The last person who took possession of the men’s briefcase at Money in the Bank, namely current WWE Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest, held onto it for months before finally deciding to cash it in; and it was at the expense of Drew McIntyre, who had just finished taking it from Seth “Freaking” Rollins but allowed his hatred for CM Punk to create an opportunity for Priest to take the belt.
McIntyre, furious at how it all went down, was extremely vocal about how the MITB briefcase is an “absolute joke” and then labeled Priest a transitional champion, vowing to get the belt back soon.
LOOK: FULL MITB MATCH DETAILS, INSIGHT AND MORE.
Plot twist: McIntyre is now trying to use that very same briefcase to recover the title. And, should he win it on July 6 in Toronto, he’s not leaving the building with it.
"When I win tomorrow night...I'm cashing in tomorrow night. I'm gonna leave World Champion"@DMcIntyreWWE is calling his shot for tomorrow night at #MITB! pic.twitter.com/eBNpN414GP
— WWE (@WWE) July 5, 2024
“You said it yourself: how many times have I been cashed in on as world champion? How many titles has that Money in the Bank contract cost me? Say it again: twice. TWICE.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg. For the past four years, in 95 percent of my big matches, someone’s gotten involved and screwed me over. I defy you to name five people who have beaten Drew McIntyre clean in the past five years, one on one. This contract puts the power in my hands. Sometimes you’ve gotta fight fire with fire.
“And unlike that little b-tch, Damian Priest, I’m not gonna attack from behind. I’m calling my shot right now. When I win, and I will win, I’m gonna leave world champion. And you’re all gonna know what I already know: that Drew McIntyre is the best there is, and soon to be the best there was — when it’s all said-and-done. I will be the best there ever will be.”
That’s quite a mic drop in channeling his inner Bret “The Hitman” Hart, but even more so in promising he won’t hold onto the briefcase to build suspense for whenever he might cash it in, as Priest and many others do.
WATCH: DREW MCINTYRE GETS INTO PRE-MITB BRAWL..
McIntyre will instead go the Liv Morgan route (Morgan cashed in the briefcase the night she won it to take the SmackDown Women’s Championship off of Ronda Rousey).
"Tell me when I'm lying"@DMcIntyreWWE was still fuming after the #MITB Kickoff Show ended 😳 pic.twitter.com/AcGCDmxIX1
— WWE (@WWE) July 5, 2024
“I need that contract to put the power in my bloody hands. Tell me when I’m lying.”
Should McIntyre win, he’s gonna aim his wrath squarely at Priest, but let’s not forget that Punk, who has been quiet and absent since being bloodied and hospitalized by McIntyre on SmackDown in Chicago, issued a guarantee of his own, promising McIntyre will never be a champion again “as long as I live”.
Will Punk cost him the title a third time in only four months?
Let’s just say McIntyre has more to worry about than just the other five guys in the ladder match on Saturday.