WWE WrestleMania 28: Ranking the WrestleMania Money in the Bank Ladder Matches

Now that the Royal Rumble has come and gone, WWE fans are looking forward to April 1, 2012: WrestleMania 28. With The Rock vs. John Cena already booked, in addition to all the other rumors permeating the dirt sheets, there's a lot to be excited about.

One rumor particularly piqued my interest: The return of the Money in the Bank ladder match to it's home one the Grandest Stage of Them All.

With all this excitement about the possibility of one of the most exciting matches in the WWE returning to WrestleMania, I decided to reflect upon past WrestleMania Money in the Bank matches and rank them based on how good I thought they were.

#6. WrestleMania 26

Jack Swagger def. Christian, Kane, Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Drew McIntyre.

For the first, and thankfully, only time, the WWE decided to have 10 people compete in the Money in the Bank match. A lot of people could tell from the beginning that that was a recipe for disaster.

Did it make the match more unpredictable? Yes. Did it provide the opportunity to showcase more wrestlers and their respective abilities? Sure.

However, the lethal combination of too many participants and less than 14 minutes to work with made the match seem like it was crowded and rushed. Because of this, the high spots characteristic of this match seemed like they were all over the place. A lot of them were still cool, but in the end, it took away from the match.

Also, in a sort of retrospective comment, Jack Swagger winning tainted the memory of the match for me. At the time, he seemed like a random choice to win the match. Seeing him pull down the briefcase did not provide the exciting "WrestleMania moment" I had been hoping for.

And who could forget his awful reign as World Heavyweight Champion later that month?

#5. WrestleMania 25

CM Punk def. Christian, Finlay, Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry, MVP, Kofi Kingston, and Kane.

From top to bottom, this match was not quite as bad as it may seem based on the rankings. As a matter of fact, I found the match very fun to watch.

Shelton Benjamin, as usual, put on a stunning performance. His senton from the top of the ladder on to the other competitors outside the ring was nothing short of remarkable. It was definitely the most memorable spot of the match.

There were a few things that really took away from the match, though. For example, there was a handful of noticeable botches that were really detrimental to the match quality. In addition, I feel like Mark Henry was really out of place in this match. Unlike Kane, Mark Henry is not a super heavyweight fit for competing in such a fast paced ladder match.

Also, I personally thought that CM Punk winning the match for the second year in a row was slightly anti-climactic. In the long run, though, it was a good move because it led to the epic CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy feud.

#4. WrestleMania 22

Rob Van Dam def. Bobby Lashley, Ric Flair, Shelton Benjamin, Finlay, and Matt Hardy.

Despite being the shortest of all the Money in the Bank matches, I found this match to be very entertaining.

It's well established that Shelton Benjamin is one of the best Money in the Bank performers ever, but RVD truly out shined him in this match. "The Whole F'n Show" hit some incredible moves in this match. I'd venture to say that him dropkicking a chair into Bobby Lashley is one of the most memorable Money in the Bank spots ever.

All in all, I was very pleased with everyone's performance in this match. Despite not being ladder match wrestlers, Ric Flair and Lashley even did a pretty decent job.

The only reason this one is as low on the list as it is is because the relatively short match length made some of the high spots seem a little rushed at times. Other than that, I have no complaints.

#3. WrestleMania 21

Edge def. Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Kane, Chris Benoit, and Christian.

The first installment of the Money in the Bank ladder match set the bar very high.

Five of the six competitors are known for their fast paced style, one that meshes with the ladder match concept very well. The sixth, Kane, while not nearly as agile as the other five men, is widely regarded as one of the best big men in the history of professional wrestling. Since the inception of Money in the Bank, Kane has proven to be one of the match's elite competitors.

This match also had its share of memorable high spots. Chris Benoit's diving headbutt from the top of the ladder is one that sticks out in my memory.

When compared to the rest of the Money in the Bank matches, this one would rank as above average. At the time, though, it really stood out as a phenomenal match because it was a brand new concept. Since then, it has truly raised the bar for WrestleMania excitement.

#2. WrestleMania 24

CM Punk def. Carlito, John Morrison, Shelton Benjamin, Mr. Kennedy, and Chris Jericho.

One of the things that sets this Money in the Bank match apart from the rest is that there was not anyone that I didn't feel like should not be in such a fast paced ladder match. As a matter of fact, each competitor really stepped it up to put on an exceptional match.

John Morrison made quite the impact in his first Money in the Bank match. Among all his crazy stunts, his most memorable was the moonsault while holding a ladder.

What really made this match phenomenal was the fact that it was exciting from start to finish. Even when they were not doing some sort of high spot, they still made sure the match was fast paced enough to live up to the expectations on the "Grandest Stage of Them All."

WrestleMania 24's Money in the Bank is a close contender for best Money in the Bank match in history. While I have ranked it No. 2, I still expect it to go down in the books as one of the best matches in WrestleMania history.

#1. WrestleMania 23

Mr. Kennedy def. Edge, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, King Booker, Finlay, CM Punk, and Randy Orton.

This is the measuring stick for Money in the Bank matches.

For one, look at how stacked the card is. It featured rising stars like Randy Orton, CM Punk, and Mr. Kennedy; veterans, such as Booker and Finlay; and ladder match experts in the Hardy brothers and Edge. The match had all the potential in the world and absolutely lived up to it.

There are so many memorable moments from this match: Randy Orton RKOing CM Punk off the ladder, Jeff Hardy putting Edge through a ladder with a colossal leg drop, and Edge Spearing every competitor back-to-back. Even Hornswoggle deserves some credit for taking the Green Bay Plunge off the ladder!

This match was a real threat to steal the show at WrestleMania 23. On a night that saw Undertaker vs. Batista and John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels, that is quite a feat.

Conclusion.

As I am sure you are aware of, Money in the Bank adds an incredible amount of excitement to WrestleMania. Guys like Shelton Benjamin, Edge, Christian, and the Hardys have made names for themselves in ladder matches like these.

The rumor is that if Money in the Bank returns to WrestleMania this year, it will feature all former world champions. I find the concept intriguing. Personally, I'd be happy so long as they bring the match back to the "Showcase of the Immortals."