Top 8 Best Money in the Bank Ladder Matches

Just a couple of days away before Money in the Bank and this year's event is shaping up to be something memorable in the main event department. To help me get ready, I'll go ahead and discuss my Top 8 Best Money in the Bank Ladder Matches, which also sort of extends into my Top 8 Favorite Money in the Bank Winners. These are my 8 favorite editions of this annual ladder match, utilizing the most interesting participants and delivering with innovative spots. Most importantly, these matches need to have winners that I genuinely enjoyed seeing with the briefcase and what they did with their opportunity. So let's make that long climb to the top with the Top 8 Best Money in the Bank Ladder Matches.


Number 8: Dolph Ziggler vs. Santino Marella vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Damien Sandow vs. Tyson Kidd vs. Sin Cara vs. Tensai vs. Christian (Money in the Bank 2012)

As much as I loved Ziggler's run with the briefcase (including one of the best cash-ins in history), this match gets docked a little for the list of participants. Guys like Tensai, Santino, Sin Cara (the original Sin Cara), and Damien Sandow (at least that early into his WWE career) seemed a little out of place to be competing for a World Heavyweight Championship opportunity. The result was something fans had wanted for a long time. Whether it was Rhodes or Ziggler, those two were the favorites. It didn't matter which one it was, as long as one of them won and had a good run with the case. That's exactly what we got with Ziggler and we couldn't ask for much else other than a better World Championship reign had Ziggler not been injured.

Number 7: Jeff Hardy vs. King Booker vs. Finlay vs. CM Punk vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Randy Orton vs. Edge (WrestleMania 23)

My first Money in the Bank Ladder Match and my first WrestleMania match, this match is more than just nostalgia. The eight competitors were 8 of the best the company had to offer at the time and they went out and delivered a spectacle in front of over 80,000 people. Many of the spots still hold a spot in my mind when I think of the greatest ladder match moments in history. Kennedy's victory was the right decision at the time but it hasn't aged great due to him losing the briefcase to Edge due to injury. Had he not been injury prone, this would definitely be Top 5 material because he would have been a great World Heavyweight Champion.

Number 6: Rob Van Dam vs. Christian vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Randy Orton vs. Sheamus vs. CM Punk (Money in the Bank 2013)

The All-Star premise for this match was much more than tolerable than the former champions MitB match from 2012, because these were 6 guys that were at least workhorses in a ladder match and had been out of the main event longer. This match was definitely focused on the returning Rob Van Dam, Daniel Bryan's rise in popularity with the fans, and Paul Heyman turning on CM Punk. Add Christian and Sheamus helping to take most of the spots and Orton capitalizing to win the briefcase, and we have a pretty solid main event. Orton's time with the briefcase only lasted a month, but his cash-in created The Authority, so this is definitely an important Money in the Bank moment for wrestling history.

Number 5: Randy Orton vs. The Miz vs. Mark Henry vs. Ted DiBiase vs. John Morrison vs. Chris Jericho vs. Evan Bourne vs. Edge (Money in the Bank 2010)

When this happened live, my draw dropped at the idea of Miz being a future WWE Champion. But then we got his reign with the briefcase. His feud with Daniel Bryan was great, his mic skills were improving weekly, and he was constantly adding new facets to his character. When it was time to cash-in, I had bought into the hype. Miz's moment of glory was well-handled and the more times I watch this match, it grows on me. History probably has a big factor in that, because there's some moments here and there that are a bit silly, but it's an otherwise good ladder match. Having an even mixture of veterans (Jericho, Mark Henry, Edge, and Orton) and younger talent (Morrison, DiBiase, Bourne, and Miz) really helped give this match a unique, yet balanced flavor to it. The spots aren't too memorable, but the shock of the final moments seal this as an important entry in Money in the Bank.

Number 4: Seth Rollins vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Dean Ambrose (Money in the Bank 2014)

The big story in this match was the rivalry between Rollins and Ambrose. While it may have been obvious that Rollins was going to win, that was the point. This victory was a HUGE boost for the new heel Rollins and he was being pushed up the main event before he even needed to cash-in the briefcase. And what does he do when he finally does cash-in? He steals the whole show at WrestleMania 31. Again, a lot of people had a feeling that was going to happen, but that didn't mean we didn't want it. When it happened, it really felt like the culmination of a new era in wrestling being ushered in by one of its newest established superstars. I guess with some hindsight, Rollins winning the briefcase really was best for business.

Number 3: John Morrison vs. Carlito vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. CM Punk vs. Mr. Kennedy vs. MVP vs. Chris Jericho (WrestleMania XXIV)

With 7 competitors (originally 8 had Jeff Hardy not been suspended right before Mania), this was one of the first MitB matches to feature all young talent. It was a Sophie's Choice of people you wanted to see win the briefcase and they tore it up in the ring. So many great spots occurred, but the most memorable moment for most fans was seeing Punk victorious at a high-profile match like this. At that time, most fans never would've imagined they'd give an indy guy a shot at the World Title, but this signified that it was gonna happen. Of course, his first run with the briefcase and title wasn't as good as his second, but this was the superior match and I'm a huge Punk fan, so I hold a special place in my heart for this one.

Number 2: Sin Cara vs. Wade Barrett vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Sheamus vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Heath Slater vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Kane (Money in the Bank 2011)

In a match that had a couple of odd choices for World Heavyweight Championship contenders, the Chicago crowd and the athleticism on display really helped turn this match into a classic. Sheamus powerbombing Sin Cara through a ladder, the tension between the former members of The Corre, Cody Rhodes during his time with the face mask, and the surprise of surprises when Daniel Bryan won the briefcase. Granted, Bryan getting buried while he held the briefcase was a severe disappointment, but it made his cash-in that much more sweet of a moment. This was the moment that turned Bryan into a main eventer, led to the Yes! movement, and showed that the Money in the Bank ladder match can still have surprises all these years after the inaugural match.

Number 1: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Christian vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Edge vs. Kane (WrestleMania 21)

It's hard to top the original. This was the right 6 men at the right time in history. They busted their humps trying to steal the show at Mania 21 and make a mark in wrestling history. This match led to Edge getting the main event push he craved, becoming the Rated-R Superstar, and gave us the most iconic Money in the Bank cash-in to date. This is the standard that Money in the Bank needs to live up to every year and I don't know if we will ever see this match get topped. Maybe this Sunday will change that, maybe it won't. Without this match, the ladder match wouldn't have evolved and given us something new and inventive, superstars like CM Punk, The Miz, and Seth Rollins might not have received their push at the right time. Where would history be without this match? I shudder to think about that and I'm forever grateful for this instant ladder match classic.

Are there any that I'm forgetting? Is there one on this list that you think isn't deserving of a top spot? Well, let me know in the comments and also suggest what type of wrestling countdown you'd like to see me do next.


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NXT TakeOver: The End Review

Let's skip the formalities and head right into my thoughts on NXT TakeOver: The End. Or is it The End of the Beginning? That's what they decided to market it as once the show started. I was confused because I thought The End might have been hinting that NXT could be coming to an end (with the announcement of the upcoming brand split being an opportunity to move the roster up to the main shows), but the opening video package gave me more of an idea that this show could be the beginning of a new era in NXT, since some of our favorites like Finn Balor and Bailey could be on their way up to the main roster by the end of the Summer. So let's see if this is the type of show that can usher in a new era for NXT.

Andrade "Cien" Almas vs. Tye Dillinger

I'm still shocked to this day when I hear the reaction whenever Dillinger comes out. That man is so over with the NXT crowd that he hopefully gets some level of steam rather than being possibly the best jobber to the stars we've seen in decades. The crowd's reaction actually rubbed off on how they responded to Almas when he came out. An actual strong amount of boos to start, as they were really backing Dillinger, but the match itself worked them over to Almas' side by the end. Really good action for the amount of time they got and I'm really interested to see what they can do with Almas heading forward. He's got a charisma about him and a solid work effort, but I wouldn't put him in the main event division just yet. Why do I have the strangest feeling they may pair him up with No Way Jose?

NXT Tag Team Championship Match: American Alpha vs. The Revival

A lot of the same that happened in their match at TakeOver: Dallas works the same here. These are 2 of the best tag teams NXT has to offer and I love their chemistry together. The spots towards the end really picked things up in high gear, and I was absolutely blown away by the ending. I never imagined The Revival would pick the straps up again, making them the first ever multi-time champions for any title in NXT history. Good for them. And the post-match beatdown on American Alpha by these two mysterious big men has me wondering what in the world is going on. All we know is that they're destructive and managed by Paul Ellering. Just keep the words "Legion," "Doom," Road," or "Warriors" out of their name and we'll be fine.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Austin Aries

I was looking forward to this match the most heading into the show and I won't lie: I was a little disappointed. Not overly, but this just wasn't the wrestling spectacle I was expecting. They kind of worked themselves in a corner when they had these two debut around the same time. Nakamura is the biggest rising star in the company right now, but we don't want to see Aries' momentum sacrificed as a result. The match picked up the pace after a while and I was really getting into it, but then they had Aries lose very decisively. That just felt like the wrong call for me. Nakamura is going to be fine, but I wonder what they'll do to regain some credibility for Aries. He's one of the best wrestlers in the world, but a lack of momentum like this will snuff out his stardom in NXT quickly. Here's hoping they give him something good to do.

NXT Women's Championship Match: Asuka vs. Nia Jax

This was a match I'd waited months for them to touch on. On one side, the overly-dominate powerhouse of Nia Jax. On the other side, the unorthodox combat style of Asuka. It's a dream match for the Woman's Division. When it started, you saw very early on that Jax was dominating the whole contest. It was completely one-sided to the point where you had the sneaking suspicion that Asuka would pull a surprise win. I'm not too upset about that, but it's how they did it that needed work. The match felt like it ended abruptly and I could have honestly see them go on another 5 minutes. Jax is a dominant woman, but she's constantly losing her championship opportunities. I'm sure she'll bounce back, but my question is when (not if) she wins the NXT Women's Championship, will we be able to take it seriously? As for Asuka, I'm not sure if I like seeing her in feuds where her opponent actually stands a chance in beating her. That was part of the intrigue for her character early on. It was her offense that made her stand out so I'll need to see a few more feuds against different opponents. A rematch feud with Bayley, a feud with Alexa Bliss, and so on. If the booking staff can utilize her style with different types of opponents and she'll do just fine as NXT Women's Champion.

Steel Cage Match for the NXT Championship: Samoa Joe vs. Finn Balor

I think this is the weakest of their 3 TakeOver matches (I can't judge the house show match where Joe won the title because I haven't seen all of it), but that's probably because I'm not the biggest fan of Steel Cage matches. For what it was, the cage stipulation was fine here in helping deliver a few key spots. It's fairly obvious that Joe was going to retain and we're on our last run with Finn Balor in NXT, so this wasn't too bad. Had this been the match where Joe won the belt, I'd be a little more won over. But it is what it is. And as for me, my focus was geared at the backstage moment they aired before the match, hyping up another appearance from Bobby Roode. Just sign him already and make him a thing in NXT!


Final Thoughts: Maybe not the right event to usher in a new era, but even the weakest NXT TakeOver events still have a silver lining here or there. NXT TakeOver: The End can get a solid Recommended for the Tag Team Championship match and the Steel Cage match. NXT continues to be entertaining, but this event shows there is definitely some fine tuning in the works to restore this show back to being the superior brand in WWE.


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Top 8 Worst Money in the Bank Ladder Matches

We're a few weeks away from Money in the Bank and I want to spice up my Top 8 lists, so I'm going somewhere I haven't gone before. I'm going to do a review talking about the WORST of something. With the ladder match being my all-time favorite gimmick, it's hard for me to say any of these are really bad. The top 3 or 4 could easily be considered ladder matches that aren't very good at all, but the other ones rounding on the list may not necessarily be bad. They just aren't as good as the elite choices. Some of the factors that can affect that include the pacing of the match, the amount of noticeable botches that take place, a lack of story or character progression for the participants, the choice of participants, the decided winner of the match, and the legacy that winner had when it came to holding the Money in the Bank briefcase. So let's look at the least prestigious matches in the history of Money in the Bank with my Top 8 Worst Money in the Bank Ladder Matches.


Number 8: Matt Hardy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Finlay vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Bobby Lashley vs. Ric Flair (WrestleMania 22)

Might get a little hate for not including this one in my Top 8 Best, but I think this one suffers a bit from the sophomoric slump. The first Money in the Bank match was a game-changer for wrestling and ladder matches in general, so there was a lot of hype for the second installment to live up to. While it was the first to feature participants from both RAW and SmackDown, including the likes of Bobby Lashley and Ric Flair felt out of place. On top of that, Van Dam's run with the briefcase wasn't too bad, but it was his championship reign that was completely tarnished due to legal troubles. It wasn't able to live up to the standard the first match set and RVD's title reign is marred in real-life controversies. It's a little hard for me to endorse that as one of the greatest Money in the Bank matches when it has those massive strikes against it.

Number 7: Fandango vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Antonio Cesaro vs. Jack Swagger vs. Damien Sandow vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Wade Barrett (Money in the Bank 2013)

This one probably would have been my Number 8 or 7 on my Top 8 Best had it not been for how the royally messed up Damien Sandow's push with the briefcase. This match took 7 guys who could all be considered heels, but heels majority of the fans liked. The match did have some fun, innovated spots, but the shining moment of the match was how it made a babyface star out of Cody Rhodes by the end of the match. But even with Rhodes' recent release, that feels a tad dated. Heck, giving Fandango some kind of push like this is dated even when he's on the current roster. And having Damien Sandow win the briefcase to a solid ovation and have him in a solid summer feud with Rhodes, only to have him be the first man to cash in his briefcase and lose cleanly is not only dated, but also a huge letdown in the history of Money in the Bank.

Number 6: Kofi Kingston vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Christian vs. Dashing Cody Rhodes vs. Matt Hardy vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Kane vs. Big Show (Money in the Bank 2010)

I really liked this match at the time I first saw it. But over time, I realize that it's not as exciting as I remembered it. Don't get me wrong, that spot with Kofi Kingston putting Drew McIntyre through the announcer's table is awesome, but there's not much else to it. Kane winning the briefcase was a nice moment since he'd been away from the main event in a legitimate sense for over a decade. And him cashing it in on the same night was pretty awesome, but the rest of this match is a little dull. Too much time is focused on Big Show's giant ladder and the story they had with Christian and Matt Hardy heading into the match was treated like a footnote. Still, I look a good number of the participants involved so I won't be too harsh on it. Just needed a little something extra to give it a little spice.

Number 5: CM Punk vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Finlay vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs. Kane (WrestleMania XXV)

WrestleMania XXV is considered one of the biggest PPV disappointments in my entire life and a lot of that started with this match. Something didn't click right with these components. The spots didn't feel as big or epic as past Money in the Bank ladder matches, there was a lot of obvious botches during pivotal moments, and the result at the time was mixed at best. We didn't have the foresight to see how this would lead to CM Punk's amazing heel turn in the summer of 2009. All we saw was that they gave the briefcase to the guy who had a chance the year before and couldn't make much of it. Because of that, some fans felt cheated at the beginning of Mania XXV. It was obvious the favorite to win was Christian and fans didn't want to settle for anything less. My thoughts have since cooled a tad on the match itself because of Punk's character transformation from it. But I can't deny that this is one of the earliest examples of a Money in the Bank match that left a bitter taste in my mouth from the result.

Number 4: Randy Orton vs. Neville vs. Kane vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Sheamus vs. Roman Reigns (Money in the Bank 2015)

Technically, this isn't a bad match. Technically, Sheamus had an ok run with the briefcase. And technically, all the participants in this match worked in their respective roles. Technically, this should work as a match. But here's the issue: it's BORING! I remember falling asleep during this match when I first saw it live on the WWE Network. I first chalked it up to my own fatigue, but then I went back to see what I missed and realized I hadn't missed a thing. Bray Wyatt interfering to screw Reigns out of the briefcase was the only interesting moment and all it had me wonder was why he wasn't included in the match. This could've worked just fine and I think they were depending on that, so they didn't go the extra mile to ensure the best match possible. A perfect example of coasting through a match. You get all the style you're expecting, but none of the substance to hold your attention.

Number 3: Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Jack Swagger vs. Evan Bourne vs. R-Truth vs. Alex Riley vs. The Miz vs. Rey Mysterio (Money in the Bank 2011)

Right out the gate, I didn't like when these 8 superstars came out and began battling each other with different sized ladders. Add that this match had a lot of noticeable botches and Del Rio winning the briefcase was all too predictable, and it just ends up being one I'd gladly skip over in the Money in the Bank history retrospective. Also, when I went through it this time, it just felt like some spots were too heavily choreographed. I know this is all pre-determined, but I still like the idea of suspending my disbelief and I can't really do that with this match. I knew Del Rio was going to win heading into this match, so the lack of surprise is completely gone. Then with a match full of majority of lackluster spots (although the one spot from Evan Bourne is spectacular), there's really no point in watching it too many times in one lifetime. Del Rio only held the briefcase for a month anyways and his championship reign only lasted a month, so this really feels insignificant in the long run.

Number 2: Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Matt Hardy vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Kane vs. Christian (WrestleMania XXVI)

This was the final nail in the coffin of having the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania. Whether or not it had to do with having an actual PPV in the works, this entry easily sealed its fate at the Show of Shows. Having 10 people in the match was just overkill and left a number of people just filling a spot out there. Two I can particularly think of were MVP and Shelton Benjamin, who both asked for their respective releases by the end of that year. Minor coincidences I'm sure, but this match was a showcase of how their young talent should have been utilized. Not to mention the fact that this match has some noticeable botches (but another awesome spot from Bourne) and Jack Swagger's brief run with the case (HA!) was so underwhelming for his character that it led to one of the worst World Heavyweight Championship reigns in history, and I wouldn't have been surprised if the match gimmick would have died out completely after this match.

Number 1: Kane vs. Chris Jericho vs. The Miz vs. Big Show vs. John Cena (Money in the Bank 2012)

Let this picture sink in. The entire purpose of the Money in the Bank ladder match was so talent that had yet to win a World Title could win an opportunity. Their cash-ins determined the passing of torches and gave us fresh faces in the main event. Having John Cena win it in a match that consisted of all former World Champions, in the year 2012 nonetheless, is something NO ONE wanted. It completely negates the concept of the ladder match and Cena's cash-in was a complete failure. He won his match by disqualification, therefore he was unable to win the title and makes this boring, uninspired, ladder match completely and utterly pointless.

Are there any that I'm forgetting? Is there one on this list that you think isn't deserving of a top spot? Well, let me know in the comments and also suggest what type of wrestling countdown you'd like to see me do next.


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