The Scotiabank Arena was vibrating. Honestly, if you weren't in Toronto on July 6, it’s hard to describe the specific kind of tension that fills a room when John Cena walks out unannounced to tell the world he’s done. That’s the thing about Money in the Bank 2024. It wasn't just a bridge to SummerSlam. It felt like a shift in the tectonic plates of WWE. People expected the ladders and the high-flying car crashes, sure. But nobody really expected the "Greatest of All Time" to hang up the jorts.
WWE has this way of making these "B-level" premium live events feel mandatory. They’ve moved away from the filler. Now, every briefcase win or failed cash-in feels like it has actual stakes for the next three years of programming.
The Night Tiffany Stratton Became the Center of the Universe
Tiffany Stratton is twenty-five years old. Let that sink in for a second. While most people her age are still figuring out how to file taxes or navigate a 9-to-5, she was climbing a ladder in front of nearly 20,000 screaming fans to claim the briefcase. Her win at Money in the Bank 2024 felt inevitable, yet deeply earned.
The match itself was a chaotic mess in the best way possible. You had Chelsea Green basically acting as a human pinball, taking bumps that looked like they should have ended her career. Lyra Valkyria and Iyo Sky were providing the workhorse energy, keeping the pace lightning-fast. But the story was Tiffany. The "Tiffy Time" gimmick isn't just a catchphrase; it’s a connection with the audience that WWE hasn't seen with a female heel since early-era Alexa Bliss.
When she tipped Chelsea Green off the ladder through those stacked tables on the outside, the collective gasp was audible. It was a brutal spot. But it secured the win. Now, the dynamic has shifted. Bayley is the champion, but Tiffy is the shadow. That’s the power of the briefcase. It creates a constant, low-level anxiety for the title holder that makes every TV segment more interesting.
CM Punk and the Art of the Spiteful Intervention
If you want to talk about "what most people get wrong" about the men’s side of the night, it’s the idea that Damian Priest got lucky. He didn't get lucky. He got caught in the crossfire of the most bitter rivalry in modern wrestling.
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Drew McIntyre won the briefcase earlier that night. He didn't wait. He didn't tease a year-long story. He pulled a "Seth Rollins" and cashed in during the World Heavyweight Championship match between Priest and Seth Rollins. It turned into a triple threat. It should have been Drew’s moment. His redemption.
Then came CM Punk.
The level of pure, unadulterated hatred Punk showed—costing Drew the title despite being technically "injured"—was masterclass storytelling. Punk didn't just hit him; he dismantled his soul. This left Damian Priest to retain, but it did something else. It made the Money in the Bank 2024 briefcase feel like a cursed object for the first time in a while. Drew had it, he used it, and he lost everything because of his own obsession.
The John Cena Retirement Bomb
We have to talk about the elephant in the room. John Cena showed up. No one knew. The "The Last Time is Now" towel wasn't just merchandise; it was a manifesto. Cena announced that 2025 will be his final year. Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, WrestleMania 41—that’s it.
Why does this matter for a review of the Toronto show? Because it grounded the spectacle in reality. It reminded everyone that the legends eventually leave. The crowd’s reaction was a mix of "Please don't go" and "Thank you for the childhood." It was arguably the most significant non-match moment in the history of this specific event.
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Bloodline Rules and the Post-Roman Vacuum
The main event was a six-man tag. The Bloodline (Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu) against Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens. Look, Solo Sikoa has a tough job. Following Roman Reigns is like trying to follow Queen at Live Aid. It’s nearly impossible.
But Jacob Fatu is the differentiator.
At Money in the Bank 2024, Fatu looked like a monster that Triple H finally let out of the cage. He’s terrifying. He moves like a cruiserweight but hits like a truck. When Solo pinned Cody Rhodes—the Undisputed WWE Champion—it sent a very specific message. The Bloodline isn't dead. It’s just different. It’s more violent now. Less "High Chief" diplomacy, more street warfare.
A lot of fans were annoyed that Cody took the pin. I get it. He’s the face of the company. But you have to build Solo as a threat for SummerSlam, and pinning the champ is the only way to do that. It was a necessary "logical" beat in a long-term story.
Breaking Down the Technical Flubs
It wasn't a perfect show. No wrestling show is. There was a weird moment in the Priest vs. Rollins match where the referee stopped counting. It looked like a botch. It was a botch. The "unseen" kick-out that wasn't actually a kick-out.
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In the old days, Vince McMahon would have been screaming in someone’s ear. Under the current regime, they just rolled with it. Damian Priest later acknowledged it, and it didn't ruin the match, but it reminded us that these guys are human. They’re performing high-level athletics in real-time with no safety net. Sometimes the timing is off by a millisecond.
Why This Specific Event Mattered More Than 2023
Last year was great, but 2024 felt like the official start of the "Paul Levesque Era" being fully baked. The pacing was better. There were only five matches. This is a massive improvement over the seven or eight-match marathons that used to leave the crowd exhausted by the time the main event started.
By keeping the card lean, every match had space to breathe. The Intercontinental Championship match between Bron Breakker and Sami Zayn was a perfect example. Short, explosive, and it told a story. Sami, the veteran from Montreal (close enough for a home-field advantage), outsmarting the young powerhouse. It was classic wrestling psychology.
Actionable Takeaways for Following the Fallout
If you’re trying to keep up with the ripples this event created, here’s how to look at the landscape moving forward. Don't just watch the highlights; watch the shifts in character motivation.
- The "Tiffy" Watch: Keep an eye on any segment involving the Women's Champion. Tiffany Stratton doesn't need to cash in soon. The threat is her greatest weapon. If she holds it until 2025, she becomes a perennial main eventer.
- The Punk/McIntyre Timeline: This isn't ending at SummerSlam. This is a "Bad Blood" kind of feud. The fact that the briefcase was the catalyst for their latest blow-up means the title is secondary to their mutual hatred.
- The Bloodline Power Structure: Watch Jacob Fatu. He is the "enforcer" that Solo needs to stay relevant. If Fatu starts getting more cheers than Solo, the internal tension will be the next big Bloodline story.
- Cena’s Farewell Tour: This starts in January 2025. Every match he has from now until then is essentially a "bonus" match. Expect him to put over younger talent on his way out, much like he did for Theory, but with much better storytelling.
Money in the Bank 2024 proved that WWE doesn't need the "Big Four" shows to create "Big Four" moments. It was a night of brutal ladders, shocking retirements, and the cementing of the next generation of stars. Whether you loved the results or hated them, you can’t say the product is stagnant. It’s moving faster than ever.