The Art of the "Cash-In"

[EZMoney20]

On April 3, 2005, the first official “Money in the Bank” match took place at Wrestlemania 21. As we know, Edge reigned supreme that evening and earned an unprecedented championship opportunity: the right to challenge for the WWE Championship at ANYTIME within the next year.

Surprisingly and impressively, Edge showed great patience and rather than immediately cashing in his contract, he waited for the perfect moment. As the calendar year wound down, Edge still held the briefcase and no magic had occurred yet.

Finally, on January 8, 2006 (over 9 months later), Edge shocked the world at the New Year’s Revolution pay-per-view. After champion, John Cena, survived a hard fought battle inside an Elimination Chamber against Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Kane, Carlito, and Chris Masters, Vince McMahon unexpectedly made his way out onto the ramp. From there, he stated that New Year’s Revolution was NOT over yet because Edge was cashing in his championship opportunity immediately. Battered, bloodied, and bruised, John Cena was in complete shock. With nothing left in the tank, Cena offered little resistance, and Edge became the WWE Champion for the 1st time in his illustrious career.

Edge’s cash-in was brilliant and unexpected, and as a result, the “Money in the Bank” concept has continued through today. Overall, there have been a total of 18 cash-in attempts with 15 challengers winning the match and claiming the Championship, 2 challengers losing the match and failing to claim the Championship, and 1 challenger winning the match BUT failing to claim the Championship.

The “Money in the Bank” concept was original, innovative, and has made for some unpredictable and exciting moments, but at this point, the “cash-in” no longer feels fresh. Granted, there is NO need to eliminate the match or the pay-per-view altogether, but I feel that in order for the “cash-in” to really create buzz again, the WWE has to come up with more creative attempts.

While many are furious that Baron Corbin blew his opportunity against Jinder Mahal, I am NOT simply because the result was unexpected. Putting personal feelings aside for Corbin and Mahal, I was pleased that the predictably of an “automatic” win was thwarted, and hopefully that continues moving forward.

Let’s be real, though. How exciting are “failed” attempts? Sure, they may be unpredictable, but they can also be deflating to the fans. With so many years gone by and so many cash-ins attempted, however, have we finally come to a point where we have seen it all? My answer: an emphatic NO!

Below, I have a few unique ways to cash in that have yet to be done, and quite frankly, haven’t even been teased.

The Full Circle or Ironic Cash-In: Simply put, the briefcase and contract holder would cash in during a “Ladder” or “TLC” match. For optimal results, the briefcase and contract holder should wait for a BIG spot to occur in which the competitors of the match fall off a ladder and crash to the outside in absolute agony. From there, the briefcase and contract holder can strut down to the ring, inform the referee that he is entering the match, setup a ladder, climb to the top, unhook the Belt, and win the WWE Championship in the EXACT fashion that he won the “Money in the Bank” briefcase and contract. Everything comes full circle. Oh, the irony.

The Minimal Effort Cash-In: If you think cashing in during a “Ladder” or “TLC” match is easy, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The following “cash-in” is so lazy (and brilliant) that I can hardly call it an attempt at all! In this scenario, the briefcase and contract holder will bide his time as patiently as Edge and hope for the most ideal match of them all: the “Cage” match. Once this stipulation is announced, the briefcase and contract holder will be lurking in the weeds like a viper ready to strike (excuse the overused pun). As soon as a HUGE move is executed, such as a superplex, the briefcase and contract holder will RUN (not strut) down to the ring. He will inform the referee as quickly as possible that he is entering the match. The outside referee will have to unlock the cage as quickly as possible, and the briefcase and contract holder will have to rush into the ring. From there, as soon as the bell rings, he will demand that the outside referee reopens the door, and the briefcase and contract holder can THEN take his sweet time leaving the ring as the 2 (or more) competitors inside the ring are completely clueless. Could you be any lazier?

The M. Night Shyamalan or Rowdy Roddy Piper Cash-In: The previous 2 examples are near foolproof ways for the briefcase and contract holder to win the Title, but who doesn’t love a good twist? Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions! In this situation, the champion is in a non-championship match against an opponent (or opponents), and the briefcase and contract holder marches down to the ring to declare that he will cash-in his championship opportunity immediately. While it seems straightforward enough, the original opponent now has the opportunity of a lifetime competing for a Championship without being the #1 contender or having the “Money in the Bank” briefcase and contract. Can the superstar shock the world and win the Title? Stay tuned…

The 1st two scenarios most likely call for the “chicken” heel to use those sneaky yet brilliant methods. The 3rd scenario is obviously not a very bright decision by the briefcase and contract holder, but we have seen babyfaces in the past use questionable judgement. Maybe, the briefcase and contract holder can’t wait to get his hands on said champion or maybe, the briefcase and contract holder just wants to prove that he is a “true” champion and is above taking shortcuts to championship glory.

Regardless, none of the above scenarios have happened before, and I would love to see a fresh angle with the “Money in the Bank” cash-in.

Do you have any ideas? Share.

 

[The Perfect Max]

I love your first idea. The imagery alone that it conjures would be something, especially if a long period of time had extended between the Money in the Bank ladder match and the cash-in, and if they grabbed the briefcase and title in the same pose and manner. As for the second idea, it makes tonnes of sense, and actually isn't far-fetched either. It is the ultimate chicken shit win though, and I don't know if it would ever come to pass purely because of how anti-climatic it is. Having said that, with the right star and with the right audience, it could make for a pretty cool moment. The third idea would indeed be ultimately very stupid and will probably never happen. Credit for naming it after M Night Shyamalan though.

Honestly quite a few ideas have already been used up in reality. It's just about picking unique spots and different moments to do it in. But some cool cash in's are sometimes just happenstance. The night all three members of The Shield were champion was very special and didn't require anything other than the three guys in the ring. No fancy stipulations or timing. It was just about those involved.

They always stress "any time, any place", so I'm waiting for somebody to cash in on a current champion while they're sleeping in their hotel bed and stream it on Facebook Live. How ridiculous it would indeed be, but I'd see the funny side and enjoy it for that anyway. In reality it would be absolutely stupid to do, but they once had the Hardcore Championship defended in a child's play zone so anything can happen.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

MITB winner wins the Royal Rumble
Why hasn't this happened yet? So the MITB winner will win the Rumble. Now he goes onto WM to challenge for the World Championship without having wasted his MITB opportunity! Which leads to two scenarios:

a) He wins the title at Wrestlemania and still holds the briefcase. Which means that even if he loses the belt down the line, he still has a rematch clause and if all fails, he can still cash in and take back the belt.

b) He fails to win at Wrestlemania, but cashes-in after the match on an unexpected opponent.

The MITB winner cashes in on another MITB winner
So the MITB winner has one full year to cash-in, meaning that when the next MITB PPV rolls around, he could still hold the briefcase. So, now you have the new MITB winner and the old one at the same place at the same time and only chaos can come from that that night.

Seeing a face doing a RVD-type of cash-in where he chooses a pre-determined place with a special match stipulation would also be nice.

 

[therockiswwf]

The Full Circle or Ironic Cash-In: Simply put, the briefcase and contract holder would cash in during a “Ladder” or “TLC” match. For optimal results, the briefcase and contract holder should wait for a BIG spot to occur in which the competitors of the match fall off a ladder and crash to the outside in absolute agony. From there, the briefcase and contract holder can strut down to the ring, inform the referee that he is entering the match, setup a ladder, climb to the top, unhook the Belt, and win the WWE Championship in the EXACT fashion that he won the “Money in the Bank” briefcase and contract. Everything comes full circle. Oh, the irony.

This really isn't that new. It is just doing what Rollins did but adding a ladder.

The Minimal Effort Cash-In: If you think cashing in during a “Ladder” or “TLC” match is easy, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet. The following “cash-in” is so lazy (and brilliant) that I can hardly call it an attempt at all! In this scenario, the briefcase and contract holder will bide his time as patiently as Edge and hope for the most ideal match of them all: the “Cage” match. Once this stipulation is announced, the briefcase and contract holder will be lurking in the weeds like a viper ready to strike (excuse the overused pun). As soon as a HUGE move is executed, such as a superplex, the briefcase and contract holder will RUN (not strut) down to the ring. He will inform the referee as quickly as possible that he is entering the match. The outside referee will have to unlock the cage as quickly as possible, and the briefcase and contract holder will have to rush into the ring. From there, as soon as the bell rings, he will demand that the outside referee reopens the door, and the briefcase and contract holder can THEN take his sweet time leaving the ring as the 2 (or more) competitors inside the ring are completely clueless. Could you be any lazier?

This is pretty much a regular cash-in. Orton did a lazier cash-in. All he had to do was cover Bryan.

The M. Night Shyamalan or Rowdy Roddy Piper Cash-In: The previous 2 examples are near foolproof ways for the briefcase and contract holder to win the Title, but who doesn’t love a good twist? Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions! In this situation, the champion is in a non-championship match against an opponent (or opponents), and the briefcase and contract holder marches down to the ring to declare that he will cash-in his championship opportunity immediately. While it seems straightforward enough, the original opponent now has the opportunity of a lifetime competing for a Championship without being the #1 contender or having the “Money in the Bank” briefcase and contract. Can the superstar shock the world and win the Title? Stay tuned…

The casher-in would never recover from doing such a stupid move. It would make him the biggest geek on the planet. I wouldn't be shocked by the other person winning. I would be shocked by the stupidity of it.

I think I might be the only person who still likes the MITB concept and I don't need it being complicated.

They always stress "any time, any place", so I'm waiting for somebody to cash in on a current champion while they're sleeping in their hotel bed and stream it on Facebook Live. How ridiculous it would indeed be, but I'd see the funny side and enjoy it for that anyway. In reality it would be absolutely stupid to do, but they once had the Hardcore Championship defended in a child's play zone so anything can happen.

You do not do comedy with the main title. Comedy doesn't draw. There is no drama with the cash-in as no one would see it live. As you said, that would be stupid.

b) He fails to win at Wrestlemania, but cashes-in after the match on an unexpected opponent.

This feels like a swerve for the sake of a swerve.

The MITB winner cashes in on another MITB winner
So the MITB winner has one full year to cash-in, meaning that when the next MITB PPV rolls around, he could still hold the briefcase. So, now you have the new MITB winner and the old one at the same place at the same time and only chaos can come from that that night.

That would take a lot of long-term planning which with how wrestling works nowadays, is pretty hard. That would mean purposely booking a guy with a briefcase for a year to do pretty much nothing but a holding pattern. The Rumble idea where they win the title would also take long-term planning. It would be a really roundabout way to get back to where they were at Mania.

 

[Un-Bo-Lievable Jeff]

Some of the ideas floated have a chance but there are a few things that wouldn't work assuming some logic is used.

MITB isn't always within 365 days from the last one. Most of the time it would be pretty close, but not guaranteed. Assuming it is, and then surely everyone would know it was going to be cashed in? Because what clown would intentionally let the contract run out.

The cage match/ladder match scenarios would work. But I thought (although the Daniel Bryan cash in contradicts this) that to start a match, participants need to be able to start. If all ladder/cage participants are down, the ref can't really start the match can they? And, why would you enter a ladder/cage match, instead of just waiting for it to finish and cashing in on the champion who has been through a full match rather than 50% of one?

There isn't much left to be done with MITB now. Apart from using it in a random match, the shock factor isn't there as much, as fans are smarter to the cash in's (e.g. shouting for DZ after mania). The only shock left could be for it to happen in public, rather than on a show. Something along the lines of the champ doing an interview on Jimmy Fallon, and gets attacked by MITB holder.

 

[HeenanGorilla]

This really isn't that new. It is just doing what Rollins did but adding a ladder.

I wondered why you went to such lengths to piss on these creative ideas, when you feel the MITB is fine the way it is. In fact, I wondered why you responded at all, if that was the case. To paraphrase part of your response, it seems like a response for the sake of a response.

But this one that I referenced above, I kept going back to it because at first (and second and third) glance, it sounded like a stupid response. I am now on my tenth glance and am convinced that this was indeed a stupid response. It's just what Rollins did, but adding a ladder?? Look at it this way.. If you told someone, who missed a PPV, that there was a cash-in and the person "did what Rollins did, but just added a ladder", do you think even one in a million people would picture what the OP wrote in their mind? That is in no way "just what Rollins did but adding a ladder". Haha, I mean come on.

The OP has some really creative ideas--which I know, in general, get crapped on here because most people would like to discuss a Cena heel turn and Reigns being the face of the company over and over and over--but why did you respond if you had nothing to offer? I guess certain people need to respond to all questions because, in their mind, people care what they think. That's all I can come up with.

To the OP, I recently posted a similar thread looking for creative ways to use the Rumble because, in my opinion, the title match at Mania stipulation is stale. I like where you're coming from and will see what I can come up with for MITB. Thanks for sharing your ideas! Far-fetched or not, they are interesting and certainly conversation-starting. Good post!

 

[HeenanGorilla]

Ok, I just came up with something. This is along the lines of RVD, announcing when and where he would cash in his contract ahead of time, rather than a last-minute, opportunistic cash-in. For this idea, the MITB match would take place at Mania, rather than the MITB PPV. It would also need to be a person who has never main evented Mania OR had the title before, so I have chosen Kofi Kingston.

Kofi would win a MITB match at Mania and immediately--maybe in a backstage segment that night or even the next night on Raw--say how much FINALLY winning MITB meant to him. He had so many chances, but never knew what it felt like to stand at the top of that ladder with the briefcase. It was a dream of his to know what that felt like and it was as great as he had imagined. He then says that his other dream has always been to main event Mania and now he has the chance to make sure that happens. He is saving the briefcase for a title shot at the next Mania. (sure MITB doesn't necessarily mean "main event", but stay with me here).

Kofi then goes through the year competing, still part of New Day or solo, whatever. Occasionally, but not every week, saying that he can't wait for his dream match at Mania. As the year goes on, and we get closer to Mania, he mentions it more often. Naturally, he gets more excited as the opportunity draws near. A little before Mania, but not too soon--maybe at the Rumble--Bray Wyatt interrupts an interview where Kofi is showing his excitement. He doesn't say a word. Kofi looks at him with a "what the hell are you doing here?" look and Bray just laughs. Bray then walks away and Kofi and the interviewer are left wondering what just happened.

Between Rumble and Mania, the mystery of who Kofi's eventual opponent will be starts to unfold. In ring, on Raw, Kofi--maybe on the Highlight Reel with Jericho, or maybe with Miz--can start to get excited about his upcoming Mania main event. We can then have Vince or HHH come out and tell Kofi that they understand his excitement and know he earned it, but they're sorry, he doesn't have the star power to headline Mania. He has been a great employee and has earned a title shot, but they cannot rely on him to sell the biggest event of the year. This devastates Kofi and gets the WWE Universe behind him, as they feel he has earned a WrestleMania moment. Fast forward a few weeks and, as a compromise, Kofi is added to the main event--let's say it's Brock vs. Braun-- as a third participant. Kofi realizes the hell he is stepping into, but is relieved and just grateful for the chance to headline Mania and get his shot at the World title. From here until Mania, fuel is added to the Brock/Braun fire and Kofi, who these two beasts feel will be nothing but a pest, is a non-factor in their minds.

Now, we are at Mania and the main event is about to start. Kofi is announced but does not come out. The other two are announced and come to the ring. On the screen, it is shown that Bray Wyatt has taken Kofi and locked him away somewhere. Kofi is desperately trying to get out like a mad man, but Bray just laughs. As Kofi realizes he is trapped and his fighting to get out is useless, he quiets down from exhaustion and Bray taunts Kofi saying that his MITB contract expires tonight and he has now lost his long-awaited shot at the title. That realization is shown on Kofi's face and we see a look of evil that we have never seen from Kofi before. The screen turns off, Brock and Braun look at each other, the bell rings and their match goes on. This is still a Mania-worthy main event and the two of them bring the house down.

Post-Mania, a new, evil Kofi is introduced...with Bray as his leader. He says that Bray has shown him how unfair the world is and Kofi goes on a refreshed heel run. It starts with New Day trying to snap him out of it and Kofi destroying them, legitimizing his turn. Kofi, led by Bray, will go on like this for a while. Eventually, Bray wins the title himself and Kofi realizes that Bray had used him the whole time. Kofi "snaps out of it", to the thrill of the WWE universe--who had really started to root for him before the previous Mania--and Kofi challenges Bray for the title at the upcoming Mania, finally getting his shot and winning the title.

The Kofi/Bray match does not necessarily need to close the show, but if done right, and Kofi has Daniel Bryan-level backing from the WWE Universe, he could pull it off and be the main event.

Whew, that was fun...started with an idea and just kept going as I typed. Looking forward to more ideas for MITB cashing. Haha!

 

[Un-Bo-Lievable Jeff]

Ok, I just came up with something. This is along the lines of RVD, announcing when and where he would cash in his contract ahead of time, rather than a last-minute, opportunistic cash-in. For this idea, the MITB match would take place at Mania, rather than the MITB PPV. It would also need to be a person who has never main evented Mania OR had the title before, so I have chosen Kofi Kingston.

Kofi would win a MITB match at Mania and immediately--maybe in a backstage segment that night or even the next night on Raw--say how much FINALLY winning MITB meant to him. He had so many chances, but never knew what it felt like to stand at the top of that ladder with the briefcase. It was a dream of his to know what that felt like and it was as great as he had imagined. He then says that his other dream has always been to main event Mania and now he has the chance to make sure that happens. He is saving the briefcase for a title shot at the next Mania. (sure MITB doesn't necessarily mean "main event", but stay with me here).

Kofi then goes through the year competing, still part of New Day or solo, whatever. Occasionally, but not every week, saying that he can't wait for his dream match at Mania. As the year goes on, and we get closer to Mania, he mentions it more often. Naturally, he gets more excited as the opportunity draws near. A little before Mania, but not too soon--maybe at the Rumble--Bray Wyatt interrupts an interview where Kofi is showing his excitement. He doesn't say a word. Kofi looks at him with a "what the hell are you doing here?" look and Bray just laughs. Bray then walks away and Kofi and the interviewer are left wondering what just happened.

Between Rumble and Mania, the mystery of who Kofi's eventual opponent will be starts to unfold. In ring, on Raw, Kofi--maybe on the Highlight Reel with Jericho, or maybe with Miz--can start to get excited about his upcoming Mania main event. We can then have Vince or HHH come out and tell Kofi that they understand his excitement and know he earned it, but they're sorry, he doesn't have the star power to headline Mania. He has been a great employee and has earned a title shot, but they cannot rely on him to sell the biggest event of the year. This devastates Kofi and gets the WWE Universe behind him, as they feel he has earned a WrestleMania moment. Fast forward a few weeks and, as a compromise, Kofi is added to the main event--let's say it's Brock vs. Braun-- as a third participant. Kofi realizes the hell he is stepping into, but is relieved and just grateful for the chance to headline Mania and get his shot at the World title. From here until Mania, fuel is added to the Brock/Braun fire and Kofi, who these two beasts feel will be nothing but a pest, is a non-factor in their minds.

Now, we are at Mania and the main event is about to start. Kofi is announced but does not come out. The other two are announced and come to the ring. On the screen, it is shown that Bray Wyatt has taken Kofi and locked him away somewhere. Kofi is desperately trying to get out like a mad man, but Bray just laughs. As Kofi realizes he is trapped and his fighting to get out is useless, he quiets down from exhaustion and Bray taunts Kofi saying that his MITB contract expires tonight and he has now lost his long-awaited shot at the title. That realization is shown on Kofi's face and we see a look of evil that we have never seen from Kofi before. The screen turns off, Brock and Braun look at each other, the bell rings and their match goes on. This is still a Mania-worthy main event and the two of them bring the house down.

Post-Mania, a new, evil Kofi is introduced...with Bray as his leader. He says that Bray has shown him how unfair the world is and Kofi goes on a refreshed heel run. It starts with New Day trying to snap him out of it and Kofi destroying them, legitimizing his turn. Kofi, led by Bray, will go on like this for a while. Eventually, Bray wins the title himself and Kofi realizes that Bray had used him the whole time. Kofi "snaps out of it", to the thrill of the WWE universe--who had really started to root for him before the previous Mania--and Kofi challenges Bray for the title at the upcoming Mania, finally getting his shot and winning the title.

The Kofi/Bray match does not necessarily need to close the show, but if done right, and Kofi has Daniel Bryan-level backing from the WWE Universe, he could pull it off and be the main event.

Whew, that was fun...started with an idea and just kept going as I typed. Looking forward to more ideas for MITB cashing. Haha!

Worth a read, but it's pretty much the Daniel Bryan/Randy Orton storyline and Kofi isn't going to get a big reaction from turning on Bray.

I thought the MITB contract meant you could cash in anytime/anywhere, so can't see HHH saying he can't be in the match. He has a contract saying he can.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

Worth a read, but it's pretty much the Daniel Bryan/Randy Orton storyline and Kofi isn't going to get a big reaction from turning on Bray.

Keep in mind though that the story you are referring to led to one of the biggest Mania moments of all time and helped turn a supporting player in to a "legend".

I thought the MITB contract meant you could cash in anytime/anywhere, so can't see HHH saying he can't be in the match. He has a contract saying he can.

That's kind of the point. You build heat on the authority figure by basically having the authority figure change the rules to fit their business agenda.

I think that it is a terrific idea (at least the first half). I would simplify it and get Bray Wyatt as far away as possible but the idea of conflict between the case holder, authority figure, and Rumble winner could make for terrific tv and possibly an incredibly meaningful February feud.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I may be in the minority but I still love the Money In The Bank concept. So, topics like this one are quite interesting to me. We've seen the traditional opportunistic cash-in's, as well as announcing ahead of time (which I am one of the few to strongly disagree with this method), cash-in's at Wrestlemania, cash-in's at Summerslam, even cash-in's at the same night the briefcase was won. At this point we have seen someone cash in at just about every type of show, whether opportunistic or not.

Then we have the briefcases themselves. There have been Raw exclusive ones restricting the winner to only challenge the red brand's World Champion that were often in red briefcases, as well as blue counterparts that were Smackdown exclusive and restricted the winner to challenging the blue brand's World Champion. There have also been times when the winner had his choice of more than one World Champion to cash in on. This year we saw the first ever Mrs Money In The Bank in Carmella winning a white briefcase. It has still yet to be seen if she would be able to challenge the Raw Women's Champion though it is implied she can only challenge the Smackdown Women's Champion.

I'm not interested in the Full Circle idea that the threadstarter had. It does not seem smart on the part of the briefcase holder to do something like this. If he's going to cash in during a match already in progress it should be one he has a good chance of winning. Given the danger of Ladder matches and TLC matches, there's better options. Plus we have already seen a cash-in during an ongoing match when Seth Rollins did it. Doing it during a Cage match would be too complicated to pull off without it looking dumb if you ask me. That goes for multiple other stipulations. Best to stick to the standard matches for a cash-in.

As for the cash-in with a twist that the threadstarter had in mind.... While it's an interesting idea, I disagree with any type of announcing ahead of time of a cash-in. Why not instead have him answer a champion's non-title challenge and then say the briefcase holder loses. He could out of frustration attack the champion. Then once the attack is over he cashes in and wins the title in a quick one-sided match following the non-title one, it's similar to the type of cash-in we see the most often with an additional layer to it. The briefcase holder pretty much has to be a heel in this scenario.

Something I want to see done that hasn't been done is using the briefcase as a defensive item rather than an offensive one. We have yet to see someone win a World Championship BEFORE he has had a chance to cash in a Money In The Bank briefcase. He could either use the briefcase to immediately win back a World Champion he lost or to add himself to a title match later on. Booking this could get complicated and people may end up not liking the results, however we have not yet seen someone win a World Championship during a Money In The Bank push while still also having the briefcase. Why not? It's something different. There now being a female briefcase holder also opens up the opportunity for a power couple to cash-in. It won't be this year since Corbin already messed up his opportunity and Carmella will probably be Smackdown Women's Champion soon. Next year maybe we could see that. They could cash-in together like Edge and Lita would have done back in the day if they had such an opportunity.

There's not much else that can be done to revise the Money In The Bank concept right now. The addition of a Mrs Money In The Bank was huge. Perhaps they could add a Tag Team Money In The Bank. It would be a cluster mess to book if not done properly, but it's something. They've done pretty much everything else with the concept in the 12 years it has been around.

 

[therockiswwf]

I wondered why you went to such lengths to piss on these creative ideas, when you feel the MITB is fine the way it is. In fact, I wondered why you responded at all, if that was the case. To paraphrase part of your response, it seems like a response for the sake of a response.

Pot calling the kettle black.

But this one that I referenced above, I kept going back to it because at first (and second and third) glance, it sounded like a stupid response. I am now on my tenth glance and am convinced that this was indeed a stupid response. It's just what Rollins did, but adding a ladder?? Look at it this way.. If you told someone, who missed a PPV, that there was a cash-in and the person "did what Rollins did, but just added a ladder", do you think even one in a million people would picture what the OP wrote in their mind? That is in no way "just what Rollins did but adding a ladder". Haha, I mean come on.

It is what Rollins did. He cashed-in during a match where both guys were dead. Except instead of pinning someone, he would climb a ladder.

The OP has some really creative ideas--which I know, in general, get crapped on here because most people would like to discuss a Cena heel turn and Reigns being the face of the company over and over and over--but why did you respond if you had nothing to offer? I guess certain people need to respond to all questions because, in their mind, people care what they think. That's all I can come up with.

I hate the well at least they tried something new saying. No, if something is shitty, it is shitty. Same concept here. If some "creative" idea is pitched and I don't like it, I can state that. If other people like the idea and consider it new, then more power to them. I don't.

I had no idea that you were a psychologist. Thanks for analyzing me. However, you should know that it is frowned upon to analyze people from afar.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Another thing the MITB winner could do is to change the shape of a card. For example, for Summerslam we had Cena vs Corbin and Nakamura vs Mahal for the championship. If Corbin had succeded cashing-in, then Corbin vs Cena would have become the title match and Nakamura vs Mahal would turn into a non-title match.

Another angle is something similiar to Prometheus stealing the fire of the gods. On RAW, you have a heel authority figure. That authority figure, after certain events, bans a face wrestler and fires him from RAW. Let's say, Seth Rollins for example. Rollins goes to Smackdown, because he has nowhere else to go. MITB comes up (now a dual-branded event, like it should be) and Rollins wins the MITB match! Then, instead of Rollins cashing in on the SD world champ he cashes in on the RAW world champ and steals the belt as an act of revenge. This is like the CM Punk angle but done between RAW and SD. Rollins takes the belt to SD and defends it there. This could lead to a big RAW vs SD match at Survivor Series.
To take this even further, Vince comes back to solve things. Vince fires the heel authority and takes the champion back on RAW. The heel authority returns, with a heel stable and injures the champion, taking him out of action and thus vacating the title. This group is something like NWO, but badder. They come from the outside and want to take revenge on Vince McMahon and Seth Rollins. The heel leader wins the vacated championship, Rollins returns from the kayfabe injury and challenges him on Wrestlemania.

 

[HeenanGorilla]

I wrote the below fantasy sequence in 2017. I got a kick out of re-reading it today because I chose Kofi as an example and--in the part where Vince is screwing him--it sounds very familiar. Kind of cool!

Ok, I just came up with something. This is along the lines of RVD, announcing when and where he would cash in his contract ahead of time, rather than a last-minute, opportunistic cash-in. For this idea, the MITB match would take place at Mania, rather than the MITB PPV. It would also need to be a person who has never main evented Mania OR had the title before, so I have chosen Kofi Kingston.

Kofi would win a MITB match at Mania and immediately--maybe in a backstage segment that night or even the next night on Raw--say how much FINALLY winning MITB meant to him. He had so many chances, but never knew what it felt like to stand at the top of that ladder with the briefcase. It was a dream of his to know what that felt like and it was as great as he had imagined. He then says that his other dream has always been to main event Mania and now he has the chance to make sure that happens. He is saving the briefcase for a title shot at the next Mania. (sure MITB doesn't necessarily mean "main event", but stay with me here).

Kofi then goes through the year competing, still part of New Day or solo, whatever. Occasionally, but not every week, saying that he can't wait for his dream match at Mania. As the year goes on, and we get closer to Mania, he mentions it more often. Naturally, he gets more excited as the opportunity draws near. A little before Mania, but not too soon--maybe at the Rumble--Bray Wyatt interrupts an interview where Kofi is showing his excitement. He doesn't say a word. Kofi looks at him with a "what the hell are you doing here?" look and Bray just laughs. Bray then walks away and Kofi and the interviewer are left wondering what just happened.

Between Rumble and Mania, the mystery of who Kofi's eventual opponent will be starts to unfold. In ring, on Raw, Kofi--maybe on the Highlight Reel with Jericho, or maybe with Miz--can start to get excited about his upcoming Mania main event. We can then have Vince or HHH come out and tell Kofi that they understand his excitement and know he earned it, but they're sorry, he doesn't have the star power to headline Mania. He has been a great employee and has earned a title shot, but they cannot rely on him to sell the biggest event of the year. This devastates Kofi and gets the WWE Universe behind him, as they feel he has earned a WrestleMania moment. Fast forward a few weeks and, as a compromise, Kofi is added to the main event--let's say it's Brock vs. Braun-- as a third participant. Kofi realizes the hell he is stepping into, but is relieved and just grateful for the chance to headline Mania and get his shot at the World title. From here until Mania, fuel is added to the Brock/Braun fire and Kofi, who these two beasts feel will be nothing but a pest, is a non-factor in their minds.

Now, we are at Mania and the main event is about to start. Kofi is announced but does not come out. The other two are announced and come to the ring. On the screen, it is shown that Bray Wyatt has taken Kofi and locked him away somewhere. Kofi is desperately trying to get out like a mad man, but Bray just laughs. As Kofi realizes he is trapped and his fighting to get out is useless, he quiets down from exhaustion and Bray taunts Kofi saying that his MITB contract expires tonight and he has now lost his long-awaited shot at the title. That realization is shown on Kofi's face and we see a look of evil that we have never seen from Kofi before. The screen turns off, Brock and Braun look at each other, the bell rings and their match goes on. This is still a Mania-worthy main event and the two of them bring the house down.

Post-Mania, a new, evil Kofi is introduced...with Bray as his leader. He says that Bray has shown him how unfair the world is and Kofi goes on a refreshed heel run. It starts with New Day trying to snap him out of it and Kofi destroying them, legitimizing his turn. Kofi, led by Bray, will go on like this for a while. Eventually, Bray wins the title himself and Kofi realizes that Bray had used him the whole time. Kofi "snaps out of it", to the thrill of the WWE universe--who had really started to root for him before the previous Mania--and Kofi challenges Bray for the title at the upcoming Mania, finally getting his shot and winning the title.

The Kofi/Bray match does not necessarily need to close the show, but if done right, and Kofi has Daniel Bryan-level backing from the WWE Universe, he could pull it off and be the main event.

Whew, that was fun...started with an idea and just kept going as I typed. Looking forward to more ideas for MITB cashing. Haha!

 

[Greg]

I think that WWE should do the 2 brand MITB matches. I can see Andrade winning it for Smackdown and Drew for Raw. These 2 guys are the most deserving ones to win the MITB matches. I do not see why they need to pick guys from both shows and have 1 MITB match. For Smackdown they can have Andrade, Ali, KO, Jeff Hardy, Misterio, Nakamura. Raw should have Bray Wyatt, Drew, Balor, Elias, Lashley, Strowman

 

[Psykohurricane55]

I think that WWE should do the 2 brand MITB matches. I can see Andrade winning it for Smackdown and Drew for Raw. These 2 guys are the most deserving ones to win the MITB matches. I do not see why they need to pick guys from both shows and have 1 MITB match. For Smackdown they can have Andrade, Ali, KO, Jeff Hardy, Misterio, Nakamura. Raw should have Bray Wyatt, Drew, Balor, Elias, Lashley, Strowman

It's simple really, because they were painted in a corner when they started the women's MITB match when the PPV was smackdown exclusive 2 years ago and now they have to do one for each gender. I get what you're saying but i don'T imagine then doing 4 MITB matches on the card because if they do 2 for the men's they will have to do 2 for the women'S as well which will be overkill in my opinion.