WWE Money in the Bank: Top 8 Matches in the PPV's history

Ever since it became a pay-per-view in 2010, Money in the Bank has become one of the most awaited parts of the WWE calendar. The annual Money in the Bank Ladder Match has been a source of excitement, in the form of crazy bumps and future stars.

But despite its star-making nature, there is much to this pay-per-view than the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Over the past ten years, we have seen a lot of memorable matches and moments at Money in the Bank, both with and without ladders.

Several matches on this list contributed to making Money in the Bank the fifth-biggest WWE pay-per-view of the year, thanks to their quality and magnitude. The legacy of WWE Money in the Bank will forever include classic main event matches, to go with the signature titular contest. Here are the eight best matches in the history of Money in the Bank as a pay-per-view.

But first, here are a couple of honorable mentions.

Randy Orton vs Christian (Money in the Bank 2011)
The Shield vs The Usos (Money in the Bank 2013)
John Cena vs AJ Styles (Money in the Bank 2016)

#8 SmackDown MITB Ladder Match (Money in the Bank 2011)

An incredible Money in the Bank ladder match.

At first glance, the 2011 Money in the Bank opener does not seem like that exciting of a match. But the eight competitors vying for the SmackDown briefcase put on a classic ladder match. It had a mix of former Champions, upper-midcarders, and underdog babyfaces.

Wade Barrett, the hot favorite to win the match, was joined by his former team-mates, Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel. Kane had the Money in the Bank experience, while Sheamus and Cody Rhodes were on their own upward trajectories on the Blue brand.

These Superstars were great, showing off an impressive variety of ladder-based offense. The biggest spot of the match was Sheamus viciously power bombing Sin Cara through a ladder bridged between the ring and the announce table.

However, the night belonged to Daniel Bryan. His victory came as a shock, the very first step in what would eventually be the greatest ascent to main-event glory of the modern era. This moment, coupled with the fine action that preceded it, makes this one of the greatest Money in the Bank ladder matches of all-time.

#7 Seth Rollins vs Dean Ambrose (Money in the Bank 2015)

Probably their best match against each other.

The mid-point of the story arc between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose at Money in the Bank, this was one of their better matches with one another. The previous year, Rollins was gifted the Money in the Bank briefcase at Ambrose's expense, which he cashed in on Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania to become the WWE Champion.

The two did battle in a ladder match for the title, simple in its structure and stimulating in its story. Rollins and Ambrose were great here, putting their bodies on the line for over half an hour.

There were some brutal spots littered throughout the contest, as the two former partners showcased their excellent chemistry. Rollins looked especially great here, coming across as a fighting Champion during a time when he wasn't exactly booked like one.

He won, but it was down to pure luck. The belt was unhooked by both Rollins and Ambrose, before falling into The Architect's grasp. He had escaped this classic encounter at Money in the Bank with the WWE Title, but that wouldn't be the end of their complete story.

#6 Men's MITB Ladder Match (Money in the Bank 2019)

The carnage in this match was off the charts.

Had it not been for the terribly frustrating end, this would have been even higher on this list. Nevertheless, last year's Money in the Bank main event is the best Money in the Bank Ladder Match in the pay-per-view's history.

The cast was solid, featuring big men like Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre, technical masters like Finn Balor and Andrade, high-flyers like Mustafa Ali and Ricochet, as well as Randy Orton, the experienced veteran.

All seven men went all out to put on a masterclass of a stunt-show, selling the importance of the Money in the Bank briefcase. Balor and Andrade stood out, churning out some cringe-inducing ladder-based maneuvers. At the end of a hellacious contest, Mustafa Ali was on top of the ladder and about to win, before disaster struck.

To everyone's shock and dismay, Brock Lesnar's music hit as he sprinted down the ramp and tipped over Ali's ladder. He ended up winning the Money in the Bank briefcase as the mystery eighth participant. It was a crushing ending to a match that crushed. A real shame, considering how brutal this match really was.

#5 Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles (Money in the Bank 2019)

Just edging out the men's Money in the Bank Ladder Match, Seth Rollins vs AJ Styles was the best match at Money in the Bank 2019. It may not have had the strongest story, but the two Superstars more than made up for it in this barnburner of a match.

This was the first encounter between Rollins and Styles in WWE, making it even more special. The former had just won the Universal Championship at WrestleMania 35 and Money in the Bank was arguably the peak of his title reign.

The two in-ring tacticians engaged the fans completely for the duration of this match, with stunning moves and exquisite counters. The highlight might be the Phenomenal One turning a stomp into a Styles Clash.

In the end, however, Seth Rollins got the victory over AJ Styles. The two shared a moment of respect after their hard-fought clash, tying a bow on their feud. With Money in the Bank 2020 approaching, both Superstars arguably haven't had a better match in the past year.

#4 CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan (Money in the Bank 2012)

One year on from career-shifting victories at Money in the Bank 2011, CM Punk and Daniel Bryan took each other on in a spectacular No Disqualification Match. The prior few months had seen Bryan rebuild himself following that humiliating 18-second loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28.

Match of the year contenders against Sheamus himself and CM Punk, on consecutive pay-per-views, helped Bryan become a top star once again. And at Money in the Bank, the culmination of his issue with the 'Second City Saint' only served to make him look even better.

The narrative for this match was a compelling one, with Bryan's kayfabe ex-girlfriend and Punk's real-life future wife, AJ Lee taking center stage. She was the guest referee and had been playing mind games with both Superstars. There was intrigue, and the possibility of her costing either of them loomed over their match at Money in the Bank.

In the end, that did not happen. Instead, Punk and Bryan went to war in a match that was as brutal as dramatic, with or without weapons. Slaps, kicks, holds, and counters took over, as two of the best in the world showed just how good pro wrestling can get.

CM Punk won the match after slamming Daniel Bryan and himself through a table but at the end of the match, both men were absolutely spent. This is an often-overlooked gem from the careers of both Punk and Bryan.

#3 John Cena vs Kevin Owens (Money in the Bank 2015)

Another match from Money in the Bank 2015, another mid-point in a well-delivered feud.

After Kevin Owens' earth-shattering victory over John Cena at Elimination Chamber, the two engaged in a similarly brilliant contest just two weeks later. It was built on innovation, just as Cena's run as United States Champion was.

We saw moves and counters never seen before in WWE, as the 16-time WWE World Champion changed up his style. Cena, as well as Owens, busted out some incredible moves at Money in the Bank, taking the quality of his US Title run to the next level.

The delivery and selling were both on point throughout, making this a classic no matter who won. KO had taken Cena to his absolute limit, forcing him to dig deep and eventually use a Springboard Stunner to assist him towards the eventual victory.

Kevin Owens looked like an absolute star in this match, and the series as a whole, even being subject to John Cena's respect post-match. This was just another Money in the Bank classic for Cena but for the then-NXT Champion, this was everything.

#2 Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins (Money in the Bank 2016)

This is a match which had so much story and history behind it. Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins previously had two separate pay-per-view matches canceled due to injury, making Money in the Bank the stage for their first and only pay-per-view bout.

Rollins and Reigns were set to clash at Survivor Series 2015 for the WWE Championship before The Architect went down with a knee injury. The Big Dog won the vacant title that night, before doing so again at WrestleMania 32. Once Rollins returned, there was a score to settle.

Even though he remained a heel, Rollins felt very much like a babyface throughout this match. It was perfectly booked. The two of them had such tremendous chemistry and under different circumstances, a true double turn could have taken place.

Reigns got to display his power, while Rollins was gutsy as ever. The contest gradually improved and reached a compelling climax when Rollins countered a Spear with a Pedigree, eventually pinning his rival and winning the WWE Championship.

The catharsis from Seth Rollins winning the title he never lost would transition beautifully into Dean Ambrose cashing in his Money in the Bank contract. And thus completed the three-year story arc between Rollins and Ambrose at Money in the Bank.

While it happened after the Reigns-Rollins match, history was made when all three members of The Shield were WWE Champion within five minutes of each other. A true "lightning in a bottle" moment.

#1 John Cena vs CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2011)

When talking about Money in the Bank as a pay-per-view, the very first thing that comes to mind is that night in Chicago. While the undercard was great, with the aforementioned Money in the Bank Ladder Match and another gem between Randy Orton and Christian, Money in the Bank 2011 was all about John Cena and CM Punk.

The build to this match was fantastic, blurring the lines between fiction and reality like nothing else. You most likely know about Punk's infamous Pipebomb promo and how that shook the industry, even if only for a little while.

The rapturous Chicago faithful provided an atmosphere like no other at Money in the Bank. One that has not been matched since. The support that CM Punk received on this night made him feel immortal. And that night, in the ring, it felt like he truly was.

John Cena was very much the villain, not by his actions but by his opponent. He played his part superbly, forming an important part of the last WWE main roster match to receive 5 stars from Dave Meltzer.

Even though there was a semi-distraction, Punk's victory was pretty clean. And once that GTS connected and the referee counted to three, the pop was bone-chilling. A truly special moment, only made better when the Chicago-native Punk blew Vince McMahon a kiss and left the arena with the WWE Championship.

While WWE can be frustrating at times, nights like Money in the Bank 2011 show just how magical they can make us feel. CM Punk vs John Cena, on that night, was absolutely perfect.