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Money in the Bank ladder match

From Pro Wrestling


The Money in the Bank Ladder Match is a standard six man ladder match exclusive to World Wrestling Entertainment with the premise of the winner receiving a contract for a match for the World Heavyweight, WWE, or ECW Championship at a time and place of their choosing within one year of winning the match. These matches have been held at WrestleMania since their inception at WrestleMania 21 in 2005.

In the same way that championships are represented by title belts, the "Money in the Bank" is represented by a briefcase carried by the winner supposedly containing the contract which is cashed in for a title match. The appearances of the briefcase is usually customized for the person who is holding it.

The contract (if it hasn't yet been cashed in) can also be defended in matches (ladder or not) in much the same way a championship is.

Like the Royal Rumble, the winner of the Money in the Bank match is usually perceived (by fans and backstage insiders of the business), as a rising star and or star who has worked hard in WWE and is positioned to be inserted into the main event picture soon after.

Contents

History

2005

The "Money in the Bank" match was created by Chris Jericho in early 2005. He announced the idea on an episode of RAW and General Manager Eric Bischoff signed it for WrestleMania 21, naming Chris Jericho, Christian, Chris Benoit, Edge, Kane, and Shelton Benjamin as the participants. The winner of the match would be the person who ascended the ladder and unlatched a hanging briefcase containing the guaranteed contract.

Edge won the match. He then carried and used the briefcase as a weapon for the next nine months including once putting it on the line against Matt Hardy at WWE Homecoming, in a match where the loser had to leave RAW.

Edge used the contract at the January 2006 New Year's Revolution, defeating WWE Champion John Cena in less than two minutes directly after Cena had retained his title in an Elimination Chamber match.

Cena reclaimed the title at the Royal Rumble, exactly three weeks later.

2006

The "Money in the Bank" idea was revived by Carlito on a February 2006 episode of RAW. Mr. McMahon approved the suggestion and set up "qualifying matches" for the match that would take place at WrestleMania 22. It was later announced that the match was to be "interpromotional" and that General Manager Theodore Long would also set up "qualifying matches" to select three members of his roster to compete.

In the RAW brand qualifying matches; Rob Van Dam defeated Trevor Murdoch, Shelton Benjamin defeated Chavo Guerrero, and Ric Flair defeated Carlito.

On SmackDown! Finlay defeated Bobby Lashley and Matt Hardy defeated The Road Warrior. Lashley, however, was able to get into the match by winning a "Last Chance Battle Royal".

Rob Van Dam won this "Money in the Bank" ladder match after pushing Benjamin and Hardy off of a ladder, while he was on another ladder, and retrieving the briefcase.

That April, Van Dam defended the contract and won the Intercontinental title in a match against Shelton Benjamin in a "contract vs title" match at Backlash. This match was the first match in which the Money in the Bank contract would not be contested in a ladder match.

Rob Van Dam cashed in his contract at the Extreme Championship Wrestling pay-per-view One Night Stand, and defeated John Cena to win the WWE Championship. The match ended with Cena getting screwed after Edge, the #1 contender to the title, interfered on behalf of Van Dam and speared Cena through a table, knocking him out long enough for Van Dam to hit his Five Star Frog Splash and allow Paul Heyman to replace the unconscious referee to count the pinfall.

Rob Van Dam would successfully defend the title against Edge two weeks later at Vengeance. However, Van Dam would go on to lose the title to Edge in a triple threat match that also featured John Cena on the July 3, 2006 episode of RAW. This happened directly after Van Dam being arrested for drug possession.

2007

The third Money in the Bank Ladder match took place at WrestleMania 23 and featured eight participants from RAW, SmackDown! and the new ECW brand.

Raw's qualifying matches saw 2005 winner Edge defeat 2006 winner Rob Van Dam (from ECW). Jeff Hardy defeated Shelton Benjamin and a no contest between Carlito and Ric Flair that resulted in a rematch in which Randy Orton bribed his way into and won to qualify.

On SmackDown! King Booker defeated Kane in a falls count anywhere match, Matt Hardy defeated Joey Mercury and Finlay defeated MVP and Chris Benoit in a triple threat match. ECW's qualifying matches featured ECW's CM Punk defeating Raw's Johnny Nitro and SmackDown!'s Mr. Kennedy defeating ECW's Sabu.

The match would be won by Mr. Kennedy, who would then appear on both Raw and SmackDown! regularly bragging of his win, eventually declaring he would cash it in at WrestleMania XXIV. A countdown clock was put up on WWE.com counting down the days until he was to cash it in. On the May 07, 2007 edition of Raw he was challenged by Edge to put the briefcase on the line that night, which Kennedy accepted. On the way to the ring for the match he was sneak attacked by Edge who would quickly defeat a beaten down Kennedy for the contract.

The next night at the WWE Friday Night SmackDown! taping World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker and challenger Batista would wrestle for the title in a steel cage match. The match would end in a draw when both escaped at the same time, and a bloody Undertaker would then be attacked by a returning Mark Henry afterwards. Finally Edge made a suprise appearance and cashed in the contract, winning the World Title from The Undertaker and effectively becoming a part of the SmackDown! roster. He would go on to feud with Batista and was forced to vacate the title in June due to injury.

2008

The fourth Money in the Bank ladder match took place at WrestleMania XXIV and featured seven participants from the 3 brands.

In the Raw qualifying matches, Jeff Hardy defeated Snitsky, 2007 winner Mr. Kennedy defeated Val Venis, Chris Jericho defeated Jeff Hardy in a match that was only a qualifier for Jericho, and Carlito defeated Cody Rhodes. On SmackDown!, Shelton Benjamin defeated Jimmy Wang Yang, WWE Tag Team Champion John Morrison defeated co-champion The Miz and Montel Vontavious Porter defeated Jamie Noble at a house show. On ECW CM Punk defeated Big Daddy V.

On March 11, 2008, Hardy was suspended for 60 days due to a Wellness Policy violation and removed from the match, he was not replaced and the match only featured seven participants as a result.

CM Punk would win the match. Shortly after this he would briefly align himself with ECW Champion Kane to feud with WWE Tag Team Champions John Morrison and The Miz, failing twice to capture the championships.

On the June 23, 2008 three hour draft edition of Raw, Punk would be drafted to Raw from ECW. On the next Raw, Friday Night Smackdown's World Heavyweight Champion Edge appeared on Raw to brag that Raw had no World Title (WWE Champion Triple H was drafted to SmackDown!) and the Raw superstars would never get a shot at his title again. Edge was then attacked by rival and Raw draftee Batista who left him laid out in the middle of the ring. Punk took advantage of this and cashed in the contract and defeated Edge for the World Title, bringing it to Raw in the process. He successfully defended the title against JBL later that night.

Match history

Official Money In The Bank Ladder Matches

hanging above the ring.


Official cashed in Money in the Bank matches

Money in the Bank defenses

Along with the official Money in the Bank ladder matches that have taken place at WrestleMania, there have been matches in which the current holder of the Money in the Bank contract has placed their championship shot on the line against an opponent. The Money In The Bank contract has only changed hands once in a defense to date.

This match was also a "loser leaves RAW" match and saw Matt Hardy being sent to SmackDown!.
This match also had Benjamin's Intercontinental Championship on the line. Rob Van Dam won the match, retaining his MitB and winning the IC Championship.
  • Edge defeated Mr.Kennedy(MitB Holder)on an episode of Raw to win the Money in the Bank contract.
Edge attacked Kennedy before the match and pinned within a few seconds.

Trivia

  • RVD is the only man to have held a title with his MitB case.
  • Shelton Benjamin has competed in more Money in the Bank matches than anyone else, competing in all but one (WrestleMania 23).
  • RVD is the first to have his Money in the Bank briefcase customized appearance-wise.
  • The first two MitB winners cashed in the MitB at the same year (2006).
  • Edge held the briefcase for 9 months before cashing it in the first time and one night the second time.
  • RVD held the briefcase for 2 months before cashing it in.
  • Mr. Kennedy held the briefcase for 1 month before losing it to Edge.
  • CM Punk held the briefcase for 3 months before cashing it in.
  • The first two MitB winners made 1 successful defense of their briefcase before cashing it in (Edge against Matt Hardy & RVD against Shelton Benjamin).
  • When RVD won the WWE championship by "cashing in" after 2 days he was awarded the ECW World Championship , his title reigns would end to Edge, winning the WWE Championship, and Big Show, winning the ECW World Championship.
  • CM Punk is the only man to win the MitB case two years in a row (Wrestlemania XXIV and Wrestlemania 25).

External links

Retrieved from "http://prowrestling.wikia.com/wiki/Money_in_the_Bank_ladder_match"