Money in the Bank ladder match


 * ''"Money in the Bank" redirects here. For the Lil' Scrappy song, see Money in the Bank (song).

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 or WWE 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 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.

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 SmackDown! 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.

Official Money In The Bank Ladder Matches

 * Edge defeated Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Chris Benoit, Christian (w/Tyson Tomko) and Kane (15:17) at Wrestlemania 21
 * Edge won by climbing a ladder and retrieving the briefcase hanging above the ring after hitting Benoit with a steel chair.


 * Rob Van Dam defeated Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair, Finlay, Matt Hardy and Bobby Lashley (12:21) at Wrestlemania 22
 * Van Dam won by climbing a ladder and taking possession of the briefcase hanging above the ring.

Official cashed in Money in the Bank matches

 * Edge defeated John Cena (c) to win the WWE Championship at New Year's Revolution.


 * Rob Van Dam defeated John Cena (c) to win the WWE Championship at ECW One Night Stand.

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 hasn't changed hands in a defense to date.


 * Edge (w/ Lita) (MitB holder) defeated Matt Hardy at WWE Homecoming in a ladder match.
 * This match was also a "loser leaves RAW" match and saw Matt Hardy being sent to SmackDown!.


 * Rob Van Dam (MitB holder) defeated Shelton Benjamin at Backlash.
 * 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.

Trivia

 * Both MitB matches have been the second match of their respective WrestleMania's.
 * Shelton Benjamin is the only man to participate in both MitB matches. He also held the Intercontinental Championship at the time of both MitB's.
 * Both MitB winners have beaten John Cena for the WWE Championship.
 * Both MitB winners used a chair sometime during the match(Edge used it to hit Benoit off the ladder to win and RVD vandaminated Bobby Lashley off the ladder, close to the end)
 * Neither of the MitB winners had previously held a World Title prior to cashing in their title match.
 * In both of the two MitB title reigns, the title has been held for less than a month on each occasion, 21 days in Edge's case and 22 days in RVD's.
 * RVD is the only man to have held a title with his MitB case.
 * So far all of the MitB matches have had men with TLC Match experience (Edge, Christian, Rob Van Dam, Matt Hardy, Kane, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Ric Flair)
 * Matt Hardy (2) and Shelton Benjamin (3) have both had more than one opportunity to be the holder of the MitB briefcase
 * RVD is the only one to have his Money in the Bank brief case customized appearance-wise.
 * Both MitB winners cashed in the MitB at the same year (2006).
 * Edge held the briefcase for 9 months before cashing it in.
 * RVD held the briefcase for 2 months before cashing it in.
 * Both 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.
 * Both winners held the WWE tag team championships with Rey Mysterio