last night. Like last night, when someone is holding, the crowd expects said holder to cash in. Byran teased it so much that the crowd was waiting for it, much like every other MITB holder.

Here are a few ways I see that WWE can breathe some life back into it.

1) surprise cash-ins. I want to see the holder walking around backstage and just crack the champ upside the head and pin them right there. The initial rules were ANY TIME, ANYWHERE. Hell

2) Lose it. Every MITB holder that has cashed in has won. Someone needs to lose. MITB bask produced how many champions now? No one has lost? MAKE SOMEONE LOSE IT.

3) one winner. We dont need RAW and Smackdown to have a MITB winner. Go back to the days when you had 1 winner and they got to choose which title they wanted.

I really want WWE to go back to the old ways of just building someone up. Use the mid-card titles like you are doing with Ziggler and Rhodes. But Im sure WWE will give one of them the MITB soon.

Get rid of the whole MITB concept in general, or just go back to having it at WrestleMania.

 

[Coco]

Well that was a rambling lot of nothing, D. Really, spare me the list if all you're going to do is fail to frame the issue accurately. Let's look at the facts: Everything is a prop meant to get people invested in these guys. If people react, it's a good thing. And people go for it almost every time. Swagger got some nuclear heat during his reign. Punk would have been just fine in 2008 if he hadn't been put against Dave Batista for no particularly good reason. In fact aside from Del Rio, everyone on that list has thrived when given the ball. Is the case a prop to hot-shot guys to the main event? Absolutely. But a more important question is this: Is that really a bad thing? If it works, it works. And if WWE didn't run hot and cold on new prospects, each of those guys (minus Del Rio...) could still be valuable headliners who got where they did because the MITB rocket got strapped to them. WWE sucks at follow-through, but getting guys over quickly using the case hasn't been a problem for them. The only people who seem to think it is post on sites like this.

That said, I do feel MITB requires a bit of a leap in kayfabe logic at this point as you'd imagine loopholes would have been closed by now to insure advanced warning of a cash-in to produce (kayfabe) legit champions. But that's just one of many issues where professional wrestling stories aren't told in the tightest, most sensible manner. Yet regardless of that leap in kayfabe logic, the briefcase still produces results. I'm not seeing a problem with it's continued existence as a star-making tool.

 

[Juvenal]

I like the MITB concept, but WWE has been overexposing it too much. They should had not make MITB as a pay-per-view event. It should have stayed on WM. Also having two MITB winners is too much, it loses its value. Another thing WWE needs to do is stop having MITB winners cash in after the champion had a match. Mix it up a bit for god sake! Have some cash in saying when they want the match to happen like RVD.

 

[JJohns]

Here's what people are forgetting about MITB. Sometimes, the win doesn't happen because of lazy booking, but because of necessity. Perfect example was Edge's second time cashing it in. He won the briefcase from Mr. Kennedy because Kennedy was injured (IRL), and he used the briefcase to get the belt off the Undertaker, who was injured (IRL).

CM Punk cashed it in how he did because WWE wanted a Triple H vs Edge feud on Smackdown. Problem was, Triple H was WWE champ and Edge was WHC. That would have left Raw without a top tier title. Answer...CM Punk cashes in MITB.

As far as ABR winning with the MITB cash in, I honestly believe that had Edge not have retired after 'Mania, that ABR would have won the World Title at Extreme Rules.

Just because a concept seems to be stale doesn't mean it is. This years Smackdown MITB match was one of the best matches all year for WWE.

And for people complaining that Big Show should have been given another run with the title, he's like the Undertaker, Triple H, Randy Orton and John Cena. He doesn't need the title to be over. He knows that, the fans know that.

 

[BarryHorowitzfanclub]

It's fine to have the MITB, but really, we don't need two MITB "winners"
Step1 : keep it at WM only. (make it special again)
Step2 : have someone lose with it once, ever. Again, make it less obvious who will win; I can't care that 100% of the time the MITB winner sneak attacks. Just don't let it work every time. People are sick of this the same reason they're sick of Cena: it ALWAYS works.
Step 3: ????
Step 4: profit

 

[b.m.chunk]

The problem is the rules applied to the case. It's basically a 1 shot 24/7 you win the case and you cash it in when ever you feel like.

I feel like it should be used as a royal rumble type thing where you win an it gets you a match at summer slam in a match of your choosing. Having people cash in on worn out guys after a big match is cheap and it cheapens the value of the belt.

Sure it's you get the suprise factor when some one cashes in but it's working against them they throw the belt on a guy who isn't ready like bryan with out really good build after he's lost pretty much every match he's been in for weeks how is any one going to view him as legit?

They should take the belt off him on friday. now he's got a taste of the prize make him start pulling out wins put him in a rumble spot match and have him win. then we all get what we went bryan at mania for the belt what we were told we were gunna get.

Also what bugs me about his win is the fact he pinned show. Why not have henry win and have brian cash on him?

 

[Jack-Hammer]

In some cases, such as with CM Punk & Jack Swagger, it seems that the WWE lost confidence in them after they cashed in and won the title. In the case of CM Punk, he was just never really given an opportunity when he had the title the first couple of times. He was someone that was more than capable inside the ring and on the mic, but he wasn't really given a chance to actually "be champion". When it comes to Swagger, he just flat out wasn't ready. Swagger had literally done nothing and been nothing for months and suddenly came out of nowhere to win MITB, cashed it in only days later and became a World Heavyweight Champion that people had no reason to invest in.

In the case of Daniel Bryan, it's so difficult to say or to even speculate what's going to happen. Before Bryan got lost in the shuffle for the build to WrestleMania, he was doing a great job as United States Champion and, overall, I thought he had a respectable run. Ultimately, however, the WWE felt there were bigger things going than Bryan at the time. Now, here we are at roughly the same time and one has to wonder if it's going to happen again. Mark Henry's injury looks to have definitely thrown a monkeywrench into whatever plans were made. He's said to have been working with a very bad groin pull and was even pulled off the house show schedule this past weekend. What it looked like was going to happen was for Bryan to be on a build for WM in a David vs. Goliath type of situation against Henry so they moved things up. I don't really have an issue with how Bryan cashed in, due partially to the injury, but also due to the attempt at cashing it in a few weeks ago. In Bryan's promo, he basically explained that he's human. He's a flawed guy, like all of us, that went back on his word because he had an opportuntiy to make a life long dream come true. I think it's a perfectly understandable explanation for a face cashing in MITB the way that he did. It wasn't perfect or necessarily heroic, but opportunity knocked & Bryan answered it.

As for the concept in and of itself, I wouldn't expect it to go away anytime soon. The simple fact is that the vast majority of WWE viewers do still enjoy the MITB concept. The MITB match in and of itself is, arguably, the most popular gimmick match in wrestling right now. Let's face it, most of us look forward to it and the concept grew so popular that WWE decided to give said concept it's own ppv. MITB was arguably the best ppv of the year as well and, let's face it, MITB still adds a dash of the unpredictable to the WWE. It's increasingly hard to "shock" or genuinely surprise anyone and the concept of being able to cash in a contract for a World Championship match anytime & anywhere without any shred of notice is able to accomplish that. The only problem is that despite the claimes made by many, they tend to not actually want something unpredictable. More often than not, what they actually want to see happen are the scenarios that they themselves have played out in their minds.

 

[a member of wwe universe]

Nobody finds excitement or cares about it? Strange, I guess Daniel Bryan cashing in wasn't exciting or anyone caring. Nope, you're just full of shit. Having a chance to cash in is what makes the MITB concept fun and exciting for fans. It can be after a beat down, after a match, or if the guy wants, a straight up match. Overdone a bit? Sure, but a lot of things are overdone. Hell people complained about Randy Orton doing the RKO to a diving opponent last night. That should tell you something right there.






Okay now I know you are full of shit. Punk's first reign was complete dog shit. Sure, but we all know it wasn't meant for him in the first place. It was thrown together last minute thanks to Jeff Hardy. But you calling his second reign horrible, I just can't help but laugh. Cashing in on Jeff Hardy and having a GREAT feud with him for that summer was definitely not a failure. The guy had soooo much heat on him it was ridiculous. Then he went on to do the SES and garner more heat.

Now as far as the concept goes, I think it's just the E's fallback into lazy booking. It's an easy way for a guy to get a big cheer or big boo. Now when you look at Miz, he was the only one in recent memory truly built up to be a threat and earn his spot before and after he won the briefcase. Del Rio has been pushed like the dickens for the past year but nobody cares. His Mexican aristocratic character is a boring bastard that I couldn't give two shits about. Bring something new to the table instead of talking about your destiny. Add dimension to the character.

Swagger they tried to legitimize, but it just didn't work. I don't know why, I can't remember his run on SmackDown.

As far as Bryan goes, it's kind of a wait and see where it goes project. It's easy to criticize his cash-in right now or say "What the fuck did he do to be able to cash it in?" because we don't know where it's going. For all we know he could go on to have an interesting run with the title and become a big player for years to come. He could also fall flat on his face, be relegated back to the mid-card, and never sniff the main event again. We need to see what happens.

What I'm getting at is that now the MITB concept looks like it's meant to create stars, not a guy on the cusp. It helped with CM Punk and helped Miz along. Del Rio and Swagger failed badly. What happens down the line, well we will see.

OO no some douche bag with a litte rep came here and call me full of shit and he is . Im hurt. Perhaps base on your comment toward me it seems you're just one of those angry fanboy that cant take people criticism without lashing back.

So you expect ppl, atleast the majority, to suddenly view cm punk as this CREDIBLE heel, A MAIN EVENTER because he drawed massive (i ll give him credit for that) heel heat in his feud w/ hardy in that few months. Taking into account that he was a complete chump during his first world title reign. Cm punk's credibility as a main eventer was severely damaged, which something cannot be repaired with heel heat I guess you just have this perception that a main eventer can be built when he has a world title run rather then building him from the bottom. Cm punk did not take off until the adoption of the jesus gimmick. Perhaps you did not get my point completely. I do not give a shit how much heat he draws. WHEN A WRESTLER WINS THE WORLD TITLE, HE SHOULD BE THE BEST, CREDIBLE AND DOES NOT NEED SOME HEAT TO RECOVER HIS STATUS. Cena, austin, rock, eddie, angle, etc. were the top guy the moment they won the title.

Well why have creative in the first place when we can just slap some midcarders against cena and the guy will automatically be a credible top player? I guess you're one of those dweebs with short term memory that like to ignore the past. You can continuing your BS talking about how wonderful his feud was with taker blahblahblah. However i made my point about this second reign.

Excitement. If you are referring to that one time orgasm that fans have where the guy cashes in, oo ya. What happen before ward? Im referring to long term you moron. If you like the concept of mitb because of its surprise element, fine by me. Go start a petition to bring back the hardcore title how about that? This is the world title, it has years of prestigiousness and worn by many great wrestlers through hard work and dedication. It should not be used on MITB for the sakes of a five minutes excitement and leave no impact afterward. It only brings down the value of the championship as far as im concern. It should be a special moment, cherished by fans and the wrestler, where a guy wins the title through the traditional route. Just like Benoit and Eddie title victory. Im not in contradiction, if a MITB cash in can be done properly (like edge and rvd cash in) without becoming repetitive, i fully support it. However im not seeing that.

The first few MITBs were exciting because you dont know what to anticipate. Now these days you know every time whenever the mitb winners are crowned, they are going to cash in on somebody unexpected. (oo ya we have two MITB winners ever year that just makes it even more repetitve) So why should i give a shit when i know every year the winners are going to do the same thing like the last one. The only surprise element is the victim. Dont tell me youre gonna stay all orgasm for a year because of that? Ok then

 

[Best in the World 79]

Me personally, I've never like the idea of any guy coming in and just pinning someone for the strap. I like an actual wrestling match with interest, good match, and exciting finish - kind of world title match. Or maybe i've lost touch with professional wrestling.........

The way Rob Van Dam did it was fucking classic. The venue. The match. Awe man announcing the ECW champion! That's awesome.

The way Kane did it. He came out to help Rey. Then, fuck you, you little bastard, I'm gonna take your belt. WE all knew Kane deserved that.

If Bryan would've cashed in at mania? Normal match. Would've had intrigue. He could've said, the wwe will never give me a title shot, so i got it myself. on the grandest stage kinda thing. but oh well

del rio is a little bitch of a champion. so is miz. i could never even take edge seriously and i was a fan of his. i just don't like pinning somebody or hitting one move and taking the belt. especially your first title win?? it's like the wwe saying.... we can't build these guys for credible for your respect or liking.....WE'LL JUST GIVE EM THE BIG BLINGY BELT.

 

[JJ15776]

There's really nothing wrong with the current concept on paper. The only thing I'd change about the surprise factor is giving the champion one minute to recover/prepare for the match. They do that in Ironman matches and 2-out-of-3 Falls matches between falls, so there's a precedent. Give the champ a minute to get to his feet and get his act together before you ring the bell.

Also, I'd strongly consider cutting back to one MITB match per year. You're really stretching yourself by requiring two per year, and that's why you're seeing guys like Daniel Bryan and The Miz winning when they shouldn't. Cut back to one, 4-5 guys from each brand. That'll solve your problems.

 

[CH David]

OO no some douche bag with a litte rep came here and call me full of shit and he is . Im hurt. Perhaps base on your comment toward me it seems you're just one of those angry fanboy that cant take people criticism without lashing back.

Lulz. Did you not see the part where I said Punk's first reign was complete dog shit? Or did you just not want to acknowledge that? His second reign, which I actually mean as his feud with Jeff Hardy, was one of the best in a long time.

So you expect ppl, atleast the majority, to suddenly view cm punk as this CREDIBLE heel, A MAIN EVENTER because he draw massive (i ll give him credit for that) heel heat from hardy in a few month.

Well considering it was a main event feud that was the focus of SmackDown for the final duration of Jeff Hardy being with the company, yeah I do.

Taking into account that he was a complete chump during his first world title reign. Cm punk's credbility as a main eventer was severely damaged, which something cannot be repaired with heel heat in a few month

.

Considering the original plan was for Jeff to capture the case instead, and then feeding him to Batista, you can't fault Punk. The first reign was thrown together and yes, Punk did suffer, but because of how good he is, he was able to come back and have an even better run the following year.

I guess you just have this perception that a main eventer can be built when he has a world title run rather then building him from the bottom.

You'd guess wrong. Did I not say anything positive about Miz? I believe I did. But because you got butthurt from me sayin' you're full of shit, you probably overlooked it. It's possible that a guy can be built up while having a title reign. Punk's second cash in is a great example of that. Del Rio was pushed as a main event guy but nobody gives a shit about him.

Cm punk did not take off until the adoption of the jesus gimmick.

Again, you're full of it and you know it. Punk had major heel heat, which you admitted. He gained steam moving forward with the SES, didn't just take off.

Well why have creative in the first place when we can just slap some midcarders against cena and the guy will automatically be a credible top player?

Why are you trying to tell me what I said? I never said any of that, and didn't even insinuate it. But no you can't do that unless you plan to keep up his heat (face/heel).

I guess you're one of those dweebs with short term memory that like to ignore the past. You can continuing your BS talking about how wonderful his feud was with taker blahblahblah. However i made my point about this second reign.

Who said anything about Undertaker? I sure as hell didn't. Again you trying to read into something that's not there is kinda funny. His feud with Taker was sub-par for a few reasons. One, coming off the Hardy feud it's kinda difficult to keep his heat going when his best rival, a drug addled man, is gone. How do you talk about straight edge defeating mystical forces? Doesn't help. And no, your point wasn't made.

Excitement. If you are referring to that one time orgasm that fans have where the guy cashes in, oo ya.

Nope. I'm referring the possibility of a guy cashing in potentially at a given time. What's more exciting, a chance to see a title change when you go to an event, or not seeing a title possibly change hands?

What happen before ward?

What's before ward? Not a term I'm familiar with.

Im referring to long term you moron.

What's with the name calling? Do you have a vaginal itch? Too much sand in there?

If you like the concept of mitb because of its surprise element, fine by me.

Glad we cleared that up.

Go start a petition to bring back the hardcore title how about that?

What's this talk of the hardcore title? Why do you bring in useless information? You're terrible at this.

This is the world title, it has years of prestigiousness and worn by many great wrestlers through hard work and dedication. It should not be used on MITB for the sakes of a five minutes excitement and leave no impact afterward.

So a new champ leaves no impact? It's not just about the now, but how it's used going forward.

It should be a special moment, cherished by fans and the wrestler, where a guy wins the title through the traditional route. Just like Benoit and Eddie title reign. Im not contradicting myself, if a MITB cash in can be done properly (like edge and rvd cash in) without becoming repetitve, i fully support it. However im not seeing that.

It doesn't hurt going that route, and is in fact very exciting. But it's all about where you go with it! Regardless if it's a straight up match or cashing in.

The first few MITBs were exciting because you dont know what to anticipate. Now these days you know every time whenever the mitb winners are crowned, they are going to cash in on somebody unexpected. (oo ya we have two MITB winners everyear that just makes it even more repetitve)

I agree with this.

So why should i give a shit when i know every year the winners are going to do the same thing like the last one. The only surprise element is the victim. Dont tell me youre gonna stay all orgasm for a year because of that? Ok then

Who said anything about staying excited for a whole year about a cash in? More shit you're just trying to put in. What is exciting is the potential to see a cash in at any given time while you have the briefcase. Where it goes from there is the important part about MITB. The guy that won needs to continue to develop as a character, or someone needs to finally lose.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

The key to this is to alternate... One MITB winner every 2 years, King Of The Ring the other year.. Make both PPV's every 2 years and the 5th big one...

Make each unique, MITB guarantees a title shot throughout the year, KOTR the main event of Summerslam... that way you have a way for people to lose as well as win and create a new star every year...