Ranking the 5 best Money in the Bank cash-ins in WWE history

WWE Money In The Bank is in a couple of weeks, and it is time for some new stars to be born. Over the years, many names rose to stardom via the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. So far, there have been 23 Money in the Bank cash-ins.

Most of them have been successful, yielding the world title for the briefcase winner. There has been the odd failed cash-in, but Mr (or Miss) Money in the Bank is seemingly guaranteed to become the top champion of their brand.

The variety of ways in wish competitors can cash in has kept the Money in the Bank concept exciting and fresh; whether it is after the champion has gone through a gruelling match, been attacked, or maybe even in the middle of a title bout.

This list will look at the five most memorable Money in the Bank cash-ins, based on the timing of it, the energy of the fans, the sequence that ensued, the winning moment, and the epicness of the entire situation.

But first, a couple of honorable mentions.

• CM Punk (Extreme Rules 2009)
• Randy Orton (SummerSlam 2013)
• Alexa Bliss (Money In The Bank 2018)

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#5 Dolph Ziggler (RAW April 8th, 2013)

He's here to show the world.

At points during 2012 and 2013, Dolph Ziggler was one of the top rising stars in WWE. He was the sole survivor against Team Foley at Survivor Series, before lasting the longest in the Royal Rumble match. But, most excitingly, Ziggler won the Money in the Bank briefcase.

The Show-Off would eventually cash it in on the RAW after WrestleMania 29. Alberto Del Rio had just fended off Jack Swagger, and his manager Zeb Colter, but the World Heavyweight Champion was vulnerable in the ring. Then out came Ziggler, flanked by AJ Lee and Big E Langston, and the pop was thunderous.

You wouldn't know it by the huge reaction he got from the vocal, post-'Mania crowd, but Ziggler was a heel at the time. What followed was one of the most exciting Money in the Bank cash-in matches of all-time. After a couple of minor scares, Ziggler put Del Rio away with the Zig Zag.

This was one of the greatest moments to ever happen on a post-WrestleMania show. Dolph Ziggler's reign may not have gone so well, but he will always have this magnificent victory to look back on.

#4 Rob Van Dam (One Night Stand 2006)

The only successful announced cash-in.

The second-ever Money in the Bank cash-in remains the only successful one to be announced ahead of time. Rob Van Dam challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship at the second One Night Stand pay-per-view. It takes guts to do something like this, but RVD knew what was to come.

He essentially had the home-field advantage in the Hammerstein Ballroom, with the rowdy ECW faithful giving Cena a very loud and negative reception. There was even a sign which said 'If Cena wins, we riot' hung in the background. What followed was the most memorable ECW-related moment on WWE programming.

With a little help from Edge, Rob Van Dam was able to put John Cena away. After a three-count from de facto referee Paul Heyman, he became the WWE Champion. And it happened in front of his people, in a truly unique match.

This environment would not be replicated for a world title match going forward, with only Cena vs CM Punk at Money in the Bank 2011, in Chicago, coming anywhere close.

#3 Dean Ambrose (Money In The Bank 2016)

The perfect revenge.

This cash-in may not have had the crazy crowd reaction like Rob Van Dam's, nor did it have any nail-biting action like Dolph Ziggler's. But, when Dean Ambrose won the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank 2016, it was like a prophecy fulfilled. The perfect revenge.

The current AEW World Champion had been subject to several grave injustices at the hands of Seth Rollins, ever since The Shield broke up. Rollins was helped to a Money in the Bank victory in 2014 at the expense of Ambrose, while he beat his former partner in a one-on-one ladder match for the WWE Title at the same event a year later.

So, Money in the Bank 2016 was the perfect site for the 'Lunatic Fringe' to exact his revenge. He won the contract that night, before appearing after the main event, in which Rollins won the WWE Championship in a classic contest against Roman Reigns.

Ambrose cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase around an hour after he had won it, burying over two years of hurt in the process.

Seth Rollins finally received his comeuppance at the hands of the man he had kept down all this while, as Dean Ambrose finally won the big one. And just like that, all three members of The Shield held the WWE Championship on the same night. It was a great piece of storytelling.

#2 Edge (New Year's Revolution 2006)

It's always hard to top the original.

Like every other successful concept in WWE history, whether it is WrestleMania, Royal Rumble or Money in the Bank, the first one is always a memorable one. It just so happens that the first-ever Money in the Bank cash-in was one of the greatest. Edge proved to be a pioneer, setting a precedent that still stands strong today.

After a bloody John Cena survived a brutal 30-minute long Elimination Chamber match, Vince McMahon came out and announced that Edge would be cashing in his contract. Two spears later, the Rated-R Superstar became the WWE Champion.

It was the most opportunistic way to win the title, as Edge provided the blueprint for the standard Money in the Bank cash-in these days. It was extraordinarily innovative and dramatic, one that will forever be etched into history.

This booking decision ensured that Money in the Bank would be a success, while furthering Edge's character as the most despicable heel in WWE. He remains the biggest star to be born out of winning the coveted ladder match.

#1 Seth Rollins (WrestleMania 31)

The heist of the century.

How do you top that insane first Money in the Bank cash-in? Simple. You do it during the main event of WrestleMania, shocking the world and changing the game in the process.

Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns were beating the heck out of each other in an insanely physical contest. It was a fitting way to end a classic WrestleMania. With both men down in the centre of the ring after a slew of brutal moves, out ran Seth Rollins.

He had already lost earlier on the show to Randy Orton, but the Architect made up for it big time as the sun had set in Santa Clara. The world title match between Reigns and Lesnar turned into a triple threat. In true 'Ultimate Opportunist' fashion, Rollins got the job done.

There were a couple of twists and turns during the ensuing cash-in match, with the final one being Seth Rollins stomping Roman Reigns and winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. The heist of the century had been committed.

The drama was off the charts, and it was an innovative way to get the title off Lesnar while ensuring Reigns didn't get booed at the end of the show. This cash-in remains one of a kind - interrupting the 'Mania main event and adding to it.

WWE may yet come up with many different ways of cashing in the Money in the Bank contract. However, it will be near impossible for anything to top the timing, the stage and the drama of Seth Rollins' ultimate, crowning moment of glory at WrestleMania 31.