WWE Money in the Bank 2016: Power Ranking Every Ladder Match Winner of All Time
The Money in the Bank ladder match is typically one of the most anticipated matches in WWE, if only because fans cannot wait to see which Superstar is a lock to capture the world title later in the year. Over the course of 11 years, the biggest and best competitors in McMahon land have captured the briefcase and gone on to cash it in, with 14 of 16 challengers actually acquiring the top prize in the sport.
Just because they captured the title does not mean they are among the best to win the prestigious bout, though.
When ranking from worst to best, we took into account the quality of the title reign, the wrestler's status on WWE programming and the strength of the competition.
From future Hall of Famers to historical curiosities, the men to achieve victory in the annual bout vary, but only a few can be considered elite.
Who are the best Money in the Bank winners in WWE history? And which ones rank at the bottom of the list with underwhelming wins and disappointing runs with championship gold?
15. John Cena
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John Cena's 2012 Money in the Bank win may be the most unnecessary in wrestling history.
Not only was he already the biggest star in sports entertainment, but he was entrenched in the WWE Championship picture. He did not need a guaranteed title shot, especially when he had received so many in the past, regardless of whether he deserved them.
That he wasted his opportunity in a championship clash with CM Punk on an episode of Raw, in what was essentially a throwaway bout, only intensified the scrutiny surrounding his ladder match win.
At a time when Money in the Bank was a match that generated hope among fans that a new star would be born, watching Cena leave the event with the briefcase in his possession was disheartening. That it led to nothing interesting or important in the grand scheme of things only illustrated how useless his victory was.
14. Jack Swagger
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Jack Swagger was so ice-cold by the time WrestleMania 26 arrived in 2010 that few could have imagined a scenario in which the All-American American left University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona with the briefcase. But he did, outlasting future Hall of Famers such as Kane and Christian to capture the guaranteed title opportunity.
Two days later, during the SmackDown tapings, he cashed it in on Chris Jericho and became one of the youngest world champions in WWE history.
The Perry, Oklahoma, native embarked on a title reign that started strong enough, with a clean pay-per-view victory over Randy Orton and a televised victory over Edge and Jericho in a Triple Threat match. However, his run descended into mediocrity during a feud with Big Show and limped to a conclusion when he dropped the championship to Rey Mysterio in a Fatal 4-Way match in June.
The lackluster title reign coupled with the fact that he never again returned to that top spot on the card makes him one of the first real failures of the Money in the Bank experiment.
13. Mr. Kennedy
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Mr. Kennedy was one of the hottest young stars in professional wrestling by the time WrestleMania 23 rolled around in 2007. His brash and cocky persona meshed with an instantly recognizable catchphrase to create a Superstar whom fans could get behind, even if he was one of the lead heels on the SmackDown roster.
His victory at that year's Showcase of the Immortals had fans thinking Kennedy was en route to a major push that would culminate with him becoming the first breakout star in WWE since Edge. They were sure his possession of the briefcase would net him the world title and several high-profile feuds with The Undertaker and Batista.
Unfortunately for him, that was not the case. Instead, Kennedy suffered an injury that, on the surface, appeared much worse than it actually was. The WWE decided to take the briefcase away from him prematurely, giving it to Edge in an attempt to keep it with a heel.
Thus, Kennedy was never allowed to achieve the great things that so many expected of him. Two years later, his WWE career would be over, leaving many to wonder what may have been.
12. Damien Sandow
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When all is said and done, history will tell the story of Damien Sandow as one giant missed opportunity on the part of WWE Creative.
In 2013, he arrived at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view after thriving in the tag team division as one-half of the Rhodes Scholars, alongside Cody Rhodes. Together, they had formed an entertaining tandem, but their lack of championship success had fans clamoring for them to go their separate ways and rejuvenate the singles roster.
They got their wish in that year's SmackDown brand match, as Sandow cost his partner the opportunity to earn a future title match—much to the dismay of the audience, which wanted to see the youngest Rhodes leave with the briefcase.
Sandow, the self-absorbed Intellectual Savior of the Unwashed Masses, captured the briefcase and set himself in perfect position to become the next great heel to capture the world title.
Except, he did not.
Sandow, ever the intellect, waited to cash in his briefcase on a clearly injured John Cena, who was fresh off an arm injury suffered at the hands of Alberto Del Rio. While he turned in what was arguably the best performance of his career to that point, Sandow fell in defeat at the hands of the one-armed franchise star.
He was only the second Superstar to unsuccessfully cash in his opportunity.
With the referee's three-count came the complete and utter demise of Sandow as anything but a midcard star. The loss erased his credibility, and he would spend the rest of his WWE career mimicking other Superstars and celebrities, including Darth Vader, Wolverine and The Miz.
On May 6, 2016, his disappointing tenure with WWE came to an end when the company released him from his contract.
11. Alberto Del Rio
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By the time Alberto Del Rio won Money in the Bank in July 2011, it was too late to mean anything. After all, he had spent months telling the world that it was his destiny to become heavyweight champion, only to struggle against Santino Marella in the Royal Rumble and then lose to Edge at WrestleMania 27.
A defeat at the hands of Christian at Extreme Rules only made his promos sound even more ridiculous.
Thus, when he won the ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, it felt too much like a desperate attempt by WWE Creative to convince fans that the Mexican-born star was a legitimate main event competitor, regardless of how many times he had lost before.
At SummerSlam the following month, he cashed in his briefcase on CM Punk to win the WWE Championship. While that would sound like a monumental moment for the second-generation star, it was not. Instead of capturing the title on his own accord, his victory came after a powerbomb from the returning Kevin Nash—a surprise that overshadowed the actual championship victory that proceeded it.
Del Rio would lose the title weeks later to John Cena at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, rendering the cash-in worthless.
10. Sheamus
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To say that Sheamus' Money in the Bank victory in 2015 was underwhelming would not be a stretch. The Celtic Warrior was long one of the best workers on the roster, but his lack of character development had doomed him to mediocrity, at least in the eyes of the fans, and a heel turn did nothing to improve matters.
He spent four months after winning the briefcase winning some matches while losing others, but he never really improved his position on the card.
That is why it was even more puzzling when he came from out of nowhere to cash in his title opportunity and defeat Roman Reigns at the Survivor Series in 2015, winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in what was little more than an attempt by WWE Creative to temper the negative reactions that Reigns was receiving.
Sheamus held the title for just over a month, dropping it to The Big Dog, which relegated his run with the gold as a footnote in the history books.
9. Rob Van Dam
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Rob Van Dam was long one of the most popular stars on the WWE roster before WrestleMania 22, but he had never had a realistic opportunity to be the world champion. Sure, he had competed for the title before, but the unholy reign of Triple H in 2002 cut off all of his momentum and left Van Dam a glorified midcard act for the better part of five years.
Fresh off a knee injury and a strong return at the Royal Rumble in January, Van Dam entered the 2006 Showcase of the Immortals riding a considerable wave of momentum. When he defeated Bobby Lashley, Ric Flair, Shelton Benjamin, Finlay and Matt Hardy to capture the briefcase, it looked as though Mr. Monday Night would finally receive the push so many fans had waited for.
At ECW: One Night Stand that June, Van Dam successfully cashed in his championship opportunity, defeating John Cena to capture the WWE Championship in a match that was announced far ahead of time, making him one of two Superstars to take that approach in the long history of Money in the Bank.
The other? Cena, of course.
Unfortunately, poor choices away from the squared circle would doom Van Dam's title reign, bring it to a screeching halt and cost him his one and only run at the top of WWE.
That mistake, an arrest for possession of marijuana and Vicodin, also cost him several spots on this list.
8. Randy Orton
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Like John Cena, Randy Orton was a bona fide main event star who did not need a Money in the Bank victory to pad his resume. Yet, there was something about The Viper's win that did not rub fans the wrong way, as was the case with Cena. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that Orton's win was integral to a storyline that would build for months before culminating the following April in one of the greatest WrestleManias of all time.
While he was a babyface at the time of his Money in the Bank win, Orton would cash in on beloved star Daniel Bryan at the following month's SummerSlam 2013, stealing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship away from the bearded hero just minutes after his monumental defeat of Cena.
From there, Orton would become the chosen one of Triple H and Stephanie McMahon, known collectively as The Authority. He would oppose Bryan countless times, managing to thwart the challenge of his opponent courtesy of a screwy finish.
Orton became the lead heel in WWE—the champion that fans wanted to see get dethroned by their favorite Superstar. At a time when WWE Creative was bankrupt of fresh ideas, Orton was a constant. He was unlikable and the perfect foil for Bryan, who finally did unseat him at the Showcase of the Immortals.
While Orton was not necessarily one of the best Money in the Bank winners, he was a much better alternative to someone like Cena, whose win served to inflate his already overstuffed resume, or Jack Swagger, who simply failed in the role of young champion.
7. The Miz
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The Miz had developed into such an obnoxiously great villain by the time 2010 rolled around that his Money in the Bank victory felt long overdue. A superb and cocky heel, he felt very much like the next big star to break free of the midcard shackles and succeed at the top of the card.
His possession of the briefcase all but ensured that he would get a world championship run. What he would do with it, though, would determine whether WWE Creative made the right decision by awarding him that opportunity.
Unfortunately for Miz, his WWE Championship win was the highlight of a reign bogged down by a questionable feud with commentator Jerry "The King" Lawler and a series of screwy wins that did nothing to make him look like a credible titleholder.
A miserable main event against John Cena at WrestleMania 27, in which he was the third wheel in a storyline also involving The Rock, only hammered home how disappointing his run as Money in the Bank winner, and eventual champion, had been.
He unceremoniously lost his title to Cena at Extreme Rules, was beaten down further by the franchise star and returned to the midcard, where he has wallowed at times ever since.
6. Kane
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The Big Red Monster was a veteran of WWE, a Superstar who earned a reputation for doing whatever was asked of him, regardless of how stupid, nonsensical or ridiculous it may have been. He weathered the storm that was Katie Vick, survived multiple heel and babyface turns and even overcame a feud with his doppelganger.
For his loyalty and hard work, Kane was rewarded in 2010 with a renewed push and his first heavyweight championship reign since 1998.
Kane won the SmackDown brand Money in the Bank match at the pay-per-view of the same name and then proceeded to cash it in on Rey Mysterio, winning the world heavyweight title.
It was a shocking moment, partly because few expected Kane to leave with the briefcase and partly because he defeated fellow babyface Mysterio. As was the case with CM Punk a year earlier, the cash-in necessitated a heel turn that would lead to the big man becoming the centerpiece of SmackDown for the remainder of the year.
Taking that into account, Kane remains one of the most successful Money in the Bank winners. The veteran competitor used the briefcase to rejuvenate his career and provide him with the spark necessary to enjoy one last major run in the company he called home for so many years.
5. Daniel Bryan
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Daniel Bryan's Money in the Bank ladder match win in July 2011 came out of nowhere. After months spent as a glorified enhancement talent tasked with putting over the likes of Wade Barrett, Ezekiel Jackson, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase, Bryan suddenly and inexplicably climbed the ladder to success and hoisted the briefcase that would net him his first world title in WWE.
The win did nothing to elevate his star. In fact, just weeks after winning it, he lost cleanly to Barrett at SummerSlam. He remained a midcard star, at best.
Then, at the TLC pay-per-view in December, he paid off weeks of attempted cash-ins by pinning Big Show and capturing the world title. His win, though greeted with a nice pop, was not nearly the exciting moment it should have been, thanks largely to the months of questionable booking that preceded it.
Bryan would develop a heel persona in the weeks that followed that elevated him to levels in WWE that he had not previously experienced. He became one of the most over stars on the roster and captivated audiences with his annoying and obnoxious chants of "YES!" as he made his entrance.
A funny thing happened along the way: those chants became a rallying cry, as witnessed at WrestleMania 28, when the thousands of fans, from hundreds of countries, erupted for his arrival. His defeat that night left fans enraged, but it was that moment that jump-started the YES! Movement and led to his eventual rise to the top of the industry.
4. Dolph Ziggler
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Dolph Ziggler's win in the 2012 SmackDown Money in the Bank match was long overdue. Already a one-time world heavyweight champion thanks to a plot device more than anything, Ziggler had earned the reputation as one of the hardest-working men in wrestling. He deserved the opportunity to carry one of the top prizes in the sport and prove himself as a legitimate main event talent.
After carrying the briefcase for 10 months, he finally cashed it in 24 hours after WrestleMania 29, defeating Alberto Del Rio for the world title in one of the most unforgettable Raw moments of the decade.
The response for his title win was thunderous. The die-hard wrestling fans who had packed the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, appreciated everything he had done for them to that point and rewarded him with a reaction reserved for the greatest icons in the industry.
Unfortunately, Ziggler's story did not have a happy ending. A concussion suffered weeks earlier had sidelined him for the majority of his reign before Del Rio kicked his way to regaining the championship at Payback that June.
Though The Showoff's run may have been underwhelming, through no fault of his own, he remains one of the greatest Money in the Bank winners, if only for the fact that his cash-in was met with such an unreal reaction.
3. CM Punk
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CM Punk won his first Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 24 in 2008 in what was considered a fairly big upset at the time. After all, he was the ECW star whose credibility from his days in the indy scene was detrimental if anything. He was a big fish in a small pond but never one that WWE management ever saw as a legitimate main event talent.
Or so it seemed.
His victory over the likes of Carlito, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, Mr. Kennedy, MVP and Shelton Benjamin elevated him in the eyes of fans and analysts alike, while his successful cash-in against Edge had fans thinking they were witnessing the dawn of a new era in WWE.
Mismanagement and a disappointing conclusion to his subpar title reign left fans dismayed.
That is, until he captured the briefcase for a second consecutive year to kick off WrestleMania 25.
Punk would, again, cash in successfully, this time on the wildly popular Jeff Hardy. His feud with the Charismatic Enigma would set in motion a heel turn that would prove to the world just how extraordinary a performer the Chicago native was.
While it would still be years before Punk exploded through the proverbial glass ceiling, the fact that he is the only Superstar to ever win the briefcase in two ladder matches makes him one of the greatest Money in the Bank competitors of all time.
2. Seth Rollins
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Seth Rollins' Money in the Bank win in 2014 was not without controversy. It was the product of incredible help from The Authority's Big Red Corporate Director of Hell (or something like that) Kane. Yet, Rollins was the right choice, the new face of the future and a loudmouth heel that fans were dying to see shut up.
His constant claims of greatness, and reminders of his guaranteed title opportunity, further infuriated fans during rivalries with Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Randy Orton. While the audience most likely grew tired of the repetitive nature of his promos, he finally paid off the months of storytelling with an unforgettable moment.
At WrestleMania 31, he interrupted the main event between Reigns and Brock Lesnar, cashing in and turning the singles bout into a Triple Threat match. Seconds later, he delivered a Curb Stomp to his former Shield partner and captured the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the greatest ending in WrestleMania history.
That one moment alone is enough to earn him a ranking higher on this list than others, but the evolution of his character following his Money in the Bank briefcase win only solidifies his spot in the top two.
1. Edge
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To say that Edge's stint with the Money in the Bank briefcase was successful would be a massive understatement.
The inaugural winner of the high-stakes ladder match in 2005, he used the guaranteed title shot as a heat magnet of sorts. He would consistently use it as a weapon, bashing it on the heads of Matt Hardy, Kane and Ric Flair while sewing up victories that established him as one of the most hated Superstars in WWE.
It was not until he cashed in his title opportunity on January 8, 2006, at New Year's Revolution, defeating a battered and bloodied John Cena to capture his first WWE Championship, that fans got a taste of what the concept could mean to the future of the company.
Not only did the Rated R Superstar explode into the main event scene and take the wrestling world by storm, but WWE Creative stumbled upon a plot device that could create an air of unpredictability and excitement—a crutch it could lean on rather than developing stars from the ground up.
For better or worse, the concept has stuck around.
Without an extraordinary performer like Edge to hammer home just how effective it could be, though, Money in the Bank may not have existed past that inaugural year. For that reason, as well as the fact that his journey to the Hall of Fame was augmented by his championship success that began with that first cashing in of the briefcase, Edge remains the greatest Money in the Bank winner ever.
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