WWE Money in the Bank 2016: 5 Most Memorable Moments in Event's History
WWE Money in the Bank is far from the longest and most established pay-per-view in the company's history, but in its relatively short existence it has become one of the most exciting shows on the calendar.
Drama and excitement is usually a given, especially when it comes to who is going to be given the honor of climbing the ladder and claiming the coveted briefcase in the show's marquee match.
High-quality matches are frequent, and there's been no shortage of moments in recent years which have stood out for all the right reasons.
It is a show that often provides pleasure and excitement for WWE fans, and in anticipation of the 2016 event on June 19, here is a look back at some of the pay-per-view's highlights from down the years.
5. Damien Sandow Turns on Cody Rhodes
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A glance at the list for the 2013 World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank match offers a few similarities with this year's lineup.
There are plenty of young, hungry stars in the mix, and most frustratingly of all, the winner of the 2013 ladder match was never truly allowed to fulfil his potential.
Damien Sandow's turn on Cody Rhodes was the crescendo of the match, as Sandow managed to get what many assumed was a future run with the World Heavyweight Championship by claiming the briefcase.
Their rivalry was being teased during the latter part of the Team Rhodes Scholars duo, which ultimately fell apart here. Sandow got past Rhodes in a fine feud before disaster struck.
Sandow's cash-in against John Cena was a hugely significant and noteworthy moment, but the fact he lost in pretty unspectacular fashion meant the whole episode was pretty much wasted.
Yet the moment Sandow turned on Rhodes and won the briefcase was without doubt a real highlight in the show's history.
4. Daniel Bryan Wins MITB
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Looking back at how Daniel Bryan's in-ring career ended, it's hard to believe the company gave him such an insignificant push following his 2011 Money in the Bank success.
Bryan would finish as arguably the most over Superstar in a generation. He had fought and scrapped his way to the very pinnacle of the company, with the peak that phenomenal program that culminated at WrestleMania 30.
But Bryan's hard work and sheer passion had dragged him to the top before that, albeit for a slightly shorter period.
He overcame the odds in the 2011 MITB match to fend off the likes of Sheamus and Wade Barrett to get his hands on the briefcase everyone wanted.
That match is perhaps more famous for the brutal moment when Sheamus thundered Sin Cara through a ladder in what was arguably the match's most gruelling spot ever.
When Bryan won, many expected a fairly straightforward route to the top for The American Dragon. Instead, he wandered around in the midcard doing very little, promising that he would wait until WrestleMania the following year to cash in the briefcase.
Yet after losing way too many matches for a guy being groomed as a future world champion, WWE pulled the trigger far sooner than that. He would tease cashing in against Mark Henry, actually doing so on one occasion before the match was voided by Teddy Long, then went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Tables, Ladders & Chairs against Big Show.
3. Paul Heyman Turns on CM Punk
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CM Punk's shock alignment with Paul Heyman had rocked WWE to its very core. The guy seemingly on track to become the top babyface, at least in the eyes of the fans, turned heel in explosive fashion.
But by the time Money in the Bank 2013 came around, WWE rolled the dice with Punk's career again and opted to send him in a dramatically different direction.
His relationship with Heyman had become strained, and Punk was desperate to break out in his own right.
So when he entered the 2013 MITB match looking to claim a third win in the bout's history, Heyman decided to show Punk who was boss by rolling into the ring, nailing him with several chair shots and denying him a famous win.
That allowed Randy Orton to step in and claim the briefcase, which obviously triggered a chain of events leading to him cashing in at SummerSlam and aligning with The Authority, before eventually succumbing to Daniel Bryan at WrestleMania the following year.
As for Punk, he was left to feud against guys like Curtis Axel and Ryback. It was a hugely telling moment for the direction of the company and a massive moment in Money in the Bank's history.
When CM Punk returned to WWE after a short hiatus in the spring of 2013, it was clear that the once-strong bond between him and Paul Heyman had been fractured. Punk wanted to do things on his own and prove that he did not need his friend at ringside to succeed.
This rubbed Heyman the wrong way. Believing he was as integral to Punk's history-making 434-day WWE Championship reign as the competitor himself, he took Punk's insistence as an insult. Anyone watching Heyman could see the wheels turning as he stood idly by his friend.
At Money in the Bank, Heyman's plan would come to fruition.
With Punk climbing the ladder, seemingly on his way to the third Money in the Bank victory of his Hall of Fame career, Heyman entered the ring and blasted his friend with a stiff ladder shot to the back. Another shot bounced off Punk's head, drawing blood and knocking the Chicago native to the ground.
Randy Orton would benefit from the shocking backstabbing and win the match, while Punk would direct his fury at Heyman and clients Brock Lesnar, Curtis Axel and Ryback in the weeks and months that followed.
2. A Double-Quick Cash-In
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The very first match in Money in the Bank's history was to determine who would get a contract for a World Heavyweight Championship match.
Kane was the victor, emerging through a field containing Dolph Ziggler and Christian, but it was what happened later in the night which provided the memorable moment in question.
He felt like a solid winner that night, and, having one world title run to his name at that point, seemed well overdue for another after such an impressive career with the company.
Nobody could have expected Kane cashing in as soon as he did, though, with his second world title reign kicking off by the end of the same night.
After Rey Mysterio saw off Jack Swagger in the World Heavyweight Championship match, Swagger began to brutally assault the master of the 619. Kane would make the save, but seeing a crumpled Mysterio laying in the middle of the ring, he knew it was the opportune moment to seize his chance.
He handed the referee the briefcase, decimated Mysterio in a matter of seconds and lifted the gold belt.
1. Chicago's Favorite Son Prevails
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No matter what happens at this year's Money in the Bank, it is hard to imagine any single moment that will top the 2011 event's main bout.
The build and promotion for CM Punk's match against John Cena was booking at its best. Nobody was quite sure whether Punk was legitimately going to walk away from WWE, or whether it was all just a clever ruse.
So when the show rolled around in Punk's hometown of Chicago, it was obvious something special was in the offing.
His "Pipebomb" promo had laid the foundations for a spectacular evening of wrestling, with many resonating with Punk's obvious frustrations about backstage politics and undeserving stars being pushed to the top.
With such intense promo work, the match had to deliver. And it certainly did that, as Punk and Cena produced a match that is one of the finest in recent history and undoubtedly one of Cena's best.
The end result? Cena tried to take the moral high ground by knocking out John Laurinaitis before Punk hit him with the GTS and claimed the WWE Championship.
Punk's reaction when he emerged from behind the curtain was electrifying, but the ovation he got when he won, before he escaped through the crowd with a title many believed he'd take to another promotion, was simply incredible.
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