Ranking all previous Money in the Bank wins according to the long-term impact

#9 CM Punk (2008)

The win that started Punk's main event run.

2008 was a weird time for WWE. While established stars like Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho were making a slow return to the World Title picture, many other mid card superstars were also beginning to enter the main event picture. Had it not been for a Wellness Violation, it would have been Jeff Hardy holding that briefcase. Hence, CM Punk was given the opportunity, and it really did wonders for the Straight Edge Superstar's career.

Becoming the only ECW superstar to ever win the illustrious briefcase, this win started Punk's ascent to the top of the WWE ladder. Successfully cashing in the briefcase on Edge, he enjoyed a respectable 3-month reign as World Champion before he was forced to vacate the title. However, Punk maintained his momentum in the subsequent months, winning both Intercontinental Title and Tag Titles before making history at WrestleMania XXV.

#8 Rob Van Dam (2006)

The award for his decade long hard work.

Although he was portrayed as a heel when he debuted back in 2001, RVD's in-ring work made him quite popular with the fans. Dubbed Mr. Monday/Thursday night, RVD was the backbone of the mid card on both WWE brands, but was still missing that one much deserved run at the top of the ladder. And then came WrestleMania 22, the day RVD became Mr. Money in the Bank and started his run as the main event player.

His program with Shelton Benjamin over the briefcase was nothing short of phenomenal. After becoming the first person to pre announce his date of cash in, RVD famously won the WWE Champion from John Cena at Hammerstein Ballroom. He was even awarded the reinstated ECW Championship two days later. RVD, however, fell victim to his own demons, as a drug possession arrest forced WWE to remove both titles from him within 24 hours.