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The Money in the Bank briefcase was once a surefire stepping stone to WWE World Championship glory, but in recent years the gimmick has been on a steep decline. With underwhelming winners, failed cash-ins, and a lack of focus on the prize, it has felt like an afterthought and pointless object for quite some time now. On the surface, Austin Theory may look like yet another poorly booked Mr. Money in the Bank, but in actuality, he is in fact one of the best Money in the Bank winners in years when looking at his overall run with the briefcase.
Austin Theory Has Been Losing Matches, But That Doesn’t Mean He Is Buried
Austin Theory had been slated to be a favorite of Vince McMahon, and whilst he is no longer in power over WWE, it seems as though Triple H is still committed to McMahon's vision when it comes to building Theory as a star for the future. He looks to be in good hands, as he recently got his first name back too, as reported by Wrestling Observer. At the Money in the Bank PPV, fans were left severely disappointed when Theory emerged as a last minute entrant in the match, and ended up winning the whole thing, despite not having to qualify.
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After winning the briefcase, Theory has seemingly fallen into the same trap as many Money in the Bank winners do. Since the PPV, Theory has lost ten televised matches and won just two, per cagematch.net. It could be argued that he is losing his credibility by the week with these constant losses, and looking nothing like World Champion material. However, it is important to look at the wider picture when it comes to Theory, especially when comparing him to recent winners of the briefcase.
Austin Theory Is A Constant Presence On WWE TV
Austin Theory is someone who is regularly on WWE TV, appearing both on Raw and SmackDown and seemingly feuding with almost everyone at once. He is a clear focus even though he is losing, as he's been all over weekly television, both in matches, in promo segments, and even in the main events of the last two WWE PPVs, with him failing to cash-in his briefcase both in the main event of SummerSlam and Clash at the Castle.
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In the past, MITB holders have felt forgotten about at times, but this certainly isn’t the case for Theory, as he is more of a focus than ever. When losing his matches, competing against the likes of Kevin Owens and Drew McIntyre, he is showcasing his strong in-ring work, with him not looking too bad when he comes up short against these more established names. And it makes sense too, given that he is still young and not as experienced as many others on the roster.
Previous MITB holders like Big E, Otis, Damien Sandow, Sheamus, and Daniel Bryan all seemed to lose a consistent spot on weekly shows, so Theory is in a better position than all of those names were. For others, they cashed in very quickly or instead lost in their attempts, with the only long-term successful MITB holders over the last decade being Seth Rollins, The Miz, and Carmella, who all managed to remain featured and feel like a threat.
The Money In The Bank Is Growing In Prestige Thanks To Austin Theory
When it comes to Theory and the MITB, he does feel like a threat. Theory is always reminding fans that he has the briefcase and that he could win at any time. He has also made several attempts at cashing in, and the crowd’s reaction is evident enough of the fact that live audience’s genuinely believe that there is a chance of him successfully cashing in and winning World Title gold. The fact that Theory is presented as cowardly and slimy, with him often losing matches, in a way makes it feel all the more of a threat that he will use the briefcase to cut the line and worm his way to a championship, instead of ‘deserving’ it.
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Theory is the perfect type of cowardly heel who should be holding the Money in the Bank briefcase, similar to the likes of Edge and Seth Rollins, who were always cheating their way to gold, and abusing the rules to keep hold of their prizes. Theory is doing a wonderful job of bringing back prestige to the briefcase, whereas previous winners have felt like panicked choices with no long-term plan. The fact that Theory is still holding the briefcase, with it not looking likely for him to cash-in any time, is a good indication that his time as Mr. MITB will keep improving. Sure, it isn’t perfect, but he is a whole sight better than many of those who have come before him in recent years.
