The Winner of the Money in the Bank ladder match is given a title opportunity any time anywhere and anyplace. This uncertain nature and the bizarre stipulation make it more intriguing and fun to watch. There have been some memorable cash-ins in the history of WWE. So Let’s look at the Top 10 Greatest Money in bank Cash Ins of all time.
Money in the Bank has established itself to be the best WWE pay-per-view aside from Wrestlemania and Summerslam. It started in the year 2005 and continues still, changing the careers of everyone winning the Briefcase.
10. CM Punk (Extreme Rules, 2009)
CM Punk is the only WWE superstar to win the Money in the Bank contract twice in a Row. Punk has not only won the contract twice but has also managed to successfully cash in the contract twice in a row. We don’t get to hear about this achievement often because of WWE’s relations with Punk. The first cash-in came during a 2008 episode of RAW.
The then World Heavyweight Champion Edge was attacked by Batista and was ambushed inside the ring. Punk saw the opportunity and cashed in his contract on Edge and in the process becoming the World Heavyweight champion and starting the Best in the World Era.
The Second cash-in was however more memorable than the first one. Edge was defending his title against Jeff Hardy in a ladder match at Extreme Rules. Jeff was a Fan favorite and eventually won the title that night. Punk however cashed in his contract on already worn out Jeff and won the Heavyweight Title. This came as a big shock to Fans who booed Punk, and it led to a heel turn which would be a career-defining moment for Punk. It would be the best-known and loved period of Punk until his departure.
9. Big E (Raw, Sept. 13, 2021)
Big E winning the big gold was a long time coming since he debuted in 2009. He has been constantly proving his worthiness as a wrestler and a big push was imminent. Two years prior to this we got to witness the Kofimania where Kofi won the Big Gold. And now it was the turn of Big E to do the same.
Big E prior to the RAW episode had hinted to cash in the contract via Twitter. So there was a lot of buzz already. As mentioned Big E cashed in his money in the bank contract on the then-champion Bobby Lashley who just defeated Randy Orton. Big E struggled at the start of the match as it looked very dicey to speak the least. But in the end, Big E hit Lashley with Big Ending and went on to win the match and create one of if not the greatest Money in the bank cash ins.
8. Daniel Bryan ( TLC, 2011)
Daniel Bryan is one of the most loved wrestlers on the WWE Roster. Fans adore him and his YES Chants. As a result, it is a bit difficult to think of Daniel Bryan before the YES Movement ever begin. Daniel had several achievements in his pockets. Winning the Money in The Bank contract and successfully cashing in is one of them.
Daniel Bryan cashed in his contract on Big Show on a TLC event in 2011. Big Show had just won the championship from Mark Henry in a Chairs match. Following the match Henry gave a post-match beating to the Big Show. Bryan saw his opportunity and cashed in his contract on an already ambushed Big Show.
Bryan got an easy win as he just went on to pin the already laid Big Show on the mat. This title win establish him as a legitimate top star of the WWE. Bryan however lost the title to Sheamus in 18 seconds in Wrestlemania, which is considered to be the biggest upset of the decade. But soon after we got to witness the largest movement of all time i.e. YES Movement.
7. The Miz (RAW, Nov. 23, 2010)
Putting Miz over Bryan and Punk in the list is a controversial decision. I agree. But it was one of the few moments which is unexpected and still fun to watch. Miz in his long illustrious career has successfully cashed in the money in the bank twice. The second one came during Lockdown and was not even perfectly executed as he then went on to lose the title to Lashley within a month.
The First cash-in was however very special as it was a presumed notion among the fans that the Miz would be the first wrestler who would fail to successfully cash in the contract. It added another layer of being the underdog and no one expected him to cash in successfully. The Miz cashed in his MITB contract on Randy Orton on a RAW Episode. Randy Orton had just defended his title against Wade Barret and was a bit exhausted. The Match between Orton and Miz had its ups and downs. But in the end, Miz hit Randy with the Skull Crushing Finale to win the WWE Championship. It was also due to this match that we also got the ‘Angry Miz Girl’ Meme.
6. Rob Van Dam (ECW One Stand, 2006)
Rob Van Dam was the second Money in the Bank winner. He was also the first person to cash in the contract to a match at a pay-per-view. We have seen this recently with Braun Strowman who cashed in his contract and challenged Roman for the title in Hell in the Cell pay-per-view. Rob Van Dam also did the same thing. He challenged the then WWE champion John Cena to a match at ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view. This was the first time anyone has cashed in the contract in this fashion.
There was a lot of hype going on in this Match. Rob had the hometown Support in his corner. The crowd was electric in this match. Chants like ‘If Cena Wins we will Riot’ could also be heard during the match. The match was solid and there was also interference from Edge which made it even more exciting. The match finish came when Rob hit a frog splash with Paul Heyman making the three count. This was a very special moment in the history of WWE.
5. Randy Orton (Summerslam, 2013)
This Cash In changed the landscape of WWE for the foreseeable coming years. Daniel Bryan this time was at his peak. He had all the love from the fans. But the most popular wrestler of the company was not the choice of company. He was never seen as the top star because of his height and his stature. But Fans had other ideas and were full-on interested in whatever act he did. Due to this very reason, Daniel earned the opportunity to face Cena for the WWE Championship at Summerslam.
The fans were behind Bryan really badly and wanted him to win. Triple H was the guest referee of this match. Bryan defeated Cena cleanly and went on to win his first-ever WWE championship. Fans were happy as the leader of the YES Movement finally got what he deserved. But at the same time, Randy Orton who had won money in the bank briefcase last month arrived.
Orton teased to cash in but then started walking back to the backstage area. And then to everyone’s surprise Triple H from behind hit Bryan with a Pedigree. A move that no one saw coming. Soon after Orton cashed in and won the WWE Championship from Bryan. Triple H turned heel and led to the rise of the Authority storyline after several years. This caved in the path for several interlinked storylines and the birth of new WWE Superstars.
4. Dean Ambrose (Money in the Bank, 2016)
This is my personal favorite as we got to see the only time all the members of the Shield held the WWE Championship on the same night. Shield was one of the most dominating factions of this decade. Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns dominated the whole WWE roster for good 2 years.
But Rollins betrayed the two and joined Authority. The disintegration of the shield saw the birth of 3 top stars of WWE. But in the year 2016, we got to see something that has never happened before.
Dean Ambrose fought the other 6 men for the money in the bank contract and on the same night, we also got to see Roman Reigns defending his WWE championship against Seth Rollins. Ambrose went on to win the contract and Seth also won the WWE championship from Roman.
To everyone’s surprise, Ambrose cashed in his money in the bank contract within a few hours on Seth Rollins. Ambrose hit Rollins with a Dirty Deeds and won his first-ever WWE Championship that night. It was WWE’s Storytelling at its best. And one of if not the Greatest Money in the Bank Cash Ins of all time.
3. Dolph Ziggler (Raw, April 8, 2013)
The night after Wrestlemania is the most hottest and vocal crowd. And therefore it’s always a special night for WWE. Many big moments and returns take place during this night. Dolph Ziggler is no doubt one of the most dedicated and Hardworking Professional wrestlers of all time. He has been an underdog throughout his career. Therefore a gold title run was imminent. Dolph at this time had won the MITB Briefcase for over a year.
It came at the RAW after Wrestlemania where Alberto Del Rio the then World Heavyweight Champion was injured by Jack Swagger and was not able to stand up on his feet. Dolph Seized this opportunity and decided to cash in the contract. The crowd went bonkers as they knew it was Dolph’s night. Dolph hit Del Rio with a Zig-Zag to win the World Heavyweight championship.
2. Edge (Elimination Chamber, 2006)
Edge was the inaugural first-ever Money in the Bank winner at the showcase of the immortals i.e. Wrestlemania. According to several sources, WWE at that time didn’t have any plans for the contract and didn’t know what to do with it. Edge went on to hold the contract for over a year till the elimination chamber. Nobody at that time got the potential of the contract and its consequences. Everyone thought it would lead to a conventional one-on-one match.
But this all changed when the Edge decided to Cash in on his Contract with John Cena at Elimination Chamber, in 2006. Cena had just defended his WWE title against 5 other men in a cruel elimination chamber match. Edge cashed in his contract on blood-toiled Cena with his face covered in blood. Edge hit Cena with a Spear twice to become the new WWE champion. This cash-in showed the world the potential of the contract and its Worth. And also become the greatest money in the bank cash-ins of all time. The title win also legitimize Edge as a top star who went on to become a multi-time champion.
1. Seth Rollins (Wrestlemania, 2015)
This is one of the most historic and memorable moments in the WWE’s history. This has never happened before and would possibly never happen in the future too. Seth Rollins had won his MITB briefcase for about a year and had not cashed in till Wrestlemania. He wrestled Randy Orton at the showcase of Immortals i.e Wrestlemania only for him to lose the match.
That Year Wrestlemania also saw Brock Lesnar defending his title against Roman Reigns in the main event of the Wrestlemania. Both of the wrestlers had a long tiring match with ups and downs and in the end, both men were down on the mat. Seth Rollins saw this opportunity.
Seth Rollins not only cashed in his MITB contract at Wrestlemania but Also cashed in at the main event that too for the WWE championship. This was something that had never happened before in the history of WWE.
As a result, The match became a Triple Threat Match and Seth went on to win the match with a Curb Stomp to the Roman Reigns. Seth Rollins created history with commentators stating it ‘The Heist of the Century’. Therefore, this is not only the best moment in the history of WWE but also the greatest money in the bank Cash ins of all time.
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