WWE Money in the Bank 2012: 10 Things to Know About the Heavyweight Ladder Match

At Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view, we'll see two firsts: Two separate MITB matches that are reserved for the WWE's two World titles.

One match will feature four former WWE Champions competing for a future WWE Championship match while the other features of mixed of established stars and up-and-comers hoping to earn a World title match.

The World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder Match (as it's officially being called) is perhaps one of the most unpredictable MITB matches in WWE history.

It's got a much different look than most previous ones, and thus, many aren't sure what's going to happen when seven WWE stars try to win it.

So, before we get to that match, let's take a look at some stuff you might want to know about it that could help you make your prediction.

Here are 10 things to know about the World Heavyweight Championship Contract MITB match.

10. It's the First MITB Match to Ever Feature Both the US and IC Champions

Whether this is a sign of the WWE's lack of roster depth or not is certainly up for debate, but this will be the first Money in the Bank match in history to feature both the Intercontinental and United States Champions.

Although it hasn't been out of the ordinary to see the US Champ or the IC Champ in a MITB match, this is a curveball that we've never seen before.

Both the United States Champion (Santino Marella) and the Intercontinental Champion (Christian) will be competing in the same MITB match, which comes as a bit of a surprise to some.

In the long run, this could mean that, for the first time in WWE history, we'll see a current titleholder successfully cash in his briefcase to become a dual champion.

This may not seem all that likely, but with the WWE, you never really know.

9. Only One Man Has Cashed in on the World Champ the Same Night as Winning MITB

There have been 10 previous Money in the Bank winners, but surprisingly few have immediately cashed in to take advantage of a great opportunity.

Well, if we're going to get technical here, only one MITB winner has actually cashed in the briefcase on the same night that he won it.

That came in 2010, when Kane won SmackDown's Money in the Bank match, cashed in later that night and defeated Rey Mysterio to become the new World Heavyweight Champion.

This is something for us fans to think about.

Why? Because the WHC MITB winner could depend largely upon the WWE's plans for him.

We might get a surprise winner if the plan is to build him before having him cash in down the road, but if the plan is to give the winner a big push right away, that push could start with a MITB cash-in at the MITB pay-per-view.

Of course, that would be only the second "same night cash-in" in WWE history.

8. It's the First MITB Since 2010 That Doesn't Feature a Previous MITB Winner

The last three Money in the Bank matches have something in common: They all featured superstars who had previously won Money in the Bank matches..

The 2010 Raw MITB match featured Edge (2005 winner), the 2011 Raw MITB match featured The Miz (2010 Raw winner), and the 2011 SmackDown MITB match featured Kane (2010 SmackDown winner).

The 2010 SmackDown Money in the Bank was the most recent MITB bout that didn't feature a previous winner.

Of course, this means that we won't have the first repeat Money in the Bank winner since CM Punk did it in 2008 and 2009.

It also means that the stage is set for an unexpected win from someone who doesn't have a whole lot of experience at the top of WWE.

7. Only One Other MITB Match Has Featured Seven Competitors

Having just seven competitors in this match looks kind of weird, doesn't it?

Well, it's actually not the first time that this has happened.

The 2008 Money in the Bank Ladder Match (WrestleMania 24) was the first MITB match to feature just seven participants.

It was originally scheduled to have eight, but Jeff Hardy was suspended for violating the WWE's Talent Wellness Program, removed from the match and never replaced.

I'm not sure whether having seven participants once again will hurt the quality of this year's WHC MITB match, but seven just seems like an odd number to me (no pun intended).

6. Christian Is the Most Experienced in Money in the Bank Matches

If you expect experience to win out, then Christian has to be the odds-on favorite to emerge victorious from this match on Sunday.

He is, far and away, the most experienced Money in the Bank Ladder match competitor in this bout.

Christian has already competed in four MITB matches (2005, 2009 and twice in 2010), meaning that Sunday's match will he his astounding fifth Money in the Bank match.

In case you were wondering, that's the second most in WWE history and significantly more than any other superstar in the World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder match.

Christian's next closest competitors? Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes, both of which have competed in two.

5. Only 2 MITB Winners Had Previously Held a World Title

The Money in the Bank match hasn't served as a means of re-elevating guys who've previously won World titles.

In fact, it's been used the right way: To catapult new superstars to the top of the WWE.

There have been 10 MITB winners in WWE history, but only two of those winners had previously held a World title: CM Punk (2009) and Kane (2010).

As you can see, the WWE likes to use MITB to give previously unproven stars a chance to become bona fide main eventers, which is something we have to take into consideration.

Being that 80 percent of MITB winners had never held a World title before winning that match (and eventually cashing in), odds are that the likely WHC MITB match winner has never won a World title before.

Because Christian and Dolph Ziggler are the only two former World champions in this match, the odds may not be in their favor on Sunday.

4. It Features Four Stars Who Have Never Been in a Money in the Bank Match

This is arguably the least experienced field in Money in the Bank history (well, since the first one, obviously).

I say that because a whopping four of seven competitors have never competed in a MITB match. Ever.

Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Damien Sandow and Santino Marella will all be making their Money in the Bank debuts on Sunday.

That's not the most rookies we've ever seen in one Money in the Bank match, but when you break it down percentage-wise, having four of seven participants in a MITB match as "MITB rookies" is a pretty high number.

I can't wait to see if the rookie jitters affect the quality of the match, whether that's negatively or positively. 

3. The Last Three MITB Winners Had Never Competed in a MITB Match Beforehand

Oddly enough, being a Money in the Bank rookie has actually translated to plenty of success.

In fact, the last three MITB winners had never competed in a MITB match beforehand.

The Miz (Raw, 2010), Daniel Bryan (SmackDown, 2011) and Alberto Del Rio (Raw, 2011) all entered their respective MITB matches without any MITB experience whatsoever.

Yet, they all emerged victorious.

Thus, as you can see, being inexperienced can actually help you when it comes to the Money in the Bank match.

After all, MITB rookies have dominated that match that last three times it has taken place.

2. Eight of the 10 MITB Winners Were Competing in Their First MITB Match

Want even further proof that being experienced is overrated when it comes to Money in the Bank?

Eight of the 10 MITB winners were competing in their first MITB match..

Edge (2005), Rob Van Dam (2006), Mr. Kennedy (2007), CM Punk (2008), Jack Swagger (2010), The Miz (2010), Alberto Del Rio (2011) and Daniel Bryan (2011) all walked into their first MITB match not knowing what to expect and walked out with that coveted briefcase.

The only two exceptions to that rule are CM Punk (2009) and Kane (2010).

So, just like the last slide, this is yet another piece of evidence that leads me to believe that a MITB rookie could walk away with the briefcase on Sunday.

That means that Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Damien Sandow or Santino Marella could shock the world in just six days.

1. Cody Rhodes Is the Rumored Winner

Surprisingly, we haven't heard many backstage reports about the Money in the Bank favorites as of yet.

That's probably because, as we all know, the WWE's creative plans can and will change about 100 times before the actual pay-per-view.

That being said, the one report I have read does list a favorite for the World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder match, and it's Cody Rhodes.

This really shouldn't come as much of a shock.

Rhodes has gotten more screen time than every other MITB participant, and all that screen time has centered around his desire to get into the match and win it.

I think it's pretty safe to say that he's the favorite heading into Sunday's pay-per-view, and if Dolph Ziggler doesn't walk away with the briefcase, then he will.

Drake Oz is a WWE Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions on Formspring.