Money in the Bank: Top 5 moments in the PPV's history

From being a gimmick match to put notable superstars on WrestleMania's card, to becoming one of the most awaited pay-per-views of the year, Money in the Bank has come a long way. Conceptualized in the year 2005 by the Ayatollah of Rock 'N' Rolla, Chris Jericho, it wasn't until 2010 before MITB became a pay-per-view.

Over the years, MITB has consistently become one of the best events of the year. We have seen superstars like The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, and Seth Rollins rise to the occasion and go on to become world champions. This year, we have upstarts like Ali, Andrade, and Ricochet looking to signal their arrival on the main event scene winning the MITB briefcase.

Money in the Bank has given us some great moments over the past few years and this year's edition promises to be no different. Here are the top five moments in Money In The Bank history.

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#5 Daniel Bryan winning the MITB Briefcase

Bryan won the SmackDown Money in the Bank ladder match in 2011

Let's be honest, no one, and we mean no one, expected Daniel Bryan to succeed in WWE. The American Dragon had made a name for himself in the independent circuit before arriving in the world's biggest wrestling promotion.

Bryan wasn't your prototypical WWE Superstar, ie, he didn't have the attributes one would generally associate with a WWE Superstar. In addition to that, Bryan was already a known name due to his stint in Ring of Honour and other independent promotions, and given how the company functioned at that time, it was impossible to envision Bryan as the company's top star.

Bryan winning the Money in the Bank Ladder Match in 2011 was a watershed moment in the company's history as it marked a shift in the company's vision of what a top star ought to be. Bryan's win broke the notion that you had to be built like a tank in order to succeed in WWE.

Bryan would cash-in his contract at TLC 2011 after a brutal chairs match between Mark Henry and The Big Show, to become the World Heavyweight Champion.

Although the world title reign isn't remembered fondly due to the way it ended, the company taking a chance with Bryan opened the doors for stars like AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose to succeed in the company.

#4 Heyman betraying CM Punk

Heyman was Punk's mentor during his time in OVW

CM Punk's 434-day reign as WWE Champion was historic due to a myriad of reasons. One of the most important phases of Punk's reign was him turning heel and aligning himself with Paul Heyman.

The pairing of Heyman and Punk seemed quite odd at first, considering the fact that Punk was great on the mic and many believed that The Voice of the Voiceless didn't need a mouthpiece. But the chemistry between the duo was palpable right from day one and it goes without saying that Punk's reign wouldn't be as historic without the involvement of Heyman.

But, as they say, all good things must come to an end. Cracks began appearing between the duo after Punk was attacked by Heyman's other client, Brock Lesnar after he told Heyman to no longer accompany him to the ring.

However, it was at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view in 2013 where Heyman finally turned on Punk, as he was inches close to winning the MITB briefcase when Heyman flipped the ladder, thereby denying the Straight Edge Superstar his third MITB contract win.

Heyman's betrayal led to a summer feud between Punk and Lesnar, which culminated in a No Disqualification bout between the duo at SummerSlam 2014. Punk would finally get his hands on Heyman at Hell in a Cell, where he would defeat Ryback and Heyman in a 2-on-1 handicap match.

#3 Dean Ambrose cashing in his MITB contract

Ambrose finally got one over Rollins at Money in the Bank 2016

The Shield will go down in history as one of the most dominating factions to have ever stepped inside a WWE ring. The trio of Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose would wreak havoc on the WWE roster for over two years before Seth Rollins turned on his brethren, breaking The Shield in the process. The trio went their separate ways from then on and achieved success as singles stars.

But, as fate would have it, the three men always kept bumping into one another. Rollins and Ambrose feuded over the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in 2015. Ambrose would become one of the biggest thorns in Rollins' path but would never capture championship gold.

At Money in the Bank 2016, Rollins defeated Reigns to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship but would be blindsided by Ambrose, who had won the MITB briefcase earlier in the night.

Ambrose would cash-in his contract on Rollins to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion for the first and only time in his WWE career. Ambrose's win also meant that all three members of The Shield held the title on the same night.

#2 The first meeting between AJ Styles and John Cena

Styles Vs Cena was a dream match fans have been wanting to see for years

If one had said a few years ago that we would one day see John Cena and AJ Styles inside the squared circle facing off against one another, it would have been laughed off. Cena and Styles are without a doubt, two of the most celebrated wrestlers of this generation.

But despite being two once in a lifetime athletes, Styles and Cena were total opposites. While Styles is known for being a performer par excellence, Cena has faced a lot of flak over the years for his limited repertoire of offensive moves.

Despite being polar opposites, fans had always hoped for Cena and Styles to face off inside the squared circle one day. Therefore when the duo met for the first time at Money in the Bank 2016, it was quite a sight to behold.

Cena and Styles would face off once again at SummerSlam and Royal Rumble, but the first meeting between the duo was truly a historic moment.

#1 CM Punk winning the WWE Championship

This is a sight the fans will never forget

Despite being an excellent in-ring performer and having immaculate mic skills, CM Punk was never able to ascent to the top in WWE. Although he had been a world champion thrice, his reigns saw him being overshadowed by Superstars like The Undertaker, John Cena, Batista, and Jeff Hardy.

But, something changed in the Summer of 2011. Punk would cut his infamous Pipebomb Promo on a June 2011 episode of RAW that would propel him to megastardom. Punk's frustration with the company came to the fore during his promo where he took potshots at his employers.

Punk's contract with the company was up at that time and he vowed to leave the company with the WWE Championship.

Punk would defeat John Cena to capture the WWE Championship in an absolute classic. Punk leaving through his home crowd in Chicago after blowing a goodbye Kiss to Vince McMahon is a sight WWE fans will never forget.