WWE Should Hold a Tournament to Decide Final Money in the Bank Match Spot

The last man to enter one of WWE's Money in the Bank ladder matches should be determined by tournament.

The Money in the Bank contract dangling above the ring is an opportunity to go from Superstar to world champ, but a fight among WWE's underused and underappreciated for the final spot in the match can have a similar career-enhancing effect.

When WWE decides who to put in these matches for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view next month, names like Wade Barrett, Ryback and Chris Jericho will undoubtedly be suggested, but this match should also be a way to increase the star power of the men on WWE's lower rungs.

Even if he doesn't win the Money in the Bank contract, for a perennial loser to make it to the match itself would be a big boost.

Imagine if Vickie Guerrero set up a tournament on WWE Raw that included Zack Ryder, Alex Riley, Justin Gabriel, two members of 3MB, Yoshi Tatsu, Ted DiBiase and JTG. None of those guys would normally seem likely candidates for inclusion, but this opportunity allows a slice of the limelight to fall where it usually wouldn't.

For three consecutive weeks, WWE Raw would then host tournament matches.

The first round would consist of eight men, the next round would have four competitors and the final two would fight in the finals.

If Gabriel, for example, were to win three matches in order to earn his spot, he would benefit from momentum even if he didn't win the actual Money in the Bank match.

Much like Bo Dallas' star rose temporarily by winning an NXT tournament to earn a spot in the 2013 Royal Rumble, this tournament winner would get a big boost.

The tournament format provides WWE Raw with quality matches that have high stakes, something for the bookers to plug in for three weeks and an injection of hype for the winner as well as the runner-up to a lesser degree.

There's also an element of unpredictability. Normally, when Ryder steps into the ring, he's headed for an automatic loss. Should he face off against Jinder Mahal, the outcome is suddenly hard to call.

Single-elimination tournaments burst with excitement.

Every win and every loss has significance. The stakes increase with each round. The winner, a man not likely to win a championship, gets a different kind of glory.

This move also makes the spot in the Money in the Bank match something earned, which increases its value. Should WWE just randomly toss in a Superstar, it has far less emotional weight. Instead, an underdog fighting off his peers and forcing his way into the title hunt is far more entertaining to watch.

This underdog will certainly have moments in the Money in the Bank match where he appears close to taking home the contract-filled briefcase.

Should someone as unlikely as Tatsu get their hands on the contract right before being knocked off the ladder, it will create a shocking near-upset the way Santino Marella nearly won the World Heavyweight Championship at the 2012 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

Given the number of spots available for these Money in the Bank matches, there is plenty of room for megastars, rising stars and the WWE equivalent of a school like Florida Gulf Coast making it to the Sweet 16.

There's a great story to tell here, one that clears WWE's bench and puts it to work to captivate the audience.