The most exciting part about the whole concept of WWE Money in the Bank isn’t the Money in the Bank Ladder match itself, but rather, the cash in of the Money in the Bank contract that the winner of the Ladder match receives.
Over the years there have been nineteen winners, seventeen cash-ins but only fifteen successful attempts. The two unsuccessful cash-ins belong to Damien Sandow, and surprisingly enough, John Cena, the latter of whom announced when he would be cashing in.
Trending
The discrepancy between the number of winners and the number of cash-ins is because the two latest winners – Baron Corbin and Carmella at WWE Money in the Bank 2017 – are both still in possession of their briefcases. But, these aren’t what matter to us right now.
New Champs in WWE! More RIGHT HERE
Today, we are looking at those fifteen successful cash-ins to see which ones really got the WWE Universe excited and which ones were thorough let downs. So, without any further ado, here is our ranking of the 15 successful Money in the Bank cash-ins:
#15 Jack Swagger
Everything about Jack Swagger was too much too soon. He was pushed too early, he won the Money in the Bank too early and he certainly cashed in his contract too early. Just two days after winning the briefcase at Wrestlemania 26 in 2010, he cashed in against Chris Jericho on an episode of Smackdown.
There was no build up, no excitement and nobody wanted to see Swagger as champion. This is the worst Money in the Bank cash-in of all-time.
#14 Alberto Del Rio
While Alberto Del Rio – now known as Alberto El Patron – might be doing good things on the indie scene and with Impact Wrestling today, his time with the WWE wasn’t great – especially not the years where he was in the World Title picture.
Del Rio cashed in against CM Punk at Summerslam 2011 less than a month after winning the briefcase much to the displeasure of the WWE Universe.
#13 Sheamus
A fellow member to Alberto Del Rio in the League of Nations, Sheamus’ cash in ranks number 13 on our list. After inexplicably winning the 2015 Money in the Bank Ladder match, Sheamus held on to the contract for nearly six months.
It was a boring six months culminating in an equally boring cash in against Roman Reigns who had just won the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
#12 The Miz
Today, The Miz is a bonafide star. He is amongst the best performers in the WWE’s upper mid-card and has brought prestige to the Intercontinental Championship. Back in 2010, though, it was utterly shocking to see the former reality TV star win the Money in the Bank Ladder match.
Things became worse four months later when he cashed in against Randy Orton to become WWE Champion. It was unexpected but not in a good way. The Miz just wasn’t ready to be on the top of the mountain.
#11 Kane
Well, now we get to all the good cash-ins and at number 11 on our list is Kane. Kane became the man with the quickest cash-in in WWE history and the first man to cash-in on the same night that he won the contract in 2010.
After winning the contract WWE Money in the Bank 2010, The Big Red Machine cashed in 47 minutes later against Rey Mysterio to become World Heavyweight Champion.
#10 Daniel Bryan
Into the top 10 now, and coming in at number 10 is Daniel Bryan. The year was 2011 and we were still a few years away from the immense popularity of the Yes Movement but D-Bry was still a loved babyface.
Despite a successful cash-in attempt against Mark Henry being reversed, he later cashed in against The Big Show – who was Bryan’s ally – to capture the World Heavyweight Championship and kickstart a slow heel turn.
#9 CM Punk’s first cash-in
CM Punk won his first Money in the Bank at Wrestlemania 24 in 2008 and held onto the belt for nearly three months. Then, after Batista destroyed Edge, Punk cashed in against The Ultimate Opportunist to capture his first World Heavyweight Championship.
It was ironic to see Edge undone by his own tactics but this isn’t CM Punk’s best cash in. That comes later.
#8 Randy Orton
When Randy Orton won the 2013 Money in the Bank Ladder match, he was a babyface. When Triple H was special guest referee for Daniel Bryan’s victory over John Cena to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion at Summerslam 2013, he was a babyface. But, in the aftermath of that match, both the former Evolution members turned heel.
Orton came out with his briefcase, prompting Hunter to Pedigree Bryan and allowing his former protege to become champion. This also marked the start of The Authority and took the Yes Movement to a whole new level.
#7 CM Punk’s second cash-in
CM Punk did the unprecedented at Wrestlemania 25 in 2009 when he became the first person to win the Money in the Bank Ladder match twice. This time, his cash-in had more of an impact and did more for his career.
Cashing in against Jeff Hardy at Extreme Rules later that year, Punk became World Heavyweight Champion and kickstarted an intense feud against Jeff that became very very personal.
#6) Edge’s second cash-in
Edge won the Money in the Bank Ladder match only once and yet held the briefcase twice. This is because he defeated Mr Kennedy for the Money in the Bank contract after the latter had won in 2007.
The Rated R Superstar held onto the briefcase for only one day, as he cashed in against The Undertaker on Smackdown to become World Heavyweight Championship. It was a testament to how much Edge lived up to his moniker of The Ultimate Opportunist.
#5 Dean Ambrose
When Dean Ambrose won last year’s Money in the Bank Ladder match, few could have foreseen how the night would end. After Seth Rollins defeated Roman Reigns to regain his WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the main event of the Money in the Bank pay per view, Ambrose struck.
He attacked Rollins from behind and cashed in less than an hour after winning the briefcase to become World Champion. It was the night when all three former members of The Shield held the gold.
#4 Rob Van Dam
Number four on our list is Rob Van Dam – the only man to announce when he was going to cash in his Money in the Bank contract and still win. RVD let the WWE Champion know that he was going to be cashing in at ECW One Night Stand in 2006 and proceeded to beat The Face That Runs the Place.
In front of a partisan crowd that roundly rejected Cena, RVD was elevated to the status of a God when he picked up the win.
#3 Dolph Ziggler
Dolph Ziggler’s cash-in against Alberto Del Rio in 2013 is the stuff of legend. It didn’t matter than Del Rio was the face who had just withstood a brutal beating from Jack Swagger. It didn’t matter that Ziggler was supposed to be the heel.
The WWE Universe lost its collective mind when Ziggler hit the Zig Zag to become World Heavyweight Champion and it remains one of the loudest pops a superstar has received in the modern era.
#2 Edge’s first cash-in
You never forget your first, right? Number two on our list is the very first Money in the Bank cash-in. After winning the Money in the Bank Ladder match in 2005 at Wrestlemania 21, Edge held onto the contract for 280 days.
Just when people were wondering what was going to happen with it, he pounced. At New Year’s Revolution 2006, The Ultimate Opportunist was created when Edge cashed in his briefcase to beat John Cena who had just defended the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match to set the tone for all future cash-ins and to cement Money in the Bank as a successful concept.
#1 Seth Rollins
Will there ever be a cash-in as good as this one? Doubtful. Seth Rollins shocked the entire world at Wrestlemania 31 when he cashed in during the main event between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
It marked the first time that the contract was cashed in at Wrestlemania as well as the first time it was cashed in during an ongoing match. Rollins made it a Triple Threat and won the whole things after a Curbstomp to Reigns and pulled off, as Michael Cole so eloquently put it, “The Heist of the Century.”
Send us news tips at [email protected]
