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Every year at Money in the Bank, several Superstars get the chance to win a briefcase that can potentially alter their future as well as that of WWE. The MITB briefcase has made the careers of Edge, CM Punk, and others while also providing heartache for the likes of Baron Corbin, Damien Sandow, and Braun Strowman.
Traditionally, it makes sense to have a young up-and-comer capture the briefcase in order to catapult that Superstar into a big run. How long that run lasts and whether the star in concern remains a main-eventer is up to the Creative team.
The fact still remains that with limited spots available, there are some Superstars who should be omitted from participating. It can be due to that Superstar's status in the company or the fact that they are much older and should give way to the newer crop of talent. On that note, here are five male WWE Superstars that should not be in this year's Money in the Bank Ladder Match.
#5 Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio has been absent from RAW for a few weeks. Prior to being off TV, he had been embroiled in a feud with Zelina Vega and her associates. He consistently battled the likes of Andrade and Angel Garza.
The former World Champion is still capable of great action but someone like Murphy, who Mysterio will face for the right to compete in the ladder match, is a star on the rise. Mysterio can still shuffle in and out of the title scenes as needed but if he was going to be a major champ in his current run, it would have already happened. His best use has been in the mid-card to test the up and coming stars.
The reason why Mysterio shouldn't be included in this year's match is that the roster is so full of talented youngsters who could have their careers made by winning the briefcase. Including the Master of the 619 in the match this year would deprive someone of a huge opportunity.
#4 Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler always performs in his matches because he is great at what he does. He's one of the best at selling in this business and he makes his opponents look great. Unfortunately for The Showoff, that's the best use of his talents going forward.
The former World Champion has been in six MITB matches, winning one. His longevity speaks about his resourcefulness and uses to the company. He's had his time in the Sun and is great at testing new talent while performing in the mid-card and tag team divisions.
For those reasons, Ziggler should be excluded from this year's match. The roster is the fullest it's ever been with great talent. On SmackDown, there are a lot of young stars who should get a shot.
The spots are limited and his storyline with Otis may or may not continue. One man may cost the other a chance in the match but Ziggler shouldn't be in the contest come May 10th. WWE need to set their eyes on the future.
#3 Robert Roode
Robert Roode has been off TV since shows started to emanate from the WWE Performance Center. He has also been left out of the ongoing Mandy Rose/Ziggler/Otis/Sonya Deville storyline also, probably due to travel restrictions brought on by COVID-19.
The Glorious One is in phenomenal shape and is a great mid-card heel whether working alongside Ziggler or otherwise. The tag team was thrown together rather randomly but was still a pairing that worked. They were a big part of the King Corbin vs. Roman Reigns feud but were mainly used as minions for Reigns to battle until he got his hands on the King.
A lot of stars have competed in at least one MITB match and Roode has exactly one match under his belt (in 2018). That year, Braun Strowman hauled down the briefcase. Roode could still fill a spot and he might be in a qualifying match to earn a spot at the PPV, however, his time as a potential main-event guy has passed.
So despite being a heel while the WWE Champion is a face, the former US Champion should be left out. He's still great at being a heel but doesn't draw the ire of the crowd as much as Sheamus or King Corbin. Someone like King Corbin, although generally loathed by the WWE Universe, is better suited to getting another shot at a briefcase and a run at the top dogs of SmackDown.
#2 MVP
Are we sensing a theme here? While heels are usually the best bet when it comes to holding the briefcase, there are certain stars that are more suited for this year's match. While his return at the 2020 Royal Rumble was a welcome surprise, MVP has mainly been used as a talk show host and antagonist at various points this year.
He's still great on the mic but his time as a true threat in the ring has passed a long time ago. MVP will battle the uber-talented Apollo Crews next week for the right to compete in the Money in the Bank ladder match. Crews has always had the talent but has seen start-stop bookings.
The recent move to RAW may help Crews since Paul Heyman has pushed several newer stars like Aleister Black, Andrade, Humberto Carrillo, and Angel Garza. With only six spots in this year's match, those spots must go to younger guys. MVP has been putting others over whenever he's been on RAW and next week's match should be the same. While Crews won't likely win the match, it's still a huge opportunity that should be his, and not MVP's.
The gimmick matches with title shot stipulations should go to those stars who haven't had many title shots or no title shots to speak of. When a star that hasn't won a major title wins a match like the Money in the Bank Ladder Match, it's exciting because that person is finally getting the chance to be a huge star.
#1 Brock Lesnar
Brock Lesnar may not have been included in the qualifying announcements for next week, but The Beast Incarnate wasn't exactly advertised for last year's match either. His participation last year was a mixed bag of results and WWE shouldn't try to pull off a swerve like that again in 2020.
I've been critical of Lesnar before due to his part-time status and the relative similarity in all of his runs. His latest run with McIntyre, however, has been some of his best work. But the problem with Lesnar is that he's usually been invested in appearing only if a title is involved. He's already ruled over RAW as both Universal and WWE Champion. It's time that some different names get that chance.
While it would have been a strange yet exciting move to have Mustafa Ali win last year's match, the decision was to go with The Beast. It did make for intriguing viewing following his win with respect to whether he would cash in on Kofi Kingston or Seth Rollins. But Lesnar, like Orton, doesn't need another title opportunity or title run. He just lost the WWE title earlier this month.
It did provide a surprise and shock moment for last year's Money in the Bank when Lesnar walked out at the end of the contest and climbed up the ladder. He didn't work the whole match like the other seven men. Since that left a bad taste in many mouths, the same result cannot happen in 2020. Other stars deserve their shot to capture the briefcase.
