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Money in the Bank matches have allowed the WWE the opportunity to create new stars in the past depending on which wrestlers walked away with the briefcases. Edge, Daniel Bryan, the Miz and CM Punk started off their main-event careers with wins in the match, but ever since, very few superstars have walked out of the match heading to the top of the card.
Damien Sandow won the briefcase in 2013 but failed in his cash-in on John Cena. The last two male winners, Baron Corbin and Braun Strowman, also failed in their attempts to cash-in for titles. While the likes of Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose did successfully cash in, they were already booked as unbeatable as members of the Shield, so it wasn't all that surprising when each man won a briefcase and successfully cashed in.
Since WWE desperately needs to cement new superstars as big deals, they need to make sure that the winner they pick this year is not going to fail. While everyone cannot successfully cash in on their opportunities, it needs to be rebooted as a sign that the winner will be a future champion.
With the roster so full of talented superstars that just need that one push or opportunity in order to become main-event stars, WWE must create a new threat who will 100% be successful when the cash-in is made.
Veterans can be a part of the match, but having given chances like MITB briefcases to Sheamus, Cena and Randy Orton over the last seven years has stunted the WWE's chances to cultivate multiple new superstars. This year will hopefully be different as there are a number of talented superstars waiting to break through. Without further ado, here are six men who should be booked into the Men's Money in the Bank match this year:
#6 Andrade
Andrade is someone that WWE should have pushed from the moment he debuted last year. He's got a great look and is great in the ring as evidenced by his matches with both Rey Mysterio and in the Fatal Four Way matches for the US Championship.
His one small fault was his inability to speak fluent English, but he was working on it and was paired with Zelina Vega as his mouthpiece and heat magnet. The recent matches he's had with Finn Balor have also proven that he's more than ready to hold some gold very soon.
It was strange that he 'joined Raw' last week only to return on SmackDown, but after some possible reasoning for that, it made a little more sense. Fox apparently wanted him on SmackDown for their Fox Deportes Spanish language channels. It was also rumored that he was moved back to the blue brand because of his relationship with Charlotte Flair.
If one or both of those reasons are true, then Andrade might be in line for a big push in the near future. It might come in the form of a MITB win and it would be an easy one to sell due to his heel nature and the fact that Vega could interfere. Andrade would be a fine choice not only for the match, but to win the whole thing!
#5 Drew McIntyre
If WWE is going to make a 'new star' or 'follow through' with the cash-in of its male winner, then one of the names that makes the most sense to be involved is Drew McIntyre. He missed his opportunity to challenge Seth Rollins for the Universal Championship at the PPV, but it was hopefully done because he's destined for bigger things this year.
McIntyre has consistently battled all of Raw's main faces - Reigns, Rollins and Balor - but doesn't have much in the way of singles gold to show for it. He needs something to cement his status as the brand's top heel, otherwise he might become another superstar unable to ever follow through on their lofty words or enormous potential.
I'm thinking the reason why Baron Corbin stole the win from McIntyre on Raw was because Corbin was never going to beat Rollins at MITB. Drew also looked strong because he was not pinned, likely being saved for the match itself. He makes the most sense as someone Mr. McMahon would want to be making into a new star, so of all the superstars with a chance in the match, his is the greatest.
#4 Ricochet
Ricochet is fantastic in the ring and routinely provides the WWE Universe with an array of mouth-dropping aerial moves. He's clearly one of the most athletically gifted performers of any generation and bypassed 205 Live for good reason.
His style is perfect for any type of ladder match, as evidenced by his work in the ladder match to crown the inaugural NXT North American Champion. His high-flying moves off of the ladder or onto it make him someone who will likely be involved in the match.
Since he's newer to the roster and is more of a work-rate guy rather than a full-blown character, he probably won't be winning the briefcase. But that isn't to say he can't steal the show with any number of amazing jumps, flips or moves involving the ladder. If there's one guy to put in the match that will guarantee it is exciting, it is Ricochet.
#3 Aleister Black
Aleister Black is one of the newest stars to the main roster, but he's something totally different then everyone else on Raw and SmackDown. He's been portrayed as a good guy, but has a lot of history in his tattoos that might turn him into a bad guy. His dark aura is understated and counters the smiling faces like Finn Balor and Kofi Kingston.
He might be an anti-hero, but if booked well, WWE has a future world champion on their hands. Having already proven to be a great in-ring worker, he's more than capable of drawing fans in on the mic - people will either be amazed or appalled by some of the stories he and the company come up with, to explain why he is the way he is.
Black is someone who WWE can build around and a step towards that is by having him as a part of the Money in the Bank match. With a lot of no-brainer stars on their hands, they just need to ensure they are careful when booking them. Black is one of those no-brainers, so an inclusion into the match should help him on the path to becoming a big player on SmackDown in future.
#2 Sami Zayn
Although the original version of the underdog Sami Zayn ultimately made me a fan of his, I'd be lying to you if I didn't say that I'm enjoying the new version of him just as much. I loved 'Smug Sam' when he was heeling things up alongside Kevin Owens during their reign of terror on SmackDown at the end of 2017 and beginning of 2018.
He got hurt but seemingly returned as a face again after WrestleMania 35. But that quickly changed not minutes later as he blasted the WWE Universe after his loss to Finn Balor. Zayn laid into the 'sheep' in the audience who would rather complain online rather than take accountability for their own problems.
It's been fun to watch him work the fans like he did in Montreal. Even his 'hometown fans' weren't spared his vitriol. His character is the sanctimonious heel that could rub a MITB briefcase into the fan's faces. He's been a great performer ever since he joined the main roster and should be a participant in the match, especially since he just returned to action.
#1 Cesaro
After a more than successful run with Sheamus as a member of the Bar, the team was disbanded during the Superstar Shake Up for two reasons. Firstly, Sheamus was injured and out of action. Secondly, since WWE moved Black and Andrade over to SmackDown this week, Raw needed an addition.
They couldn't have picked a better person to go to Raw. While his style is more suited for the action-packed SmackDown shows, Cesaro could just as easily wow fans on Monday nights. He's always had the talent of a WWE Champion, but for some reason, Creative never gave him more than a run with a tag-team championship or mid-card title.
The time is now to truly push Cesaro to the moon. It doesn't have to be right away, but he clearly has the backing of the fans, regardless of being a heel or a face. The 'Cesaro Section' signs might become vogue again with a singles run and hopefully WWE will capitalise on it more so this time. His swing is still super over with fans and he can help with a lot of the potential spots in the ladder match itself.
Cesaro has also had fabulous matches with everyone from Roman Reigns to John Cena to Seth Rollins, so hopefully the Chairman finally realises that he's never had to reach for the brass ring because he's always had it.
