World Heavyweight championship Money in the Bank ladder match preview

World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank Ladder Match

Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Fandango vs. Jack Swagger vs. Antonio Cesaro

This is the secondary multi-man ladder match on the pay-per-view for a contract that can be cashed in at any time within the next year for an immediate World Heavyweight Championship title shot. Instead of being crammed with established main event stars, this is a chance for seven of WWE’s most prominent up-and-coming Superstars to shine. Who not coincidentally all happen to be heels.

The Road to Money in the Bank

With Vickie Guerrero going down the All-Star route, Teddy Long had his work cut out for him to impress the temperamental Vince McMahon. But satisfy him he indeed did with an idea Long claimed that the absent Booker T could never have come up with, namely to solely feature future players with the biggest up sides. Given that no babyfaces were on his chosen list, together with his burial of Booker, suggests that Long is soon going to be turning to the dark side as a villainous authority figure. At least that's something we've never seen him do before, even if that character in wrestling has been completely done to death.

The build since then has been very cookie cutter and predictable other than largely keeping Dean Ambrose out of the fray, as the other participants faced off against each other in a series of matches. Antonio Cesaro pinned Cody Rhodes on the July 1st Raw and Fandango rolled up Wade Barrett on the July 12th Smackdown, for example. There's been a few promos by Zeb Colter about how one of his men will pick up the briefcase. Dean Ambrose has been kept separate from everyone else, but used his promo time to push the match.

One gets the sense that not much thought was given to the storyline behind this match other than wanting to use it as a means to further the growing tension between Teddy Long and Booker T. So much for the wrestlers involved in the bout!

What's at Stake?

Do I really need to explain how the Money In The Bank briefcase system works in this the ninth year of the gimmick? Anyway, I explained it in the intro and also it means different things for the various participants involved.

For Wade Barrett, it would allow him a second bite of the cherry at being a WWE headliner. Though he excelled as the Nexus leader, he got so convincingly defeated by John Cena in their feud ending chairs match at the TLC pay-per-view in 2010 that he's never been taken completely seriously since then. There's been constant talk of giving the man another big push, but that has never been followed through on.

Cody Rhodes is a similar story to Wade Barrett's. He showed long term main event potential as Ted DiBiase's tag team partner as part of Randy Orton's faction Legacy, but he got so squashed by DX in the Hell In A Cell blow off of their feud together and was booked not to be a threat to Orton when the trio split up, that he's been pushed more as a comedy act ever since then. This would be a chance for Cody to be treated as less of a joke, after being amusing for so long as a dashing moustachioed Lothario.

For Damien Sandow, it would cement a turnaround from foppish pansy to a still intellectual, but a much more hard edged, vicious heel that can hang with the babyface bullies that constantly torment him.

For Dean Ambrose, it would be a just reward for running with the ball as the leader of the Shield ever since making his WWE debut at Survivor Series 2012. There's been signs that WWE are cooling down the triumvirate's push for some unknown reason and a win here would prove that's not the case.

For Fandango, it would be an opportunity to reignite the cult following he showed signs of getting after WrestleMania 29, but fizzled out when he was recently sidelined with a concussion.

For Jack Swagger, it would give him a surprising reprieve from mid-card obscurity, after messing up big time his spring super push as a xenophobic heel that was getting lots of mainstream press by getting arrested for a DUI at the worst time possible.

For Antonio Cesaro, it would finally be recognition for being one of the best all round workers in the company and an opportunity to shake off the boring tag that his detractors have given him.

Find out who achieves their dream later tonight by following our WWE Money in the Bank live blog with complete results RIGHT HERE at CagesideSeats.com.