This week’s episode of WWE Raw saw a Money in the Bank cash-in attempt that may have had fans thinking it was 2024 all over again.
On October 26, Tiffany Stratton rushed to the ring with purpose, wielding her Money in the Bank briefcase and handing it over for a cash-in attempt.
All this came after Chelsea Green and IYO SKY came out to drive off Judgment Day, who were delivering a post-match attack on Becky Lynch, after The Man’s victory by disqualification over Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan.
A repeat of a cash-in attempt two years prior, it’s not the first time that Money in the Bank has felt like something of a creative burden:
Tiffany Stratton’s latest cash-in
With Morgan on the receiving end of an Unprettier at the hands of Chelsea Green, Tiffany Stratton would pick her moment, racing to the ring like a star possessed, dragging an official in her wake.
The Prettiest Moonsault Ever would ensure that Morgan wouldn’t be getting up, with Stratton handing over the briefcase, leading to a conversation between the official, the challenger and the timekeeper, giving ample time for Dominik Mysterio to drag the champion to safety.
Many have noted the whole situation was a copy-and-paste of what went down in 2024, with Stratton attempting to cash in on Morgan, Dominik making the save back in October of that year.
Stratton would eventually cash in on Nia Jax in January 2025, becoming WWE Women’s World Champion.
A Guinness World Record
When it comes to Guinness World Records, it’s likely many will think of John Cena, who holds the accolade for most wishes granted through the Make-a-Wish foundation.
Carmella also holds the record for the longest time between winning the Money in the Bank briefcase and cashing it in, running to 287 days between 18 June 2017 and 10 April the following year. In second place for that achievement is Damian Priest, who held the briefcase for 281 days before cashing in on April 7, 2024, at WrestleMania 40 to become World Heavyweight Champion after Drew McIntyre defeated Seth Rollins.
Targeting the right champion
As a creative tool, the Money in the Bank briefcase elevates a star to the main event picture, assuming the cash-in is successful, and also can aid testing how any particular name fits into that slot, particularly if they’ve not held a top title previously.
For Austin Theory, the decision was made that he would fail to cash-in against Roman Reigns twice (SummerSlam and Clash at the Castle), eventually cashing in against Seth Rollins for the United States Championship, and failing in that attempt.
The first time a cash-in didn’t have a world championship as its target, and a failure to capitalize on the opportunity felt like it undermined the Money in the Bank win and its subsequent purpose.
The Money in the Bank cash-in tease
The whole purpose of Money in the Bank is to give the briefcase holder a championship opportunity at a moment of their choosing, with the tease of the cash-in playing into the stakes.
There’s a fine balance between teasing and failing to capitalize, though, with each failed attempt to actually cash in likely to take away from the sense of anticipation, particularly if the target is a repeat of something that has come before.
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