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Money in The Bank is a multi-man ladder match and this format was first brought in the WWE in 2005 at WrestleMania 21. It remains one of the few gimmick matches which have survived the test of time. The concept was introduced by none other than Chris Jericho (who still hasn't managed to win the briefcase) and after the first cash-in became an overwhelming success, Vince and Co. decided to stick with it.
Traditionally a men's match, it's first-ever female edition was successfully held in 2017, followed by one in 2018. The match got its own pay-per-view in 2010 with the ladder match as the main highlight of the show.
The Money in The Bank ladder match is an outlet for WWE to provide us hints about the next Superstar in line to receive a major push. Over the years, WWE have typically given the prestigious Money in The Bank briefcase to upcoming talent or to former main-event Superstars who deserve another run at the top. With 17 out of 20 Superstars walking out as the champion after cashing in their contract, winning this match provides the most considerable odds a wrestler can hope for.
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Various WWE Superstars ranging from Rob Van Dam to Baron Corbin have won the contract, but only a few of them have been able to generate the buzz and shock that should accompany a cash-in. While some wrestlers like Edge and Randy Orton inscribed their names in the history books as some of the best, others like John Cena, Damien Sandow and Baron Corbin even failed to cash-in. Nevertheless, the superstars who push through the pain in the match grab the spotlights and a majority of them successfully transition to the main-event picture.
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Today we look at the greatest Money in The Bank cash-ins ever in its rich 13-year-old history.
#5 Dean Ambrose
When Dean Ambrose won the Money in The Bank contract in 2016, few people expected him to cash-in on the same night. However, that's exactly what he did. In the main event of the night, Roman Reigns (c) faced Seth Rollins for the WWE Championship. The match had a redemption story-line of Seth Rollins coming back from his devastating injury to reclaim the title he never lost.
This was one of the few instances where Reigns lost clean. Seth Rollins won the title only to lose it later to Dean Ambrose who cashed in his contract. The irony, however, is what makes this one special. A returning Seth Rollins who had worked hard to be in this spot was bested in the same fashion as he bested Reigns a year ago at WrestleMania 31. All three former members of the Shield were champions on the same night. Ambrose became the second person to cash in his contract on the same night as winning it.
#4 Randy Orton
In the summer of 2013, Randy Orton won his first-ever Money in The Bank contract in a remarkable match which included the likes of CM Punk, red-hot Daniel Bryan and Rob Van Dam. In one of the most heated cash-ins in history, Randy Orton cashed in his contract on Daniel Bryan. Bryan had just won the title by defeating John Cena in a stellar match in the main event of SummerSlam.
What was initially intended to be Bryan’s crowning moment turned out to be Orton’s as he displayed one of the most effective face-to-heel transitions? Triple H stabbed Bryan in the back by striking him with the pedigree following which Orton cashed in to establish his reign as champ.
This cash-in is highlighted by the fact that it began Bryan’s feud against The Authority which was a pivotal point of the Reality Era and arguably one of the greatest story-lines in recent memory.
#3 Edge
The first cash-in of The Money in The Bank contract set a standard so high, that few were able to attain that standard. After winning the first-ever Money in The Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21, Edge was destined to be the champ at some point in the future. When he won the contract, most people were unfamiliar with how the cash-in would go down.
At New Year’s Resolution, Vince McMahon appeared after the championship match. He announced in his trademark voice that Edge is cashing in the contract on the champ John Cena and the match will begin right now. It was all that people required to go absolutely nuts.
Although WWE managed to portray Cena in a good light by making him put up a fight, the Rated-R Superstar finally beat by hitting him with two spears to be crowned the champion. This cash-in will always be special as it was the first one and it set the tone for the rest of the cash-ins.
#2 Dolph Ziggler
Before Daniel Bryan, Ziggler's cash-in at the Raw after WrestleMania was considered the gold standard of WWE finally listening to the fans. His cash-in at the Raw after WrestleMania 29 was genuinely a historic moment. Fans were behind Ziggler, Alberto desperately needed to lose the title and the stage was set for something shocking.
After fighting a handicap match against Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter, Del Rio was left injured and huddled in the corner. Out of the blue, Ziggler's music hit teh arena, he came in and cashed in his contract and win his first World Heavyweight Championship. Del Rio did put up a struggle and at one point it seemed that Dolph could lose, but a Zig-Zag from Ziggler ended all doubts. This was the crowning moment of Ziggler that fans were waiting for and will have been the greatest cash-in if not for the #1 entry on this list.
#1 Seth Rollins
Like there was any doubt... At WrestleMania 31, Seth Rollins pulled off what came to be known as ‘Heist of The Century.’ He won the contract the previous year in a heavily interfered match and was poised to clinch the big belt sooner or later. After losing to Orton earlier in the night, Rollins inserted himself in the title picture.
As the brutal main event between Reigns and Lesnar was underway, Rollins’ theme song started playing and "The Architect" came running at top speed with his contract in hand. This moment was rightly described by JBL repeatedly screaming “This is brilliant.” After a curb stomp to Reigns, Seth Rollins won his first ever WWE championship in the most spectacular fashion at the grandest stage of them all, thus securing his spot as the greatest cash-in of all time.
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