MITB Pattern/Formula?

[DEGENERATE KID]

I was thnking about this the other day.
Del Rio cashed in his MITB briefcase against Punk. Before that Punk cashed in his MITB briefcase against Edge, who also happens to be a former MITB winner. Do you think it's some kind of pattern or a way of changing the guard? Thoughts?

 

[Dagger Dias]

I never really noticed that. It is simply a coincidence though. Last year Miz and Kane cashed in on Orton and Rey, respectively. Punk cashed in on Hardy his second time. It is not always on a former MITB winner. I don't necessarily see it as a changing of the guard because guys like Kane have already held world titles. However, it is a very good way to help someone new break into the main event and to find a champion as a back up plan if the current champ needs to take time off for injuries.

 

[Mustang Sally]

However, it is a very good way to help someone new break into the main event and to find a champion as a back up plan if the current champ needs to take time off for injuries.

That's true. By now, though, they have to start changing the pattern. So far, you can look at the MITB winner and know he's going to be a world champion as soon as he cashes in, right?

Also, we know that the cash-in won't be a scheduled match-up with the title holder (or with a non-title holder, for that matter); it's going to be an opportunistic run-in.

Further, except for Rob Van Dam, we know the MITB will be a bad guy, or at least will be a heel at the time he cashes in.

MITB is an inspired gimmick in a sport that's always crying out for something new, but WWE is simply going to have to change up some of the familiar patterns they've followed with MITB in order to keep it relevant.

I incorrectly thought the pattern changer was going to be Alberto Del Rio. I figured he wasn't really ready to be a world champion yet, and that when he cashed in, the guy holding the title would defeat him, resulting in he and his ring announcer throwing a shit-fit that would have the fans cheering wildly. Wrong!

Now, I'm thinking Daniel Bryan will be the one to alter the pattern. As a good guy, I get the feeling he won't be as apt to go after an exhausted champion who has just defended his title in a brutal match-up, making him easy prey for the MITB holder. I think Bryan will announce his intentions in advance and face the champion in a fair fight, as he's said he would do at WM.

But, one way or the other, they have to switch up some time.

So far:

MITB winner = eventual World Champion............and that's too predictable to remain exciting for very long.

 

[Sheamus' Suntan]

Nope. There's no formula...

Look at it this way;

ADR cashed in on CM Punk.
Miz, the year before, cashed in on Cena, who has never even been in a MITB match.
Same year, Kane cashed in on Rey.
Jack Swagger cashed in on Chris Jericho who has never won a MITB.
Punk actually cashed in Jeff Hardy the last time who had not won a MITB neither, but did cash in on Edge, the previous years winner the year before.

They put the person over who is their "top draw" on the show at that current point in time. Punk is selling loads of merch right now and is probably, but only just, their top draw at the minute.

Cena was the cash in for Miz and was without a doubt the top draw at the time.

Jericho was drawing high and was the top draw for the smackdown brand at that moment in time, Rey arguably is ALWAYS a top draw due to the masks.

Hardy was the most over guy at his time too so Punk going over made sense.

It's an elevation thing - to put someone over the big draw of the show.

 

[Justin Satiable]

The only pattern I ever truly saw with MITB was that Edge was directly involved in every single MITB cash-in that had been earned at a Wrestlemania. Just for curiousities sake for people who haven't heard this before and are interested:

2005 - Edge wins MITB and cashes in on Cena at New Year's Revolution
2006 - RVD cashes in MITB to beat Cena at One Night Stand after interference from Edge
2007 - Edge convinces Mr. Kennedy to put his briefcase on the line in a match. Edge wins and cashes in on Undertaker.
2008 - CM Punk cashes in the briefcase to beat Edge.
2009 - CM Punk cashes in MITB on Jeff Hardy, who had just won the title from Edge.
2010 - Jack Swagger cashes in MITB to beat Chris Jericho, who had just been assaulted by... *drumroll* Edge.

Up until the birth of the Money In The Bank PPV, Edge truly was Mr. Money In The Bank. Wouldn't it be interesting if the match was pulled from 'Mania just so that this perfect streak wouldn't be broken after Edge was gone? It's not true, but it would be cool if it was.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

What really boggles my mind is that they have two Money in the Bank ladder matches instead of one. It was obvious this year that they did not even know who to give the briefcase to. Del Rio already was #1 Contender and Daniel Bryan seems like filler.

They should have had ONE big Money in the Bank ladder match and they should have given the briefcase to Dolph Ziggler.

It gives the match more prestige similar to the Royal Rumble.

I also think we should have a few changes. It should be a gauntlet match like the Royal Rumble, there should be 30 participants, but the big difference is that people are eliminated by pinfall or submission. And the briefcase is off limits until 24 wrestlers have been eliminated. 6 men, 1 briefcase.

That would give the match an aura of epicness and it will give it much more importance.

 

[axelsteel21]

I've always liked TNA's feast or fired idea, so why not have three or four MITB's rather than wwe and WHC have , a diva's case, a tag case a IC/US Case and a World/wwe case.... that way the holder could cash at any point on a champ from either show, currently as we saw Del rio cashed on Punk the WWE Champ and Bryan has said he's cashing on the WHC at Mania... just my thoughts

 

[JH92]

I think most people are wondering whether they'll finally cut off this tradition of MITB being an almost definite guarantee of being the next champ. It is true that it's getting repetitive seeing the same pattern emerge every time, although that was similar to how the Royal Rumble to Wrestlemania pattern got a bit old. Every year it was practically guaranteed that the Royal Rumble winner was the next Wrestlemania winner (I think this worked from 2000-2009 maybe?). When Edge lost at Wrestlemania against Jericho, I thought it was incredibly anti-climactic. Basically where I'm going with this is there can only be so many MITB winners that succeed in a row before WWE decides "Okay we gotta change the pattern." But it could be really bad for someone's career, for example, look at Daniel Bryan's losing streak now. If he lost his MITB opportunity now he'd look terrible.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Further, except for Rob Van Dam, we know the MITB will be a bad guy, or at least will be a heel at the time he cashes in.

Not quite. CM Punk in 2008 cashed it in on Edge to give him a taste of his own medicine, and did it as a face. He was a face the whole time he held the briefcase. Other than that year and RVD you're right though.

Now, I'm thinking Daniel Bryan will be the one to alter the pattern. As a good guy, I get the feeling he won't be as apt to go after an exhausted champion who has just defended his title in a brutal match-up, making him easy prey for the MITB holder. I think Bryan will announce his intentions in advance and face the champion in a fair fight, as he's said he would do at WM.

Bryan is definitely being built up to do something different. What makes you think he will lose though? If he cashes in at Wrestlemania and loses then an entire year of building him up would have been for nothing. If he wins then it will be a huge moment for him, as well as for the fans. He would be the first to do it at Wrestlemania and make it a fair fight. Miz should have been the first to cash in and lose. I think that we will be able to see it coming when someone is going to be the first to lose after a cash in. Someone who doesn't seem like they should be a MITB winner, someone who will never be a main eventer. Bryan has a bright future ahead of him and they want to do something different for him. I do agree though that it needs to change somehow because if everyone does it as an opportunist then it will just get old an predictable.

 

[The Duke]

Anyone who thinks that Daniel Bryan will EVER be able to cash in that brief case is very delusional. Daniel(son) will end up losing that briefcase ala Mr. Kennedy before Mania and my guess is he's going to lose it to....Wade Barrett. Barrett showed that he can play in the Main Event playground with the whole Nexus/Cena/Punk angle. Corre was an AWFUL attempt to create Nexus and we all see how that went. I think that the E wants Barrett to be the future WHC and they're filling him in around for now but he'll get that push, probably around Rumble time.

As for the whole formula, yeah, no pattern. Just happens to be a great chance to elevate some guys and see how they can do. I think ADR should've lost as he BALLS on the mic and this was the wrong time but whatever. I would like to see them go back to 1 match instead of a Raw AND Smackdown winner because then you give a guy a chance to pick which champion he wants to hit up. Great way to move a guy between shows and give someone a fresh start. I don't dig a whole PPV dedicated to it. MITB is a GREAT way to showcase your future talent at Mania, that's how it should be.