Since the debut of the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21, the match has become something of a yearly highlight within the WWE. Similarly to the Royal Rumble match, it is an exceptional tool; with a fun match theme and the added bonus of a unique stipulation (a briefcase which grants a guaranteed title shot to the holder) to build new, main event stars. The likes of Edge and CM Punk might never have made that jump to the upper echelon of the card without Money in the Bank. The Miz is another example. Since 2010, Money in the Bank has been a yearly pay-per-view and since 2017, there has been a women specific incarnation of the match, also. With SmackDown and Raw superstars both having the opportunity to compete in a Money in the Bank ladder match, is it time for NXT to be granted the same luxury?
It Would Bring Something Fresh to the Brand
One positive of NXT is its ability to embrace exciting, new (and old) ideas. There was the cage fight between Timothy Thatcher and Riddle last year. There has been the reintroduction of War Games – the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) concept which had been dead for decades before its NXT revival. In short, Triple H and creative have never struggled with keeping the product fresh. That being said, in order to keep fresh, you have to continuously do new things. Money in the Bank, though no longer a new concept, would be fresh to NXT. The black and yellow brand has never competed in a Money in the Bank ladder match. With both men and women superstars from NXT having featured in Royal Rumble matches over the years, why not extend the privilege to a Money in the Bank?
“NXT TakeOver: Money in the Bank” Would Work
When arguing for an NXT Money in the Bank, it need not be a simple one or two NXT matches on the main roster PPV. Instead, what works best is an actual NXT TakeOver: Money in the Bank – a TakeOver dedicated to the unique match type. It would work similarly to the main roster incarnation, that being a PPV with two Money in the Bank ladder matches (one for men and one for women); with title matches and/or feud based matches spread throughout the rest of the time available in the show. TakeOver has never had a problem delivering in the past. For years now, NXT TakeOver shows have been some of the most highly-anticipated events in all of professional wrestling. An NXT TakeOver: Money in the Bank would continue this trend; mixing a beloved match-type with a show and roster bound to deliver. It is almost certain to be a success.
Would There Be Enough Superstars For A Money in the Bank?
This can absolutely be seen as a worthy argument against such an event in NXT. In order for a Money in the Bank to work, it needs between 6-8 different superstars who are mostly believable future champions. NXT works on a much smaller level than both Raw and SmackDown; it simply does not possess the sheer, swollen roster size of either of these two brands. That being said, NXT could probably scrape together enough people from its roster. If it can’t, then there is the added bonus of signing independent stars to one-night deals; with the stipulation that should they capture the briefcase, they get to stay. There is also the added bonus of NXT UK. Much like how the Royal Rumble allows NXT stars to introduce themselves to the main roster audience, an NXT Money in the Bank would allow NXT UK stars to introduce themselves to the NXT crowd. Not only does this help NXT fill spots with fresh talent, it gives a small boost of exposure to NXT UK. Everybody wins.
Is the Fan Desire There?
NXT has built a solid fan-base in recent years. Now that it is shown live on USA Network, we can finally understand just how popular it is. In the United States alone, it does anywhere between 600,000 and 900,000 viewers per week – a solid number for the oft-dubbed “third brand”. Many of these fans are more “hardcore” viewers – wrestling purists who would take to an NXT Money in the Bank like Vince McMahon takes to money. Or Triple H, in this case. Whereas the Money in the Bank stipulation has lost steam in recent years, it is through no fault of the stipulation. Frankly, the booking has been poor – as evidenced by Otis winning last year, only to lose continuously, be dropped from TV for weeks and then eventually lose the briefcase to The Miz – who used the briefcase to win the title from Drew McIntyre and hold onto it for two weeks before Bobby Lashley squashed him. NXT can make this work and history suggests they would do well with it. So why not have an NXT Money in the Bank ladder match?
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