411Mania’s Countdown to Wrestlemania XXVI 3.18.10: It’s Money, Money (Yeah, Yeah)

Graphic By Meehan

= It’s Money=

Imagine if I gave you a winning lottery ticket and told you that it could be used anytime within the next calendar year. This ticket is a guaranteed winner and all you have to do is cash it in on the day when the lottery is worth the most money. This is a situation completely in your favor. It sounds like a great deal—and that’s because it is a great deal.

The premise of WWE’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match is to grant one wrestler that kind of invaluable opportunity. The now-annual Wrestlemania tradition has thus far proven to be the equivalent of a guaranteed lottery win. In the past five years, every wrestler who has cashed in the Money in the Bank contract has won a world championship. They have hit the lottery and they have reaped the rewards.

Of course, the Money in the Bank opportunity is not as perfect and Utopian as that description above. There has already been one winner who did not actually receive his title shot. There is a possibility that at some point in the future, the person who cashes in the briefcase will be unsuccessful in his attempt to win a major WWE championship. However, thus far, those who have cashed-in have been involved in some amazing success stories. Previous winners such as Edge, Rob Van Dam and CM Punk have gone onto win major WWE titles and have changed the direction of their career, often for the better.

How did the Money in the Bank Ladder Match grow to become an important component to the last five years of WWE’s continuity? Let’s go back in time and relive some Wrestlemania history to find out.

=Climbing Ladders to Reach the Top=

The history of the ladder match at Wrestlemania begins during the tenth edition in 1994, when Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon competed for an undisputed claim on the WWE Intercontinental Title. Their effort set the standard of excellence for this stipulation match, thrilling the audience at Madison Square Garden with the spectacle of men using ladders as a weapon or alternatively as a platform from which to take flight and deal damage to an opponent. The critically acclaimed bout became a crowd favorite and paved the way for future ladder matches, including the Michaels and Razor rematch at Summerslam 1995 and Triple H vs. The Rock in 1998.

The ladder concept took the next logical step, becoming incorporated into tag team contests in 2000 with The Hardy Boyz versus Edge & Christian in the Terri Invitational Tournament. These teams took turns using the ladders as weapons and brought the tag team psychology of combining efforts to create an impressive series of mayhem and violence. The Dudley Boyz (a.k.a. Team 3-D) added to the equation for a triangle ladder match for the tag titles at Wrestlemania 2000. It was during that match that Jeff Hardy took perhaps the most memorable leap of his career up to that point. Already having jumped off the lower balcony in Madison Square Garden at that year’s Royal Rumble, Hardy topped that when dove off a giant-sized ladder to the floor. It was an insane idea and amazingly it was successfully completed without serious injury or death.

The efforts of Hardy and the others in the match set the precedent for further high-risk leaps and dives in such specialized matches. Tables, Ladder and Chairs (TLC) at Summerslam 2000 was the natural outgrowth of the extraordinary effort from those three teams during that Wrestlemania match. TLC II was contested at Wrestlemania X-7 and additional TLC matches would occur over the next few years. However, the ladder match would disappear from the ‘Mania ledger until 2005.

That year, Chris Jericho was on the outside-looking in on the main event title scene during the Road to Wrestlemania 21. Jericho suggested a new match concept to then Raw-GM Eric Bischoff as his way to make his mark on the show –an enhancement to the ladder match. Instead of a title belt, there would be a briefcase hanging from the rafters. In that briefcase would be a contract granting the winner a guaranteed title shot at either the WWE or World Heavyweight Title sometime within the next three hundred and sixty-five days. The man who possessed the briefcase could even stake their title shot at the main event of next year’s Wrestlemania If he so desired. This title shot worked essentially as “money in the bank”, to be withdrawn whenever the winner desired. Thus fans bore witness to the first ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Jericho vowed he would be the winner of the first-of-its-kind stipulation and then cash-in and win. Unfortunately for Y2J, it was Edge who was the first winner of the match as well as the first wrestler to cash-in the title shot successfully.

The Money in the Bank Ladder match has become a staple of Wrestlemania ever since, with this year being the sixth in a row. There are quite a few reasons for why Money in the Bank has endured: it is a special attraction; it gives WWE a ready-made selling point for their biggest show of the year (much like Undertaker’s streak); WWE can book many wrestlers into this match who don’t have a natural feud for the show (or there may not be time to spotlight them in singles matches), but still deserve an opportunity to perform on WWE’s biggest show of the year. It began with six competitors in the field, expanding to eight wrestlers in 2007 at Wrestlemania 23. This year the field will expand to a record breaking nine participants. The build for the match has also increased in duration over the years, adding qualifying matches held across all the major brands during the run-up to Wrestlemania.

=The Competitors & The Style=

In some ways Money in the Bank may be a stunt show of bangs, booms and crashes, but it’s an amazing creative outlet for the wrestlers of this generation. The imagination of the wrestlers and agents comes to the fore, showing off with some wild usage and incorporation of the ladders—as weapons, as platforms, as moveable set-pieces even, building blocks for construction of massive battlefields. Over the last five years (and of course throughout the history of the ladder match) there have been amazing moments created out of the multiple ladders that would seem improbable but have been executed successfully—thrilling the fans and pushing the limits of ingenuity and athleticism.

Of course, as with any high risk stipulation, there are very real dangers to contend with in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Jim Ross termed the match a “human demolition derby” during Wrestlemania 21 and perhaps even with his stylish over-exaggeration he wasn’t that far off the mark. Similar to other past ladder matches, wrestlers are dealing with performing dangerous stunts correctly. Timing and balance are essential in order to use the ladder without serious injury. In addition, there are now multiple ladders placed all around ringside, of all different sizes and lengths. That means metal lying around all over the place and when the match begins lots of metal flying all over the place. Factor in other weapons such as chairs, tables and ring steps that might get involved and used by other wrestlers and the multiple participants in the match. There is a lot of traffic that needs to be directed during the body of the match. It’s amazing to realize that there haven’t been that many injuries stemming from this match with all of those variables involved.

Participants and winners often have much to gain in terms of career growth in the months after the match, given the added attention the winner immediately receives in WWE storylines and programming. Often the winner will appear on all WWE brands in a foreshadowing of when, where and against who he will choose to cash in that title shot. The multi-brand participation of superstars from Raw, Smackdown and ECW (from 2007-2009) also create a larger sense of prestige for winning the match—EVERYONE wants that chance to win huge.

As well, it has become the showcase for a number of wrestlers who are sometimes shunted in the mid-card or whose career has stalled, but simply can out-perform any other wrestler on the roster in this particular forum. For example, Shelton Benjamin is someone who had a load of potential to have high profile feuds and programs for his entire career, but his peak year in WWE (2004-2005) has long since passed. Benjamin has been below the radar for years now. Yet, when Wrestlemania rolls around, more often than not he is involved in this match and more often than not he is involved in many of the highlights. He may not have won Money in the Bank, but he is its unmitigated show stealer and MVP. This match is where he excels the most. His enjoyment in participating and expressing himself through the unique format is palpable in his body language and actions. He is almost fearless, leaping onto and off of ladders without hesitation. Benjamin’s impressive athleticism, including his leaping ability, speed and gracefulness in the air, helped to craft a plethora of memorable Money in the Bank moments.

Other wrestlers like Kofi Kingston and John Morrison have proven through their efforts that they are Money in the Bank naturals. Much like Benjamin, they have the eye for creativity and the athleticism to pull it off. Kingston was the highlight of last year’s match, while Morrison’s love for springboards and moonsaults served him well during the Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania XXIV. Long-time ladder match experts Jeff and Matt Hardy, Edge and Christian have also often been involved in taking or giving some of the more impressive risks and bumps of this match.

Then there are the oddities—the ones that don’t fit in the box of who you might expect to participate in such a match. There are the larger wrestlers such as Kane and Mark Henry or the brawling based Finlay, with his “son” Hornswoggle in tow (though never an official participant). Yet, each of those wrestlers play a role in telling the story of the Money in the Bank match—how it is won (or not won), the strategy involved or just the outright visual impact of a heavy set man or a small man climbing a ladder to the top and reaching for that briefcase.

=Money in the Bank-Match By Match=

The following is a year-by-year rundown of the five previous iterations of the Money in the Bank, including the match’s most amazing and compelling moments as well as the path each winner took towards cashing in their Bank briefcase.

=Wrestlemania 21=
April 4th, 2005 | Los Angeles, California

Participants: Shelton Benjamin, Chris Benoit, Christian, Edge, Chris Jericho, Kane

Winner: Edge
How He Won: “The Ultimate Opportunist” was truly born on this night when he took advantage of the other participants being downed and out of commission. Chris Benoit’s arm was targeted and injured throughout the match (most specifically at the hands of Kane). Edge used the chair to batter Benoit’s arm, knocking him off the ladder. That cleared the path for Edge to climb up and unlatch the briefcase, securing the victory.

“The Ultimate Opportunist” is born.

Most Spectacular Moments:

Kane’s pyro set the ladders on the stage on fire: While most of the following highlights are in the ring, just the sight of all of the ladders engulfed in flames set a stunning visual precedent for all of the carnage that was to come.

Shelton Benjamin’s hilo over the ropes onto four men: The first sign of the numerous demonstrations of athletic excellence to come from Mama Benjamin’s boy.

Kane’s flying closeline onto five men outside the ropes: The Big Red Machine only goes to the top one time per match and that is to unleash the flying closeline. This time the spectacle of Kane flying through the air was far greater because he launched himself onto everyone involved in the match.

Edge and Christian’s Ladder Conchairto: The former tag team had been separated for a while on different brands, but fans remembered their long-time partnership and their propensity for slamming weapons against their opponents. It was fun to see this excellent reinvention of the conchairto, only using a ladder and with both men standing.

Five-way punch-off on top of the ladders: Everyone except Kane found themselves on the top of multiple ladders and the only way out of the situation would be for everyone to unleash their fists in a battle of who could survive and outlast the others.

The battle for the briefcase.

Shelton’s T-Bone Suplex off the top of the ladder on Edge: This suplex looked perfect in form, speed and execution. The drop from a great height made this move even more impressive, but the best was yet to come from Benjamin.

The Shelton Closeline off the ladder: Perhaps the most well-remembered spot of the match (replicated on Smackdown! videogames for years to come). This was Shelton Benjamin simply doing the incredible—running up a ladder bridge that was created with one ladder leaning on another, fully opened ladder to deliver a galloping flying closeline off the construct onto Chris Jericho, bringing both men down on the other side.

Kane Chokeslams Benjamin to the outside: Or at least that is what it looked like was supposed to be, but Benjamin caught himself on the ropes and tied himself up (ala Shawn Michael’s feet during the finish to the Wrestlemania X ladder match). A straight fall from the chokeslam could have been dangerous enough, but Benjamin needed some amazing timing to get this done without killing himself.

Kane shoves Christian off the ladder over the ropes onto Tomko: Nothing like a good old rocket launcher, except when you’re being launched from the top of a ladder onto your bodyguard.

Chris Benoit’s Flying Headbutt off the ladder onto Kane: Benoit’s arm had been worked over plenty during the match, but he fought through the pain and took a huge risk that paid dividends, for the moment. Edge was waiting on the outside of the ring and when Benoit cleared Kane, there was only space and opportunity awaiting the soon-to-be Rated R Superstar.

What Happened Afterwards: Edge slinked away to the back clutching the briefcase in his hands. Edge was fresh off of his attitude change and feud against Shawn Michaels, reinventing himself as major-player and championship caliber. Edge would have to face the immediate consequences of screwing over Chris Benoit during Money in the Bank, but he was able to defeat him in a Last Man Standing bout at Backlash (May 1st, 2005). “Matt Hardy” chants during Edge matches could be heard even then, as fans became knowledgeable about the infamous love triangle involving both men and Lita. Kane would serve as the proxy for Matt Hardy in WWE storylines during this time (Hardy was fired for his very public exposing of the scandal). The feud was incredibly melodramatic and heavy-handed in soap-opera. Kane had forced Lita to marry him the year before and somehow she had become pregnant with his (supposed) demon seed. Throw in Snitsky and some miscarriage shenanigans that wasn’t his fault, and you can see that there were plenty of distractions that initially put the Money in the Bank briefcase on the backburner.

The relationship between Lita and Edge was revealed on television as Lita betrayed Kane to join up with her new main man. This led to a series of matches between Edge and Kane as well as an intense summer feud against the returning Matt Hardy. Edge won the Summerslam 2005 grudge match, a month later lost the Unforgiven cage match and then won the feud on the Raw Homecoming special in October 2005. Edge still held onto the briefcase throughout all of this madness, sometimes using it as a weapon to help him win matches, but for the most part it wasn’t teased he would cash it in. Edge finally did so at WWE New Year’s Revolution on January 8th, 2006.

After John Cena had survived a title defense inside the Elimination Chamber, the interruption of Edge’s music that would signal that the time was then and now. Edge relinquished the Money in the Bank briefcase to Vince McMahon (thus setting precedent and signifying the importance of this moment) and the title match was on. John Cena was not in any condition to defend the title a second time, but he had no choice. However, he was able to absorb the damage of Edge’s spear and amazingly kicked out of a pinfall attempt. He could not do it a second time and Edge would become the first successful Money in the Bank winner to be crowned World Heavyweight Champion.

Cena was on such a roll in WWE at the time and Edge’s title win seemed improbable, yet there it was. The first of his seven World title wins would last only three weeks, as he lost the title back to Cena at Royal Rumble (January 29th, 2006) of that year. There was the fear that Edge would be tagged with the label of “transitional” (i.e. not serious) champion, but over the years he would become a dominant championship-caliber wrestler, whether it was on Raw or Smackdown.

=Wrestlemania 22=
April 2nd, 2006 | Chicago, Illinois

Participants: Shelton Benjamin, Finlay, Ric Flair, Matt Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam

Winner: Rob Van Dam
How He Won: After Matt Hardy and Shelton Benjamin splattered down to the ringside floor from one of the ladders, RVD, on another ladder, climbed to the top rung and unlatched the briefcase, falling down to the mat right after (a moment of life-imitates-art that recalled the days of No Mercy on the N64).

RVD high in the air, unlatching the Bank briefcase.

Most Spectacular Moments:

RVD planchas himself onto Matt Hardy and a Ladder: You have to be a little bit crazy in order to purposefully launch your body at high velocity onto someone else who is holding a ladder. A move that hurt both himself and Matt Hardy, but just a taste of the high risk RVD was willing to take in order to win the match.

Shelton Benjamin’s Run-Up Flip Senton: Benjamin was on a track to improve his efforts from the previous year and it began with him running up a ladder leaning on the ropes and crisply executing a flip senton onto four men in the match. Another breathtaking moment of flight for Benjamin.

Matt Hardy suplexes Ric Flair from the top of the ladder: While that doesn’t sound quite so impressive on paper, don’t forget this was only Flair’s second ladder match at that time. He was also in his mid-fifties, so taking a superplex off the top of a ladder was no small feat for “The Nature Boy”. He was taken to the back by a group of referees, but he would return later to a huge crowd pop for a return fracas against Finlay.

On top of a Ladder is far away from Space Mountain, Flair’s natural habitat.

RVD Rolling Thunders Himself onto the Ladder: Again, Rob Van Dam took a big chance by trying a move that took too much time to execute. He found himself alone on that ladder when his body rolled up and bounced against the unforgiving black and silver metal.

Benjamin & Friends Sunset Flip Bomb: Benjamin popped up and over Bobby Lashley for the sunset flip off the ladder, but…problem! Lashley wouldn’t go. He was JUST TOO LARGE. However, Benjamin eventually got the completion, but chalk up the assist to Hardy and Finlay, who pulled the future MMA & TNA star down to the ring canvas to complete the move.

Van Daminator Dropkick: Lashley’s best chance to win the match came when everyone was down and he was left on a ladder, but Rob Van Dam cut off the relative newcomer with a variation of his classic extreme favorite, a flying skateboard dropkick to Lashley’s back, knocking him off-balance and down to the mat.

RVD Splash from top of the ladder onto Finlay: The mega ladder was set up in the corner and Finlay was prone and horizontal close by. There wasn’t enough distance to convert the full Five-Star Frog Splash, but RVD settled for jumping high in the air and coming down with a Superfly-style splash instead.

Shelton IS Spider-Man: Perhaps the coolest moment of the match was when Benjamin leaped onto the ladder via a springboard jump from the ring apron. He literally came from out of the camera’s field of vision to latch onto the ladder and stop Rob Van Dam from advancing upwards, if only temporarily. “The Whole Damn Show” would soon be back on course to win the match.

What Happened Afterwards: RVD was a man of many monikers throughout his career, including being known as “Mr. PPV” and “Mr. Monday Night”. After winning this match he took on the name “Mr. Money in the Bank”. He also took some time to consider his options about when and where he would claim the title shot. In the meantime, Van Dam battled Shelton Benjamin at Backlash (April 30th, 2006) in a match where both the Bank briefcase and the Intercontinental Title were on the line. RVD won the match and the IC title, proving he was quickly on the ascension in WWE. Van Dam dropped the title back to Benjamin on the May 15th, 2006 episode of Raw in a convoluted Texas Tornado tag match also involving Triple H and John Cena. The next week on Raw, RVD became the first and only Money in the Bank winner thus far to claim his title match in advance. He set the date-ECW’s return Pay Per View, One Night Stand on June 11th, 2006. There he would have the home crowd advantage-a rabid crowd of hardcore ECW fans who wanted nothing more than for him to win the WWE World Title after all these years.

Rob Van Dam’s opponent would become ECW’s public enemy number one-John Cena, who was in the midst of a popularity crisis. There had been a schism in the WWE fan base that had women and children cheering for him and most adult men booing him. A crowd sign in the Manhattan Center expressed the disgust of the hardcore fan for the WWE Champion—”If Cena Wins, We Riot!” The match itself was a modern classic with a ton of heat on a very game Cena and the hometown hero Rob Van Dam riding the wave of the crowd support and his hardcore ideology. The conclusion was the hero conquering WWE’s Golden Child, but only thanks to a little help from ECW mastermind Paul Heyman. He emerged from backstage to make the three-count after the official referee was downed and unable to count. Heyman declared RVD not only the NEW WWE Champion, but on the first ever episode of ECW on SciFi, also declared him the NEW ECW World Champion, bringing back the long dormant title.

While this title win was a happy occasion and the seeming coming-of-age of a long-time crowd favorite, it was soon undone by the very man who was responsible for the return of the ECW brand. RVD failed to realize the responsibility of being the face of two brands of the major wrestling promotion in North America. He and Sabu were arrested on marijuana-possession charges just one month after winning the titles. The thread quickly unraveled and RVD soon lost both the WWE and the ECW titles as a consequence of his actions.

=Wrestlemania 23=
April 1st, 2007 | Detroit, Michigan

Participants: CM Punk, Edge, Finlay, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, King Booker, Randy Orton

Winner: Mr. Kennedy
How He Won: The packed and star studded line-up (for the first time expanded to eight participants) had the two dark horse candidates as the final competitors still standing after a grueling contest. It appeared as if CM Punk had the upper hand and would amazingly win the match in his first in-ring Wrestlemania appearance, but Mr. Kennedy, knocked him off with a ladder to the face and unhooked the briefcase with two hands.

KENNEDY! BANK! …BANK! …KENNEDY!

Most Spectacular Moments:

Finlay dives onto everyone except Edge: Like Kane in the first MITB, you wouldn’t expect a ground-based wrestler like Finlay to take flight, but this was a rare and special occasion that sent the Irishman to the top turnbuckle and over to the floor on top of almost all of the other participants in the match.

Medley Mania: This was the year that several of the wrestlers found an incredibly effective strategy—keep hitting their signature maneuver on anybody who moved. There was Booker T with multiple spinebusters on everyone and finishing it off with a spina-rooni flourish; an Edge spear medley running from one side of the ring to the other (and then later Edge speared Punk who had his head wedged in a ladder, knocking back Orton & Finlay at the same time); finally an Orton RKO medley, including a super RKO on Punk from the top of the ladder. Not only did multiple finishers work for the wrestlers as far as clearing a path to grab a ladder and climb to the top, but the repetition of these huge moves popped the crowd like crazy.

Edge snap suplexes Matt onto a ladder: Matt Hardy and Edge renewed acquaintances when Matt set up a fully extended ladder and placed another ladder lying down on top of it. From there Edge suplexed Matt onto the contraption—ouch!

Kennedy Kenton bombs himself onto a ladder: File under the RVD category of hurting yourself with your own weapon. Kennedy readied his Kenton Bomb but completely whiffed, landing onto the ladder. Jeff Hardy immediately took advantage with the Swanton Bomb on Kennedy.

Edge’s Great Fall: Randy Orton and Edge were former partners just one year previous in the Rated RKO tandem, but that tag team was long since over. In an every-man-for-himself kind of match, it was Orton who pushed Edge from off a ladder. Edge fell off the ladder over the ropes to the floor—not a bad fall, an awful one.

Hardy’s Greatest Fall: The highlight reel moment of the match occurred when Jeff Hardy launched himself from the top of a mega ladder with a senton onto Edge from over the top rope. He careened into Edge so fast that he broke in half a mega-ladder that was bridged between the ring and the guardrail.

Decimation.

Booker’s Sacrifice: Booker T was just a finger’s length away from grabbing the briefcase. So close, but then…Matt Hardy used a trump card. Sharmell was up on the ring apron, and Matt Hardy grabbed her head and put her in position for a Twist of Fate. Sharmell was held hostage and Booker had to make a choice—his wife or the briefcase. Amazingly, Booker proved that some wrestlers do have loyalty to their spouse when he sacrificed winning the match to save Sharmell. Booker hopped down only to be caught in a Twist of Fate by Matt Hardy.

Finlay Lands the Celtic Cross on Hardy on a ladder: Back meets metal, metal meets back. Result? A trip to the chiropractor.

HornSQUASHED: On the Smackdown before Wrestlemania, Hornswoggle embarrassed Mr. Kennedy by blasting him with a tadpole splash from a stepladder. However, Mr. Kennedy had the last laugh during this match when he squashed Hornswoggle with a Finlay Roll off the top of ladder. Unfortunately for Kennedy, there was no pot of gold at the end of the ladder.

What Happened Afterwards: Mr. Kennedy would begin to introduce himself with the drop-down mic as “Misterrrrrrrrrrrrr…Money in the Bank…Bank”. He travelled from brand to brand for the next few months, often confronting that brand’s champion and verbally implying he could cash in the belt against him. Other times he would use nonverbal attempts to intimidate the champion with his presence and the possibility of the Bank withdrawal.

Kennedy’s win appeared to be the beginning of a year-long push for Kennedy, where he would cash in the championship opportunity at the next year’s Wrestlemania. Unfortunately, two injuries changed the course of WWE history. First of all, World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker (on the Smackdown roster in 2007) suffered a torn biceps. It was a major tear and looked to take him out of action for the long term. Then Mr. Kennedy suffered a triceps tear, which appeared to be a major injury as well, but ultimately was not as serious as thought and only shelved him for two months. Still, the threat of a major injury and possible long term absence forced WWE’s hand—they choose to move the briefcase. Although Kennedy was supposed to cash-in the briefcase after the Taker-Batista cage match, Kennedy’s injury forced more changes and it ended up in Edge’s hands. On the May 7th, 2007 edition of WWE Raw, Edge challenged Mr. Kennedy to defend the briefcase against him, the first-ever Bank winner. Edge wanted the match at Judgment day, but Kennedy said he would put it up for grabs that very night. Edge, ever the “ultimate opportunist”, waylaid Kennedy before the match even began. Mr. Kennedy told the referee to start the match even though he was hurt, demonstrating a valiant side heretofore unseen and unknown. Edge immediately crushed Kennedy with a spear and pinned him in a five second match to win the briefcase.

He did it again!

WWE shifted the briefcase and contractual title shot to Edge. Then on the May 11th, 2007 edition of Smackdown Edge would once again cash-in the briefcase in a similar fashion to when he did it against John Cena in 2006. The Undertaker and Batista had just fought in a brutal steel cage match that ended in a draw, but a successful title defense nonetheless for the Deadman. Then Mark Henry ran in and brutally beat down The Undertaker. Edge rushed down immediately after Henry’s attack to cash in the title opportunity. He covered Undertaker twice, but Taker kicked out. Finally, Edge launched into Taker with a spear to win the impromptu match and once again lay claim to the World Heavyweight Championship. Edge had not even won the Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania 23, but he manipulated his way into the mix and took advantage of others’ misfortune and misery to become a champion.

=Wrestlemania XXIV=
March 30th, 2008 | Orlando, Florida

Participants: Shelton Benjamin, Carlito, CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Mr. Kennedy, John Morrison, MVP

Winner: CM Punk
How He Won: Initially this match was thought to be a shoe-in for Jeff Hardy, but he had a wellness violation and was suspended before ‘Mania. He was the eighth participant in the match, but there was no substitute. Instead seven men were left in the match. Punk won the match when he and Jericho were left on top of the ladder and he kicked Jericho in the head, trapping him on the ring rung. Punk reached over Jericho to claim the belt, thus redeeming himself from coming so close last year.

Punk walks up the ladder ramp, briefcase in tow.

Most Spectacular Moments:

Morrison’s Ladder Moonsault: Now this was an extra-large slice of crazy—Morrison leaping off the top rope, flipping upside down in a moonsault while holding onto the ladder and crashing onto four men onto the floor. The ladder only grazed the intended targets, but the visual was a jaw-dropper.

Morrison in mid-air.

Jericho catapults Kennedy up a ladder and then Morrison rides one ladder onto another to catch him: Jericho looked to inflict some violence on Kennedy by smashing him into the lower rungs of an extended ladder, but Kennedy quickly reacted in mid-move and jumped onto the ladder, sprinting his way toward the top and almost within reach of the briefcase. Morrison was on the other side of the ring and cut him off at the pass with a ballsy play—travelling on one closed ladder and using the momentum to leap onto the extended ladder. Morrison made it and stopped Kennedy before he could unlatch the case.

Sunset flip Tower of Doom: Almost immediately after that it would be Shelton Benjamin who would provide the masterstroke when he enacted the sunset flip power bomb over the top of one ladder onto another ladder where Morrison was ready to bring Kennedy down with a superplex. The result? All men came crashing down in the Tower of Doom.

Benjamin’s Tightwalking Act: Continuing to impress, Shelton showed off an incredible ability to balance himself on the ropes when Carlito tilted a ladder backwards, forcing Benjamin to use the top rope as his refuge. He then flung the ladder back towards Carlito and caught him in the face…now that’s very cool.

Benjamin’s Great Fall: It was a recall of last year’s unbelievable drop from Jeff Hardy onto Edge that destroyed Edge’s body and broke a ladder in half. Benjamin had the upper hand on most of the huge moments thus far, but now he was the man to take the hit. Benjamin was tipped over the top rope by Kennedy and Carlito. He spilled out over the ring onto another ladder bridged between ring and guardrail, cutting the ladder in half. Carlito and Kennedy were jaws-agape at the sight of this destruction.

Ladders of Jericho: One of Jericho’s finest moments of innovation in a ladder match has been the application of the Walls of Jericho on top of an extended ladder. Jericho uses the top rung as a fulcrum to stretch out his victim’s back muscles—in this match it was Morrison who felt the pain.

Punk and Carlito ARE Spider-Men: Previous years have seen wrestlers jump onto the ladders from out of camera range—this year it was not one, but two men who did so at the same time. CM Punk and Carlito both launched themselves onto ladders with perfectly timed springboard jumps. They caught up to Mr. Kennedy and Jericho, prevented each from climbing up the rungs any further.

Super Ultimate Backstabber: Carlito puts the knife in the back of his opponents in the form of double knees (a move called the Backstabber). This time around, Carlito plastered Chris Jericho with this move, launching himself backwards from a great height and planting the double knees into his back in one fell swoop. It looked like it hurt like hell.

The Hardy Party: Matt Hardy had been shelved due to a knee injury for over five months. However, while his brother Jeff was supposed to be in this match before being suspended, Matt Hardy’s appearance and run-in came was a huge surprise. Hardy rushed the ring as the fans went wild, delivering a Twist of Fate onto MVP off the top of the ladder, effectively taking his long-time rival out of serious contention for the rest of the match.

Rube Goldberg Awesomeness: One of the coolest moments in all of Money in the Bank history happened towards the end of the match, as the wrestlers seemingly went back to their childhood days of building with Lincoln Logs and Legos. What happened was Chris Jericho took two ladders and connected them on the second lowest rung, effectively creating an “X” shape. He tipped the construct downwards, bringing the other side up. Morrison saw this as a huge opportunity, took a running start and climbed up on the ladder, looking to make a wild run up to grab the briefcase. Jericho pushed it back and John Morrison crotched himself—no good! The ladder knocked back into CM Punk, lying down and hurting near the turnbuckle.

Jericho’s Short-Ladder Codebreaker: short trip, bad landing for Mr. Straight-Edge, as Jericho used a short ladder to add to the downward force of the Codebreaker. Punk would reel in pain, but a short while later Punk would have the last laugh.

What Happened Afterwards: CM Punk was the first ECW brand member to win Money in the Bank—a huge boon to his career. He initially took the Mr. Kennedy method of appearing on the different shows, making his presence known to that brand’s champion and teasing that he could use the contract at any time. Punk’s win-loss record during this time was a mixed bag, wrestling against the likes of Jericho and Matt Hardy. Punk also would draw the ire of William Regal during this time as both men met in the finals of that year’s King of the Ring tournament. Regal blasted him with amazingly hard shots and won the tournament.

Punk’s fortunes took a turn for the best during the 2008 WWE Draft in late June, moving from ECW to Raw. On June 30th, 2008 in Oklahoma, CM Punk shocked the world, his fans and his critics when he became World Heavyweight Champion after only two full years on WWE televised programming.

The night before at the Night of the Champions Pay Per View, Batista lost his final opportunity at fighting Edge for the World Heavyweight Title. Batista had been drafted over to the Raw brand as well and so if he wanted to gain some measure of closure against Smackdown’s champion he would had to do it then and there. Unfortunately, The Animal was once again duped by interference from Edge’s wife (in storyline) Vickie Guerrero and La Familia (Chavo Guerrero, Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins). For months on end, Edge’s extended family and entourage had cost Batista multiple chances at winning the title. They did it again on June 29th, 2008. Now, Batista could no longer demand any further title bouts and Edge would be able to move onto new contenders.

Raw began with Jim Ross (drafted to Smackdown two weeks earlier) receiving an amazing reception in front of his hometown fans. If one person from the Smackdown brand showing up on Raw wasn’t enough, Edge’s music hit and the World Heavyweight Champion would appear to continue the surprise appearances. He wanted to show up J.R., show off the fact that he defeated Batista and generally mock the Raw brand. They didn’t have an official General Manager like his wife Vickie (which would soon be rectified as eventually Vickie would move on to become the Raw GM) and they were left without a World Champion to represent the brand. Both he and WWE Champion Triple H were now exclusive to Smackdown, leaving a power vacuum at the top of the Raw talent roster.

The roll-out of surprises continued with Batista’s music and entrance. Edge’s eyes widened because he knew that Batista wasn’t after his title this time, but rather his health and well-being. Batista wreaked righteous vengeance for being cheated out the World Heavyweight Title, finishing a beat down with the Batista Bomb in the middle of the ring. Edge was down and out. Batista, satisfied, walked up the ramp and to the back. At that moment, CM Punk’s music played and the Straight-Edge Hero rushed towards the ring with referee in tow. Batista gave a double take that was filled with both disbelief and dismay, because he knew what this moment meant. CM Punk was about to cash in his Money in the Bank title opportunity and he was about to do it at the best possible moment. One Go to Sleep knee smash to the face and CM Punk was the NEW World Heavyweight champion. CM Punk had just done to Edge what Edge had done to both John Cena in 2006 and to The Undertaker just the year prior. In other words, what goes around came around for the Rated R Superstar.

CM Punk and the fans in Oklahoma reveled in the shocking upset victory, but the new champion’s celebration wouldn’t last for long as he was challenged that very night for the title by JBL, who was declaring martial law in WWE. Punk held his own during the match, but John Cena and Cryme Tyme were there to counteract JBL’s security squad just in case they even thought of assisting. Punk won the match with a Go to Sleep on JBL. He had made it through a historic, career-changing night still the World Heavyweight Champion.

As for the rest of CM Punk’s first World title run? Well, it turned out to be a bit less than impressive, with Punk being placed into the “underdog champion” position and being portrayed as not able to win against the bigger guns in WWE, such as Batista or Randy Orton. Punk didn’t even wrestle in the match where he lost the title—as a backstage attack by Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase put him out of commission and unable to defend during the Scramble match at WWE Unforgiven 2008. The title was declared vacant, with Chris Jericho substituting for Punk. Jericho would win the title. Still, on that one night at the end of June, CM Punk proved once again the potency of the Money in the Bank.

=Wrestlemania 25=
April 5th, 2009 | Houston, Texas

Participants: Shelton Benjamin, Christian, CM Punk, Finlay, Mark Henry, Kane, Kofi Kingston, MVP

Winner: CM Punk
How He Won: Punk kicked Kane directly in the head while being choked at the top of the ladder, breaking the attempt at a chokeslam. Punk pushed him off, grabbed the briefcase and broke the Bank for the second year in a row.

Two in a row.

Most Spectacular Moments:

Kofi’s High Jump: Mr. Kingston should join the Jamaican Olympic Team (or is it Ghana?) because he would have a great shot of medaling in the Summer Olympic Games. One of the first truly spectacular highlights of was when Kofi leaped over the ladder that was rushing towards him and held by Christian and Shelton Benjamin. Kofi proceeded to dropkick the ladder and knock both men down, finishing the sequence with boom drop, using the force of his downward momentum to press the ladder into the sternum of his opponents.

The “World’s Strongest Ladder”: That’s what it would have to be for being able to hold both Kane and Mark Henry on its frame. Just the sight of both big men climbing up the ladder and doing battle was a memorable moment in and of itself.

Free-for-All Climb: Everyone except Kane and Mark Henry would make a mad dash up two ladders, but they would part the sea and throw everyone off in a massive reminder that you could run all you want, but you couldn’t hide from those two in this match.

Free-for-All Flight: The wrestlers broke out their best dives and flew through the open air with pure daredevil attitude. Here was the rapid succession of takeoff and landing: Finlay’s suicide dive through the ropes; Christian’s “Silver King” plancha from inside the ring to the outside; MVP’s flip senton and finally Kofi and CM Punk’s simultaneous topes. Well, not quite finally, as just a minute later it was the original Money in the Bank risk-taker making his first real presence in the match—Shelton nailed a massive flip dive from top of the largest mega ladder at ringside onto everyone! It was one of the crazier dives performed in the history of the match. Then Hornswoggle was the topper, as Finlay encouraged him on. He used Mark Henry as a platform (propped on the turnbuckle) to fly outside the ring in a Finlay assisted tadpole-splash rocket launcher onto everyone else.

Kofi’s Playground: Kofi essentially madethe ‘Mania ring into his own park playground through the Money in the Bank. He used the ladder as a monkey bar to hop in and through the space between the connecting bars. He used this unusual and highly innovative strategic location to kick Finlay down and off the ladder, finally bringing it down on top of his head! Soon after, Kofi would nail Finlay with his Trouble in Paradise spinning kick to once again knock him off the ladder.

Kofi’s Playground II: Kofi continued the head-turning athleticism with his best chance at winning the briefcase during the match. Mark Henry was propping the closed ladder and holding it almost vertical near-by the briefcase. Kofi would take this chance and run up the ladder. Henry caught him and converted to the World’s Strongest Slam on a ladder propped up by the ropes. It was an unthinkable and breathtakingly innovative tactic—and it almost worked!

Ladders and Bridges: The body of this ladder match was devoted to the construction and use of the most intricate ladder formation ever devised during this match, as the ladders became a violent construction site of pain and misery for all involved. First, an extended ladder was connected horizontally and locked in to another ladder at the top rope. MVP and Shelton played a ducking and jumping game with that set up. MVP caught Shelton and converted it into a power bomb. CM Punk then latched onto Shelton before he could get the briefcase. Punk and Christian would battle while balancing on the horizontal ladder, ending when Christian converted an elevated Killswitch from the horizontal ladder to the mat. Meanwhile, Kane connected another ladder on the ringside, slanted it diagonally and locked it into the horizontal ladder. Then in a sequel to his first major highlight from Wrestlemania 21, Shelton would use this ladder to run from the outside of the ring to catch MVP at the top of the center ladder. Now, Shelton wanted the sunset flip power bomb, but lost his grip. He regained his bearing and this time launched MVP with the power bomb and OVER the top rope onto Mark Henry and Tony Atlas.

Balancing Act: Christian and Shelton were falling off of one ladder, but while Shelton flew off the ladder and crashed down at ringside, Christian balanced himself with one foot on the top rope! Next, he shifted his weight the other way to rebalance the ladder and go for the briefcase. Punk would springboard into the ring and balance on another ladder to meet him, only to get his foot caught in this ring, a role reversal of when he and Chris Jericho were battling at the conclusion of last year’s Money in the Bank.

A precarious position for both Christian and Shelton Benjamin.

What Happened Afterwards: CM Punk once again had an uneven road to travel in the months after winning the title opportunity. He wasn’t thrust in the spotlight after the event, instead stuck in traction with some mid-card feuds. Punk would lose the next two major matches on Pay Per View—one against Kane at Backlash (April 26th, 2009) and the second against Umaga during Judgment Day (May 17th, 2009) in his very own hometown of Chicago, Illinois.

Punk found himself struggling in a feud against the Samoan monster, being laid out and beaten down far more than not. The downward slide in momentum was so egregious that Punk was a definite underdog against Umaga when they again fought during the Extreme Rules Pay Per View (June 7th, 2009). Surprisingly, Punk won that match (not necessarily because the program called for his victory, but rather because Umaga was about to be suspended for the Wellness Policy violations and soon to be released from his WWE contract).

Meanwhile, Jeff Hardy was locked in a heated struggle for the World Heavyweight Title against Edge. First, Hardy had lost the WWE Title to Edge back at the 2009 Royal Rumble in January, thanks in part to his brother Matt turning on him. Then Hardy had to suffer the emotional and psychological hardship of doing battle against his own brother at Wrestlemania 25 and again at Backlash. Along the way, Edge had lost the title in the Elimination Chamber match during No Way Out, won the World Heavyweight Title on the same night, lost said title at Wrestlemania 25 to John Cena and then once again gained it back during Backlash at the end of April. The title belt was bouncing around faster than a superball being thrown against a school yard wall.

Edge defeated Hardy to retain the title at Judgment Day, once again thanks to involvement from Matt Hardy. However, Jeff would have one more chance to reclaim the moment and unseat Edge —in the type of match both knew very well, a ladder match. On the same night that Punk put the struggles against Umaga behind him, Hardy had to put the trauma of fighting his brother behind him and put it all on the line to once again become a World champion. He took some damaging falls and was clearly hurting after the match, but the sacrifice had paid off. He climbed the ladder and grabbed the title to become champion. Then, just as Hardy was celebrating the victory with his fans, a Money in the Bank opportunity would come into play once more. CM Punk decided that the time was right and just like the year before, he strode in with briefcase and referee in tow.

Jeff Hardy had very little time to get himself back into the fighting mentality. Punk easily lifted the new champion up and smashed him with a Go To Sleep. Punk covered Hardy with a confident assurance that he had just won the match…but to his shock and disbelief, Jeff Hardy kicked out! Punk’s look of dismay also betrayed a glint of anger and even disgust. He was clearly not anticipating Hardy having the wherewithal to withstand the move. Still, Punk quickly resolved himself to go back to work, kicking Hardy right in the head and then once more, blasting him in the face with his knee. This time, the Go To Sleep worked. Punk had pinned Hardy and became a two-time World Heavyweight Champion just three years into his blossoming WWE career.

It was the second year in a row that Punk had successfully used his title shot, but this time the reaction of the fans was surprisingly different. A majority of the WWE fans were abrasive and critical of his actions. They booed Punk as he cashed-in during Extreme Rules and they would boo him on WWE events in the weeks to come. They were upset that he had the temerity to do this to Jeff Hardy in his time of victory. Some fans were outright cursing his very existence.

For his part, CM Punk was having a hard time accepting the fans’ reaction. He didn’t believe that he had done anything wrong that night in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was also puzzled, because it wasn’t anything that was outside the boundary and scope of the rules regarding the Money in the Bank briefcase! Furthermore, the very same fans who loved it when Punk had done the very same thing to Edge just a year ago were now booing and chastising him because it was someone they liked!

Punk would grow increasingly frustrated with this criticism in the weeks to come. Punk tried his best to put things right with Jeff Hardy. He knew that Hardy was different than him, that while he lived a clean and sober Straight-Edge lifestyle, Jeff Hardy had many personal demons from the past and the present. Punk began to resent that he was booed for living his lifestyle of no drugs and no alcohol but Hardy was cheered despite being among the damned and the sinners who drank, did drugs and popped pills to ease their lives.

Punk would defend the title against Hardy at The Bash (June 28th, 2009) in Sacramento, California with a very controversial result. Supposedly he was poked in the eye by Hardy during the match and kicked the referee while blinded. The attack, although inadvertent (allegedly), resulted in a disqualification call in favor of Jeff Hardy. However, since WWE titles cannot change hands on a count-out or disqualification, CM Punk remained the champion. Hardy was furious at this turn of events.

The dislike and antagonism between these two men would grow in the following weeks, with Punk increasingly becoming preachy about his straight-edge lifestyle and claiming the higher moral ground in his disagreements with Hardy. Meanwhile, Hardy would mock Punk’s supposed eye injury by faking his own injury during a tag match where they were partners against Edge and Chris Jericho. Hardy sold the pain of the eye injury and was not available for a much-needed tag, which ultimately cost their side the match. Hardy walked to the top of the ramp and revealed that his eye was not actually injured at all.

A few weeks later, Jeff Hardy would defeat CM Punk at the Night of the Champions Pay Per View (July 26th, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA) with a Twist of Fate and a Swanton Bomb. Hardy had vindicated the loss at Extreme Rules and was once again World Heavyweight Champion.

Enough was enough—CM Punk was fed up with the hypocrisy. He was through trying to placate the WWE fans. He was finished trying to make peace with Jeff Hardy. He had committed no crime in cashing in the Money in the Bank and yet everyone made him feel guilty. Then Hardy faked an eye-injury, was unapologetic about his actions and his lifestyle and then defeated him in a title match. No, it was Jeff Hardy who should have felt guilt, shame and recrimination for living his lifestyle. If no one else realized that, Punk would make sure they would. On the July 31st, 2009 edition of Smackdown, Punk would come down to the ring and waste no time on words. He attacked Jeff Hardy with the microphone and badly damaged Hardy’s leg. It was a vicious assault that confirmed in the minds of the fans that Punk was in the wrong, but only further solidified in Punk’s mind that he was justified in his actions. The two men would continue to wage war on each other in the months to come.

=The Future of The Bank=

Nine* WWE superstars will try their luck in the Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania XXVI in Phoenix, Arizona (March 28th, 2010). Some are returning participants who wish to climb to the top of the ladder and others are receiving their very first opportunity to stake a claim at winning WWE’s equivalent to Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket. They are: Shelton Benjamin (fifth year), Evan Bourne (first year), Christian (third year), Matt Hardy (third year), Kane (third year), Drew McIntyre (first year), MVP (third year), Jack Swagger (first year) and Dolph Ziggler (first year).

*On the 3/23/2010 episode of Raw Kofi Kingston won a final qualifying match to become the tenth man in the match.

Will this finally be the year that Shelton Benjamin capitalizes on all of his athleticism, innovation and Money in the Bank experience, using all of those traits to his full advantage? Will the win fall to Kane, the tallest and most powerful competitor in the match? Will an upstart like Swagger, Ziggler or Bourne take it on their first try? Or will it be Vince McMahon’s Golden Child and current WWE Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre, who had to manipulate the system in order to qualify on his third try?

Regardless of who wins, the question will remain–what happens next? When, where and against who will the winner cash in the title shot? Even more importantly, will he succeed? There is still a lot of to play around with the concept of Money in the Bank and the winner’s fate in his World Title shot, even after five years of the match. Fans have yet to see the following eventualities and outcomes in using the briefcase:

The Year-Long Wait: A wrestler has yet to carry the briefcase through a complete calendar year and cash-in the title opportunity at the next year’s Wrestlemania. Although this storyline was heavily teased with Mr. Kennedy, the threat of his injury becoming a long-term problem forced the change-up and the second Edge cash-in. At that time Mr. Kennedy was a possibility to become that next “main event talent” but he still had a ways to go. A year-long push could have brought Kennedy to his full potential. It makes sense to go down this storyline direction if the Money in the Bank is won by a wrestler who is not yet seriously considered a heavy favorite to win the major heavyweight titles or when there is a strong heel GM character who could manipulate and scheme to “block” the cash-in, instead forcing the Money in the Bank winner to jump through hoops in order to be able to make it to the title match.

WWE can choose to try to follow that attempt again with future Bank winners—although it seems highly risky given the potential for wrestler injury. There is an inherent risk for the wrestler as well—he might fall out of favor with agents or creative and have that opportunity taken away. This storyline also has a problem working within the current context of the WWE. These are the days of frequent title changes and multiple opportunities to receive title shots. Why would someone wait a full year to cash in the briefcase and receive a title shot when he could conceivably cash in and win right away? Not to mention there are other World Title opportunities that arise throughout the year, such as a number one-contender’s tournament, a battle royal with a title shot on the line, the Royal Rumble or the Elimination Chamber matches. Obviously some of these situations provide a higher percentage for success than others, but one certainly doesn’t have to wait to take advantage of them. Of course, there is always the temptation to tread the path travelled by Edge and CM Punk—take advantage of a champion after the wear and tear of a difficult title defense either on television or Pay Per View.

Cash-in and Lose: WWE always has the option of a wrestler cashing in the title shot and losing. This is a risky proposition, because the first person to go down that path will live on in WWE wrestling history with the sort of infamy that could hurt a career. It is very easy to be tagged a loser by the fans without an actual major loss, much less becoming the first person to cash-in the Money in the Bank and lose. Yet, this scenario, if done right, could lead to new and interesting storyline directions. For instance, many fans assumed that CM Punk would be the first person to lose the title match—both times! However, what if Punk actually did lose the match against Jeff Hardy at Extreme Rules? Recall the mixed look of frustration, anger and desperation that CM Punk had when his first Go To Sleep was unsuccessful. As it turned out, winning the title match against Hardy was the impetus for his heel turn, but losing the Money in the Bank title match could have worked just as well by pushing him over the edge and causing him to snap. This is essentially what Shawn Michaels went through after losing the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber qualifier this year in his quest to wrestle The Undertaker one more time at Wrestlemania. The possibility of a cash-in and lose that changes storyline direction remains for any wrestler who thinks the briefcase guarantees a win and instead has all of his hopes and expectations blow up in his face.

Winner and Same Day Cash In: One of the more exciting and out-of-the-box outcomes of the Money in the Bank contest still awaits realization—that the winner of the match chooses to cash in his title shot on that very same Wrestlemania. Remember, the rules allow for a cash-in at any time after winning the match and that includes on the same show mere minutes or hours after winning the match!

There are some obvious precedents from the Wrestlemania of years past—multiple title matches for the same belt, multiple title changes and even impromptu title matches. Wrestlemania IX featured the double switch of the WWF Title from Bret “Hitman” Hart to Yokozuna to Hulk Hogan. Fans didn’t have any idea that Hogan would challenge for the title on the same show that he already wrestled for the WWF World Tag Team Title. A mere one hundred and twenty-eight seconds after Yokozuna became the champion, the impossible was proven possible and Hogan shocked the world with another WWF Title win. Could the same sort of scenario be repeated, only with the addition of the MITB stipulation to give added credence to the impromptu challenger? This scenario could work with either a face or heel winner, but would likely create the most “pop” from the crowd with a face unexpectedly throwing out the challenge against a heel that retains the title in his previous match. Imagine if in this year’s Wrestlemania you had Chris Jericho defeat Edge to retain the WWE Title and Christian was to win the Money in the Bank. Jericho would be in the throes of triumph when Christian’s theme music starts up and pops the crowd, because they would know what was coming next. A same-day cash-in would be true Wrestlemania history in the making.

One of the more apparent disadvantages of using up the Money in the Bank on the very same Wrestlemania is that it takes away a storyline path for the rest of the year. The Money in the Bank angle is something that has legs and can be used for a considerable time on WWE programming. It lasted two months with RVD, three months or so with both of CM Punk’s wins and almost ten months with Edge’s first cash-in. The tease of when and where a winner will challenge for the title brings an extra intangible to WWE’s title matches and the possibility that the cash-in could happen at any moment. A same-day cash-in takes away that sense of unpredictability for the rest of the year—although it is in exchange for an extra dose of it during Wrestlemania.

The influence and the success of the past five years of Money in the Bank is evidenced by the recent WWE announcement that it would headline its own Pay Per View special, set for July 18th of this year. Money in the Bank is a bona-fide special attraction and an important piece of current WWE storytelling. It’s a simple but effective equation: ladders + the chance to win a WWE Title = Money.