Ranking the Top 5 Money in the Bank Matches

It all began with a quest for immortality via a WrestleMania moment.

Way back in 2005, Chris Jericho lamented the fact that he had no WrestleMania opponent heading into the twenty-first annual mega event. He pitched the idea of a multi-man ladder match where the prize would be a guaranteed contract for a WWE championship match.

Then Raw general manager Eric Bischoff loved the idea and booked the match. Edge would wind up the winner of the very first Money in the Bank Ladder match, holding the contract for over nine months before finally cashing in on a weary and beaten John Cena, who had just defended his strap in an Elimination Chamber match.

For the next several years, the MITB match was a WrestleMania mainstay, until it became its own branded pay per view in 2010. The Money in the Bank ladder match has quickly established a reputation as a stepping stone to the main event and the world title.

Since the MITB match has become a tradition, it's possible to look back on the past matches and determine which of them was the best of the best. Here are the top five Money in the Bank Ladder matches in ascending order.

Greatest MITB match #5: 2014

Seth Rollins ascended the heights of WWE, figuratively and literally, in 2014's Smackdown MITB match.

In 2014, the biggest wrestling story was the destruction of the Shield faction at the hands of Mr. Crossfit Jesus himself, Seth Rollins.

Part of what makes the 2014 SmackDown MITB match so memorable is that it was an important chapter in the Shield saga. Seth Rollins had sold his soul to the Authority in exchange for being the top guy in the company. In order to fulfill his destiny, he was placed in the MITB match.

However, Dean Ambrose wouldn't leave Rollins alone and promised he would disrupt the match in any way possible to prevent Rollins from winning. Seth demanded that Dean be made part of the match since he was going to interfere anyway.

What followed was one of the better contests in MITB history. From the compelling storyline, to Dean Ambrose coming just that close to getting the briefcase, to the final screw job by Kane make this a can't miss edition of the series, and our number five top choice.

Greatest Money in the Bank Match #4: SmackDown 2011

Sheamus devastates Sin Cara with a powerbomb through a ladder.

For the second ever Money in the Bank branded pay per view, the SmackDown brand put on a real barn burner of a slobber knocker.

While Kane, Daniel Bryan, and Sheamus were all favorites to win, a surprisingly adept performance by Sin Cara stole the show. The masked man of mystery devastated nearly everyone in the match with his insane lucha libre skills, making the crowd pop hard and making many believe he would be the eventual winner.

Alas, a wicked powerbomb through a ladder administered by the Celtic Warrior would see Sin Cara carted off on a stretcher. Daniel Bryan was able to battle back against the odds and captured the briefcase, which would end up providing him with his first WWE championship reign. This match is one for the highlight reel as it features many lighter, more acrobatic wrestlers plying their trade.

Greatest Money in the Bank Match #3: 2010 RAW brand

Mark Henry battles the Miz at MITB 2010.

The Raw brand takes center stage for our number three pick of greatest MITB matches of all time.

What makes this match stand out is the sheer brutality, and the intense psychology involved. Mark Henry, who had been a replacement for an 'injured' R Truth, proved to be a formidable presence. At one point, the World's Strongest Man lived up to his name and shoved over two ladders laden with superstars at once.

However, Henry would suffer not one, not two, but three finishers, taking him out of the fight. The match also saw a brief reunion of the tag team Miz and Morrison, which ended when John Morrison clobbered his former partner with a ladder to the noggin.

The Miz would eventually triumph, and cash in the MITB briefcase for his first ever WWE Championship reign.

Greatest Money in the Bank Match #2: 2016

The 2016 MITB featured a brutal contest with a feel-good ending.

The 2016 Money in the Bank Ladder match occurred during a period when WWE had ended its brand split, meaning there was only one of the MITB matches contested.

Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Chris Jericho, Alberto Del Rio, and Dean Ambrose were the entrants in this match which featured no super heavyweights, a rare feat for the Money in the Bank franchise. Cesaro looked impressive as he unleashed one brutal European uppercut after another, while Chris Jericho used his newly minted Code Breaker finisher to great effect.

But the MVP of the match was without a doubt Dean Ambrose. Now fully evolved into his own character after the fall of the Shield, Ambrose had proven to be so popular that WWE had no choice but to make him the victor.

As if fans weren't treated enough by the spectacular match and feel good ending, the fact that Ambrose would cash in on Seth Rollins that same night and win just seals the deal for this being in the top five MITB matches of all time.

Greatest Money in the Bank Match #1: Women's 2018

Are you surprised that the WWE Women claimed the top spot on our list? If you've seen the 2018 MITB, you wouldn't be.

The WWE Women's Evolution has come full circle, with Becky Lynch winning both the SmackDown and Raw women's championships at the main event of WrestleMania 35.

But back in early 2018, Lynch was mired in the mid-card and was not present for this match. The women's MITB managed to be thoroughly entertaining nonetheless, pitting some of the most athletic women wrestlers ever to lace up a pair of boots.

Perhaps because the previous year's MITB had ended with the James Ellsworth debacle, this match was booked to be off the charts. None of the other MITB matches have ever seen so much use of ladders as weapons, and many fans were left with jaws wide open at the spectacle of seven women taking more punishment and more risks than had ever been seen before.

Even the rookie Lana got into the heavy bump act, and when Alexa Bliss at last scaled the ladder, fans were not only jubilant over her victory, they were relieved that the violent ladder war was finally over.

There you have it: The top five Money in the Bank matches ranked in order of quality. Did your favorite MITB match make the list? Please comment and let us know and as always thanks for reading!