This year’s WWE Money In The Bank event is merely two weeks away, where the annual MITB matches will take place at WWE HQ with the wrestlers having to ‘Climb The Corporate Ladder’ from the bottom floor all the way to the roof.
To prepare for the show, this list will examine ’10 Money In The Bank Feuds You Must Rewatch’.
WrestleMania 21, in 2005, saw the first ever MITB ladder match, but the annual standalone pay-per-views didn’t start until 2010. It has been one of WWE’s most exciting and unpredictable events – often being placed in the same league as the Royal Rumble, Survivor Series & SummerSlam.
It has featured many great feuds, so let’s release our nostalgia and take a look.
10. Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair & Becky Lynch vs Lacey Evans (2019)
Becky Lynch was the hottest thing in WWE after her win in the main event of WrestleMania 35, but her road was getting even more treacherous at Money in the Bank.
Not only did she set up a Raw Women’s Championship match with Lacey Evans – she also had to face Charlotte Flair with her SmackDown Women’s Championship up for grabs.
The odds were very much stacked against the ‘Irish Lass Kicker’ in her first title defences.
These two feuds were excellent for a couple of reasons.
First, ‘The Man’ was still on fire with the crowd, with many anticipating Lynch forcing both her opponents to tap to the Dis-Arm-Her.
The matches were okay, not bad, but were over too quick to be exceptional.
Lynch retained against Lacey Evans, however, her run as ‘Becky 2 Belts’ was over before it had barely started as Charlotte won her title back, only to lose to MITB winner Bayley on the same night.
9. Dean Ambrose Wins WWE Championship (2016)
Money In The Bank 2016 is known as the only night that all three Shield members held the WWE Championship.
At the start of the show, the ‘Lunatic Fringe’ Dean Ambrose outlasted the competition and held his date with destiny – winning the MITB contract.
That date of destiny turned out to be the very same night as the main event was Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns for the WWE title.
Reigns lost to Rollins, who was there to reclaim what he thought was rightfully his.
However, the night didn’t end on a high note for the ‘Architect’, as Ambrose cashed in and won his first WWE Championship.
This then led to a Shield three-way at Battleground before all men were separated in the return of the brand split.
8. John Cena vs Kevin Owens – United States Championship (2015)
WWE isn’t well known for fantastic or interesting NXT call-ups, which makes Kevin Owens’ WWE debut even more incredible.
KO made his presence known in WWE, coming up with the NXT Championship and delivering a pop-up powerbomb to US Champ, John Cena on the May 18 edition of Raw.
He then went on to be victorious against Cena in a champion vs champion match at Elimination Chamber 2015.
This led to Cena and Owens having another fun bout at MITB 2015, which Cena won, retaining his United States Title.
If WWE did not have this feud tp ignite Kevin Owens’ career in WWE, he may have just been another guy on the roster. However, he has gone on to win Universal, US and Intercontinental gold since.
7. Nia Jax vs Ronda Rousey – Raw Women’s Championship (2018)
Money In The Bank 2018 was a significant show for the women’s division as the ‘Baddest Woman on the Planet’ Ronda Rousey faced RAW Women’s Champion, Nia Jax in her first singles match.
This match displayed Rousey’s athletic talents and showed her transition from MMA fighter to WWE wrestlre.
Rousey’s reign of dominance was put on halt that night. Instead, MITB winner Alexa Bliss cashed in and started a feud with Rousey in the process. Therefore, Rousey didn’t win the championship until SummerSlam.
I’m sure if Rousey and Jax met in the ring again, “fake fighting” would be thrown out the window with how much trash-talking they dish out over Twitter.
6. Damien Sandow Wins Money In The Bank Ladder Match (2013)
Even though he lost his cash-in, Damien Sandow winning the Money In The Bank ladder match was one of the most unexpected moments in MITB history.
The self-entitled ‘Saviour of the Masses’, and younger-looking version of Elias, was one of the best on the mic in 2013.
At that time he was in a tag team with Cody Rhodes titled “Team Rhodes Scholars”.
That team lasted until Money In The Bank 2013. The competitors in the SmackDown ladder match being Sandow, Rhodes, Dean Ambrose, Fandango, Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro… the latter being the only man left remaining in the company to this day.
Rhodes was highly over with the crowd as a heel act at that time and winning the contract could have placed him right in the main event scene – something that defied his career in WWE.
Still defiant, Rhodes lost through a betrayal as instead it was Sandow who climbed the ladder to success.
This gave us a fun feud between Sandow & Rhodes, which even saw Sandow’s briefcase being thrown into the Gulf of Mexico!
The contract win did not really lead anywhere with Sandow losing to Cena, but at least he became a highly over comedy act as Damien Mizdow before he left the company.
5. Carmella Wins Money In The Bank Ladder Match… Twice?! (2017)
Who would’ve thought that for Carmella to reach the Women’s Championship, she needed James Ellsworth?
At Money In The Bank 2017, the women got their own ladder match for the very first time, with Becky Lynch vs Natalya vs Charlotte Flair vs Tamina vs the eventual winner Carmella.
The match was fun and spot-heavy as all ladder matches are, but the first ever female MITB match will have to go down in history with shenanigans and the opposite gender winning…
Carmella only scraped a win as her goon James Ellsworth climbed up the ladder and dropped the briefcase into her arms.
This then cemented another first ever in history, as the post-MITB SmackDown featured a MITB ladder rematch, which Carmella fabulously won by herself.
‘Mella would then go on to hold the briefcase all the way until the SmackDown after WrestleMania 34 and cash-in on Charlotte Flair.
It was quite intriguing to watch at the time, so certainly consider rewatching it now.
4. Randy Orton vs Christian – World Heavyweight Championship (2011)
The feud between Randy Orton and Christian over the World Heavyweight Championship was one of the best rivalries of the decade. Finally, we saw Christian go from Edge’s lackey to a main eventer.
It wasn’t even supposed to happen. Unfortunately, Edge had to retire, which meant Christian got placed in his spot to face Alberto Del Rio for the title at Extreme Rules in a Ladder Match.
Thankfully, Christian won the title that had shied away from him his entire career. That was until that moment in 2011. Disappointingly, he lost the title on the post-SmackDown to Randy Orton.
That was the start of an incredible blood feud between Orton and Christian.
Starting at Over the Limit, and ending at SummerSlam, these guys had instant classics and delivered a thoroughly entertaining story.
Each match was unique and action-packed, including their fight at Capitol Punishment and the one at Money In The Bank 2011.
MITB 2011 was known as one of WWE’s greatest pay-per-views of the modern era, with its stacked card and headline matches making it a show made in heaven.
Orton vs Christian on that show definitely gave WWE the big dollar cheque. Prior to the match, we were informed that if Orton got counted out or disqualified, he would automatically lose the World Heavyweight Championship.
This did happen as the heel Christian unleashed the voices in Orton’s head with an unseen spit, which forced Orton to kick him in the nuts.
Christian regained the title!
Just the thought that if Edge did not retire we most likely wouldn’t have seen this rivalry span out is quite appalling. At least we did get to enjoy the greatness of this feud and we have Edge back on our screens now, so it is a win-win!
3. John Cena Wins Money In The Bank Briefcase (2012)
In a star-studded Money In The Bank clash, John Cena captured the briefcase adding more achievements to his legacy.
The match was Cena vs Big Show vs Kane vs Chris Jericho vs The Miz, and was as entertaining as all MITB matches can be.
The match even contained a spot where Big Show got an extra-large ladder and they did the typical ‘big guy spot’ by suffocating him under the intense weight of ladders.
This then led to the eventual winner being John Cena.
Usually, I’d be unhappy about predictable picks, but once you see the feud that started afterwards, this was totally the correct choice.
Cena announced his championship match very early in advance, challenging CM Punk for the 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw.
The match was sports entertainment at its finest, with plenty of hype, Big Show, and a huge match set up between CM Punk and The Rock for the Royal Rumble 2013 pay-per-view… Who said WWE can’t do long-term storytelling?
Also, Cena lost to Punk, being the first man to lose his cash-in followed by Sandow in 2013, Corbin in 2017 and Strowman in 2018.
This was, however, totally the right call, as it let Cena share the spotlight and be involved in some non-title feuds for a few months.
2. John Cena vs Mark Henry – WWE Championship (2013)
This fake retirement was one of the only ones that actually had me fooled for the entire segment. Mark Henry was genuinely believable and a fantastic storyteller.
Henry came out for the June 17 edition of Monday Night Raw, in his famous, salmon coloured suit, ready to address the crowd about having to retire.
It seemed so true. Henry had done everything in the WWE to make him a certain Hall of Famer. From the Nation of Domination to the World’s Strongest Man to the Hall of Pain. Mark Henry had a long, successful career and ending in 2013 didn’t seem disappointing – instead it was a prideful moment for WWE fans.
This was until WWE Champion, John Cena, came out to say his regards and Henry informed us that he has done everything in WWE, except winning the WWE Championship, hitting a World’s Strongest Slam to set up their feud.
John Cena won the match at Money In The Bank, but it was the fake retirement segment that will keep this feud being mentioned forever.
1. John Cena vs CM Punk – WWE Championship (MITB 2011)
It’s one of the greatest feuds of all time and definitely the greatest feud of the modern era, CM Punk vs John Cena.
Cena has had numerous notable feuds in his career: Randy Orton, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, but nothing was as gruelling and spectacular as his one with CM Punk.
The feud was based of Punk being ‘anti-Cena’. He represented everything John Cena didn’t. He was also heavily critical against WWE. His famouse ‘pipe bomb’ promo on the June 27 edition of Raw was one of the most shocking segments in the history of the company.
This then led to a match at Money In The Bank for the WWE Championship, which was the most epic of locations to choose for beginning this rivalry, as the MITB pay-per-view that year was hosted in Chicago, Illinois – CM Punk’s hometown.
Everyone wanted Punk to win, and therefore, Cena was booed more than ever. With interruptions from Mr McMahon, Punk did win and he left through the crowd, blowing Vince a kiss farewell.
This led to Punk being titled the ‘Undisputed World Champion’. A tournament was made to crown the official champion.
Rey Mysterio was the winner of the tournament, although his title run was short-lived because on the same night, Cena reclaimed the title.
This rivalry ran its course basically until Punk left the company in 2014.
It was shocking, creative and most of all it felt completely real and natural. It felt like a turn against WWE was right especially after the bad booking decisions with Nexus made prior.
This storyline rejuvenated the company and brought many old fans back to the product while introducing new ones, including myself.
This was certainly the greatest Money In The Bank moment.
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