It’s that time of the year again folks when every WWE superstar man or woman puts their bodies on the line to grab the brass ring. Only two will survive the pay-per-view dubbed the 2020 Money in the Bank winner while holding the illustrious briefcase.
There have been so many memorable moments in the history of the event such as Seth Rollins winning the money in the bank briefcase, Dolph Ziggler finally claiming his rightful spot at the top of the mountain, Dean Ambrose winning the briefcase and cashing in on the same night to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and last but certainly not least CM Punk defeating John Cena and leaving his hometown and the company with the WWE Championship. Here are my top five Money in the Bank moments.
5. Kane Successfully Cashes-In Money in the Bank and becomes the new World Heavyweight Champion.
In 2010, one of the most engaging storylines on SmackDown was “The Big Red Monster” Kane on a wild hunt for the man responsible for placing his brother The Undertaker in a vegetative state. Kane was searching for the anonymous attacker and was fully convinced that it was then-WWE World Heavyweight Champion Rey Mysterio.
So after winning the briefcase, he decided to cash-in on a defenseless Mysterio to win the title. It was revealed a few weeks later, that it was all a well-orchestrated plan by Kane himself to take out his own brother. Their feud culminated inside hell in a cell at the 2010 SummerSlam pay-per-view.
4. Dolph Ziggler Grabs The Brass Ring
If WWE had a definition for workhorse it’s “The Show-off” Dolph Ziggler. He’s carried the weight on his shoulder and held this arrogance about himself that’s unmatched by any other superstar. That grit and determination had to be rewarded at some point. This came for Ziggler at the 2012 Money in the bank pay-per-view, where he finally made his way up to the top of the mountain.
Ziggler’s culmination to the World Heavyweight Championship didn’t actually take place until the April 8th, 2013 edition of Raw. Ziggler marched down to the ring where then-WWE World Champion Alberto Del Rio laid injured. “The Show-off” appeared and the roof blew off the arena. Ziggler finally won his first World Title and it truly felt like a special moment.
3. Seth Rollins Escapes With The World Heavyweight Championship
I believe it’s impossible for heel Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose to have a terrible match. Ever since Rollins turned heel in 2014 and was dubbed “The Plan B” for The Authority he destroyed The Shield from within. The future of WWE became the man when he successfully cashed-in his money in the bank briefcase during the main event of WrestleMania 31 to win the WWE Title.
Ambrose was the biggest thorn in The Authority throughout the summer of 2015 and essentially stole the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. So, both former Shield-mates faced each other in an absolutely incredible ladder match. If you have never seen this match, do yourself and watch as these warriors went to war over the richest prize in WWE history.
2. Dean Ambrose Finally Wins The Big One
From the beginning of The Shield the seeds had always been planted for Dean Ambrose to become the biggest star of the group. No matter how many times WWE management tried to keep ‘The Lunatic Fringe’ isolated from the WWE Title it didn’t work, and 2016 was the perfect time to pull the trigger. Ambrose would not only win the money in the bank briefcase but he would do the unthinkable and win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship all in one night.
A few nights ago during The Ambrose Asylum, while then-WWE World Champion Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins were preparing for their match, Ambrose dropped the what-if scenario. What if, after both former Shield-mates beat the hell out of each other Ambrose wins the briefcase and cashes in and has his own Shield moment. On this special night, all three members of The Shield held the WWE Title and Ambrose finally made it to the top of the mountain.
- Punk is Money
Still, today, when you hear someone mention Money in the bank one name, comes to mind: CM Punk. The self-proclaimed “Best in the World” is still adored by much of the WWE Universe for his amazing charisma and anti-authority attitude he was truly one of a kind. Punk was a master of the mic and would excel at pushing anyone’s buttons just for the hell of it. 2011 though, became a huge turning point in his WWE career dubbed “The Summer of Punk!”
Reminiscent to Batman, Punks archenemy and nemesis was then-WWE Champion “Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” John Cena. Punk knew he was better, he was a better pro wrestler compared to Cena but he never felt he got the recognition he deserved. So, “The Voice of the Voiceless” took matters into his own hands and ripped the entire McMahon family a new one on live TV with a live mic.
The infamous Pipebomb promo is still today one of the greatest work/shoot promos this industry has ever heard or seen. Punk decided to throw all his cards on the table and was challenging Cena for the WWE Title in his hometown of Chicago and on his last day under contract. The Chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon hated the idea that Punk could possibly defeat his golden boy Cena and walk out of his company with the WWE Championship.
It did happen though, and it all felt very real. The animosity between both superstars was through the roof and it culminated into a terrific match. McMahon came down to cheat and disqualify Punk ala The Montreal Screwjob but Cena refused to go out like that. One GTS later, and “The Best in the World” was hoisting the title while blowing his former boss a kiss goodbye. Of course, Punk would return and it would begin to kickstart his WWE career.
The greatest money in the bank moments to this day is still Punk’s performance that night! It was amazing storytelling and it blurred the lines between work/shoot given his disdain for the company. So there you have it, folks, I’d love to hear what your top five moments for Money in the Bank are.
