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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