10 Greatest Money In The Bank performers of all time

From Shawn Michaels Vs Razor Ramon for the Intercontinental Championship at Wrestlemania X, to the remarkable TLC match between The Hardys, The Dudleys and Edge and Christian at Wrestlemania X7, the Money in the Bank (MITB) ladder match has become the third stage in the evolution of the revolutionary ladder match and has gone on to be one of the most popular matches of the year.

The fact that it has expanded become a Pay-Per-View shows just how much support there is for the multi-man ladder match for a guaranteed title opportunity. After watching every MITB for the purpose of this article and also as a warm-up for this year’s edition, let’s take a look at the 10 greatest competitors to grace the special ladder match.

Kane

Kane became the first MITB winner to cash in on the same night

Once this Sunday’s Pay-Per-View is in the books, Kane will hold the record for most appearances in the Money in the Bank ladder match. While just participating in the match isn’t enough to be considered one of the greatest performers in the match, Kane has proved that he has the ability to adapt well to the MITB environment, despite being one of the bigger men in the company.

While the ladder environment is not one that favours seven feet tall super-heavyweights, Kane has climbed the rungs and won the match once previously and was also responsible for Seth Rollins picking up last year’s title of “Mr. Money in the Bank”.

The Hardys

When it comes to ladder matches, there are two brothers that have a great wealth of experience to bring to the ring and The Hardys did just that at Wrestlemania 23. Bringing their tandem offense and high-risk style to the Money in the Bank ladder match, very few would find this environment quite as comfortable as the North Carolina pair. They teased repeating on Edge the same ladder manoeuvre that destroyed the face of Joey Mercury months before at Armageddon.

The pair then finally squared off atop the ladder, however very little was made of it during the match and it could have led to an intense staredown before the two brothers went to battle for the individual prize. While this was Matt’s second of four MITB ladder matches, Jeff’s first and only match was cut short due to a remarkable dive through a ladder that also ended Edge’s endeavour to take home the briefcase.

Finlay

The Belfast Brawler competed in three MITB matches

Of all the superstars to compete in the Money in the Bank ladder match, Finlay may be one superstar that seems least at home in the air. While this is true, this did not prevent the fighting Irishman from making use of ladders to brawl with his opponents. The physical side of the match did favour his brutal style of wrestling and even then, Finlay did execute some aerial offense which proved his unlikely ability to adapt well to the ladder match environment on multiple occasions.

He may not be the first star to come to mind when recalling great performers in the match but after watchng these matches over again, Finlay had certainly contributed considerably in his three outings as an MITB performer.

John Morrison

Another innovative performer to grace this match is John Morrison. Not even two minutes into the Wrestlemania XXIV edition of the contest and The Prince of Parkour has a ladder in hand and performs a moonsault off the top of the turnbuckle onto a crowd of other superstars.

While excellent at making use of high octane offense in very unique ways, Morrison also makes use of the ladder in such an unorthodox way to climb for the briefcase and certifies that he could be considered one of the more creative competitors to compete for a guaranteed title opportunity.

CM Punk

After winning two back to back MITB contracts, you would believe it is already a guarantee that CM Punk must be considered one of the greatest performers in this type of match, yet if you look at the finer details, you will understand that The Voice of the Voiceless has every right to be considered one of the elite superstars to compete for the golden opportunity.

Not afraid to take a bump in his two winning efforts, it is the sight of a battered and bloodied Punk that is truly awesome as he has his third attempt to capture the briefcase stolen away from him by Paul Heyman, in a shocking moment in the history of Money in the Bank.

Daniel Bryan

Never one to shy away from an epic performance in the ring, Daniel Bryan has an argument for being considered one of the greatest performers of all time, regardless of match type. A winner of the briefcase in 2011, Bryan’s extraordinary fast pace makes for an excellent viewing when the momentum of the match begins to shift in the bearded warrior’s favour.

As his popularity began to skyrocket in 2013, Daniel Bryan turned in one of the most exciting performances in the history of the Money in the Bank ladder match, as his flurry of kicks and dives whipped up a storm in Philadelphia.

Christian

Tied for the most appearances in battles for the Money in the Bank briefcase with 6 entries, Christian was often introduced to the match as the most experienced of all the competing superstars in terms of wrestling in ladder matches, despite failing to ever capture a briefcase.

His experience certainly paid off throughout his participation in each of the matches, as Captain Charisma made sure to showcase the quality he brings to the MITB match, whether it involves dishing out punishments using the ladders or being on the receiving end of one of the steel battering rams.

Edge

The winner of the very first Money in the Bank match, Edge wasn’t really a major performer throughout the match at Wrestlemania 21, however The Rated-R Superstar put it all on the line 2 years later and definitely made him a worthy contender in the coveted ladder match. After busting open CM Punk after throwing a step ladder at his skull, Edge went on to deliver a spear to every moving body in sight as The Ultimate Opportunist built up an extraordinary amount of momentum and managed to take out Finlay, Orton and CM Punk with one spear and a ladder.

The peak of Edge’s performance at Wrestlemania 23 was the incredible moment when Jeff Hardy dived from a great height off a ladder, landing on Edge and crashing through another ladder and the subsequent image of Edge being carted back to the backstage area, having broken his body to mark his contributions to one of the most extreme Money in the Bank displays we have seen.

Kofi Kingston

Kofi is known for memorable moments in ladder matches and battle royals

The unique offense known as “controlled frenzy” made its debut in the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania 25, as Kofi Kingston instantly proved himself as one of the most emphatic and versatile stars to embrace the ladder as a weapon.

Making huge leaps over ladders, connecting with dropkicks through ladders and climbing ladders held up by other superstars, Kingston certainly breathed life into the ladder match and would be a very close second in terms of greatest MITB performers.

So, while Kofi Kingston gets the silver, there is only one man who could appropriately take home the gold.

Shelton Benjamin

Having participated in five MITB matches, Shelton Benjamin definitely proved why he should be one of the first names that come to mind when you hear the words “Money in the Bank”. You could argue that he had already guaranteed himself to be considered a legendary superstar for his involvement in the inaugural MITB contest.

Whether it was the sight of him leaping over the top rope in a mesmerising fashion, the truly magical sight of seeing him perform a sunset flip and connect a powerbomb off a ladder or making an incredible leap from the ropes onto a ladder, there is a strong case to be made for Shelton Benjamin to go down as the greatest MITB performer of all time.

Edited by Staff Editor