WWE Money in the Bank: Ranking the 5 Greatest MITB matches of all time

WWE will offer one Superstar the chance to become a world champion next month when the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut, hosts the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.

Aside from winning the Royal Rumble, the Money in the Bank briefcase is one of the only guaranteed methods a Superstar has to earn an opportunity for the WWE Championship or Universal Championship.

Since the match's debut at WrestleMania to its evolution into a separate event, very few ladder matches carry the same level of excitement and interest that the Money in the Bank match has offered over the years.

The briefcase has always served as a catalyst to push new stars into the main event scene, and is responsible for key moments in the careers of superstars like CM Punk, Edge, Rob Van Dam, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and many more.

Anyone who's been lucky enough to become Mr. or Mrs. Money in the Bank usually goes on to have a successful run as Champion, but their performance in the Money in the Bank match is usually a good indicator of what the Superstar will be like as a Champion.

Some of the greatest Money in the Bank cash-ins have come off the momentum of incredible ladder match performances and there have been more than 20 MITB ladder matches over the years.

Here are the five greatest Money in the Bank ladder matches in WWE history.

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#5 WrestleMania 24 - (Carlito vs. Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison vs. MVP vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Shelton Benjamin)

A great match that elevated CM Punk's status in WWE

WrestleMania 24 was home to an incredible Money in the Bank match with a lot of interwoven storylines and callbacks.

The match started with everyone scrambling to grab a ladder, which lead to MVP, John Morrison and Chris Jericho jousting with ladders before someone finally dropped.

Shelton Benjamin is usually the Superstar who does the most amazing spots in the match, but Morrison kicked off the highlight reel by hitting a moonsault to the wrestlers outside with a ladder in hand.

Benjamin's moment would be the result of Carlito and Mr. Kennedy dumping him off the tallest ladder in the ring, and sending him crashing through another.

MVP had the match won towards the end, but a returning Matt Hardy would get revenge on his former tag partner and rival.

Mr. Kennedy seemed like he was going to win the match, but CM Punk would throw him off the ladder (similarly to how Kennedy cost him the briefcase at WrestleMania 23) and became Mr. Money in the Bank for the first time.

Punk would go on to win the World Heavyweight Championship, his first world title reign since becoming the ECW Champion the year before.

#4 WrestleMania 25 - (Christian vs. CM Punk vs. Finlay vs. vs. Kane vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin)

A set up from last year's match

The Money in the Bank match had the honor of kicking off WrestleMania 25, and it was one of the best matches on the entire show.

With CM Punk looking to win the match for a second time and powerhouses like Mark Henry and Kane for the Superstars to overcome, it was clear that this match was anyone's game.

Kofi Kingston and Shelton Benjamin stole the show with their incredible athleticism, but The Gold Standard would pull off the most amazing spot of the night when he jumped off the tallest ladder into a sea of wrestlers outside the ring.

After every able-bodied wrestler fought over the briefcase, the last two men standing would be Punk and Kane - until Punk kicked and shoved The Big Red Machine off the ladder to secure the Money in the Bank briefcase for the second time.

A better match than the year before, but the same ending as the year before. Only in WWE.

#3 SmackDown Money in the Bank match 2011- (Cody Rhodes vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Heath Slater vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Kane vs. Sin Cara vs. Sheamus)

Quite the ensemble of wrestlers in this match

The 2011 Money in the Bank pay-per-view is largely remembered for CM Punk's victory over John Cena, but the Money in the Bank ladder matches helped elevate the show to the status of an all-time classic.

With a chance at the World Heavyweight Championship on the line, the SmackDown locker room went all out trying to secure the briefcase, and no Superstar was spared from the devastation of the ladder.

Sin Cara and Daniel Bryan stole the show with their incredible aerial moves and athletic performances, but Sheamus would get his moment to shine with sheer brute force.

One of the biggest spots of the night came from Sheamus driving Sin Cara through a ladder set up between the ring apron and the announcement desk. Sin Cara didn't come back from that spot, but Sheamus looked like the most likely winner.

After Bryan, Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes disposed of Kane, all three men would battle at the top of the ladder, but Bryan's submission moves and unique offense lead to him becoming the SmackDown Mr. Money in the Bank.

#2 WrestleMania 21 - (Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho vs. Christian vs. Edge vs. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin)

The debut of Money in the Bank

The inaugural Money in the Bank ladder match was an undisputed success and set the tone for the Money in the Bank matches that followed.

Every jaw-dropping spot and interesting encounter seen in Money in the Bank matches through the years can be traced to this first match which featured three former world champions, the incredible athlete Shelton Benjamin, and the former teammates who redefined ladder matches alongside The Hardys and The Dudley Boyz, Edge and Christian.

There was never a dull moment in the match and every wrestler got a chance to showcase their abilities, but the two biggest stars throughout the match were Benjamin and Chris Benoit.

After landing a devastating diving headbutt, Benoit looked like he was ready to win the match. However, the Rated-R Superstar would throw him off the ladder and become the first-ever Mr. Money in the Bank.

Edge would go on to defeat John Cena to win his first WWE Championship, and would remain a main event Superstar for the rest of his career.

With no prior Money in the Bank matches to serve as a guide, WWE relied on the ability of their Superstars to make this match memorable. And considering that this year will mark the 25th Money in the Bank match, it goes without saying that the wrestlers made this match a must-see attraction.

#1 Money in the Bank match 2014 - (Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Jack Swagger vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Seth Rollins)

The greatest Money in the Bank match of all-time

The 2014 edition of the Money in the Bank pay-per-view was entertaining, but the Money in the Bank ladder match stole the show.

The breakup of The Shield lead WWE to one of their hottest feuds in 2014, Dean Ambrose versus Seth Rollins, and it would be the Money in the Bank match that set their rivalry into motion.

The match was filled with other highly athletic and talented WWE superstars like Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Rob Van Dam and more. Wade Barrett was scheduled to participate, but was pulled from the match following an injury.

Despite one less participant, their Money in the Bank match was incredible display of storytelling, brawling, violence and everything fans have come to associate with ladder matches in WWE.

Ambrose was taken out of the match with an injury, but came back to attack Rollins and received one of the biggest reactions of the year.

The match was eventually won by Rollins after The Authority helped him out, but that fit the story WWE had been building up and was a great way to further the tension between Ambrose and Rollins.

One of WWE's greatest feuds in recent years at the center of an incredible Money in the Bank performance made the 2014 ladder match the best Money in the Bank match in WWE History.