The LWO” trains are climbing the ladder of success at WWE Money in the Bank

The LWO” trains are climbing the ladder of success at WWE Money in the Bank

WWE's premier live event, Money in the Bank, is known and loved for its exciting multi-opponent ladder match in which participants attempt to retrieve a briefcase hanging above the ring. Inside this briefcase is a unique contract that guarantees a chance to win a championship game anytime, anywhere within a year of winning the case. So it stands to reason that the men and women involved in this battle for all will stop at nothing to climb the ladder and take possession of the iconic briefcase. And since the 14th “MITB” event will take place in London this Saturday,M&Fcaught up with two of the challengers to find out how they will outlast all rivals and become the owner of that fateful briefcase. It could be an epic night for the Latino World Order stable if Santos Escobar and Zelina Vega win their respective WWE Money in the Bank matches.

Santos Escobar drops his WWE opponents thanks to dropsets

“I’m no stranger to ranked matches,” says Escobar, a second-generation grappler from Mexico City, Mexico, and the son of the legendary Lucha Libre star; El Fantasy. When it comes to training, Escobar needs to use his time wisely. “I try to do as much as possible with as little time as possible,” he says, taking into account the crazy touring schedule of a WWE superstar. “I always try to train my body to have strength and flexibility.” When it comes to hitting the gym, the LWO member is a big proponent of warming up, especially since he struggles with the wear and tear that comes with the ring. When it comes to planning his sets, the exciting wrestler likes to perform drop sets in the order of 15, 12, 10 and 8 reps.Drop sets are a great way to promote muscle hypertrophy, resulting in increases in muscle size and endurance. No wonder he drops his opponents too.

For arm and back training, Escobar performs dumbbell curls, barbell drag curls, dumbbell preacher curls, dumbbell rows, and the T-bar row, all of which use the same drop-set pattern. Escobar takes working hard away from the ring very seriously, but it's difficult to plan the perfect training for handling the steel ladder that will be in play on Saturday. “I've often been asked what the biggest threat is in a Money in the Bank ladder match,” Escobar said. "And I said the biggest threat is the ladders! Why? Because with them you can retrieve the briefcase and use it to punish your opponents. It's crazy and 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, history-making night on the WWE calendar, offering their favorite grappler the potential to secure a title shot once they cash in their contract. Who can forget Seth Rollins dethroning Brock Lesnar during his impromptu title match at WrestleMania 31 (2015), or Carmella's surprise cash-in against Charlotte Flair that occurred on the episode of SmackDown that followed WrestleMania 34 (2018)? But while it takes strong arms to grab the suitcase high up in the rafters, well-trained legs are just as important.

Zelina Vega develops explosive leg strength with plyometric training for WWE Money in the Bank

A key part of Vega's strategy for MITB was developing her explosive leg strength through plyometric training. Plyos includes exercises that both tense and stretch muscles, such as running, squats, skipping, and box jumps. As you practice the movements, your muscles adapt and performance improves. Plyos are a great way to prepare the body for intense sports, and by developing your stabilizing muscles you can also prevent many potential injuries. For Vega, plyo training helps prepare for a ranked match. “There just aren’t that many ladders I can climb at home,” jokes Zelina Vega. She is fully aware that with bodies flying everywhere and the resulting mad battle for the ladder, the cosplay fan must be well conditioned to outlast her enemies.

"I actually do a lot more high-intensity cardio (now), a lot more HIIT cardio, because I feel like in those moments you have to make sure you can reach into your power bank and pull it out of yourself when you need to," she says. In fact, Vega tells M&F that she now has a wrestling ring as part of her home fitness setup so she can train in the square circle for as many hours as possible. But what about the ladder itself: is it heavy? “It’s really hard,” Vega says. "A lot of people don't understand this, I'm a lot smaller so it's such a big, clunky thing that I have to make sure I can handle it. It's definitely not something fun to wear!"

This year there seems to be more at stake than ever for the winner in London, with exciting men's and women's matches awaiting you. “I’m so happy to be here,” Vega says as the bell hour approaches. “The fans are so passionate here.” On the men's side, it will be Santos Escobar, Ricochet, Shinsuke Nakamura, LA Knight, Butch, Damian Priest and Logan Paul looking to cash in. For the women's briefcase, the challengers are Zelina Vega, Becky Lynch, Zoey Stark, Bayley, Iyo Sky and Trish Stratus.

To find out if the LWO's hard training is paying off, don't miss any of the action from WWE Money in the Bank, broadcast live from the iconic O2 Arena in London on Saturday, July 1, via Peacock in the United States and WWE Connect everywhere else.