wrestling / Columns
The Contentious Ten 7.09.12: Top 10 Money in the Bank Winners
Welcome back to the Contentious Ten. I missed last week’s countdown because I had no power. I live in the Ohio/West Virginia/Kentucky tri state area that was the victim of the violent windstorms two Fridays ago. Being without power for five days in the middle of summer is my own personal version of hell on earth. Thanks to David McGregor for the fill in last week, it’s much appreciated. In the words of Professor Farnsworth, though, good news everyone! I’m back! I’m fully prepared to make a list of things in reverse numerical order for you to debate and then yell at me on the internet for. The week’s delay has changed my plans for the lists a little, but that just means I have a backup column ready to go should another disaster occur. Also, per feedback in the comment section, I’ll try to use as many videos from DailyMotion and other video websites as possible to allow a greater number of people to see the videos that I include. I also work for a company that blocks YouTube and understand what a pain it is. Here is my criteria for The Top 10 Money In The Bank Winners so that we’re all on the same page:
-First and foremost, they had to win a Money In The Bank Match.
-Winners were then judged on the level of excitement that their “cash in” created
– Winners were also judged on their success after cashing in. I’ll go ahead and throw a spoiler in here – Mr. Kennedy didn’t fare so well on this list..
Well, the first criteria there is pretty important. It eliminates such luminaries as “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Barry Windham, Koko B. Ware, General George Patton, and Attilla the Hun from the equation. If any of those people won a Money In The Bank match that I’m not aware of, I sincerely apologize and will correct my mistake next week after everybody gripes about it in the comment section below. The others are somewhat subjective and open for debate, which is what makes this column so much fun.
This is a timely list, with the Money In The Bank pay per view coming up soon (not a coincidence). It also doesn’t hurt that there have been exactly 10 winners of Money In The Bank matches (also not a coincidence). With no “honorable mentions” to speak of, here’s some trivia before we get to the countdown:
-Shelton Benjamin and Kane have been in the most Money In The Bank matches, with 5. After Money in the Bank 2012, Kane will hold the record with 6.
-8 of the 10 Money In The Bank winners have gone on to win their first WWE or World Heavyweight Championships. CM Punk was a repeat winner, and Kane had previously been a WWE Champion.
-Ric Flair was the oldest Money In The Bank competitor ever, at age 57 in 2006.
-Drew McIntyre was the youngest Money In The Bank competitor ever, at 24 years, 271 days.
-At a billed 165 lbs., Evan Bourne was the lightest Money In The Bank competitor ever. Big Show was obviously the largest.
-Winners of Money In The Bank have won a total of 24 WWE and World Heavyweight Championships. Edge accounts for 11 of those. Mr. Kennedy accounts for none.
-Both Edge and CM Punk have been involved in 3 cash ins, both winning twice and losing once.
-John Cena is the only person to have had multiple briefcases cashed in against him.
Now, the countdown.
Mr. Kennedysize=6>
WM23 money in the bank ladder match by jeffcage
Mr. Kennedy remains the only winner to not claim a WWE or World Heavyweight Championship.
-3rd winner of the Money In The Bank Match
-Took place at Wrestlemania 23
-Defeated Edge, Randy Orton, Booker T, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, CM Punk, and Finlay
-Lost briefcase to Edge, who cashed in against The Undertaker
In 2007, Mr. Kennedy looked like he was going to be a sure thing for the future of WWE. He was a can’t miss prospect. The fans were getting behind his ring entrances, which made him stand out in a crowd of new faces in WWE. His style in the ring was just different enough that he wasn’t a typical WWE worker. He was given an opportunity to shine by winning a trademark gimmick match at Wrestlemania 23. Five years later, Mr. Kennedy remains the only winner to not claim a WWE or World Heavyweight Championship. What happened? Well, shortly after winning the title, it was thought that Mr. Kennedy had a severe injury to his arm. Given that they thought his tricep had torn completely off the bone and would be out for a year, WWE made the decision to take the Money in the Bank case away from him and it went to Edge in a very short match on Smackdown. Afterwards, Kennedy was revealed not to have a tricep tear at all, but instead just a massive hematoma which required virtually no recovery time. Oops. This would be a snapshot of Kennedy’s snakebitten time in WWE. His career was a series of starts and stops that prevented him from building any momentum, and now we’re seeing the same thing from him in TNA. Some things just aren’t meant to be.
Jack Swaggersize=6>
Wrestlemania 26 Money in the Bank Ladder Match by HCW85
Jack Swagger simply wasn’t ready for the main event at this point in his career.
-6th winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Wrestlemania XXVI
-Defeated Shelton Benjamin, Evan Bourne, Christian, Matt Hardy, Kane, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre, MVP, and Dolph Ziggler
-Cashed in vs. Chris Jericho
Some decisions are puzzling when you see them executed, but become a little more clear as time passes. This isn’t one of them. Looking back a couple of years, Jack Swagger simply wasn’t ready for the main event at this point in his career. He still isn’t. As of yet, he just doesn’t have that total package of abilities and talents that compliment themselves as a main event player. That’s not to say he’ll never get there. He’s young, has an amateur background, and can certainly improve every aspect of his game. I certainly understand why the attempt was made, though. The guy has a great look, has the amateur background (like Kurt Angle), wears the red, white, and blue singlet (like Kurt Angle), and has time to grow into his role (like Kurt Angle did). I think WWE will find more success letting Jack Swagger be himself instead of trying to clone Kurt Angle.
Kanesize=6>
MITB 2010 – Smackdown Ladder Match by Eqla3-TV
Kane is the most unexpected winner in Money In The Bank history.
-7th winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Money In The Bank 2010
-Defeated Big Show, Matt Hardy, Christian, Kofi Kingston, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, and Dolph Ziggler
-Cashed in vs. Rey Mysterio
Kane’s win at Money In The Bank in 2010 set a lot of records. At age 43, he was the oldest competitor to win the match. At a billed 7’0″ and 323 lbs., he’s by far the largest competitor to win the match. He also cashed in his briefcase much faster than anyone else, winning the World Heavyweight Championship later that night against Rey Mysterio. For all of these reasons and more, Kane is the most unexpected winner in Money In The Bank history. Kane would parlay this win into what many felt was a long overdue run with the World Heavyweight Championship, reigning for 5 months until losing the title to Edge in a ladder match. The only thing that’s keeping this from being higher on the list is that it all felt a little underwhelming. There was no sense of urgency with the cash in. It felt anticlimactic. Kane is a solid hand that deserved his reign, and this sent Kane into a feud where he actually got the better of the Undertaker. It just didn’t have the same “oomph” that other wins and subsequent cash ins did.
Alberto Del Riosize=6>
Alberto Del Rio’s main event run just never really clicked with me.
-10th winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Money In The Bank 2011
-Defeated Rey Misterio, Kofi Kingston, Alex Riley, R-Truth,The Miz, Evan Bourne, and Jack Swagger
-Cashed in vs. CM Punk
The Money In The Bank cash ins are usually meant to be a launching pad. In theory, they are what the King of the Ring once was. In theory. Much like King of the Ring winners, though, Money In The Bank winners have been a mixed bag. Some guys win the match, cash in, and then run with it, elevating them to a new level of superstardom. Others, like some we’ve already looked at, either fizzled or just didn’t create much excitement. For me, ADR’s win is somewhere in the middle of those. See, for whatever reason, Alberto Del Rio’s main event run just never really clicked with me. He feels like a great Intercontinental Champion. He feels like an annoying heel that could be used to establish a babyface’s title reign early on. He doesn’t feel like a true main event, world champion talent to me. I’m just one guy, though, and I happen to be a guy that doesn’t have any say in how things are booked in WWE or anywhere else. Del Rio’s win, cash in, and reign fell a little flat for me, but he’s certainly not the worst of the bunch.
CM Punk IIsize=6>
Punk repeated at Wrestlemania, but couldn’t duplicate the excitement.
-5th winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Wrestlemania XXV
-Defeated Shelton Benjamin, Christian, Finlay, Mark Henry, Kane, Montel Vontavious Porter, and Kofi Kingston
-Cashed in vs. Jeff Hardy
We’ve come a long way from this version of CM Punk. This was pre “pipe bomb”, pre “Cult of Personality”, pre “trying to capture the super cool tweener vibe like Stone Cold”. CM Punk was still very much finding his way in WWE at this point, even as a former champion. The first reign didn’t really click, and this was their attempt at Punk as a true heel. He cashed in against the most inexplicable fan favorite ever, Jeff Hardy, and then feuded with Jeff on the basis of Punk being Straight Edge vs. Jeff’s well publicized demons. Only in professional wrestling can someone that abstains from drugs and alcohol be considered the bad guy against somebody that’s been arrested on felony charges of drug possession. I digress. This reign was brief, and the second cash in wasn’t nearly as much fun as the first one. Punk repeated at Wrestlemania, but couldn’t duplicate the excitement. The second cash in fizzled quickly, but as we all know, CM Punk would go on to much bigger and better things.
Rob Van Damsize=6>
Money In The Bank Ladder Match – WWE… by Kingston56
If one wrestler was made for Money In The Bank, it would be Rob Van Dam.
-2nd winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Wrestlemania 22
-Defeated Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair, Finlay, Matt Hardy, and Bobby Lashley
-Cashed in vs. John Cena
This should have been the start of Rob Van Dam’s prolonged run as a player in WWE’s world title scene. If one wrestler was made for Money In The Bank, it would be Rob Van Dam. At Wrestlemania, he bounced around the ring, flew from ladders, and mainstream wrestling’s most durable daredevil grabbed the briefcase. This was the only Money In The Bank cash in that led to a five star match. The atmosphere was perfect. In a perfectly replicated ECW setting, Van Dam defeated Cena to claim the WWE Championship. Fans were rabid, and it was cathartic for seeing a guy that had been on the cusp of breaking through to the big time for a decade finally win the big one. It seemed like genuinely huge things were ahead of Van Dam, as he held the ECW and WWE Championships simultaneously. Unfortunately, less than a month later, Van Dam was pulled over in a speed trap in Ohio, drugs were found, and he was suspended under the Wellness Policy, and that was the end of everything. Momentum would never be regained to that magnitude and Van Dam would find himself in TNA after a lengthy period of inactivity. Had Van Dam been able to enjoy a prolonged reign with one or both of those titles, he’d be much, much higher on the list.
The Mizsize=6>
WWE Money In The Bank 2010 – RAW MITB Match 1/3 by SmackDown54
WWE Money In The Bank 2010 – RAW MITB Match 2/3 by SmackDown54
WWE Money In The Bank 2010 – RAW MITB Match 3/3 by SmackDown54
This only showcases how far the Miz has fallen over the last 18 months.
-8th winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Money In The Bank 2010
-Defeated Randy Orton, Chris Jericho, Ted DiBiase, Jr., Evan Bourne, Edge, Mark Henry, and John Morrison
-Cashed in vs. Randy Orton
I apologize for the quality of the video. I simply couldn’t find a better one to link to. The earlier Money In The Bank matches are much easier to find than the ones that exist on the self titled pay per views. Miz’s title reign has been decried by many as an abject failure. While I don’t think that his reign was among the greatest in history, I will say that I thought it was better than a lot of people give it credit for. He got entertaining matches out of Jerry Lawler, which is more than you could say for Bret Hart 15 years ago. He made rounds on talk shows and parlayed the title into some genuine minor celebrity for himself. He main evented Wrestlemania and came out on the other side still holding the title. This only showcases how far the Miz has fallen over the last 18 months. This win should be forever remembered for two things – the genuine emotion that came out of Miz after pinning Orton, and of course, Miz Girl.
CM Punk Isize=6>
money in the bank Wrestlemania 24 by draizen
Cult of Personality may be the greatest entrance theme upgrade ever.
-4th winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Wrestlemania XXIV
-Defeated Shelton Benjamin, Chris Jericho, Carlito, Mr. Kennedy, Montel Vontavious Porter, and John Morrison
-Cashed in vs. Edge
This match had maybe the most appropriate mix of competitors ever in a Money In The Bank match. There was nobody in there that was “grounded” like Mark Henry, Bobby Lashley, Kane, or Big Show in other matches. I understand that those guys serve a purpose in helping to catch the guys that are flying around, and that Kane was good for a surprise win. Generally speaking, though, fans want to see a spectacle in ladder matches. This match provided a bunch of guys that could all do such a thing. There were also several legitimate candidates for the win. Shelton Benjamin and MVP had both felt like they were on the verge of a breakout win for a while. Jericho was a big time player. Kennedy was a previous winner. John Morrison and Carlito were gaining momentum at the time. Then there was CM Punk. Punk quietly had built a following, stole the win here, and went on to cash in for his first World Heavyweight Championship. Why is this one ranked higher than his second win? Simply put, it was more exciting on the cash in and did more to establish a new main eventer for WWE. As an aside here, Cult of Personality may be the greatest entrance theme upgrade ever.
Daniel Bryansize=6>
Kane vs Sheamus vs Wade Barrett vs Sin Cara vs… by pocomaxa
D-Bry’s win against Big Show set a lot of character development into motion.
-9th winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Money In The Bank 2011
-Defeated Sin Cara, Justin Gabriel, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Kane, and Sheamus
-Cashed in vs. Big Show
With the exception of Kane, we were assured of a breakout winner coming from the athletes involved in this match. To me, that’s why the setup for the coming Money In The Bank pay per view is so smart. We get one match that features established guys like Cena and Jericho, and another that’s going to be absolutely full of guys that can take the next step in their careers. There’s no temptation to put Cena over guys like Tyson Kidd and Damien Sandow, and they don’t have to worry about giving the win to a guy that fans aren’t going to accept as a threat to the title because Tyson Kidd (who hasn’t won a match in forever) just beat Cena, Big Show, and Kane in one match. Daniel Bryan’s win here was another big moment for wrestling “purists” and “s”marks, as a guy that has long been regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the entire world won a huge pay per view match and set himself up for a title run. D-Bry’s win against Big Show also set a lot of character development into motion for himself, AJ, Big Show, and John Lauranitis. It’s hard to ask for more from a Money In The Bank winner than what Daniel Bryan has delivered over the last year.
Edgesize=6>
Wwe wrestlemania 21 money in the bank by Xaristaker
No one benefitted more from this match than Edge.
-1st winner of the Money In The Bank match
-Took place at Wrestlemania 21
-Defeated Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, Shelton Benjamin, and Kane
-Cashed in vs. John Cena
This almost feels too easy, but Edge is the right choice here. No one benefitted more from this match than Edge. This led to his first WWE Championship after holding a plethora of titles throughout WWE up to this point. Edge christened what has become a signature WWE gimmick match by winning the first one, and then struck for the greatest of the ten cash ins nine months later. The concept was still new and fresh, the shock value was still there, and Edge had found his stride as one of the best heels in the business. Everybody expected that the briefcase would be used for an actual match at some point, but when Mr. McMahon announced that there would be another match at New Year’s Revolution, the everything shifted. Edge defeated John Cena and launched his career into the “Hall of Fame” category.
I don’t think I left anyone out here, but the upcoming Money In The Bank pay per view means that if this list gets revisited, two people are going to be bumped down to those that “just missed the cut”. It’s going to take an abject disaster for Kennedy’s win to be better than anybody else’s, but this is wrestling. Stranger things have happened before, and will happen again. Barring another brutal storm that leaves me without power, I’ll be back for another round of the Contentious Ten next week. Leave your thoughts and own lists below, and feel free to contact me directly on Twitter @GavinNapier411.
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