Former WWE star Carmella has revealed how a single promo performance altered WWE’s plans for the 2018 Money in the Bank briefcase, leading to her historic second win. Speaking to Wrestling Classic’s Casual Conversations show, Carmella detailed how Vince McMahon’s reaction to her performance changed everything.
The Promo That Changed Everything
“I went out there, cut a promo. I think we opened the show and um came back through the curtain and like got standing ovation. And I remember Vince was like, ‘I wish my top guys could cut a promo like that,'” Carmella recalled during the interview.
The impact was immediate and significant. When asked about winning Money in the Bank for the second time, Carmella confirmed that plans had originally been different.
“Were you not supposed to win it again the second time? No, it was supposed to be Becky. Becky was supposed to win the second time,” she revealed.
How Plans Changed
Carmella explained that the pivotal moment came on the SmackDown following the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. After delivering her promo and receiving a standing ovation backstage, she noticed immediate changes to the show’s format.
“We had a segment later that night was I think the closing segment of the night. We were out there with Daniel Bryan and there were supposed to be physicality and I think Becky or Charlotte was supposed to like tag team me to the floor or I was supposed to beat them up.”
The physical dynamics of the segment were altered, with Carmella recognizing what it meant.
“They changed all the physicality to them beating me up and I was just like I just knew in my heart I’m like I am going to win it again and um I did.”
Making History
This promo performance led to Carmella becoming the first woman to win Money in the Bank twice, and she holds the record for the longest reign with the briefcase. Her ability to showcase her character work when given the opportunity proved pivotal to her career trajectory, demonstrating that sometimes one standout performance can change everything in professional wrestling.
