5 Unexpected Money in the Bank Winners

The Money in the Bank Match is known for producing break-through Superstars, who used the Money in the Bank briefcase's Championship contract to reach greater heights in the company.

While there are some of the wrestlers who were expected to win the briefcase, there are some who no one expected would hold the contract in their hands.

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Winning the contract helped to propel some of these stars' careers setting the foundation for what would be a run marked by success in the company, while some others found themselves unable to take proper use of the opportunity.

In this list, we will talk about those stars, who unexpectedly won the Money in the Bank briefcase, shocking the entire universe.

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#5 The Miz (Raw Money in the Bank 2010)

The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Randy Orton

WWE pushed the Miz at a time and pace that no one thought they would, and according to many, the push came too early. He had a good run as part of a tag team with John Morrison and even held the United States Title.

That was expected to be the highest that he would go at the time. His victory was an actual surprise for fans, as no one had seen it coming. With the likes of Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison and Randy Orton involved, no one had expected the Miz to be the one to reach the briefcase and win the match.

He went on to have one of the most hated moments on WWE television when he cashed in the contract on Randy Orton.

You can watch the moment he cashed in the title here:

#4 Daniel Bryan (SmackDown Money in the Bank 2011):

Daniel Bryan with the Money in the Bank briefcase

Daniel Bryan's initial booking in WWE saw most wrestling fans furious on behalf of their indie darling. Daniel Bryan had made waves in the outside wrestling world before he made the transition to WWE.

After a rough first week on the main roster, due to a mishap with a tie and some accidental choking on live television during the Nexus' invasion of Monday Night Raw, Bryan found himself fired.

He returned to the company soon. Upon his return, Daniel Bryan continued to work as an Underdog, but WWE booking saw him losing most of his matches.

He was not the typical muscled monstrosity WWE liked to push as a top star, and so Bryan found himself stuck in the mid-card.

So when the Money in the Bank Ladder Match rolled around, no one expected anything from Bryan other than a few highlight spots. Fans hoped, but in their heart of hearts, they knew the hope was practically an impossible one.

It was here that Bryan shocked the world. He was able to be the last man standing on top of the ladder after outmanoeuvring Wade Barrett.

You can watch the moment when Daniel Bryan won the Money in the Bank match here:

His win would lead to a cash-in and the beginning of a run which would see the birth of the 'Yes' movement.

#3 Carmella (SmackDown Live)

James Ellsworth handed Carmella the Money in the Bank briefcase

If there was ever an opportunity which WWE messed up, it was the first-ever women's Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

They seemed to be doing everything right, creating another historic occasion for women in the wrestling industry. However, things went quite wrong, thanks to the way they booked the bout.

The match involved the likes of Charlotte Flair, Natalya, and Becky Lynch, and yet it was Carmella who won. That was not the part which was where WWE went wrong. They had James Ellsworth climb the ladder and hand Carmella the briefcase, a move that has since become one of the most criticised over the past decade.

Thankfully, although they could not fix the fact they had ruined the first-ever Money in the Bank Ladder Match, a rematch was scheduled on SmackDown Live.

You can watch the SmackDown Live Money in the Bank match here:

This time, no one expected Carmella to win, due to the events of the previous bout. Everyone was taken by surprise when it was Carmella who emerged holding the briefcase at the end of the bout, defeating the other women for the second time, and this time without Ellsworth. Since Becky had been the favourite heading into the encounter, the result took everyone by surprise.

#2 Kane (SmackDown Money in the Bank 2010)

Kane dominated the Money in the Bank Ladder Match

A ladder match is no place for a 300-pound seven-foot-tall giant. At least that is what common sense tells us. Kane had been involved in many Money in the Bank matches previously and had been unsuccessful in each one. It had almost become like his runs in the Royal Rumble matches. He was able to create an impact in each bout, but when it came to finishing and winning the match, he seemed unable to complete.

Additionally, until then, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match winners had all been stars who were looking to make a mark in the minds of the audience. As a result, heading into the 2010 SmackDown Money in the Bank matchup, which involved stars like Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, Kane was not considered to be a possible candidate to win the match.

However, Kane's victory pushed all of that to one side. The Big Red Machine dominated the bout and took down the briefcase from the ladder.

He would also make history by being the first person to cash in the briefcase the very same night, on an exhausted Rey Mysterio, who had just won the World Heavyweight Championship.

You can watch Kane enter the 2014 Money in the Bank Ladder Match here:

#1 CM Punk (WrestleMania XXIV):

CM Punk won the Money in the Bank Match at WrestleMania XXIV

There is a reason that CM Punk's first Money in the Bank victory came out of nowhere.

His win at WrestleMania XXIV would not be the last time the straight-edge Superstar got his hands on the briefcase. He would win the contract the following year as well, but by that time he was an established favourite.

When the first victory came his way, CM Punk had become a favourite of the ECW fans and was climbing his way up the ladder to an established position on the roster. Despite his apparent rise, WWE did not have any plans which included Punk winning the Money in the Bank briefcase heading into WrestleMania XXIV.

Jeff Hardy had become a main-event player at that point, and WWE had plans for him to win the Money in the Bank briefcase to enable him to win the title at a later date. Unfortunately, a violation of the wellness policy meant Jeff would not be able to implement the well-thought-out plans. The violation saw him suspended, and he had to miss WrestleMania altogether.

Enter CM Punk. Plan B for WWE worked out well for WWE, as he went on to win the match and became the briefcase holder and later the World Heavyweight Champion after cashing in against Edge. As a result, Punk's win was something that no one saw coming, including the company and Punk himself.

You can watch CM Punk leaving the company after winning the Championship against John Cena here:

On a side note, in a cruel irony of fate, Punk's next Money in the Bank briefcase would be used to cash in against Jeff Hardy. Since his first win, the Money in the Bank has become quite the home ground for CM Punk, as he also won the WWE Championship and left the company after one of the best matches of his career against John Cena.

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