Using Money in the Bank As A Title?

[Sheamus' Suntan]

I put this in SD because I think this is where it would happen if anywhere...

Would using the MITB briefcase as a prop, like a mid-card title work?

I use the image above to demonstrate this. At Money in the Bank 2011, Daniel Bryan shocked the world when he became Mr Money in the Bank. This is, by my calculation, the first face win of the briefcase since CM Punk won it in 2009. I discount Kane because he's been in between for years, able to float between face and heel in some weird state.

When Punk won the World Title on Smackdown, he became heel automatically by cashing in against Jeff Hardy, the then champion.

Since winning, Bryan has claimed he will cash it in, in 7 months time (from date of winning) at Wrestlemania 28. This again, shocked everyone and now has everyone wondering - will he keep hold of the case for that length of time.

Since then also, Barrett has alluded to wanting the case. He now has a shot at Bryan, but not for the case, at Summerslam. In reality, this makes the case a desirable object for the first time since 2007, when Ken Kennedy won the case and claimed he would keep it for a year and cash it in at the next Wrestlemania, until Edge defeated him for the case on an edition of RAW.

This to me...spells out that we could actually start to see Bryan feud with people over the case, which seems like a pretty good idea. But how would he fare if he LOST the case, then regained it? For instance, if Barrett wins at Summer Slam, could he get a match for the case, at Night of Champions? If he did, and won that, could a feud over the case, where it swapped hands more than once work?

In my head, I see a scenario where Bryan loses the case to Barrett. Barrett goes to cash in quickly but Bryan stops him. Barrett tries again at a PPV, Bryan stops him again, then on the third attempt, Bryan puts Barrett in the Labelle lock. He gets to his feet and explodes, telling Barrett he wants his case back, he earned it, Barrett got lucky and he'll keep stopping Barrett until he gets what he wants. Barrett tries again a week or two later, Bryan stops him, Barrett retreat up to the ramp and shouts at Bryan that he "has his match", and at the following PPV, Bryan defeats Barrett.

It's just an example scenario, but it works in my mind...

So...

Could the money in the bank briefcase be used as a prop, like a lower card title?

Should we see MORE midcarders "desire" the case?

Who would you like to see challenge for the case if this were to happen?

Would doing this take away from the Intercontinental Championship?

 

[hollowpoint]

Could the money in the bank briefcase be used as a prop, like a lower card title?

It already IS being used as a prop. That's why the winners carry it around until they cash it in.

Should we see MORE midcarders "desire" the case?

Nope...the MITB winner is usually someone the company believes in to be a future holder of a World Title. The midcarder should go after the midcard title. That would make it more valuable.

Who would you like to see challenge for the case if this were to happen?

"Challenging for the case" diminishes the meaning behind it IMO. That's what the MITB Ladder Match is for, to challene for the case. I thought it was a terrible storyline when Edge bated Kennedy into the match for the title. That's why you have mid level titles for.
Would doing this take away from the Intercontinental Championship?
Yes it would pretty much make it non-existent.

 

[The_Grimace]

You have to remember kennedy lost the case cause he was injured, not for and other reason. So no I don't want to see the case used as a different kind of prop. Other that the intended prop usage its made for. Giving someone a title shot at a place and time of the holders choosing.

 

[Hunted-RKO]

NO whats the point in competing in a dangerous MITB match and win to earn the right that u can cash in on a champion only to have to defend the breifcase to other ppl who lost the match or even wasn't in the MITB match,would make the MITB match meaningfull.They had to do it before to Mr Kennedy because he was injured but it shouldn't happen again.

Could the money in the bank match breifcase be used as a prop,like a lower card title?
It is already used as a prop because they go around holdiing it,and shouldn't be used as a lower card title they dont need one.

Should we see MORE midcarders "desire" the case?
No they should be battling for the IC Title Or US Title.

Who would you like to see challenge for the case if it were to happen?
If it realy had to happen then i would say Wade Barret because his character fits it perfectly and his stuck in the mid card and needs that push if his going to be a future WHC.

Would this take anything away from the Intercontinental Championship?

It dosen't mean anything anyway lol,but yeh it would because the IC title is normally the step into becoming WHC and if u have guys competing for the breifcase then it takes away the meaning of the IC title.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This has been done before. Kennedy put his MITB on the line against Edge who won it and cashed in on Taker. I do not see that ever happening again though unless they need to replace the MITB holder. It should not be a title or defended on PPV because those briefcases already mean more than the midcard titles do. Defending the briefcases would only further devalue the midcard titles. Why go for the IC belt when you can just jump straight to the world title using MITB? That's why this won't be happening anytime soon.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

It doesn't happen on a regular basis, nor should it. So far as I'm aware of, Mr. Kennedy is the only one to put his MITB briefcase on the line in a match against Edge. Kennedy had sustained an injury that required surgery and would put him on the shelf for a while, so they had to give it to someone else.

In the case of Daniel Bryan, doing this just this one time with Wade Barrett could be beneficial. Their feud thus far has revolved around Barrett's displeasure at seeing Bryan win the MITB match. He's called it a fluke and now holds a much needed clean pinfall victory over Bryan in a great match at one of the biggest wrestling ppvs of the year. A match between the two at the next ppv maybe will bring more attention to the briefcase and could be used as a jumping off point going forward. I don't look for Bryan to lose the MITB case. Build the feud up some more, give them a higher profile match, put Bryan over & use the momentum to keep him going.

But no, I have no desire to see the MITB briefcase defended on even a semi-regular basis. Once every several years is fine and dandy, keeps it fresh and it keeps it rare. If you can just challenge for the MITB briefcase on a regular basis as you would a title, then it renders the MITB concept redundant in and of itself.

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

Could the money in the bank briefcase be used as a prop, like a lower card title?

Should we see MORE midcarders "desire" the case?

Who would you like to see challenge for the case if this were to happen?

Would doing this take away from the Intercontinental Championship?

1) On the briefcase as a prop: It already is. It's the tool that shows people "This guy will be WWE/WH Champ within a year." I think you could be right, the IC title may have been devalued because this is now such an instrumental piece of getting someone like D. Bryan from midcard to main event.

2) Midcarders' Desire: Yeah. If one thing was bad about this year's MitB (generally an excellent PPV) it's that each character needed more build - especially on the Smackdown side, which has arguably had the more important result. I say this because Alberto del Rio becoming champion has been more or less a given in some way since the Rumble. Bryan wasn't before that. But the only people who were generally thought could win were Rhodes, Barrett and Sheamus - in short, the three who'd got most promo time during that month.

3) Potential challengers: None. I think it should be like the Rumble. It's the match that counts in this case, not the challengers themselves, so to speak. That is, they're important, but this isn't as simple as having one opponent. So only contest for it at the PPV each year.

It's effectively a title already, because of the way it's hyped. Much as the Rumble or King of the Ring are also titles, in a sense. Alright, so they don't have belts, but that's because these things are won periodically at specific times, rather than a constantly-changing championship. You look on any wrestler's WWE profile, or Wikipedia article, or whatever - it'll list these things right there alongside their won belts. So it comes under the same list of accolades, really. And you'll hear Cole say things like "CM Punk is a 2-time MitB winner" in addition to whatever other titles he's won. That proves that the importance of the briefcase is already tantamount to a midcard title.

4) Re the IC title: Well, I think it has a little, but only because WWE have allowed it to. I think this is why Dolph's IC reign was so good last year - both briefcases had pretty much gone by then, and WWE was working hard at their midcard again as a result.

But this can be alleviated by simply not getting lazy over the IC/US belts. WWE just has to book them consistently during any month which isn't the Money in the Bank PPV month. Simple problem; simple solution.