WWE TLC Is Perfect Time to Take MITB Briefcase off Miz and End Botched Storyline

With WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on the horizon, WWE has a last-second chance to right some wrongs and sweep things under the rug before the march to WrestleMania begins in earnest.

And Miz holding the Money in the Bank briefcase is item No. 1.

In short, TLC resembles something of a Friday news dump, a tradition that sees outlets (or sports teams, etc.) dump news during rush hour when it won't gain a ton of traction. It's the last WWE pay-per-view of the year, a gimmicky show squashed between bigger events during holiday season.

Call Dec. 20's event the perfect chance to put the final knife in the terribly handled briefcase situation.

Recall back in May, when Otis shockingly won the briefcase in the men's ladder match. One of the few rare Superstars who thrived during the budding audience-less era, it seemed like a big-time reward for an up-and-coming fan favorite.

And the possibilities seemed endless. Otis can play the funny guy and/or a big mean monster. He was involved in the tag team scene, and given his romantic interest at the time, maybe he could have gotten creative and gifted the briefcase to the women's scene to create a special moment.

Instead: Nothing. Otis had a feud here and there after winning the briefcase, but largely the most noteworthy thing he did was disappear for a time. There wasn't a memorable attempt at a cash-in, and there wasn't an attempt to use it in the tag or women's divisions, either.

Just nothing. WWE backed itself into a corner big time. Drew McIntyre had been unstoppable on Raw, and his crushing Otis would have hurt the briefcase-holder. SmackDown's top title was on a placeholder until Roman Reigns the heel returned, and once he did, forget it. WWE didn't even bother to try a legitimate cash-in attempt that Tucker, his longtime tag partner, could ruin.

Which loops in The Miz, who won the briefcase from Otis in ho-hum fashion and flirted briefly with the idea of challenging McIntyre but has largely done nothing of merit.

Fast-forward to now, and with one big(ish) event left on the 2020 calendar, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio reported WWE gave the briefcase to Miz because it needed someone who could just up and not cash in this year.

But after winning back the title from Randy Orton and looking great despite a non-clean loss to Reigns at Survivor Series, McIntrye doesn't have a direction before his WrestleMania feud starts to get lined up.

Maybe McIntyre takes on Braun Strowman at TLC or some other holdover challenger before the 'Mania push. He's in limbo because his opponent could be an outside star like Brock Lesnar or he could even have some sort of rematch with Reigns, but that has the feel of a last-second thing.

No matter the opponent, it's a chance for Miz to take his shot and lose, writing off the briefcase entirely (so that next year's Money in the Bank show has some weight to it). Of all years, WWE could have easily called off the event in 2020, and things wouldn't be much different. Best to write it off during a transitional phase than keep it hanging around any longer—and Miz is the type of talent who won't be hurt from losing his chance.

Call this a byproduct of WWE absolutely nailing the headline acts. McIntyre has had an amazing run and he's cemented as a top-tier guy—he's not losing on a cash-in. Neither is Reigns, who is putting in some jaw-dropping work after his long-awaited heel turn. The briefcase just doesn't have a role, and dropping it will let Miz work toward a 'Mania showdown of his own with John Morrison.

Keep in mind eliminating the briefcase doesn't have to be the only consequence. If Miz is heading into a WrestleMania program with Morrison, having his rival interfere and cost him is the perfect launching point. And if McIntyre is getting Brock or some other massive name, why not have him interfere during the cash-in and demolish everyone?

Unfortunately, the odd man out here is Otis. But that is WWE's own doing. The by-the-seat-of-the-pants booking with last-minute rewrites doesn't work on something like a briefcase storyline that requires long-term thinking.

Luckily for fans, Otis is the type of talent who can bounce back from the massive botch here too. There's no one else on the roster like him, and if his work has been this great without crowds, he will only get more of a reaction when fans are filling arenas again.

Maybe part of the hesitation on WWE's part was grounded in real-world concerns, plus the idea either main show's main event suddenly needed bailing out. But they don't—not even close—so TLC is the perfect opportunity to be done with it and start 2021 fresh.