The D'Amore Drop: Why WWE's Money In The Bank books best with a heel winner
The D'Amore Drop is a weekly guest column on Uncrowned written by Scott D'Amore, the Canadian professional wrestling promoter, executive producer, trainer and former wrestler best known for his long-standing role with TNA/IMPACT Wrestling, where he served as head of creative. D'Amore is the current owner of leading Canadian promotion Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling.
WWE presents its annual Money in the Bank PLE this weekend from Los Angeles.
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Money in the Bank is two great concepts in one.
First, it's the continuation of the ladder match, which always reminds me of where it originated: Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling, which ran from the 1940s to the 1980s up in Calgary. As hardcores know, Bret Hart brought the idea to WWE in the early '90s and then it was made world famous by Shawn Michaels and Scott Hall, was elevated by Edge and Christian, then the Hardys and the Dudleys in the 2000s, and now takes its place alongside the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber as an annual WWE super-gimmick.
There's a rumor that Triple H doesn't love the MITB match, but used sparingly it can be an amazing spectacle, and I expect two classics this Saturday.
Then there's the second part of Money In The Bank — the concept of having two wrestlers (one man, one woman) who can claim immediate WWE title shots at any time by cashing in the contracts in the briefcases.
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My old roommate Adam 'Edge' Copeland established the concept back in 2006, cashing in on John Cena after Cena had barely survived a brutal Elimination Chamber. It's a gimmick that works best when a heel has the briefcase, as he or she becomes a storm cloud over the champion. At any moment, at the worst moment, that lighting can be called down upon them.
Most people expect Seth Rollins to secure the briefcase in the men's match — and I'd agree that seems the most logical choice.
We took some abuse for 'copying' the Money In The Bank gimmick with the Call Your Shot Gauntlet in TNA.
In our defense, the original concept was that the winner of Call Your Shot would be able to schedule a title match for themselves — much like the X-Division Champion has the 'Option C' to be able to give up their title in exchange for a World Championship match at an upcoming event.
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But we wanted to do the shocking end to Bound for Glory in 2021, when Josh Alexander didn't even get three minutes with his long-awaited world title before Moose came in and ruined it.
We were going to tell a more in-depth story where the referee panicked and only thought Moose had the right to call for the match to start there and then, but it'd be ruled that — sorry Josh, you agreed to the match and the ref started the match.
In the end, we felt fans would get it and we told the story quicker.
Likewise, the popular Ultimate X matches in TNA — that was the result of TNA thinking, 'How can we do something like a ladder match, but without the ladder?'
The main event of Saturday's PLE is Cody Rhodes returning to team with World Champ Jey Uso versus WWE Champ John Cena and Logan Paul.
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Paul was given a WWE title challenge in his third-ever professional match, losing to Roman Reigns back at the 2022 Crown Jewel, but that was a cash-in and attention grab using his celebrity outside WWE. No one thought he was beating Reigns that night.
Now, going into his 20th match, he's getting presented as if he belongs there with Rhodes, Cena and Uso. And some in wrestling really don't like that.
Here's my two cents: Logan is an unbelievable athlete. He deserves comparisons to the likes of Owen Hart, Seth Rollins and the others who just had 'it' from their very first match. He works hard, he takes his bumps and clearly has a passion for the business.
Even his detractors have to admit his performances are really good.
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Now, Logan is a hard guy to like and one of the most shameless self-promoters to ever walk the Earth. That gives him the chops to be a natural heel, but also makes him a target for accusations that he hasn't earned his spot.
Well ... of course he hasn't! He's there because of his massive online celebrity.
There's a part of me that shudders that a part-time celebrity gets handed these top spots. This isn't Dennis Rodman showing up in the nWo for a couple of months, or Bad Bunny having a one-off match … Logan Paul is entering his third year as a fixture at or near the top of the WWE card.
Back in my day as an active performer, you had to pay dues and learn the craft by wrestling seven nights a week and twice on Sundays. You learned through repetition and you got good or the small-hall fans would let you — and your promoter — know that you sucked.
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But the whole business has changed. It's fine if you don't like those changes but they are here no matter your feelings.
Logan Paul knows how to make you hate him. (Cooper Neill/WWE via Getty Images)
(WWE via Getty Images)
How much has wrestling changed since I was a in-ring talent in the '90s? Well, Logan Paul is praised for buying himself a full-sized ring and flying training partners to his house to practice his matches.
When I was in WCW, I got mocked relentlessly when I accepted an offer to go work out at the WCW Power Plant in Atlanta. I had more than one veteran come up to me and flat-out tell me I was a mark for 'wrestling for free.' They thought since I was in WCW, I shouldn't be taking bumps without getting paid.
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I remember thinking, 'Do you really think Tom Cruise doesn't practice delivering his lines? That the top NFL teams don't practice?'
But that was the mindset then. Now it's expected that wrestlers never stop working on their craft. It's one of the reasons that we see more five-star matches today than 30 years ago.
AEW made the most of their special four hour Dynamite last night. The big news, of course, was Kenny Omega will wrestle Kazuchika Okada once more at AEW All In on July 12 in Texas.
This is a return to one of — if not the best — wrestling feud/match series ever. These two going at it in classics was huge part of NJPW's glory years and part of the buildup to the movement that lead to the formation of AEW.
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Wrestling historian Dave Meltzer gave one of their clashes seven stars — the only match he's ever ranked so highly. I can't wait to see them share a ring once more.
Speaking of Omega, him vs. Brody King vs. Mascara Dorada vs. Claudio Castagnoli for the AEW International Title was an amazing four-way. All the better for being on free television. It went 20 minutes but it was so fast-paced that it felt like a sprint the whole time.
Great to see Maple Leaf Pro alumnus Kevin Knight scoring a big win in AEW when he, Mike Bailey (another MLP regular) and Mexican star Komander scored a win in a six-man tag over Rush, Dralistico, and Mortos.
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Looks like we might be heading for a Kevin Knight vs. Rush feud — and I'm here for it. I've said it before and will keep screaming from the roof tops: Knight will be a star!
I understand fan frustration that Ron 'R-Truth' Killings has not had his contract renewed by WWE after 17 years with the company.
Ron is one of the nicest guys in the industry — as has been underlined by so many WWE stars saying how much they will miss him.
If Ron wants to, he'll be able to make a fortune and do some really cool things by following the example of Matt Cardona.
Ron has made a success of every single role he's ever been given — from a main-eventing world champion who delivers amazing matches to one of the funniest comedy acts of all time. He's an all-time great. I am excited to see what he does next.
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It's either something similar to that, or Gunther might even interfere to ruin the match because he's facing Uso on the next "WWE Raw." All options suck. Jackman: My main interest is what the match tells us about the Cena-Rhodes storyline. We're all working from the assumption that we're heading for a rematch between the two (perhaps sooner rather than later), so it would be good to see something that gives their in-ring rivalry a bit more zing. The resounding message at WrestleMania 41 was that Rhodes only lost due to Cena's shenanigans, and we've also seen him take out the champ with a single Cross Rhodes more than once, so it would be good to see something which evens the score a little bit. To get a little nerdier, I find it interesting how these main roster tag matches have become elevated to PLE main events during the Triple H era. I'm thinking about the excellent Usos vs. Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa from MITB 2023 of course, but also the other big-ticket tag matches at Bad Blood (Reigns/Rhodes vs. Sikoa/Fatu) and also Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 (Rock/Reigns vs. Rhodes/Rollins). In all three of those cases, the multi-man match was used to tell a bigger storyline, and I hope that will be the case again here. Advertisement Sulla-Heffinger: Does Jey Uso need this rub? That's the intriguing question for me, because it really feels like his title reign has been a bit bland/overshadowed on 'Raw,' particularly with the Gunther rematch coming on June 9th. We know where we are going with Rhodes and Cena — an inevitable rematch of the WrestleMania 41 Night 2 main event— and Paul has become a kind of plug-and-play headliner. Uso's place in all of this is what feels wonky to me, so if you have the babyfaces win on Saturday and then Uso beats Gunther again on Monday (I'll address this later), it might solidify this World Heavyweight Championship run. Could Seth Rollins throw an immediate wrench in the title picture on Saturday? (Craig Melvin/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 4. So, do we get a cash-in Saturday night? Jackman: I think there's enough going on already. Obviously you have the two men's champions in the main event, which in theory makes them ripe for the picking, but I can't see how a cash-in would work. And I mean that quite literally: How can you have someone cash-in during a tag match? It isn't like a singles match, which can just become a triple threat. Advertisement Going for a cash-in after the match would work, of course, but it might feel like overkill. Add to the fact they've been portentously mentioning the Uso vs. Gunther match on Monday's 'Raw' for weeks now (making that match the first candidate for a speedy cash-in) and I think it's really unlikely anyone cashes in on Saturday. Dansby: It could happen. The women's titles aren't on the card, so any immediate cash-in would have to come from the men's side. I could totally see Rollins and his crew storming the tag match, wrecking everyone, and then Rollins cashing in. Picture a few Bronson Reed Tsunamis followed by Rollins pinning whichever champ is left standing. Sulla-Heffinger: No, but I could see one happening on Monday night and setting up two major SummerSlam matches in the process. If Rollins wins, it opens the door for him to cash-in toward the end of the Uso-Gunther match on Monday night — a la his WrestleMania 31 coup. Rollins cashes in, Punk spoils it and Uso pins Gunther to escape. This protects everyone and sets up (another) Punk-Rollins clash and Gunther-Uso for MetLife in August. This goes against my ideal 'hold the briefcase' scenario, but I think it's what works best for WWE right now. Advertisement Riggs: This depends entirely on who wins the men's match, because neither Tiffany Stratton nor Iyo Sky is booked for this card at the time of writing. It would be a cool twist to have the winner call for the match that same night, despite the champion not even being set to compete. Unfortunately, expecting that level of creativity is a stretch. As for the men's side, and considering who I expect to win, I'm going to say yes — Americano will cash-in. This is the real vision, folks. Gather 'round: Grande Gable runs out to attack Cena with the briefcase as he's bailing on Paul in the closing moments of the main-event tag-team match, therefore giving Cena and Paul the win by DQ and starting Americano's own match with Cena. Meanwhile, Rollins, Breakker and Reed come out to pick through the scraps of Uso and Rhodes, which involuntarily saves Paul from further damage. Punk and Zayn probably show up too, just to even the numbers with Paul on the side of the heel trio. Despite having the upper hand with his attack on Cena, Americano falls short when Cena hits him with a low blow while the referee is distracted by the chaos outside the ring. Attitude Adjustment, 1-2-3. Mind you, that would mean WWE immediately clowns the new AAA World Champion. (But not technically because Gable wrestles El Hijo del Vikingo under his name.) I'm not going to make this my official prediction below because it's clearly a bit more extreme, but you cannot convince me it doesn't sound like a possible booking idea — especially for Cena's heel run — in the 2025 WWE. Lyra Valkyria and Becky Lynch settle their differences on Saturday. (Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images) (WWE via Getty Images) 5. Who's more likely to elevate the Women's Intercontinental Championship coming out of MITB: Lyra Valkyria or Becky Lynch? Sulla-Heffinger: Lynch is an all-time great, but seeing Valkyria spread her wings — see what I did there — post-WrestleMania has been remarkable. She's always been an incredible in-ring talent, but what we've seen during this program with Lynch has shown she has the promo chops as well. I'm all about things feeling fresh, especially when you're talking about championships, and that's what we're getting with Valkyria being showcased as Women's Intercontinental Champion. She was the right pick to win the inaugural belt and remains the right pick to carry it through the summer. Advertisement Jackman: This feud has been the sleeper hit of the year hasn't it? While all of us Horsemen were smart enough to be singing Lyra's praises ages ago, I did spot some less savvy pundits questioning why Lynch vs. Valkyria was even on last month's WWE Backlash card in the first place. Well, the Irish lasses sure showed them, didn't they? As for what happens on Saturday, my reading is that this is a standard trilogy. Lynch will take home the title after a dusty finish, and Valkyria will have to grimace and acknowledge her superiority by raising her arm as per the stipulation. That gives two months to build up to the final part at SummerSlam, with Lyra Valkyria winning back her title (and maybe getting her arm raised in honor, like with Brock Lesnar and Cody Rhodes a couple of years ago). Riggs: My feelings haven't changed too much on this feud and what it's done for Valkyria's title. She's been tremendous and had me invested every step of the way, but that's thanks to Lynch. So, by default, Lynch has been the one elevating the title with her status, although she, in storyline, seemingly cares more about beating Valkyria than the belt. The same can't be said about the champion, who keeps acknowledging that Lynch hasn't beaten her. Advertisement The long-term answer is Valkyria, at least for now. She can really become something after this feud, and she deserves it. Lynch doesn't need the belt, and surely it can — and will — come later on, potentially with a revisit if Valkyria is still champ by then. WrestleMania 42, anyone? Too far away? OK, OK. Dansby: The feud with Lynch has already raised Valkyria's profile, but it's time for some real star power to carry that title. Heel Becky taking on the younger call-ups — like her NXT run a few years back — would be the perfect way to build up the Women's Intercontinental belt this summer. Predictions: Men's Money in the Bank ladder match: Seth Rollins (Dansby, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Andrade vs. Penta vs. El Grande Americano (Riggs) vs. LA Knight (Jackman) vs. Solo Sikoa Women's Money in the Bank ladder match: Stephanie Vaquer (Riggs) vs. Giulia (Dansby) vs. Naomi (Jackman) vs. Alexa Bliss vs. Rhea Ripley vs. Roxanne Perez (Sulla-Heffinger) Women's Intercontinental Championship match: Lyra Valkyria (Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger) vs. Becky Lynch (Dansby, Jackman) Undisputed WWE Champion John Cena and Logan Paul (Jackman) vs. World Heavyweight Champion Jey Uso and Cody Rhodes (Riggs, Sulla-Heffinger), No winner (Dansby — DQ due to Rollins interference) 2025 standings
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