Every WWE Money In The Bank Cash-In Ranked

Introduced back in 2005, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match has become one of WWE’s best-ever stipulation matches. The match can also create a star, with the winner receiving a contract which grants them a shot for any title at any time for one year. 

Some WWE Superstars are honourable, announcing their cash-in ahead of time, but the vast majority wait until their target is tired or beaten down, even the babyfaces.

Even when the odds are ever in their favour, some wrestlers still end up failing to become a champion when they cash in the briefcase. On the other side, though, there have been some truly great cash-ins. 

An honourable mention must be made for Asuka, who won the 2020 Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match. She didn’t actually cash in her briefcase, though, as it was revealed on the following episode of Raw that the match was actually for the Raw Women’s Championship due to Becky Lynch relinquishing the title as she was pregnant. 

This is every single WWE Money in the Bank Cash-In Ranked. 

32. Austin Theory - November 7, 2022 episode of Raw

Austin Theory was on the receiving end of a huge push from the end of 2021, with it being noted both on-screen and behind-the-scenes that then-WWE booker Vince McMahon was a huge fan of the young star, very much pushing him as the next big thing in the company. This included Theory being involved with McMahon at WrestleMania 38, having a short reign with the United States Title, and winning the Money in the Bank Ladder match when he was suddenly added to the match just before the bell rang. 

Unfortunately for Theory, he rarely impressed during his big push and his cash-in very much served as a way to get the briefcase off him after Vince McMahon briefly retired from WWE amidst a sexual misconduct and hush money scandal and was replaced at the top of creative by Triple H. 

Theory’s cash-in also didn’t make sense as he chose to cash in for a shot at Seth Rollins’ United States Title despite the Money in the Bank briefcase providing him with the opportunity to become a world champion, even if it would have seen him try and defeat Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. 

Not only did Theory cash in for the United States Championship, he didn’t even win the belt. When Theory had the match won, Bobby Lashley pulled the referee out of the ring and proceeded to decimate Theory while the official was down. After the ref recovered, Theory just about escaped a count-out loss to Rollins but he rolled straight into a Stomp upon getting back in the ring and was pinned moments later by Seth. 

Theory would regain the United States Title just weeks later at Survivor Series, which only further cemented how utterly pointless his stint with the Money in the Bank briefcase was. 

31. Baron Corbin - August 15, 2017 episode of SmackDown

Baron Corbin won his Money in the Bank briefcase in 2017, climbing the ladder ahead of the likes of AJ Styles, Shinsuke Nakamura, Kevin Owens, and Sami Zayn. His cash-in didn’t go very well, however, and was the low point of his career to that point. 

The main event of the August 15, 2017 episode of SmackDown saw John Cena face WWE Champion Jinder Mahal in a non-title match. After hitting a Super Attitude Adjustment from the top rope, Cena was in the process of pinning Mahal when Baron Corbin slid his Money in the Bank briefcase into the ring and straight into the pin attempt, drawing the DQ. 

Corbin then hammered Cena with the briefcase, sending him out of the ring, before he cashed in on Jinder Mahal. As soon as the bell rang, though, John Cena popped up on the apron. A distracted Corbin then knocked Cena down to the floor before Jinder suddenly rolled up Baron within seconds for the quick victory. 

It was so sudden, and so out of the blue, and did absolutely nothing for either Baron Corbin or Jinder Mahal, with Corbin appearing to be an idiot and Mahal looking incredibly lucky. To add insult to insult, Cena then promptly dispatched of Corbin at SummerSlam. 

Fans were left wondering if Baron Corbin had backstage heat due to how bad his cash-in was and that was reportedly the case after Corbin spoke up at a talent meeting in early August 2017 about CTE with Dr. Joseph Maroon, who reportedly downplayed a study about the links between American football and CTE.

While his Money in the Bank cash-in was horrendous, Corbin would be a featured star across the WWE main roster and NXT after his failed cash-in until his release in 2024. 

30. Damien Sandow - October 28, 2013 episode of Raw

While WWE sometimes books an established main eventer to grab the briefcase, arguably the best wins go to an up-and-coming talent. Back in 2013, that talent was Damien Sandow, who won the World Heavyweight Title Money in the Bank Ladder Match in 2013 after betraying Team Rhodes Scholars tag team partner Cody Rhodes. 

Sandow chose to cash-in on John Cena, a John Cena who had returned just one night earlier from a torn triceps at Hell in a Cell and defeated Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. Cena, still with his arm heavily taped up, opened Raw and he was soon interrupted by Sandow, who reminded Big Match John he could cash-in whenever he wanted.

Sandow then moved to walk away but Cena pushed him, which led to Sandow attacking Cena’s injured arm with the MITB briefcase. This led to a 13-minute match, with the contest and promo taking up three segments on Raw, but it was ultimately the champion who overcame the odds, pinning Sandow following a one-armed AA. 

Sandow himself discussed his failure in 2020, noting that WWE booked him to cash-in on that particularly Raw on October 28, 2013 due to Raw going head-to-head with game 5 of the World Series and Monday Night Football. 

29. Braun Strowman - Hell In A Cell 2018

Braun Strowman was on a roll in 2018, having been pushed as a top star in WWE since his excellent feud with Roman Reigns in 2017. The feeling amongst WWE fans was that Strowman deserved a run with one of the top belts in the company and that looked set to be the case in storyline after he won the 2018 Money in the Bank Ladder Match. 

It appeared as though Strowman was going to cash-in on the winner of the feud between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar, a decision that would have kept him a popular anti-hero in the eyes of most fans. Instead, when Roman won the Universal Title at SummerSlam, WWE decided to turn Strowman heel and he formed a faction with Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler as a foil to the reformed Shield. 

A heel Strowman then had an uninspired cash-in as he told Reigns ahead of time they would be facing off inside Hell in a Cell. The situation then only went from bad to worse as their Hell in a Cell Match, a match with no rules, ended in a no contest after Brock Lesnar returned and battered both men. Even special guest referee Mick Foley couldn’t do anything after receiving a dose of pepper spray to the eyes from Paul Heyman.

28. John Cena - Raw 1000

John Cena is a record-holding 17-time world champion in WWE but none of his title wins came courtesy of a Money in the Bank cash-in.

Cena’s one and only cash-in came at Raw 1000 in 2012 and Cena, ever the benevolent babyface at the time, arranged the match ahead of time as he challenged CM Punk for the spinner belt. The match headlined the 1000th episode of Raw and went 11 minutes, but ultimately ended in a screwy finish as Big Show laid out Cena for the DQ while Big Match John had Punk trapped in an STF. 

It was the first failed cash-in in WWE history, and even though it was probably wiser than putting the belt back on Cena, it certainly felt like a deflating finish. The cash-in failure then became a complete afterthought as The Rock got involved post-match and was about to hit The Big Show with a People’s Elbow, only to be hit with a flying lariat by CM Punk from out of nowhere, turning the WWE Champion heel in the process. 

Punk revealed in 2014 during his infamous podcast appearance with Colt Cabana that he was given the choice to turn heel or drop the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan as the long-term plan was for Once In A Lifetime II between Cena and Rock, this time with the WWE Championship on the line. 

27. Drew McIntyre - Money In The Bank 2024

In the grand scheme of things, Drew McIntyre’s Money in the Bank win and cash-in at 2024’s pay-per-view was purely there to continue his feud with CM Punk through another failure on McIntyre’s quest to regain the World Heavyweight Championship. 

McIntyre had vowed ahead of the show that he would win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match and cash in that night to regain the title that was stolen from him by Damian Priest at WrestleMania 41. In a callback to Seth Rollins in 2015, McIntyre cashed in during Rollins’ challenge of Damian Priest and looked set to win the match after hitting Priest with a Claymore. 

Having made the match a Triple Threat and therefore No DQ, though, McIntyre was promptly attacked by CM Punk before Drew could make the pin. Punk battered Drew around the ringside area with a steel chair and then the World Heavyweight Title belt before Priest hit McIntyre with South of Heaven to retain the championship. 

While it was another entertaining chapter in the programme between Drew McIntyre and CM Punk, it didn’t exactly do the Money in the Bank concept any favours as it was simply used as a prop.

26. Alberto Del Rio - SummerSlam 2011

The Summer of 2011 was an incredible time to be a wrestling fan, for both good and bad reasons. CM Punk cut his famous pipebomb promo before walking out of the company with the WWE Championship at Money in the Bank 2011. Punk returned far too soon - only eight days later - but the Summer of Punk still had momentum when CM Punk vs. John Cena to determine the Undisputed WWE Champion with Triple H as special guest referee was booked for SummerSlam.

WWE still couldn’t book Punk to beat Cena clean, though, as he won the match when Cena’s foot was on the rope. Then Punk was laid out by a returning Kevin Nash of all people, despite the former Diesel having no prior connection to the storyline. This left the door open for Del Rio to run in, cash in, and pin a weakened Punk to become WWE Champion.

Amongst all the chaos, Del Rio’s cash-in was very much an afterthought and wasn’t something that anybody tuning into WWE TV wanted to see. It is also seen as the moment the Summer of Punk began to turn sour and even though that’s not Del Rio's fault, it does have an impact on its ranking. 

Del Rio’s cash-in was also quite pointless as he lost the belt just weeks later to Cena at Night of Champions, only to win the WWE Title back at Hell in a Cell, before finally losing it for good at Survivor Series as WWE got CM Punk back on track. 

25. Jack Swagger - April 2, 2010 episode of SmackDown

Jack Swagger is one of the more forgettable Money in the Bank Ladder Match winners, having captured the briefcase at WrestleMania XXVI. He tried to win gold instantly too by attempting to cash in on WWE Champion John Cena before realising that was a terrible idea. 

Instead, Swagger waited only a few days as he cashed in on Chris Jericho to become the new World Heavyweight Champion on the post-Mania SmackDown, with Swagger proving to be an opportunist after Jericho’s WrestleMania opponent Edge beat him down.

It took an age for Swagger’s cash-in match to begin due to Jericho being down and already taped up to sell the effects of WrestleMania. When the bell did ring, Swagger won within seconds with a gutwrench powerbomb on a suit pants-wearing Jericho. 

Swagger’s MITB cash-in is particularly forgettable as his reign with the World Heavyweight Champion was just that, losing the belt after 82 days to Rey Mysterio.

24. Nikki ASH - July 19, 2011 episode of Raw

Charlotte Flair must despise the Money in the Bank contract in storyline, having been cashed in on multiple times to give her some terribly short reigns in WWE.

Flair was subjected to another short reign in 2021 as she dropped the Raw Women’s Title to Nikki ASH only one day after she had won the belt at Money in the Bank from Rhea Ripley.

Flair and Ripley faced off in a rematch for the gold on Raw which ended by DQ when Charlotte hit the challenger with the Raw Women’s Title belt. This only led to a post-match brawl in which Ripley levelled Flair with a Riptide on the floor. 

Sniffing an opportunity, Nikki ASH charged to the ring, cashed in, and hit a Crossbody on Charlotte to become the new Raw Women’s Champion very much out of nowhere. The moment felt big too as it was the first Raw to take place in front of fans since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic over one year earlier.

This didn’t stop Nikki’s elevation to the top from feeling rushed, however, as she had only adopted the ASH (Almost a Superhero) gimmick shortly beforehand and then shockingly won the Women’s MITB Ladder Match. The gimmick was also not great and very much looked like it belonged in the early 1990s New Generation era, not 2021. 

Overall, Nikki’s time as Nikki ASH was forgettable and so was her Money in the Bank cash-in. 

23. Brock Lesnar - Extreme Rules 2019

Brock Lesnar’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match win in 2019 was legitimately a shock as The Beast Incarnate hadn’t been on TV since losing the Universal Title to Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 35 and he wasn’t even in the Ladder Match, instead just striding in at the end to snatch victory from the hands of Mustafa Ali. 

Lesnar’s time with the briefcase was fun as he became Beatbox Brock but there wasn’t much of a surprise about his cash-in as Paul Heyman literally said it would happen in the weeks before Extreme Rules. 

Following an emotionally-charged mixed tag team match main event with both the Universal Title and Raw Women’s Title on the line in which Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch overcame Baron Corbin & Lacey Evans, Lesnar’s music immediately filled the arena.

Rollins tried to fight back but simply ran straight into two German Suplexes from Lesnar before Heyman cashed in on behalf of his client. One F5 later and Brock Lesnar was the new Universal Champion.

One of the main issues, though, was fans were sick of seeing Lesnar as Universal Champion as Brock had very much dominated the Universal Title picture for over two years by Extreme Rules 2019. Also any Lesnar reign wasn’t helped by his part-time schedule. 

Fortunately, Lesnar’s reign wasn’t long and very much served to further elevate Seth Rollins, who defeated The Beast in a banger at SummerSlam 2019. 

22. The Miz - Elimination Chamber 2021

The Miz became only the second person to win the Money in the Bank briefcase without winning the actual ladder match when he defeated Otis at Hell in a Cell 2020.

Miz remained a fixture on TV with the briefcase alongside John Morrison, although The Miz had significantly cooled off by the early 2020s and nobody expected a long reign from The A-Lister.

Still, his Money in the Bank cash-in was a surprise and took place after Drew McIntyre had just about survived a gruelling Elimination Chamber match and was flattened by Bobby Lashley in a post-match attack, with Lashley frustrated over losing the United States Championship earlier in the evening.

As Lashley stood over McIntyre, Miz suddenly ran to the ring with a referee and cashed in his briefcase, putting McIntyre away with a Skull-Crushing Finale after Drew initially kicked out of a DDT.

It was nice to see The Miz become a two-time WWE Champion, having been one of WWE’s most reliable talents in the latter half of the 2010s, particularly during his time in the Intercontinental Title picture. The cash-in was hampered, though, by taking place in the ThunderDome and anything from this period and the piped in crowd noise has aged poorly. It also felt like a second world title reign for Miz was at least three years too late. 

Miz’s cash-in also dwindled in importance as he lost the belt just eight days later, very much serving as a transitional champion between Drew McIntyre and Bobby Lashley. 

21. Carmella - April 10, 2018 episode of SmackDown

Carmella’s time with the Money in the Bank briefcase was filled with controversy from the very beginning, since she won the Ladder Match twice after WWE bizarrely booked James Ellsworth to grab the briefcase at the pay-per-view which led to a rerun on SmackDown a few days later. Carmella then repeatedly tried and failed to cash-in the briefcase for close to a year before she finally cashed in on Charlotte Flair only days after Flair ended Asuka’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania 34. 

While Carmella’s time with the briefcase wasn’t great, her cash-in was exciting and summed up the energy and chaos of the post-WrestleMania episodes of WWE TV.

Carmella’s cash-in came about after The IIconics beat down Charlotte Flair and Carmella won the match in just seven seconds. It was an important moment in front of a hot crowd, and even though her title reign wasn’t great, she visibly improved in the ring over the course of 2018 and rose to the occasion in the face of bad booking. 

20. Kane - Money In The Bank 2010

Jack Swagger ended up affecting the other Money in the Bank cash-in in 2010 as he faced Rey Mysterio for the World Heavyweight Title at the MITB pay-per-view, looking to regain the belt he lost at Fatal 4-Way. 

Swagger ultimately failed but he provided the perfect opening for Kane - who had won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match just 49 minutes earlier - to cash-in on Rey Mysterio and become World Heavyweight Champion, winning the belt for the first time and holding a proper world title on WWE TV for the first time since the 1990s. 

While the moment was set up as a popular underdog being screwed by the heel, the fans loved it as it finally gave Kane a meaningful world title reign, something his long and storied career arguably deserved. He was also the first wrestler to cash-in on the same night he won the briefcase in another very good moment. 

19. Alexa Bliss - Money In The Bank 2018

Another wrestler who didn’t wait around to cash-in was Alexa Bliss, who surprisingly won the Women’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match in 2018 and then used the briefcase to win back the title she had only lost at WrestleMania 34. 

Bliss’s cash-in was a great bit of drama too as Ronda Rousey looked set to win the Raw Women’s Championship from Nia Jax, who beat Bliss for the belt at WrestleMania following a storyline about Bliss bullying her. While Rousey had the Armbar locked in, though, Bliss attacked Ronda with the briefcase, causing the match to be thrown out.

Bliss then beat down Rousey and Jax with the briefcase before cashing in on Nia and winning the belt back in a fun moment outside of the implication that bullies sometimes win. 

Bliss’ reign then served simply as a way to delay Rousey’s inevitable title win, which took place at SummerSlam.

18. Liv Morgan - Money In The Bank 2022

Another popular wrestler to cash-in who wasted little time in doing so was Liv Morgan. The former Riott Squad member's popularity had only blossomed as her WWE career progressed and she was a popular choice to win the Ladder Match.

With WWE having already had a female wrestler cash-in very quickly after winning the briefcase in 2018, 2019, and 2021, it was somewhat of a surprise to see the company go to the well for the fourth time in quick succession as Morgan made her way to the ring to try and defeat a weakened Ronda Rousey, who had picked up a knee injury during her SmackDown Women’s Title defence against Natalya.

Morgan then looked set to be overzealous as she was instantly placed in an Ankle Lock by Rousey, only to eventually kick Rousey’s injured knee and roll-up the champion for the win. 

Morgan’s eventual reign was distinctly underwhelming but her initial cash-in was fun and set the stage for her to become a top WWE star in the following years.  

17. Tiffany Stratton - January 3, 2025 episode of SmackDown

Tiffany Stratton’s Money in the Bank cash-in was a big way to start 2025 on SmackDown and culminated a months-long storyline in which she finally turned on Nia Jax after repeatedly chickening out of cashing in the briefcase when other opportunities had presented themselves.

Stratton initially looked set to chicken out again as Nia Jax defended the WWE Women’s Championship against Naomi. She even helped Jax retain the title before Stratton suddenly decked the champion with the briefcase when Jax set up for a post-match Banzai Drop to Naomi. 

The crowd roared when Stratton turned on Jax and they cheered even louder when Tiffany cashed in and promptly pinned Nia following a Prettiest Moonsault Ever.

The moment was exactly what Money in the Bank was designed for and was a star-cementing moment for Stratton, who had only begun pro wrestling training in 2021. 

16. Bayley - Money In The Bank 2019

Bayley wasted very little time to cash in her Money in the Bank contract, but the novelty of women cashing in on the same night hadn’t been done to death despite being a repeat of the year before with Alexa Bliss. 

The cash-in came about as Bayley made the save for Becky Lynch in a post-match attack from Charlotte Flair and Lacey Evans after Becky Two Belts became Becky One Belt, dropping the SmackDown Women’s Title to Charlotte. Bayley making the save with the briefcase in hand hinted she could cash in but the company did a wonderful tease of Bayley being presented with the perfect opportunity after Flair missed on a Spear and crashed and burned into the middle turnbuckle. 

Bayley then looked conflicted on whether or not to cash in before she pulled the trigger and hit Flair with a Flying Elbow to become the new SmackDown Women’s Champion. The moment was a big one for Bayley, who had struggled on the main roster as a whole since her call-up and botched Raw Women’s Title run in 2017. It was also popular with fans, who were happy to see Bayley win gold and put a halt to a possible long Charlotte reign in the process. 

The cash-in also had long-term consequences as Bayley dropping the SmackDown Women’s Title and winning it back would be the catalyst for her heel turn later in the year which cemented the Four Horsewoman as one of WWE’s top performers for years to come. 

15. Daniel Bryan - TLC 2011

Daniel Bryan's cash-in wasn't massively exciting in terms of action, with Bryan simply pinning a semi-conscious Big Show to win the World Heavyweight Title. The wider storytelling was superb, though, and actually played a vital role in the development of Bryan’s character.

Despite being a babyface, the internet darling took advantage of his friend’s moment of weakness - even after promising to save his cash-in for WrestleMania. To top it all off, he celebrated like an absolute maniac. 

This started a wonderful, slow descend into heeldom, with Bryan’s ego becoming more inflated on a weekly basis. It also helped popularise his now-iconic ‘Yes!’ chant, and directly led to the infamous 18-second loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28  - both factors in his eventual mega-push a couple of years later. 

Sometimes wrestling is at its best when it keeps the storytelling simple - a good guy overcoming the odds to beat an evil villain. But sometimes more subtle angles can be just as compelling, if not more so - and Bryan’s cash-in is a perfect example, even if it didn’t seem like much at the time.

14. Sheamus - Survivor Series 2015

When Roman Reigns won his first world title, defeating Dean Ambrose in the final of a tournament for the vacant belt, very few WWE fans were particularly happy at seeing WWE’s new golden boy finally be given the championship. It seemed like a long reign for The Big Dog was imminent so everyone was shocked when Sheamus popped up from out of nowhere.

Reigns initially celebrated with the belt and looked set to stand even more tall after he speared Triple H, rejecting a handshake from the WWE authority figure. As Reigns spun around, though, he turned straight into a Brogue Kick from Sheamus, who then cashed in. There was great drama to follow as Reigns initially kicked out, leaving fans who despised him in desperation mode. Reigns then went for a Spear and looked set to conquer all, only to jump into a second Brogue Kick as Sheamus pinned Roman while the confetti continued to fall throughout. 

While an exciting moment, the wider circumstances heading into the cash-in were far from ideal as Sheamus was a shock ladder match winner earlier in the year and WWE did little to establish himself as a main event talent once again, with Sheamus even on the losing side of a Survivor Series Elimination Match earlier in the night. 

Sheamus’ whole WWE World Heavyweight Title reign was there just to try and get the fans to actually cheer for Roman Reigns, which they only did slightly when Roman won back the belt in late December after Vince McMahon had inserted himself into the programme to create another Babyface vs. The Authority angle. 

13. Big E - September 13, 2021 episode of Raw

Big E had a different cash-in to many as he actually announced ahead of the September 13, 2021 episode of Raw that he was going to cash in that night on whoever won the WWE Title match between Bobby Lashley and Randy Orton, with the cash-in coming about as WWE looked for a big moment after drawing a lower 18-49 demo rating than AEW Dynamite one week earlier. 

Big E then did indeed cash in following the main event of Raw after Lashley successfully retained the WWE Title with the help of MVP. Lashley was dealing with a storyline injury, though, as he put Randy Orton through the announce table post-match.

As Lashley tried to stagger back to the ring, Big E ran down the ramp and cashed in, with the ensuing match having great drama after the WWE Champion caught E with a spear. Big E then dodged a Dominator attempt and followed up with the Big Ending to win the WWE Title.

The moment saw the culmination of a singles push for Big E which fans had been wanting for years, and the moment was all the sweeter as E reunited with New Day stablemates Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to celebrate his triumph.

12. IYO SKY - SummerSlam 2023

IYO SKY had been a popular WWE talent and was regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the company when she won a singles title on the main roster at SummerSlam 2023. 

SKY’s cash-in took place after Bianca Belair had outlasted Charlotte Flair and Asuka to win the Women’s World Championship, only for SKY’s music to instantly hit after Belair was presented with the title belt. What ensued was Bayley and SKY working together to take out Flair and Asuka before SKY delivered a briefcase shot to Belair and connected with her Moonsault finisher for the win. 

Despite being a heel, the moment was a feel-good one for SKY and the fans in attendance, with the moment only improving after SKY and Bayley were joined in the ring by their injured Damage CTRL stablemate Dakota Kai.

SKY’s ensuing title reign only cemented her as worthy of being one of the top talents on WWE TV and she has been a main event player ever since.

11. Edge - May 11, 2007 episode of SmackDown

If there was ever a wrestler tailor made for the Money in the Bank briefcase it was Edge during his run as the Ultimate Opportunist. Edge’s 2007 title win was particularly audacious, though, as he didn’t even win the MITB Ladder Match, but instead defeated Mr. Kennedy to win the briefcase following WrestleMania 23 in one of the few instances where the briefcase has changed hands. 

Edge didn’t let the opportunity go to waste and after The Undertaker had just about survived a gruelling Steel Cage Match to successfully defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Batista, ‘Taker was pummelled post-match by a furious Mark Henry. 

This left The Undertaker an absolute mess and provided the perfect opportunity for Edge to swoop in and deliver a Spear before pinning the Deadman to become WHC Champion for the first time. Edge then had a fun reign at the top of SmackDown which was sadly cut short due to an injury.

10. The Miz - November 22, 2010 episode of Raw

The Miz’s transition from reality TV to the wrestling business wasn’t an easy one. He was infamously kicked out of the locker room for spilling chicken crumbs on Chris Benoit’s bag, but Miz proved his worth and earned respect over the course of a long hard grind. 

Miz’s journey from zero to hero was completed in 2010, when he cashed-in on Randy Orton. It was a particularly tough day for Orton, who had been attacked by The Nexus before his title match with Wade Barrett. Orton then just managed to retain following help from John Cena, only for The Miz to cash in on a weakened Viper.

Instead of rushing the title win, however, the match lasted a tense few minutes before Miz finally connected with a Skull Crushing Finale to win the WWE Championship for the first time. The fans in the arena were devastated, especially one girl whose disgust at Miz’s win instantly became a meme.

The less said about The Miz’s reign the better. He did get to main event WrestleMania 27, but he played third fiddle to the drama between The Rock and John Cena and ultimately lost the belt to Big Match John at Extreme Rules. 

9. CM Punk - June 30, 2008 episode of Raw

Despite starting afresh in WWE after an emotional farewell in Ring of Honor, it didn’t take long for success to find CM Punk. He won the ECW Championship before long, and captured the World Heavyweight Title after just one week on Monday Night Raw, defeating Edge in a perfect moment due to Edge’s own history of cashing in on others. Because of that, it was particularly sweet to see the Rated R Superstar undone in exactly the same way. 

Having been beaten down by Batista, Edge was powerless to stop Punk from taking his title, courtesy of a single Go 2 Sleep. Even more ironically, Edge had only shown up on Raw to gloat about SmackDown holding both world titles. 

Unfortunately for Punk, it was a world title reign overshadowed by other happenings in WWE, including the feuds between John Cena & Batista and Chris Jericho & Shawn Michaels. Punk then didn’t even get to drop the belt to another competitor, instead losing the title after he was unable to compete in a Scramble Match at Unforgiven following a backstage attack from Legacy. 

8. Dean Ambrose - Money In The Bank 2016

While Roman Reigns was very much WWE’s next chosen one and Seth Rollins was the despicable heel, Dean Ambrose was very much the third man in The Shield and someone who had a history of repeatedly failing in the big moment, especially against Seth Rollins. That was until Money in the Bank 2016, though.

After winning the Ladder Match earlier in the night, Ambrose waited until the main event of the night as his former Shield stablemates faced off for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. It was the popular Seth Rollins who won the belt as he beat Reigns clean as a whistle.

Rollins didn’t get to celebrate, however, as he was immediately drilled in the head by the Money in the Bank briefcase before Ambrose hit a Dirty Deeds and won the gold, ending a night in which all three members of The Shield held the world title. 

Not only was this a great moment, but it was perfect storytelling as Ambrose finally got revenge on the man who broke up The Shield in 2014 and had repeatedly beaten him in their big matches. 

Ambrose’s reign was also fun, but failed to reach the heights of his cash-in. Instead, Ambrose would have far more success as a top guy upon abandoning the Ambrose moniker and becoming Jon Moxley in All Elite Wrestling. 

7. CM Punk - Extreme Rules 2009

Having failed to have a great title reign in 2008, CM Punk had another go in 2009 as he won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match for the second year in a row. The Punk who cashed in on Edge one year earlier was a very different man in 2009, though, as he screwed over Jeff Hardy, ruining a feel-good moment for the Charismatic Enigma who had just defeated Edge to become World Heavyweight Champion in a Ladder Match. 

This would set a slow heel turn for Punk in motion, with Punk gradually embracing a more sneaky and ruthless side of his personality as he feuded with Hardy for the remainder of the Summer in a great programme.

Punk’s cash-in, while short, was also tremendous and packed several swerves into just a few seconds as Hardy kicked out of Punk’s Go 2 Sleep, before almost pinning his opponent with a shock inside cradle. After a moment of near-panic, Punk was able to put away Jeff with a second GTS, beginning his descent into cult-leader madness.

6. Randy Orton - SummerSlam 2013

Had Daniel Bryan escaped SummerSlam 2013 with the WWE Championship, it would have made his eventual win at WrestleMania 30 that much less sweet, which is why Orton’s cash-in is ranked so highly here. 

Daniel Bryan had secured the biggest moment of his WWE career by defeating John Cena for the WWE Championship in the main event of SummerSlam in a match with Triple H as the special guest referee. HHH even handed Bryan the title belt as the show looked set to end happily, only for The Game to kick Bryan in the midsection and deliver a Pedigree as Randy Orton stood on the entrance ramp.

Not only was it Triple H’s first time as a heel since 2006, but it ruined what the fans really wanted, which was Daniel Bryan at the top of WWE. 

The match itself was a bit rubbish as Bryan failed to kick out, having been battered by the all-too-protected Pedigree. Orton’s title reign also wasn’t great but it did set up the next nine months of WWE programming, even if Bryan’s WrestleMania XXX win was a happy accident after CM Punk walked out of WWE. 

5. Damian Priest - WrestleMania XL Night 2

The simple reason Damian Priest’s cash-in ranks so highly is that it took place at WrestleMania, creating a major moment on the biggest possible stage for the then-Judgment Day member who had been on the receiving end of a push in the years leading up to 'Mania.

Fans wondered when Priest would cash in, though, and few expected it to take place at WrestleMania, with the opening contest of night two set up to be the culmination of Drew McIntyre’s reinvention of himself which began in late 2023.

McIntyre did indeed beat Seth Rollins in a great match to become World Heavyweight Champion but he couldn’t help but gloat over CM Punk post-match, who was on commentary for the contest. This proved to be Drew’s downfall as the injured Punk handily beat down McIntyre before Priest ran to the ring and smashed Drew across the face with the briefcase.

One cash-in and South of Heaven later and Damian Priest was the World Heavyweight Champion. Priest then celebrated at the top of the ramp with his Judgment Day stablemates and the moment helped push Priest into the top echelon of WWE talents on the main roster. 

4. Dolph Ziggler - April 8, 2013 episode of Raw

One of the greatest moments to ever take place on the Raw after WrestleMania, Dolph Ziggler cashed in on Alberto Del Rio following Del Rio’s match against Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter which left the babyface World Heavyweight Champion exhausted. 

As Del Rio looked to recover, "I'm Here To Show The World" filled the arena and Ziggler, flanked by AJ Lee and Big E Langston, cashed in on Del Rio. The match itself was filled with tremendous drama as Del Rio initially kicked out of a ZigZag and then managed to lock in the Cross Armbreaker.

The noise looked set to be sucked out of the venue, only for Ziggler to escape and deliver a second ZigZag out of nowhere for the win as those in attendance exploded. 

Ziggler’s reign with the Big Gold Belt was awful, ending just weeks later in a double turn which saw Del Rio regain the belt, but the MITB cash-in is remembered fondly to this day. 

3. Rob Van Dam - ECW One Night Stand 2006

Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena is the best full-length match in the history of Money in the Bank cash-ins as the second-ever MITB holder told Cena ahead of time that he was going to challenge him for the WWE Championship at ECW One Night Stand 2006. 

Despite sacrificing the element of surprise, RVD gained a huge advantage in the form of a rabid ECW crowd - one of the biggest anti-Cena gatherings ever inside the Hammerstein Ballroom as the fans in attendance even promised to riot if Cena won. 

The match was very good throughout and chaos ensued after John Cena attacked the ECW referee after he failed to make Rob Van Dam tap out and the ref dragged him off RVD before the five count for a DQ. This provided the opening for a mysterious figure in a motorcycle helmet to spear Cena through a table, with the wrestler revealing themselves to be Edge moments later.

This helped Van Dam to victory as he drilled Cena with a Five-Star Frog Splash before Paul Heyman ran to the ring and counted the 1-2-3 as the Hammerstein Ballroom erupted. Van Dam then celebrated throughout the crowd and with the roster as the show went off the air. 

2. Edge - New Year's Revolution 2006

If the original Money in the Bank cash-in hadn’t been so perfect a moment, we may not have seen the concept remain a part of WWE for the next 20 years. The first cash-in was pretty much perfect, however. 

John Cena had just defended the WWE Title in a brutal 30-minute Elimination Chamber Match, outlasting Chris Masters, Carlito, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, and Kane. As Cena lay bloodied in the middle of the ring, Vince McMahon strode out onto the stage and announced Edge was cashing in his Money in the Bank contract for an immediate shot at the WWE Title. 

So many things about this moment were perfect, from the way it suited Edge’s opportunistic character, to Cena kicking out of the first spear which caused Edge to look positively desperate after Cena got his shoulder up. Edge then pinned Cena after one more spear and celebrated with Lita as New Year’s Revolution came to an end. 

In addition to being something we hadn't seen before, the moment helped cement Edge as a main eventer and he would go on to be one of WWE’s most reliable top stars before his first retirement in 2011. 

1. Seth Rollins - WrestleMania 31

For almost a decade, WWE had resisted the temptation to book a cash-in on the company’s biggest stage in WrestleMania. That all changed at 2015’s WrestleMania 31, though, as despite a lacklustre build, the main event of the show proved to be a huge success as the fans wanted anything but Roman Reigns to defeat Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and they watched Lesnar pulverise The Big Dog for much of the match. 

Unlike past cash-ins, though, Seth Rollins didn’t wait until the end of the match and instead charged to the ring when both Lesnar and Reigns were down in the closing moments of WrestleMania to cash in his MITB briefcase and change the match to a Triple Threat. 

Rollins then managed to escape an F5 from Lesnar due to Reigns spearing Brock and Seth paid back his former stablemate with a stomp to become the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, which Michael Cole billed as ‘The Heist of the Century.’ 

Despite Rollins’ status as a heel, fans went absolutely crazy for the swerve, cheering Rollins on as he snatched the title from Brock and Roman’s clutches.

The booking decision wasn’t just a great stand-alone moment, but also shaped Rollins’ future as a top star.