The Money in the Bank ladder match is one of the most popular matches WWE has ever created – but did you know that AEW invented their own version?
Casino Ladder Match
In 2020, AEW created their own version of the Money in the Bank ladder. Taking inspiration from the hugely successful ladder match, they made their own one with a twist.
In a similar vein to AEW’s version of the Royal Rumble, Tony Khan came up with his own Ladder match called the Casino Ladder Match. While it seems to have been inspired by the Money in the Bank ladder, it has one key difference that makes it even more exciting.
The staggered entrances that make the Royal Rumble more exciting are a part of the Casino Ladder match. The bout usually features 7 men, but only two start inside the ring. Each few minutes, another man enters the match and tries to grab the briefcase. This makes the match more exciting and gives opportunities for wrestlers to do some actual wrestling in the ring before the place gets too crowded.
However, this does make little sense logically. In a royal rumble match, you want to be the last man into the match, so you are fresher and less tired than the other opponents. Seeing as you cannot lose a rumble match until you’ve been eliminated, there is no worry with coming in last – Cody Rhodes showed this year it’s actually a plus.
However, in a ladder match this doesn’t make sense. By the time the “Joker” card has entered the match, the casino chip that hangs from above the ring in lieu of a briefcase could have already been snatched and the rest of the competitors could be in the showers, getting clean after wrestling. It creates an interesting dynamic where, in theory, the longer you are not in the match, the less chance you have of winning the match.
However, that has never happened and the match has always had every man enter, with a number of stars winning from the final position (including Brian Cage, Adam Page and MJF).
AEW’s Money In The Bank
MJF created the AEW Money In The Bank contract… sort of. The winner of the match gains a Casino Chip which is good for one championship match for the winner. While this is similar to the Money in the Bank contract, it does not guarantee the holder a title shot whenever they want. Instead, it’s up to Tony Khan.
This was until 2022. MJF own the Casino Ladder match at All Out 2022, returning after months away to surprise the world. He held onto the chip for months, threatening to “cash in” on then-AEW Champion Jon Moxley for a number of weeks.
He didn’t, in the end. Maybe this indicated he did not have the power to do so but wanted to pretend he did. maybe he just had a change of heart and wanted to do things honourably. Who knows.