wrestling / Columns

The Pay Window 6.30.13: Handicapping Money in the Bank

June 30, 2013 | Posted by Craig Stevens

Welcome once again to another edition of The Pay Window, the column that takes a look at the week’s most money-making matches, segments, and/or promos. Two weeks from tonight, WWE presents the Money in the Bank PPV LIVE from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One of the company’s most consistent shows each year, we look at why these Money in the Bank matches look to live up to their moniker, plus TNA does some things right for a change, and the Stock Watch. So let’s get right into it… I’m Craig Stevens, and we’re pulling up to the window…

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In-Ring Segment of the Week

Stephanie McMahon announces the participants of the WWE Title MITB Match (RAW 6.24.2013)

Switching up the order a bit this week, so I can cover the announcements chronologically. Also, even though this technically happened on the ramp rather than in the ring, it was still in front of the curtain, so it counts. On RAW this past Monday Night, Stephanie McMahon revealed the seven superstars who will compete in the Money in the Bank ladder match for the WWE Championship briefcase: CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, Sheamus, Kane, Christian, and the returning RVD. They’re billing this one as the Money in the Bank “All Stars”, and it’s easy to see why. These seven men have combined to wrestle in nineteen Money in the Bank Matches, won five, and between them they have a total twenty-three WWE/World Heavyweight Championship reigns. All seven men in the match have been a World Champion under the WWE banner at least once.

So, who puts the most “money” in Money in the Bank? Let’s handicap this thing:

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Odds to win the WWE Championship Money in the Bank, 2013

Kane
Money in the Bank Appearances: 6 (2005, 2009, 2010 x 2, 2011, 2012)
Money in the Bank Wins: 1 (2010 MITB PPV, SD match)
Odds to win: 50-1

We’re gonna go in ascending order, starting with the long-shot, Kane. Despite being the most experienced at Money in the Bank matches, with a win under his belt, I really don’t see the Big Red Machine winning his second briefcase in two weeks. At this point, he’s really just a gatekeeper. He’s a mid-carder who got the history and the credibility to slot into big matches when you need him. Honestly, he’s not even a long-shot; he’s got no chance whatsoever here.

Christian
Money in the Bank Appearances: 5 (2005, 2009, 2010 x 2, 2012)
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 30-1

Next up is Captain Charisma. He’s a grizzled veteran of the ladder match, and pretty much a fixture when Money in the Bank rolls around. He’s pretty much in a similar spot to Kane, a name you can plug in, but without any real chance to win because of who else is involved. He gets slightly better odds than Kane because he’s “fresh”, just returning to WWE television after nearly a year away. He’s not winning here, either.

CM Punk
Money in the Bank Appearances: 3 (2007, 2008, 2009)
Money in the Bank Wins: 2 (2008 & 2009)
Odds to win: 20-1

The only multiple-time winner of the Money in the Bank ladder match. The longest reigning WWE Champion of the past quarter-century. Any other time he’d be a no-brainer favorite in a match like this. But any other time he wouldn’t have to constantly be checking over his shoulder to see if Brock Lesnar was coming. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brock make a cameo in this one to further his issue with Punk, and so I WOULD be surprised to see Punk climb the ladder and take this one.

Sheamus
Money in the Bank Appearances: 1 (2011)
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 15-1

Sheamus is the first of the guys who I think might actually have a shot at winning the match. I don’t think he will win, but I feel very confident that his name at least got tossed around. Why? Just because he’s Sheamus, and he’s in one of those Cena/Orton type spots where he’s going to be around a World Title scene 95% of the time.

Rob Van Dam
Money in the Bank Appearances: 1 (2006)
Money in the Bank Wins: 1 (2006)
Odds to win: 10-1

Everything lines up for RVD here. He’s batting 1.000 in Money in the Bank matches. The match is in Philly, which is basically like home-field advantage for Van Dam. And John Cena is the WWE Champion, just like he was in ’06 when RVD called his shot and beat him for the gold. That being said, I don’t think he maintains his perfect MITB record. He’s probably going to get the biggest pop of the night and do something really awesome during the match, though.

Randy Orton
Money in the Bank Appearances: 2 (2007, 2010)
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 5-1

I went back and forth on this one. Part of me wanted to put Randy Orton on the same odds as Daniel Bryan, seeing as how they’ve pretty much been splitting the crowd during their matches the last few weeks. You could even argue that Randy’s reactions have been slightly louder at times. And the “anyplace, anytime” feel of the MITB contract meshes perfectly with Orton’s “Viper” persona. But in the end, Randy tapped out clean to Daniel Bryan on Raw, so I feel like it’s pretty clear who’s taking the briefcase down on this one…

Daniel Bryan
Money in the Bank Appearances: 1 (2011)
Money in the Bank Wins: 1 (2011)
Odds to win: 2-1

This is the WWE, so anything could happen between now and then. But their tendency to change things on a whim is the only reason I have this placed at 2-1. This is really as close to an even money situation as it gets, I think, and Daniel Bryan will be on his way to challenge John Cena at Summerslam. Will he pull a RVD, announce his cash-in ahead of time and win the title? Or will he become only the second man to cash in and lose, ironically joining John Cena himself?

Backstage Segment of the Week

Teddy Long announces the participants of the World Title MITB Match (Smackdown 6.28.2013)

After the star-studded line-up was revealed for the WWE Title MITB on RAW, people wondered who was left to put in the WHC match. Some people wondered if they’d even bother to have a second match at all. But indeed they are, and Teddy Long announced the participants Friday night. He went the complete opposite direction, booking the WHC MITB with the theme of looking to the future, or in his own words, looking for “the next playa”. The names he announced were Wade Barrett, Dean Ambrose, Fahnnn-dahnnn-gohhh, Jack Swagger, Antonio Ceasaro, Cody Rhodes, and Damien Sandow. Initial reactions to the line-up were… less than enthusiastic.

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But, on closer inspection, I believe that this match has the potential for greatness, as well as the potential to mint a new money-maker if they play their cards right. This is the biggest opportunity that several of these guys have ever had, so I feel confident that they’re going to go out there and try to steal the show. The Money in the Bank virtually guarantees the holder a run with the World Title, so that briefcase equals instant elevation. It’s a ticket out of languishing in mid-card Hell for guys like Barrett, Ceasaro, and Team Rhodes Scholars. It’s the next step for a guy like Dean Ambrose, or a career revitalization for someone like Jack Swagger, the only man in this group to have won a Money in the Bank match or a World Title. Throw in a wild card like Fandango, who’s reportedly a pet project of Vince McMahon himself, and this match is way more unpredictable and harder to handicap. But that won’t stop me from trying…

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Odds to win the World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank, 2013

Damien Sandow
Money in the Bank Appearances: 1 (2012)
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 30-1

You might have noticed that the odds are starting off a lot shorter in this match than they did for the WWE Title version. That’s because I don’t have a real feel for this one. I don’t expect Damien Sandow to win this, and I would be mildly surprised if he pulled down the case. But I wouldn’t be completely shocked if he did, and I definitely don’t feel confident enough to say he absolutely will not win. Whether you think he was elevated somewhat by getting to (kinda) hang with Sheamus, or that he was just someone to plug in and occupy Sheamus’ time likely depends on your perspective. Sadly, I lean towards the latter, making the Intellectual Savior the relative long-shot here.

Antonio Cesaro
Money in the Bank Appearances: None
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 25-1

Someone in WWE apparently isn’t very high on Cesaro, as he’s been the victim of a perpetual start-stop push ever since he arrived. I kind of liken him to a mid-card version of the Big Show, where they will build him up for weeks as a monster and a huge threat, only for him to get soundly beaten whenever he goes up against anyone with a big name. His association with Zeb Coulter may signal that they’ve began to warm to him again, but I don’t think that’s enough to give him a serious chance in this match. Still, not completely counting anyone out.

Dean Ambrose
Money in the Bank Appearances: None
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 19-1

The US Champion enters his first Money in the Bank in a weird spot. It reminds me of CM Punk’s situation; normally, the Shield man would have to be considered one of the favorites to win the match, but it seems like he’s already set for a meeting with Christian for his US Title. Having said that though, the WWE seems to like giving someone the Money in the Bank and then having them lose a lot for months and months afterwards, so maybe Ambrose gets the win and still has his feud with Christian. Hence his ever so slightly better odds than Punk. He’s the guy I’m most looking forward to see in this environment, and I feel like he’s a guy who could really elevate himself even without a win.

Cody Rhodes
Money in the Bank Appearances: 3 (2010, 2011, 2012)
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 15-1

Cody Rhodes is the veteran of this bunch when it comes to Money in the Bank ladder matches, and he has the feel of a guy who should have already won one. I thought he was primed to win it in 2011, but then Daniel Bryan kind of came out of nowhere to take the case. Now Cody finds himself in that role, the guy that nobody really expects to win, but that would totally make sense at the same time. I keep waiting for Cody to take that next step, and everyone is constantly harping on Cody as a future World Champion… will this be the night he finally takes that step? Daniel Bryan and Jack Swagger have proven that a dark horse can win these matches, and I think there’s an outside shot Cody might sneak in the back door and do it.

Jack Swagger
Money in the Bank Appearances: 2 (2010, 2011)
Money in the Bank Wins: 1 (2010)
Odds to win: 10-1

I’ll preface this one by saying that I think Swaggs is the guy who needs this the least. He’s already been Mr. Money in the Bank, and he’s already been the World Champion. The lead-in to this years’s Wrestlemania proved all he needs to get back to the main event scene is a strong win or two. But he was reported to still be in the Swagger/Del Rio mix for Summerslam before his injury/court dates, so it’s hard for me to discount his chances.

Wade Barrett/Fandango
Money in the Bank Appearances: 1 (Barrett -2011)
Money in the Bank Wins: None
Odds to win: 5-1

I couldn’t decide here. One one side, you’ve got Barrett, who’s basically the prototypical Money in the Bank winner. I could totally see him flaunting the case for months, teasing cash-ins anytime the Champion showed signs of weakness. On the other side, you’ve got Fandango. My gut tells me he’s not ready, but my head tells me that he was probably going to win the IC strap before his concussion, and he’s a Vince guy, so he’s got the biggest possible advocate in his corner. I’m fairly confident that at the end of the night, one of these two will take the win and the contract. I think Barrett should win, but as to who’ll actually win, I think it’s basically a coin flip.

Match of the Week

Magnus vs. Bobby Roode in the BFG Series (Impact Wrestling 6.27.2013)

Last week, in THIS VERY COLUMN, I said, “Magnus is a total package, he has a good look and can go, but it seems like TNA is very wishy-washy with him. They’ll push him for a month or two, then it’s like he falls off the face of the Earth for three or four. A strong run in the series would do everyone involved a lot of good, but TNA has no benefit of the doubt with me these days.” So then TNA goes and does exactly what I ask them to do! If anyone one associated with TNA is reading this, good on you! Pinning a former World Champ and BFG Series winner clean as a sheet in the middle of the ring is pretty much the definition of a “strong run”, and I’m really encouraged by it. Not only did Magnus get the win over Bobby Roode (which Mike Tenay rightly called the biggest win of his career), but I think just as importantly, they had a good match and he looked like he belonged. They came off as equals in the ring. And I think if TNA continues to push him in this way throughout the entire series, the fans will start to see him in that light and accept him as a top guy whether or not he actually wins the tournament. I’m fairly certain it’s predestined for AJ Styles to ride his poor-man’s Crow Sting gimmick to Bound for Glory. But if Magnus sits at the top of the table for the majority of this thing, only to lose it to AJ by a point or two on the final day, then that’s just as good. An AJ/Magnus program focused on the in-ring after all the drama with Aces & Eights dies down would have a chance to be off the charts, actually. This was a positive step, and I’m looking forward to what happens next.

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Stock Watch for the Week of June 24th-30th, 2013

 photo green_up_arrow_zps2ab2e5f9.pngAustin Aries: 1. Jump Suicide and steal his suit. 2. Cheat to win the X-Division Title in a match you weren’t even supposed to be in. 3. Cut a babyface promo on the heel champ? That’s some shades of grey that would make the Attitude Era proud. But regardless of Austin Aries’ ethical alignment at this point, in the words of Good Ol’ JR, “business just picked up”. No offense to Chris Sabin, but Aries brings tons more credibility to a match-up against Bully Ray, and instantly makes the main event at Destination X a bigger deal. If it was still a PPV instead of just an episode of Impact, this would probably occupy a slot up there. Maybe even two.

 photo red_down_arrow_zps26758601.pngChris Sabin: Speaking of Chris Sabin, you’ve got to feel bad for the guy. I remember when he was set to return from injury, it seemed like all anyone could think about was how he’d be a fresh challenger to Bully Ray and the World Heavyweight Championship. Even before he regained the X-Division Title, they seemed like they were on a collision course, and it was only a matter of time. Then all of a sudden, they pull the quick change to Aries, and all those plans seem to be on hold. I’m not even the biggest Chris Sabin fan in the ring, but I’ve got to admit I was kinda looking forward to his match with Bully. Who knows, though, maybe it still happens? Would Hulk give Aries spot in the BFG to Sabin, since Aries already has a title shot? Or maybe Sabin finds his way into the match at Destination X anyway, and it becomes a triple threat? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…

 photo green_up_arrow_zps2ab2e5f9.pngThe Usos: That’s one way to make the Uso’s look like legit threats to the Shield…

 photo red_down_arrow_zps26758601.pngThe Shield: On the other hand, going from being undefeated for over six months to dropping two six-mans in the span three weeks isn’t so good. But if anyone can absorb a loss or two at this point, it’s the Shield. Even if they slip back into the mid-card for awhile, they’re fully entrenched on the roster at this point. Heck, they were showing signs of the tiniest bit of dissension on Smackdown, maybe the ‘E thinks they’re strong enough to stand alone already? I think they could, for sure…

 photo green_up_arrow_zps2ab2e5f9.pngSamoa Joe: Got a submission win over Mr. Anderson to move into second place in the BFG rankings, and was revealed as the third member of the Main Event Mafia. Joe in main-event (no pun intended) level feuds can only be a good thing for the bottom line.

 photo red_down_arrow_zps26758601.pngBobby Roode: Bobby Roode, the former BFG winner, the longest reigning World Heavyweight Champion in TNA history… bringing up the rear in the BFG Series? I’m intrigued to see where this is headed… a losing streak, perhaps followed by a face turn and an association with the M.E.M?

 photo green_up_arrow_zps2ab2e5f9.pngDolph Ziggler: Finally, a week where Dolph doesn’t get left laying life a doofus! That alone is enough to get him a green arrow.

 photo red_down_arrow_zps26758601.pngQuinton “Rampage” Jackson: I’ll just let you read the quote right here. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

Back? Ok. Well, that doesn’t sound too good, huh? He didn’t actually say he wasn’t going to wrestle at all while he does MMA, but he did basically say he’d put no effort towards getting better at it. So, if we do see Rampage back in a TNA ring anytime soon… it’s going to be half-hearted at best?

 photo green_up_arrow_zps2ab2e5f9.pngPrince Devitt: I couldn’t fit the “Real Shooter” in last week, as his match with Hiroshi Tanhashi took place the same day I had to turn in the column, so I didn’t have time to watch. But if I had, there’s a good chance they would have secured Match of the Week honors. The match was great, Devitt’s promo work since his heel turn has been a revelation, and New Japan has a newly minted star on their hands.

 photo red_down_arrow_zps26758601.pngAdam Ohriner/Ryan Howe: Their match Thursday on Impact wasn’t just one of the worst Gut Check matches I’ve ever seen, but it was one of the worst matches I can remember sitting through period. No contracts. No money. No.

And now, for everyone’s favorite shill…

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The Brain Buster 6.29.13

WWE RPI Rankings 6.29.13

Smart Marks 6.29.13

The Ten Count 6.28.13

That Was Then 6.27.13

The 8-Ball 6.27.13

That’s it for this one. Feel free to comment or email, I read them all. Follow my Twitter for randomness and links to full matches everyday. I’ll be back next week, but for now, it’s time for this train to sail down the road, bro.

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Craig Stevens

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