WWE Money in the Bank: can CM Punk claim a third career briefcase?

Ahead of WWE's Money in the Bank event in New Orleans, a statistical preview published by ESPN examines the history of the promotion's signature ladder match, including CM Punk's past participation and his chances of winning a third career briefcase.

A staple of WWE's premium live events

Money in the Bank has become one of WWE's recurring premium live event concepts, built around a ladder match in which competitors climb to retrieve a briefcase that grants the winner a contract for a championship opportunity to be cashed in at a time of their choosing. The format has produced some of the promotion's most memorable moments over the years, and statistical breakdowns of past winners have become a regular feature of previews ahead of the event.

CM Punk, one of the performers associated with the match's history, has previously won the briefcase in his career, and the ESPN preview frames the upcoming New Orleans show as a chance for him to add a third victory in the event to his résumé.

What the numbers suggest

Statistical previews of this kind typically look at factors such as past participants' win rates, the number of competitors in the match, and historical patterns in how often former winners return to claim the briefcase again. These figures are used to contextualize the field heading into the ladder match rather than to predict a definitive outcome.

With the event set to take place in New Orleans, fans and analysts will be watching to see whether CM Punk can add to his history with Money in the Bank, in what the preview frames as one of the storylines to follow heading into the show.