WWE Money in the Bank: Ranking the Past Winners

Since 2005, the Money in the Bank match has been one of the most unpredictable matches in recent WWE history.

Initially a feature on WrestleMania, it gained so much popularity that it has become its own exclusive pay-per-view since 2010.

The statistic is still veracious—every person who has cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase has won to become a world champion.

The match has created first-ever champions and established legacies. Conversely, it has created some flops.

Here are the rankings of all the MITB winners.

9. Mr. Kennedy

Unfortunately—do to an injury—Mr. Kennedy (Anderson) is the only Money in the Bank winner who never had the opportunity to cash in his MITB briefcase.

A month after he won it at WrestleMania 23, he lost it in against Edge on an episode of Raw.

Mr. Kennedy was on a steady heel push at the time, already defeating former world champions before he attained the briefcase. Seemingly, if his injury did not occur, he would have at least had one reign as a world champion in the WWE.

8. Jack Swagger

At WrestleMania 26, Jack Swagger won the MITB contract after being one of the biggest darkhorses in the match. The very same week on SmackDown, he cashed it in on Chris Jericho to win his first and only World Heavyweight Championship.

Although his reign lasted a shade under three months, he never really rebounded after his main event run. Even with a US Title reign and a brief stint with Vickie Guerrero, Swagger has failed to achieve the status he had during the spring of 2010.

7. RVD

RVD's MITB win at WrestleMania 22 wasn't that big of a surprise. He always had a pretty steady upper mid-card career, and was destined to be a world champion.

He had that opportunity at the ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view.

In one of the most hostile match-ups in WWE history, RVD defeated John Cena to become the WWE Champion for the first and only time.

RVD only held the title for three weeks, losing it to Edge on an episode of Raw due to being suspended for a violation of the wellness policy.

6. Miz

In one of the most steady rises in recent WWE memory, Miz won the Raw MITB match at the first exclusive PPV in 2010.

Four months later, Miz cashed it in on an episode of Raw, defeating Randy Orton and capturing the WWE Championship.

Miz retained the title throughout the first quarter of 2011, even defeating John Cena at WrestleMania 27.

Unfortunately—fast-forwarding to the present—the Miz is one of the most depushed former world champions, and has not been in the main-event picture the entire year.

5. Alberto Del Rio

While many give CM Punk the 2011 Superstar of the Year award, Alberto Del Rio could have a strong argument to claim otherwise.

After winning the 2011 40-man Royal Rumble and failing to win the title against Edge at WrestleMania, Del Rio seized another opportunity by winning the Raw MITB match, cashing it in against CM Punk at SummerSlam and winning the WWE Championship.

Del Rio would have one more reign as WWE Champion in 2011 before losing it at Survivor Series against CM Punk.

4. Daniel Bryan

In one of the most shocking wins of all MITB matches, Daniel Bryan claimed victory in 2011.

Before the PPV, Bryan had a lackluster win-loss record, and continued this subpar record by losing cleanly the next month at SummerSlam to Wade Barrett.

Five months after winning the MITB match, Bryan cashed it in after a bout between Big Show and Mark Henry at the TLC pay-per-view.

This win propelled Bryan into a mainstay main-eventer.

3. Kane

2010 marked one of the best years in the career of Kane. For once in his then-thirteen year career as the Big Red Monster, he became the face of SmackDown.

Throughout the summer, Kane was involved in an angle to fend for his brother who was put in a "vegetative state" due to an attack by an unknown assailant.

He won the SmackDown MITB match, cashed it in against Rey Mysterio the same night, and became World Heavyweight Champion.

Since then, Kane has stayed in the upper mid-card tier, vying to win his first ever WWE Championship MITB match this Sunday.

2. Edge

The 2005 MITB match indeed catapulted the legacy of Edge. Heavily involved in the mid-card, Edge had many memorable feuds for the Intercontinental Title. However, at WrestleMania 21, Edge won the briefcase to become the No. 1 contender for any world title for up to one year.

To this day, Edge holds the record of keeping the briefcase the longest—10 months—as he cashed it in at the 2006 New Year's Revolution PPV and defeated John Cena to win his first WWE Championship.

Edge is the only Hall of Famer to ever win the MITB match, and that match deserves the credit for kick starting his career as a main event star.

1. CM Punk

CM gives every wrestler from independent promotions hope to become a WWE Superstar.

Prior to his WWE tenure, Punk was mainly known from his main-event status in ROH, and his substandard run in TNA.

However, CM Punk made a steady climb in the WWE, first competing for ECW and winning its championship in 2007.

His rise in popularity gained a spot in the 2008 MITB match—which he won—and cashed in his case nearly three months later against Edge to win the WHC.

In a feat that may never be achieved again, CM Punk is the only person to win two MITB matches—as well as winning them consecutively—with his win again in 2009. He would cash in his second case two months later to defeat Jeff Hardy after his grueling ladder match victory against Edge at the Extreme Rules PPV, winning the World Heavyweight Championship for the second time.

What are your rankings? Comment civilly below.

Call in this Tuesday with your MITB thoughts. 11pm ET. 347-884-8452. Click here for link.

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