The ‘LWO’ Trains to Climb the Ladder of Success at WWE Money in the Bank
Santos Escobar drops his WWE opponents thanks to dropsets
For arm and back training, Escobar performs dumbbell curls, barbell drag curls, dumbbell preacher curls, dumbbell rows, and the T-bar row all using the same drop set pattern. Working hard away from the ring is something that Escobar takes very seriously, but it’s tough to plan the perfect workout for dealing with the steel ladder that will be in play on Saturday. “I was asked a lot, what is the biggest threat in a Money in the Bank ladder match,” says Escobar. “And I said, the biggest threat is the ladders! Why? Because you can use them to retrieve the briefcase and you can use them to punish your opponents. It’s crazy and yet at the same time, I’m looking forward to it.”
For many pro wrestling fans, the “Money in the Bank” event is the most exciting night on the WWE calendar where history is made, because it delivers the potential for their favorite grappler to earn a title shot once, they cash in their contract. Who can forget Seth Rollins dethroning Brock Lesnar during his impromptu title shot at WrestleMania 31 (2015), or Carmella’s surprise cash-in against Charlotte Flair, which took place on the episode of SmackDown that followed WrestleMania 34 (2018). But, while strong arms are necessary for snatching the case from high up in the rafters, just as important is the requirement for well-trained legs.
Zelina Vega develops explosive leg power with plyometric training for WWE Money in the Bank
“I actually (now) do a lot more high-intensity cardio, a lot more HIIT cardio, because I feel like in moments like that, you have to make sure that you can dig into your power bank and pull it out of you, when you need to,” she says. In fact, Vega tells M&F that she now has a wrestling ring as part of her home gym setup, so that she can clock up as many hours training in the squared circle as possible. But what about the ladder itself: is it heavy? “It’s really heavy,” says Vega. “A lot of people don’t understand, I’m a lot smaller, so it’s such a big clunky thing that I have to make sure I can work my way around it. It’s definitely something that’s not fun to carry!”
This year, the stakes seem higher than ever in London for the victor, with stacked men’s and women’s matches to look forward to. “I’m so excited to be here,” says Vega as bell time nears. “The fans are so passionate here.” On the men’s side the participants looking to make bank will be Santos Escobar, Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight, Butch, Damian Priest and Logan Paul. For the women’s briefcase, the challengers will comprise of Zelina Vega, Becky Lynch, Zoey Stark, Bayley, Iyo Sky, and Trish Stratus.
