Every year, the WWE hosts a Money in the Bank pay per view. At this special event, many of the matches have ladder themes. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship has been fought over in both Money in the Bank pay per views since the two titles were unified in late 2013. However, the most important ladder match of this event is for WWE’s “get out of jail free card”, the Money in the Bank briefcase. Whoever holds the briefcase can force a championship match whenever he pleases.
Potential Money in the Bank Winners
Occasionally, the holder of the briefcase, better known as Mr. Money in the Bank, will be honorable, telling the champion when they’ll be cashing in, so that they may have an honest fight. But more often than not, Mr. Money in the Bank will strike when the champion is already beat up. Sheamus cashed in last year on Roman Reigns after he had two exhausting matches earlier that night. Seth Rollins cashed in during the event of WrestleMania 31 after Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar had already worn each other out.
Typically, this briefcase is used to protect a champion by having him lose an unfair fight. Brock Lesnar hasn’t been pinned since defeating the Undertaker at WrestleMania 30, but he lost the championship match because Seth Rollins pinned Roman Reigns. Roman Reigns doesn’t look weaker for having lost to Sheamus because he had already wrestled against Dean Ambrose and Alberto Del Rio earlier that night.
Here are the five WWE Superstars who should win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match in 2016.
5. Cesaro
Despite being one of the most popular wrestlers in all of sports entertainment, the King of Swing has yet to really get his push. He’s been a part of a couple successful tag teams, held the United States Championship for 239 days, and was the very first winner of the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale, but he’s never won the big one. He’s a crowd favorite, and it seems like the WWE Universe hasn’t cheered their champion since Seth Rollins held the belt late last year.
Most of the time, Mr. Money in the Bank is a heel. Usually, the champion at the time is in a bad way, having been beaten down by their last opponent or just exhausted from a good match, and the briefcase holder runs down the aisle and takes advantage of the opportunity. Randy Orton was a babyface when he won it in 2013, but when he cashed in on Daniel Bryan after Triple H pedigreed him, he turned heel. Realistically, the last babyface Mr. Money in the Bank was John Cena back in 2012. Cesaro could very easily be a babyface briefcase holder because fans have been waiting so long for him to become champion.
Many people have said that Vince McMahon won’t push Cesaro because he doesn’t believe that the swiss superman connects with the fans, but he also thinks he can get Roman Reigns over as a babyface. All jokes aside, the WWE is changing. A few months ago, having worked in TNA meant you were blacklisted from WWE. Today, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Austin Aries, and others are not only on the roster, but on the roster with their old names and gimmicks. Cesaro’s coronation is long overdue, and as unlikely as it is to happen, the WWE have to at least consider letting him climb the ladder through the ceiling, and grab the brass ring inside that briefcase.
4. Seth Rollins
The comparisons between Seth Rollins and CM Punk go back to Rollins’ days at Ring of Honor as Tyler Black. Both men are incredible workers, they both have a certain alternative look, and Rollins has admitted that he looked up to Punk when he was growing up. When the WWE decided to let Nikki Bella break AJ Lee’s record as longest reigning Diva’s Champion, only to have her drop the belt days later to Charlotte, they made it pretty clear that they’re a little bitter about CM Punk leaving.
While it’s unlikely that the WWE will be in a position to have any champion hold the belt for 434 days any time soon, there is one record of Punk’s that they can break. CM Punk is the only man in WWE history to win the Money in the Bank ladder match twice and cash in successfully twice. While Nikki Bella is the opposite of AJ Lee in almost every way, which upset the fans a little, they probably wouldn’t be upset to see Seth Rollins with the briefcase again.
While it’s true that Rollins never really lost the title, and doesn’t need the briefcase to be kayfabed back into the championship picture, it would be an exciting way to bring Rollins back without putting him into a title feud right away. The WWE will likely want to keep the belt with Roman Reigns at least until Summer Slam, by when Rollins will hopefully have been back for a while.
3. Randy Orton
Unlike Rollins, Randy Orton doesn’t have any claim to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He dropped the belt at WrestleMania 30 and hasn’t come close to it since. Orton is a good worker, and when he’s allowed to be the tweener bad ass that just RKO’s people, the fans love him. Having a rogue Randy Orton return and wreak havoc on the champion or the authority would be wildly entertaining, and would also give the WWE another two-time Money in the Bank winner.
2. Bray Wyatt
Bray Wyatt has been terribly underutilized in the WWE since debuting three years ago. Despite being consistently over with the fans, he has yet to hold any kind of belt, or win any kind of tournament. His claim to fame has been that he’s interrupted several matches, some even in a cell, and he’s had some high profile feuds.
Last year, during the ladder match, Wyatt interfered, but he made no movement towards the belt. He only appeared to screw Roman Reigns, and launch a feud that would last into the fall. When it comes to rules in the WWE, nothing is certain. During the match, if the lights were to go out and the Wyatt’s suddenly appeared in the ring, Wyatt on top of the ladder, who is to say that him grabbing the briefcase wouldn’t be legitimate?
Worst case scenario, the WWE could say he had to have a regular match for it, and he could win. Whether or not there’s Wyatt Family interference is up to them. All that’s for sure is that Wyatt is due a championship win, and the idea of the Wyatt Family having the briefcase is a lot of fun, and very scary for champions.
1. Dean Ambrose
Two years ago, mere weeks after Seth Rollins betrayed the Shield, he and fellow stablemate Dean Ambrose were facing off in the annual “Money in the Bank” ladder match. Ambrose was mere inches from history when he was screwed by an interfering Kane, allowing Seth Rollins to grab the briefcase instead. A year later, he was facing off with Seth Rollins again, except this time, it was the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the top of the ladder. Rollins won clean, but many felt like Ambrose was only in the match so people wouldn’t complain that he wasn’t fighting for the briefcase.
Dean Ambroses’ whacky “unstable” character would be perfect for the briefcase. Ambrose does whatever Ambrose wants to do as it is, and as such, he may be the only wrestler capable of cashing in on a vulnerable champion without turning heel. Though, if Roman Reigns is still champion, there would no better way to turn Ambrose heel than to have him betray his brother for the title.
In any event, Dean Ambrose has been on the cusp of glory far too many times, and the WWE Universe are just clamoring for him to be the next champion. He has become the WWE’s resident underdog like Daniel Bryan was in 2014 and CM Punk was in 2011. The WWE don’t have to make Ambrose champion today, or tomorrow, or even next week, but at some point, they have to listen to their fans. And their fans want Dean Ambrose to be Mr. Money in the Bank.
