10 Money in the Bank MVPs

Kane.  With his ruthless history and overall aura of demonic mystery, Kane doesn’t seem much like the type of Superstar who’d carry around a briefcase for months on end, waiting for the opportunity at a World Title Match to strike (seriously, think about that image for a bit. Doesn’t seem right, does it?). Apparently, The Devil’s Favorite Demon thought that very same thing when he defeated Big Show, Christian, Kofi Kingston, Matt Hardy, Dolph Ziggler, Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre at WWE Money in the Bank 2010, only to cash in his World Heavyweight Championship contract on Rey Mysterio that same night.

Kofi Kingston.  These days, Kofi Kingston’s gravity-defying feats are mostly reserved for the Royal Rumble Match, where The Dreadlocked Dynamo has found some absurd way to stave off elimination for three years running. But Kofi’s no slouch when it comes to the Money in the Bank Ladder Match either, especially in one stupefying moment at WrestleMania XXVI when he used a broken ladder to fashion a pair of stilts in what has to be the most innovative attempt to grab the contract in Money in the Bank history.

Daniel Bryan.  By now, Daniel Bryan’s shadow has grown so large over the WWE Universe that with all the “YES!”es and “NO!”s and beards, it’s easy to forget how it all started. In 2011, Bryan was already a former U.S. Champion but his then-subdued personality (yes, Daniel Bryan was once low-key – his “Flight of the Valkyries” theme song didn’t even have the guitars yet) had left him saddled with an underdog mentality that belied his killer instinct in the ring. With doubters raining insults all around him – Cody Rhodes condescendingly and ironically labeled him as “a common man” – Bryan did what he does best and stepped up at the greatest possible moment, defeating Rhodes, Sheamus, Sin Cara, Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, and future BFF Kane to capture a World Heavyweight Championship contract.

Randy Orton.  Strange as it sounds given his storied career, Randy Orton has never won a Money in the Bank Ladder Match. However, The Apex Predator is responsible for one of the mad match’s most enduring moments at WrestleMania 23 when he went berserk and unleashed a slew of RKOs on Matt Hardy, Finlay and Mr. Kennedy, clearing the ring and giving himself the clearest shot at capturing the briefcase.

Dolph Ziggler.  He swore to show the world, and at Money in the Bank 2012, Dolph Ziggler did just that, climbing past Cody Rhodes, Damien Sandow, Tensai, Tyson Kidd, Sin Cara and Christian to seize a World Heavyweight Championship contract. If nothing else, The Showoff’s tenure as a Money in the Bank contract holder was certainly the most entertaining, as he attempted a cadre of cash-ins on various World Champions but always failed due to the timely interference of some opponent or another who cut him off at the pass.

CM Punk. 
CM Punk wrestles with a purpose. He’s out to prove that he truly is the Best in the World. The Money in the Bank Ladder Match gave The Straight Edge Superstar the boost he needed to reach the upper echelon of WWE and truly show what he was made of.
At WrestleMania XXIV, Punk evaded the high-flying ladder attacks of John Morrison, daredevil dives by Shelton Benjamins and the veteran know-how of Chris Jericho to win the bout. Punk successfully cashed in to win the World Heavyweight Title that June on Edge.  But that's not it!  At WrestleMania XXV he also won Money in the bank and defeated Kofi Kingston, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, Kane, Mark Henry, Finlay, and Christian and then cashed in Money in the Bank in June as well against Jeff Hardy

Shelton Benjamin. 
Just because Shelton Benjamin never won a Money in the Bank Ladder Match doesn’t mean he didn’t make an impact. Taking part in five of the high-risk, high-reward bouts, The Gold Standard always made sure the WWE Universe was talking about him after the bell.
An accomplished amateur wrestler at the University of Minnesota, Benjamin was the last person you’d expect to be a daredevil. However, a guaranteed opportunity to challenge for the WWE or World Heavyweight Title will motivate even the most grounded Superstar to put everything on the line.
The Gold Standard used his agility and athleticism to his advantage, darting up ladders with lightning-quick speed. No matter how his opponents managed to stack up the ladders, Benjamin found a way to make his way to the top. At The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, he showed what kind of damage he could do from the top of one, taking a daring leap onto his foes. Though he may not have retrieved the briefcase, Shelton Benjamin will be included in every Money in the Bank highlight reel in history.

Chris Jericho.  The chaos that comes around every summer at Money in the Bank is all thanks to one Superstar: Chris Jericho. It was Y2J who pitched the idea for the original Money in the Bank Ladder Match to then-Raw GM Eric Bischoff. Impressed, Bischoff set up the match for WrestleMania 21, and the rest is history.

Edge. 
The Money in the Bank Ladder Match helped make Edge a WWE Hall of Famer. The victor of the inaugural bout, Edge set the tone for what the contract inside that briefcase could do for a Superstar’s career.
The Rated-R Superstar, practically a master of Ladder Matches, emerged victorious from the wreckage of the first Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 21. He patiently waited for the right moment to take his opportunity at glory, while the champions nervously looked over their shoulders.
Nearly nine months later, he found the perfect opening. John Cena was left beaten and covered in crimson after a brutal Elimination Chamber Match at New Year’s Revolution 2005. Edge stalked to the ring with a purpose and relinquished his briefcase. One Spear later and Edge’s ascent to the WWE Hall of Fame was on the fast track.

Rob Van Dam.  Like Edge, Rob Van Dam knew how to use the Money in the Bank contract to his advantage. Unlike The Rated-R Superstar, RVD gave the champion advance notice. After winning the brutal bout at WrestleMania 22, Van Dam told WWE Champion John Cena that he’d be cashing in on his home court, at the 2006 ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view.