In the business world, employees might strive to climb the corporate ladder into a management position. WWE decided to take that phrase to a whole new level with its upcoming Money in the Bank pay-per-view event. The Money in the Bank match usually entails the competitors climbing actual ladders in order to reach a briefcase hanging above the ring. This year, however, WWE is changing up the formula.
Last week, WWE announced that this time the Money in the Bank briefcase will be contested in a "Climb the Corporate Ladder" match. The match will begin on the ground floor of WWE Headquarters, but the briefcase will be located on the roof of the building. The competitors will have to battle their way up through the building, get to the top and grab the briefcase in order to emerge victorious. This stipulation will be in place for both the men's and women's Money in the Bank matches.
This seems like a unique concept on paper, but what really matters is the execution. WWE has been making a lot of interesting and creative decisions as of late. There have been a couple of recent matches that involved the competitors brawling all over a building. Both the Last Man Standing match between Edge and Randy Orton at WrestleMania 36 and the final match between Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano on the April 8, 2020 episode of NXT involved brutal action and made excellent use of the available space to brawl in throughout the match.
The Money in the Bank competitors will now be able to use anything in WWE's corporate headquarters as a weapon. There could be endless possibilities, given the fact that the building has seven floors and the match will have to end on the roof. There's no telling what kind of crazy action could take place on top of WWE's corporate tower. Someone could even get tossed off the roof like The Giant (Big Show) at WCW Halloween Havoc 1995. With six competitors in each match, there is sure to be chaos throughout the building at all times. Everybody in the match will probably try to stay on the same floor as each other at all times so as not to fall behind. It will be interesting to see if the superstars will battle up the stairs or the elevator, as that could change the pace and momentum of the match. If executed properly, these could potentially be the best Money in the Bank matches WWE has ever put on.
At the very least, it will be an interesting change of pace for the match type. It is nothing that has ever been done before, but that doesn't mean it should become the permanent format for the match from here on out. The corporate ladder match may be be one of the most ridiculous concepts WWE has ever conceived. The matches should end up looking more choreographed than a normal WWE fight, and given how WWE's matches in the field have been filmed before, there are sure to be a lot of edits made. While this may work for a one-on-one encounter, it may not work so well for a match including bigger superstars, or on a yearly basis. Many iconic moments have come from the traditional Money in the Bank Ladder match format. While there are sure to be unforgettable moments from the new corporate ladder format, the original version of the match would still be a great addition to the event moving forward like it always has been. WWE could even alternate between the two versions to keep the ideas fresh.
Whether it's climbing real ladders or corporate ladders, the stakes for the Money in the Bank match will still be the same. A contract for a guaranteed title match will be on the line and it is still shaping up to be one of the most exciting events that WWE holds, even if it will be different from the Money in the Bank format fans have grown used to.