At WWE Money in the Bank 2020, Aleister Black will be among the six men competing for the briefcase. Here are three reasons why he should be the one to grab it.
WWE Money in the Bank 2020 will have two ladder matches taking place at the same time in a cinematic format. Aleister Black will be one of six men competing for the title, with AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, King Corbin, and Otis being the others.
A former NXT Champion, Black has former world champion on the WWE “main roster” written all over him, and there were some rumblings that he could have been Brock Lesnar’s opponent. Undefeated before losing to Styles in the latter’s pursuit of the Undertaker, Black could get his revenge at the Money in the Bank Pay Per View this Sunday.
Black isn’t one of the favorites to win this match, as it seems like Styles and Corbin are the most likely options. Bryan and Mysterio are also difficult to pick against as legends of WWE.
However, here are three reasons why Aleister should be the one to secure the briefcase when the show airs on Sunday evening at 7 p.m. ET on the WWE Network.
1. He is the most intriguing option
If Daniel Bryan, Rey Mysterio, or AJ Styles wins the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match, few will care much. I mean, don’t get me wrong, all three of those wrestlers are legends and have a high degree of popularity and respect among fans, but it’s not like people are going to be surprised or excited to see any of them winning the briefcase.
How many people want to see Daniel Bryan cash in on Braun Strowman or Bray Wyatt? And would you want to see a Styles or Mysterio feud with Drew McIntyre set up by cash-in? In what way would it make sense for Mysterio to cash in on somebody?
As for King Corbin, he could do great things with the briefcase in his new heel gimmick, as he’s become a much more well-rounded performer than in 2017. Yes, we hate him more, but that’s exactly what he’s supposed to be doing!
The problem with Corbin is that it’s not all that interesting to see him as a world champion right now. A cash-in sounds great in theory until you think about what happens after he wins the title.
Otis would benefit a lot from the title, but he’s not ready yet. So he’s pretty much out of the equation.
But Black is a star who can leave people guessing as to how he will use the briefcase. Will it change his character? Will he let an opponent know ahead of time or strategize? There can be a lot of room for character growth with Black holding the briefcase.
2. Have a rising star win the contract
WWE Money in the Bank 2020 needs to be about giving a rising star a chance to shine, since the last three male MITB winners haven’t been memorable.
Baron Corbin’s failed cash-in was honestly a disaster, and his victory was a complete waste. The same can be said for Braun Strowman’s win, which was absolutely worthless in hindsight. But all of that pales in comparison to the nonsense of Brock Lesnar’s win, injuring Mustafa Ali, and then forcing Seth Rollins to go over him again at SummerSlam in a way that put heat on Seth.
Vince McMahon needs to get it right this time and understand that a slam-dunk rising star like Aleister Black needs to win. If he goes with Corbin again, it could easily backfire. Few people want to see the three main stars (Bryan, Mysterio, Styles) win the briefcase. They don’t need it to get ahead on either show. Otis winning would be too soon and could do him harm or result in another failed cash-in.
But Aleister Black is headed to the top. He excelled as NXT Champion, which is as good of a tease for main roster success as there is. Black is the total package in the ring and as a promo, and his feud with Murphy showed it. Give this man the contract and don’t look back. Make a star.
3. He can make the briefcase work
There’s a concern that Aleister Black may not be the best candidate to win WWE Money in the Bank 2020, as there are worries about the contract matching his character.
While I do see the validity of this argument, I think it underrates Black as a performer and fails to see how Black can transcend the trope of the briefcase-holder. A babyface can hold the contract, but WWE has to book it right. Trusting in that, of course, is dangerous.
But Black with a suit, guarding the briefcase, and studying the right opportunity could be genius. He could be a calculated babyface with the contract, warning competitors and keeping his plans close to the vest. There is no honor in announcing a cash-in ahead of time; Braun Strowman and John Cena have shown at separate points in history that this is foolish.
Aleister is no fool. He can cut amazing promos, be his brooding self, and strike when the opportunity is right to seal his status as a star. WWE can continue to take the slow build with Ricochet’s former tag team partner, eventually pulling the trigger on what could be an incredible WWE Championship reign for the man Mauro Ranallo loved to call “mercurial”.