Ranking the Money in the Banks

So this will be an article style post where I rank the Money in the Bank Winners and how succesful their cashing in was. So far there have been 8 winners, one who gave it up (Mr. Kennedy), with 2 more coming this month.

8th (Worst): Jack Swagger
Cashing in was way too early just a week after Wrestlemania, and it didn't let WWE build him up to any amount of a Main Event Status. Swagger cashed it on Chris Jericho after Jericho was speared by Edge only a week after there Main Event Match at Wrestlemania. I guess WWE didnt want Swagger holding it too long because of the upcoming Money in the Bank PPV. But the lack of build up sent Swagger back to the mid card after he lost the belt to Rey Rey later in the year.

7th: Kane
Ironically the man who beat Swagger for his belt, Rey Rey, had Money in the Bank cashed in himself, losing the World Heavyweight championship. Kane became the first man to cash the case in on the same night, and he finally earned a legitamte World Title Run. (He had a 1 Day WWF title run in the 90's). This just fell a little short for me because at the titme Kane was a face and he cashed it in really early. I guess I cant see Kane carrying around a case for months at a time.

6th: Edge (2nd)
With a new star on the horizon, in Mr.Kennedy, they took the case off of him. Maybe due to injurys, i never cared to find out, anyone care to tell me? Anyways Edge defeated him, and became the first man to get the case twice. Strange note, up until last years Money in the Bank PPV, Edge was somehow involved in every single MITB cashing in, either as the cashee(????), the Champ, the man who attacked the champ, or the Man who just faced the champ. Edge cashed in The Undertaker after he had been in a Cage match already, and then subsequently attacked by Mark Henry.

5th: The Miz
Outside of RVD, Miz is the only person to cash the case in with some legitmacy. Orton could still compete against Miz after being attacked by Nexus, and put on a good showing, almost retaining. Miz looked good with the case, it fit his celebrity style and I was estatic when he cashed it in, although some people felt it was too early. I would have loved to see him be the first man too cash it in at Wrestlemania. Miz went on the longest reign since Triple H's 2008 reign, but it was plauged by poor booking. They pitted him against weak opponets like Jerry Lawler, and made him seem a side show to The Rock VS Cena. I was shocked to se him retain at Wrestlemania.

4th: CM Punk (1st)
With Edge coming back to RAW for one night only to say farewell to Jimm Ross, and mock RAW for not having a World Championship, after the reccent PPV where they had both ebcome Smackdown exculsives. Batista went on too attack Edge, which was not unexcpected, but what came out of no where was CM Punk and his Money in the Bank case. When I first saw this guy on ECW, i was like Who da fuk? I never thought he would rise to the ranks he did, and this was a pretty great moment.

3rd: RVD
When a face won a Money in the Bank case I was skeptical. It seemed like a heel gimmick. A cowardly way to win the title, especially after what Edge had done the previous year. I was even more skeptical when RVD intened to cash it on John Cena, also a face. But what RVD was uniqe. He set a date. he did it in a honarble way. He wanted to win it on ECW soil and it was epic. RVD picked up the victory after Edge speared Cena out cold.

Close 2nd: CM Punk (2nd)
This cashing in on Jeff Hardy set up what in my opinion was one of the greatest rivalrys of the later 00's. After Jeff Hardy had faced his rival of ten years in his specality, a Ladder match, he had little time to celebrate as CM Punk came down to the ring and hit the GTS, ending Hardy's reign at just 2 minutes. Jeff is my favorite superstar of all time, but this was just an epic moment, that set up an emotional rivalry spawining from real life personalitys (Ex Drug User VS Sraight Edge). It helped set up one of the greatest heel turns we have seen in a while and led to some really great matches.

1st: Edge (1st)
Perhaps it was because he held the case for so long, almost 10 months. Perhaps it was because Cena had just gone through an Elimination Chamber, or maybe it was just becase he was the first to do it, but Edge cashing in the case on Cena at New Years Revolution 2006 gave him more heat then I can remember for anyone else. I was 10 years old at the time and a huge Edge fan, I hated Cena and I can remember all my freinds freaking out and hating on Edge for this when it happened. Edge VS Cena in my opinion is the greatest fued of the post-attidude era WWE, it spanned for years and was all started by this. This moment was so epic it conviced WWE to go along with the MITB idea, which has created many new Main eventers.

CM Punk's first MITB. Why? Because no one expected him to win and become World Champ. I remember I was out of the country when he cashed it in and won and I went ecstatic. RVD's was also great because his wasn't opportune, he set a future date to cash it in at so he could actually earn it.

Going to finish it up in a second, I thought Punk's second was better personally, was great for his heel turn.

RVD's is my personal favourite. Yes, it eliminated the suprise factor that it could be cashed in at any time, but RVD winning the title at ONS 2006 is one of the greatest title victories post brand extension.