3. Implementation of Weapons Will Create an Innovative Workforce
Wrestlemania X was pretty much a forgettable show. Only 2 matches stand out: the greatest opener in Pay-Per-View history (Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart) and the Ladder Match pitting Shawn Michaels (pre-DX) against Razor Ramon (pre-Rick Bognar) for the Undisputed Intercontinental Wrestling Heavyweight Championship Title Belt(s). Although ladder matchers weren't a new concept outside of the U.S., the Clique members put on an innovative match, blending storytelling style with sheer brutality WWF audiences hadn't seen at the time. Dave Meltzer thought so much of the performance, he awarded it the WWF's 1st ever 5 Star Match. The highlight that usually appears as part of those "Greatest Moments" video montages is HBK's body splash onto Razor off an 8 foot ladder. Fast forward to Wrestlemania X-7 and the 2nd TLC match between Edge and Christian, The Hardyz, and The Dudleys. The match evolved into a multiple weapon free-for-all with fallen bodies covering every side of the ring. The spectacle was capped off by Jeff Hardy's 16 foot Swanton Bomb, through 2 people technically not involved in the match (Rhyno and Spike Dudley). The Ladder Match begat TLC, which begat the Money in the Bank concept. MITB replaced team combat with the singular prestige of a world title match. Recently history notwithstanding, the MITB contract virtually certifies a world title run. Without knowing any actual backstage information, it's logical to assume that leading up to the TLC matches, the six participants at one point had to have said to themselves "How can we top Shawn and Razor?" Now with MITB becoming a (potential) year long storyline leading to main event status, those participants most likely ask themselves how can I top, say, Dolph Ziggler's performance from last year? The point of all is this is one word: innovation. By introducing new concepts, or in the case of weapons based matches, re-introducing concepts, the locker room would be forced to adapt to a changing environment, becoming well-rounded employees (a priority in any decently ran organization). Plus, there's the added benefit of being able to appeal to a neglected part of the wrestling audience (see #2).