WWE did not waste the 2024 Money in the Bank briefcase

Drew McIntyre held the WWE World Championship for five minutes. Then he lost it because of CM Punk. He held the 2024 Money in the Bank for nearly 30 minutes, then lost the cash-in because of yep, CM Punk. Fans online immediately criticized the briefcase booking decision for several reasons. Looking back at the matter it is not as clear cut as some would have you believe.

A poll of Daily DDT followers on Twitter presented lopsided results to the question “Was that a waste of a Money in the Bank winner?” With 194 total votes, 71.6 percent answered “yes” while 284. Percent answered “no.” The replies were a bit mixed with some talking about how the situation advanced a major story, while others pointing out that the briefcase could have been used to elevate a new name. Let’s break down both of those positions.

The MITB briefcase is a tool meant to push new stars into the main event. Damian Priest is a prime example of one being in that position. Coming into 2024 he held the briefcase since July 2023. Yet, he didn’t quite fit in a main event scene that featured CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and others. Many were predicting that he’d fail to cash in and that would be the catalyst that would cause Judgment Day to fall apart.

However, he’d be involved in the McIntyre and Punk story, cashing in at WrestleMania 40 and kicking off what has been a well-booked 91-day and counting run as WWE World Heavyweight Champion. That’s a prime example of the briefcase being used to push a new star into the top of a card, while also furthering a storyline.

Looking at the group of men that were in the match this year it is understandable that fans wanted to see someone like Andrade or Carmelo Hayes get the briefcase. Hayes is a new, young name and giving him the briefcase would have kicked off a massive push. Andrade is a long-time veteran but fans are wondering where he fits in the roster since his return. Both LA Knight and Jey Uso are massively over with fans, but it doesn’t look like their true main event push will come in 2024 if at all.

WWE needs to continue making top stars for the future. Would any of these individuals benefit from the briefcase, yes. But was their impending rise as clear cut as it is for Tiffany Stratton in the women’s division? The answer is no. Stratton’s meteoric rise comes at a time when the women’s division is in dire need of new faces (and a mid-card title). Stratton has so much momentum that fans erupt any time she’s on screen. WWE must find a way to keep her push going while keeping her just a notch outside the title picture for now. That’s where the briefcase comes into play for her and why it makes sense for her to get that win right now. On the men’s side, there wasn’t anyone quite at that level right at that moment.

Putting the briefcase on McIntyre immediately impacted the biggest storyline going on in WWE and perhaps in all of wrestling. Not only did it allow Priest to escape Money in the Bank with the title as Gunther looks on. It roped Seth Rollins into the Punk versus McIntyre debacle, adding in another top name as the feud reached a boiling point right before SummerSlam. This gives Rollins something to do while also staying out of the title picture until he’s needed once again.

WWE under Vince McMahon put the Money in the Bank briefcases on Nikki A.S.H and Otis. Those are perhaps the two biggest wastes of a victory in the history of the match. Otis didn’t even get to cash in and Nikki may have won the title but her booking from that point forward was some of the worst ever seen for a champion. Those were true wastes of a winner with some others coming in close. Drew McIntyre picking up the briefcase and losing it minutes later will certainly cause some fans to roll their eyes, but when looking at the complete outcome and where the men’s division is right now – this is far from a waste.