8 Ways WWE Have Screwed Up Baron Corbin
1. The Failed Cash-In
Failed Money In The Bank cash-ins have got to happen every now and then. 15 of the 18 men who've won the briefcase have successfully taken their targeted championship, but the format gets boring if it happens every single time. The company need to throw a few flops into the mix to keep it interesting, and this week's SmackDown saw Baron Corbin join John Cena and Damien Sandow as the only wrestlers to ever cash in without winning the belt.
But while having Corbin fail isn't necessary a problem in and of itself, the manner in which he faltered certainly is.
'The Lone Wolf' was made to look like a complete geek with his cash-in. Having cleared the ring following Cena's match with WWE Champion Jinder Mahal, Corbin handed his briefcase to the referee, and the bell soon rung. The "match" lasted just five seconds: Baron let himself be distracted by Cena, Jinder rolled him up, and that was that. The title opportunity was gone.
Distraction finishes rarely come off well in this company, particularly when the stakes are so high. Not only did Corbin pick his spot poorly, but he took his eye off the ball at a critical moment, and was punished for it. Was it as humiliating as Sandow's failure in 2013? Probably not, but it still left Baron looking stupid.