Baron Corbin and the Best and Worst WWE Money in the Bank Cash-Ins of All Time

Baron Corbin made the wrong kind of history when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Jinder Mahal.

In an instant, The Lone Wolf joined the short list of Money in the Bank winners to not walk away with championship gold. A distraction from John Cena, a schoolboy pin from Mahal and a three-count from the referee wiped away Corbin's title hopes on Tuesday's SmackDown.

The absolute waste of the Money in the Bank concept and a foolish derailing of a rising star makes Corbin's cash-in among the very worst to date.

At its best, the Money in the Bank cash-in is a moment of great drama, a launchpad for a wrestler, the starting point of a great feud and a surprise dethronement. 

Corbin's version, much like Damien Sandow's before him, was anything but that. Compare that to the magic that was Dolph Ziggler setting the crowd in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ablaze four years ago. Corbin's move left folks scratching their heads; Ziggler's sent his career soaring.

After the latest Money in the Bank cash-in, let's dive into the highs and lows of the concept, looking at when handing in the briefcase resulted in dramatic art and when it simply flopped.

Best: Edge (2006)

The first Money in the Bank cash-in remains a prime example of how to execute the concept.

Edge waited until John Cena emerged from an Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2006. The champ wobbled in the corner. Blood dripped from his brow.

And that's when Edge came storming in, hitting Cena in the gut until he didn't get up.

The cash-in built a foundation for a rivalry that would stretch on for years. Edge became Cena's archenemy in that moment. He looked like a calculating opportunist as he claimed his first WWE Championship.

That scene helped shaped Edge's character and launch his career, all while providing the drama of a shark striking after smelling blood.

Worst: Alberto Del Rio (2011)

The Summer of Punk was WWE's biggest, most engaging storyline in years. CM Punk was poised to take over the company as its newest flag-bearer.

Instead, WWE opted for a convoluted, misguided narrative that trampled on Punk's momentum.

Punk had just outlasted Cena in SummerSlam 2011's main event. But before The Best in the World could build on his surging momentum as champ, Kevin Nash inexplicably attacked him. Alberto Del Rio was there to pick the bones after that attack.

And so begin an underwhelming feud between Punk and Nash that revolved around text messages.

Punk eventually got back to the WWE title picture and had a long reign, but it wasn't nearly as powerful as it would have been had the company not wasted time with the Nash tale. The fires of Punk's momentum cooled after SummerSlam that year, and Del Rio didn't gain enough to make up for it.

Best: Dolph Ziggler (2013)

No Money in the Bank cash-in has matched the energy and emotion surrounding Dolph Ziggler taking down Del Rio the night after WrestleMania 29.

Despite being a heel, Ziggler was a wrestler many fans pulled for. He was a high-energy workhorse who had worked long and hard to get to the world-title level. And after failed cash-in attempt after failed cash-in attempt, The Showoff seemed destined to be unable to make the most of his contract-filled briefcase.

Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter beat on Del Rio after their Handicap match. The hobbled champ could barely stand up.

In swooped Ziggler.

The New Jersey crowd erupted. Ziggler fought off a cross armbreaker and finally captured the world title.

The cash-in set up Ziggler to succeed, making him look crafty and dangerous. And he came out of that arena flush with momentum.

Worst: Damien Sandow (2013)

When Damien Sandow cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, it was clear WWE had given up on him as a headliner before he even got to that point.

Sandow attacked an injured Cena the night after the Hell in a Cell 2013 PPV. The champ not only had to essentially wrestle with one arm, but Sandow had battered him with his custom Money in the Bank briefcase. As unfair a fight as that was, Cena still won.

Sandow had to move forward without the title, with his plan thwarted.

His claim to fame was that he was the least successful Money in the Bank winner ever. That hurt the audience's perception of Sandow in a big way. That moment said Sandow is simply not a top-level star.

WWE released him less than three years later.

Best: Randy Orton (2013)

Credit: WWE.com

Whereas CM Punk's title loss in 2011 deflated his momentum, Daniel Bryan's painful loss two years later turned out to be the foundation for a hugely compelling run to the mountaintop.

Randy Orton broke the hearts of the WWE audience at the close of SummerSlam 2013.

The beloved Bryan had charged past Cena in a great match. Confetti rained down. "Yes!" chants echoed through the building. But the celebration didn't last long.

The Viper strode out with his Money in the Bank briefcase in hand. Triple H hit Bryan with a cheap shot. And soon Orton yanked the gold from Bryan's hand in a gut punch of a moment.

The cash-in created massive sympathy for Bryan, pushed Orton back into the title picture and became the genesis for The Authority. 

Worst: Baron Corbin (2017)

Credit: WWE.com

All Corbin has to show for his Money in the Bank cash-in this year is added motivation to beat down Cena at SummerSlam.

He joined Sandow and Cena as the only wrestlers to not became champ after cashing in. He looked foolish and weak. And it's not as if Mahal escaping is some huge benefit for him.

The move to have things unfold this way is baffling.

Corbin could have generated big heat by taking down Shinsuke Nakamura after his title win. He could have swooped in after Sami Zayn made a Cinderella run to the championship. Any number of scenarios could have elevated Corbin, but WWE chose instead to have him fall on his face. 

Sure, he goes into SummerSlam with added animosity toward Cena, but he also does so after swinging and missing in a most embarrassing way. 

Best: Seth Rollins (2015)

Seth Rollins' Money in the Bank cash-in will forever be a part of WrestleMania lore.

The Architect broke tradition and didn't wait until after a match to exercise his right to a title bout. He inserted himself into Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 31, forcing it to morph into a Triple Threat match. 

Rollins then waited until one hoss knocked over the other and seized the opportunity. He pinned Reigns to steal the WWE title.

No one saw that coming.

The image of Rollins swinging his newly won title around his head on the entrance ramp was instantly iconic. Rollins became a made man in that moment. WWE worked its way out of a booking jam in the process, taking the title from The Beast Incarnate while avoiding the inevitable backlash of a Reigns victory.

WWE was clever and creative here. And the results were tremendous.

If only Corbin had received the same treatment.