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The Money in the Bank Ladder match is a downright venerable tradition for WWE. First conceived by Chris Jericho and later modified by a backstage writer and Vince McMahon, the Money in the Bank match was originally intended to be a Wrestlemania tradition.
However, the MITB match soon grew wildly popular and became a major component of WWE's storylines regarding the title picture. Money in the bank was eventually removed from Wrestlemania and made into its own unique Pay Per View.
Over the years, there have been many memorable moments and cash-ins stemming from the Money in the Bank Match. So many, it's hard to narrow them down to a select few -- but that's just what we did.
Here are ten of the most memorable, outrageous, satisfying, and mystifying Money in the Bank moments from the history of the event. Enjoy!
#1 James Ellsworth climbs into infamy
We begin our list with one of the most controversial moments in the Money in the Bank Ladder match history. Ironically, it involves the first-ever women's MITB match that the WWE sanctioned.
In 2017, WWE finally capitulated in the wake of tremendous momentum from the Women's Evolution and added the ladies to the Money in the Bank ladder match mix. The match was well received on every note except for the finish.
Just as Becky Lynch seemed on the verge of reaching the contract, Carmella's manager James Ellsworth knocked the ladder over and then climbed up to retrieve the briefcase himself. While the finish upset a great many people and perhaps tarnished the Women's Evolution a bit, there's no denying it was memorable.
Apparently, even Ellsworth himself wasn't too sure about the booking, as you can see from this shoot video.
Ellsworth was supposed to be a one-time jobber in the WWE, who quickly gained a cult status owing to his meek appearance and enthusiastic pre-match promos.
#2 Dean Ambrose Cashes In his contract on the same night he won it
Back in 2014, the biggest storyline in professional wrestling dealt with the dissolution of the Shield after Seth Rollins betrayed the group.
Literally, everyone had expected the unstable Dean Ambrose to be the one to turn traitor, but then WWE swerved the masses by having the Benedict Arnold be none other than Seth Rollins. This led to a storyline where Dean Ambrose was constantly attacking, harassing, and generally making life difficult for Seth Rollins. However, despite his best efforts, Rollins would wind up winning the MITB match in 2014.
Two years later, Dean Ambrose would finally get his receipt. After Seth managed to regain his title from Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose cashed in and quickly defeated his hated nemesis, becoming the big belt champion for the first time in his WWE career.
Amrose was called 'The Lunatic Fringe' for his ability to be absolutely unpredictable and this was just a prime example of that.
#3 Kofi's massive backdrop to Seth Rollins
We almost experienced Kofi Mania back in 2014!
During the fiercely competitive Money in the Bank Ladder match that same year, most of the attention was focused on the former Shield Brothers Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose as they continued their storied rivalry.
However, Kofi Kingston would prove to be a hungry contender, eager to do whatever it took to get the coveted Money in the Bank Briefcase and the contract contained therein.
Seth Rollins and Rob Van Dam fought for supremacy at the top of the ladder, and neither man could gain an advantage. Kofi would insert himself into the mix and take the Whole F'n Show out of the fight. He managed to reverse a powerbomb attempt by Seth into a vicious back body drop right onto the unforgiving steel of a ladder.
You can see just how dangerous and brutal the move was in the video below.
Kofi is known for his innovative moves and this is just another example of how good he is at executing them.
#4 The Tower of Doom Powerbomb
Our next most memorable Money in the Bank match moment comes from an era when the event was still contested as part of WrestleMania, rather than its own pay-per-view.
This contest saw some of the most athletic men ever to grace a WWE ring with their presence all fighting at once. CM Punk, Chris Jericho, Carlito, Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison and Mr. Kennedy all fought in a brutal match with so many highlights it could make up a top ten list all on its own.
However, the standout moment of the match came courtesy of Benjamin, Morrison, and Kennedy. Shelton Benjamin would interfere in a suplex spot between Morrison and Kennedy, powerbombing his foe and forcing them to suplex each other.
The resulting crash landing was spectacular and brutal, and a piece of MITB history. You can see the spot along with other highlights in the video below.
Unreal is a term that can ideally be used to describe this.
#5 Alexa Bliss beats down a Samoan amazon and an MMA champion
In the extensive lore surrounding Money in the Bank, same-night cash-ins are rare. Only three WWE superstars have chosen to cash in their briefcase on the same night they won it; Kane, the aforementioned Dean Ambrose, and Alexa Bliss.
The former fitness model won the grueling women's Money in the Bank ladder match at the MITB Pay Per View in 2018. Later that night, former UFC champion Rowdy Ronda Rousey challenged Nia Jax for the WWE Raw Women's Championship.
Alexa interjected herself into the match, beating down both women with her MITB briefcase. This resulted in a no contest, but then Bliss cashed in her contract and defeated a dazed Nia Jax to win the title. The unexpected nature of Bliss's attack, as well as how vicious it seemed, helped to make this one of the most memorable MITB moments in history.
Bliss may not be the most dominating Diva in the locker room, but she certainly packs a punch.
#6 Kevin Owens is thrown off a gigantic ladder by a monster among men
Many WWE fans were familiar with Kevin Owens' work before he joined the company. As Kevin Steen, he would go on a tear through the independent promotions and Ring of Honor, leaving destruction in his wake.
Owens never backs down from a fight, and his propensity for a high-flying offense means he's not squeamish about heights. Unfortunately, these two character traits may have led to him having a very hard time during his Money in the Bank memorable moment.
As Kevin Owens and Bruan Strowman battled atop a skyscraping ladder, the fans collectively held their breath. Which man would rise, and which would fall?
The answer wound up being Kevin Owens taking a big fall, and it's still a bit stunning to see it even years after the fact.
One does not simply try to mess with Strowman atop a ladder without expecting a negative consequence.
#7 John Morrison moonsaults ... with a ladder
John Morrison is one of the most gifted natural athletes the world of professional wrestling has ever seen. The former Impact world champion, multi-time tag team and Intercontinental champion has dazzled fans in matches ranging from the elimination chamber to falls count anywhere bouts.
But it was during the Money in the Bank Ladder match of Wrestlemania 24 that he showed us all something we'd never seen before. Astonishingly, John Morrison scaled the turnbuckle while carrying one of the heavy ladders with him. Fans waited with bated breath to see what he had in store for his opponents.
The result was a breathtaking moonsault that has to be seen to be believed. Fortunately, you can check it out in the video below.
This could aptly be described as poetry in motion, as Morrison gracefully moonsaulted, making the devastating move look like a child's play. A tremendous feat indeed.
#8 Randy Orton RKO's the living heck out of Neville off of a ladder
The Viper Randy Orton has been a fixture of WWE television for nearly twenty years. First lacing up the boots at the tender age of nineteen, he quickly joined the Evolution faction and rubbed shoulders with legends like Ric Flair and Triple H, as well as the future WWE world champion and movie star Batista.
Randy Orton would go on to become the youngest WWE world champion in history, breaking Brock Lesnar's record. For you trivia buffs, he also beat Wildfire Tommy Rich's record for the youngest champion as well.
One hallmark of Randy Orton is that you can never count him out just because he's down. Daredevil air wizard Neville found that out the hard way at Money in the Bank.
Orton slithered around the ring like he always does and struck Neville at the right time with a RKO out of nowhere.
Watch it here:
#9 Rob Van Dam's Five Star Frog Splash from heaven
Rob Van Dam has many nicknames. Mr Monday Night. Mr Pay Per View. The Whole F'n Show.
But the nickname he most lives up to is the Human Highlight Reel. If you take a gander at Rob Van Dam's extensive match history online, you'll find so many breathtaking, unbelievable moments that it would take a dozen top ten lists to document a fraction of them. Just his ECW history alone could fill up hours of television time.
Always striving for a little bit more excitement, Rob Van Dam would scale the Money in the Bank ladder and deliver his trademark Five Star Frog Splash onto a hapless Christian.
You can see the carnage from the move reflected in the video below.
When RVD returned to the WWE to compete in the ladder match, fans around the world were excited because they knew he always brought the goods with him and this was just another example of that.
#10 Sheamus powerbombs Sin Cara through a ladder
When you mix up fragile human bodies and sturdy steel ladders, there are bound to be some massively brutal moments. Indeed, the Money in the Bank Ladder match has provided the WWE Universe with many incidents of the most brutal carnage imaginable.
However, for the most part, the superstars involved in Money in the Bank tend to finish the match even if they are hurting. That, sadly, was not the case for Sin Cara.
During his foray into the Money in the Bank ladder match, the masked man of mystery devastated every superstar in the ring with his lucha libre skills. It seemed as if Sin Cara had been made for the MITB match.
Alas, that all came to a screeching halt when Sheamus powerbombed the masked man through a ladder. Sin Cara was carted off to the back on a stretcher, his MITB dreams dashed, and fans were treated to another memorable moment.
There you have it; Ten of the most memorable Money in the Bank moments. Questions or comments? Please leave them after the article, and as always thanks for reading!
