Did WWE Just Hint At Another Expansion Of Money In The Bank?

Briefcase has been used for world title cash-ins, but that could be changing.

By Scott Carlson /

WWE

For nearly 20 years, WWE's Money in the Bank ladder match has provided superstars a unique opportunity to have a world title match that is distinctly in their favor. Now, as the briefcase trope has been played out in almost every imaginable scenario, it looks like MITB might be expanding and changing its scope.

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Debuting at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, the MITB ladder match pitted six superstars against each other, vying for a briefcase suspended above the ring. Since then, WWE has explored numerous ways for wrestlers to use the briefcase to their advantage in world title matches. We saw the first unsuccessful cash-in in 2012, first loss in 2013, and then the first time then briefcase was used for a title other than a world championship last year, when Austin Theory cashed in for a United States Championship match, only to lose to Seth Rollins.

But now, it looks like WWE might be adding another avenue for the briefcase to be used. On SmackDown Friday night, Baron Corbin and Butch competed in a MITB qualifying match, with NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes and Trick Williams seated at ringside (Corbin has targeted Melo on NXT recently). Michael Cole made a point to clarify that the briefcase could be used for any championship, including the NXT title(s).

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Corbin would lose his qualifier, but the point remains that after 30 Money in the Bank ladder matches, WWE has started expanding the scope of which championship are eligible from world titles to any main roster title last year to any title this year.

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This isn't wholly unprecedented, as rumors persisted in 2020 after Otis surprisingly won the men's MITB match that he could use the briefcase to cash in for a tag title match alongside his Heavy Machinery partner, Tucker (who would go on to cost Otis the briefcase to the Miz).