10 Wrestling Stipulations WWE Never Followed Through

7. Asuka Doesn't Cash In Her Money In The Bank Briefcase

Stone Cold Steve Austin The Undertaker
WWE

And now for something completely different.

The run-up to 2020's Money In The Bank was strange for more than just a sales pitch based on wrestlers getting thrown from the top of Titan Tower in their quest for the briefcase.

A night all about Champions was missing arguably the biggest one in the company. Becky Lynch was absent from the marketing for the show (and did not defend the Raw Women's Championship she'd held proudly for a record-setting 398 days) but questions over her absence were answered the next night when ladder match winner Asuka came looking for the briefcase she'd claimed the prior night.

Rather than ever getting the chance to cash in as others had, 'The Empress Of Tomorrow' was given a greater reward. Lynch revealed that the match had been for all the marbles after all. She was pregnant and had no choice but to surrender the title, which had been secretly locked in the briefcase rather than the golden ticket contract. Nobody in the company deserved it more than Asuka, and Lynch wore the thrilled expression of somebody that knew it.

It was a wonderful moment of mutual respect and adulation between the wrestlers, and similar two-sided satisfaction between viewers and two of the best performers in the entire company.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett