10 Most Insane Things WWE Has Done In The Empty Arena Era

Otis winning Money in the Bank wasn’t a terrible choice. In fact, his surprising underdog victory led to one of the most delightful moments of the year in wrestling, ascending the unlikeliest of superstars to the top of the card on Smackdown. Otis is an extremely entertaining performer, a more than capable wrestler in the ring, and his storyline with Mandy Rose was one of the most effective going into WrestleMania this year.

When he grabbed the briefcase on top of Titan Towers after Aleister Black and Rey Mysterio were Thrown Off The Building (we all forgot about that quickly) and Elias sabotaged Baron Corbin, the response was positive. The cinematic style ladder match divided opinion, with some skits working like Styles’ fear or the Undertaker, and some being WWE branded comedy nightmares like the appearances of Brother Love and John Laurinaitis. But Otis’ victory was unpredictable and ignited a reaction that former WWE champions wouldn’t have gotten if they’d won.

However, it’s still absolutely mad that WWE elevated a midcard tag team wrestler known for his comedy to Mr. Money in the Bank almost immediately, and his booking on Smackdown shows that they clearly have no idea what they’re doing with him. The Empty Arena Era has been desperate for moments to keep fans entertained, even if they don’t have any plans for how to sustain them, and Otis is a big example of that.