Ranking the 15 Greatest WWE Money in the Bank Cash-Ins

The Money in the Bank cash-in has become one of WWE's greatest moments each year, highlighting fresh talent and delivering dramatic changes to the title scene.

Not all cash-ins are created equal, though.

While stars have risen throughout the years after capturing the briefcase, some have made lasting marks with their cash-ins that changed WWE.

The following are the 15 greatest MITB cash-ins ever from Seth Rollins and CM Punk to Naomi and Tiffany Stratton.

While Money in the Bank cash-ins are mostly a major success for WWE, there have been some notable duds over the years that made the concept feel like a waste of time.

John Cena - Raw 1000: It is never necessary to give a star as big as Cena the MITB briefcase, but it did mean WWE's first failed cash-in did not hurt the talent. It just felt pointless. Cena defeated CM Punk by disqualification after Big Show interfered. He failed to win the championship, not the match.

Damien Sandow - Raw, October 28, 2013: If Cena's cash-in was supposed to avoid hurting young talent, Sandow's cash-in was the opposite. This was as rough a burial as they come, losing clean after cashing on a vulnerable GOAT.

Baron Corbin - SmackDown, August 15, 2017: For a stretch of time in WWE, the company booked like MITB was more a burden than a booking hook, and it culminated with Corbin getting rolled up by Jinder Mahal and never getting anywhere near a world title again.

Braun Strowman - Hell in a Cell 2018: Strowman called his shot against Roman Reigns inside Hell in a Cell, and somehow the match ended by no contest via Brock Lesnar interference. This was a complete waste of everyone's time.

Theory - Raw, November 7, 2022: It was bad enough that he was a last-minute addition to the 2022 ladder match and won, but Theory remains the only wrestler to cash in on a midcard title, the United States Championship. And he failed! This is the worst cash-in of all time.

Cash-in moments have defined many fans' WWE experience, and there will be some seen in higher regard by some that will not be included in this list of 15.

Sheamus - Survivor Series 2015: This was a core moment for the rise of Roman Reigns as WWE's Big Dog but felt like a poor recreation of Randy Orton's cash-in on Daniel Bryan with diminished results.

Liv Morgan - Money in the Bank 2022: While fans lived in the moment as Morgan finally won the big one, the underdog babyface came out of this looking like she was not ready, and fans turned against her in the following months.

Damian Priest - WrestleMania XL Night 2: It was nice to see Priest reach the top of the business, but it was more important for Drew McIntyre vs. CM Punk than Priest himself. WWE showed little faith in him as champion until he lost to Gunther.

Seth Rollins - SummerSlam 2025 Night 1: WWE tried to deliver a new "heist of the century" with Rollins' second cash-in, but the convoluted "work the audience" angle of his injury did not serve much story purpose on top of a real injury derailing his run not long after.

15. CM Punk - Monday Night Raw, June 30, 2008

CM Punk was one of the first stars to truly elevate themselves through the Money in the Bank concept.

The two-time winner made the most of his first chance in 2008 when he cashed in on the man whose legacy is most tied to the briefcase, Edge, to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.

While it was a fairly simple setup and payoff as Punk took advantage of Batista laying out The Rated-R Superstar, this effectively delivered an audience-approved message: Punk is ready.

An unfortunate injury ended his reign after just 68 days, but it set a foundation that The Best in the World would build upon.

In particular, it set up one of the best cash-ins of all time just one year later.

14. Edge - Friday Night SmackDown, May 11, 2007

Edge earned his moniker of The Ultimate Opportunist with his first cash-in, but his second truly solidified the name.

The same week he took the briefcase from Mr. Kennedy, he cashed in on The Undertaker to take the World Heavyweight Championship.

While the moment was pre-taped and spoiled online ahead of time, it almost made the moment bigger as fans were left in shock by the wild title change before it even aired.

The Rated-R Superstar will forever be known first for his original run with the briefcase, but this cash-in was just as important to Edge's own career as it set him on a path to win even more world titles for years to come.

13. Carmella - SmackDown, April 10, 2018

The first woman to win the Money in the Bank briefcase, Carmella has still held the contract longer than anyone in WWE's history.

She made the most of carrying around the briefcase, proving how valuable it can be to be Miss Money in the Bank before ever winning the title at the end.

When she did cash in, she took advantage of a vulnerable Charlotte Flair just after WrestleMania and won her only world title.

Her title reign did not quite live up to the buildup, but it did solidify the value of Carmella, who was an integral star through the rest of her WWE career.

12. The Miz - Monday Night Raw, November 22, 2010

Looking back, The Miz was not ready to win the WWE Championship in 2010, but it felt like he would be.

After a strong run as United States champion, The A-Lister got his biggest break by winning Money in the Bank.

He stalked Randy Orton until the time was right to strike, cashing in on a weakened Viper who had just retained against Wade Barrett.

The match was competitive as Orton tried to fight through injury to keep his title, but ultimately Miz stole the gold and got the biggest opportunity of his career to run with it.

Even if The A-Lister was not ready, WWE took a massive risk that solidified him as a mainstay on screen for years to come.

He would even come around to cash in the title in less impressive fashion in 2021. He is the first-ever double Grand Slam champion and one of only two of all time alongside Seth Rollins.

That legacy began with this cash-in and served as a blueprint for future new-star opportunities utilizing Money in the Bank.

11. Big E - Monday Night Raw, September 13, 2021

It is bittersweet looking back at what Big E could have been in WWE, but back in 2021, he was on the rise.

Coming off a successful run as intercontinental champion, Big E captured Money in the Bank and quickly declared his intention to cash in on the September 13 Raw.

Bobby Lashley was already set to face Randy Orton that night, so it was not a clean cash-in. However, Big E still overwhelmed The All Mighty to take the gold and defeated him clean in a rematch.

The moment felt special because Big E was a special talent, but WWE wavered by the end of the year.

In 2022, Brock Lesnar took the belt from Big E, and the former champion would go back to working as a tag wrestler with The New Day.

Nothing went right after the cash-in, but at least before his likely career-ending injury, Big E got his moment to stand atop WWE with complete crowd support.

Following Carmella's cash-in, WWE went years without a female winner holding the Money in the Bank briefcase for more than a day.

That changed with Iyo Sky, even if she still only held it for 35 days.

The Genius of the Sky was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the creative shift to Triple H, who had booked her big throughout her time in NXT.

One year after her debut at SummerSlam 2022, Sky became the WWE women's champion and a much-deserved victor. She had delivered time and again, but fans were growing tired of waiting for her to get her time at the top.

She cashed in on the woman she had been feuding with most often throughout the year, Bianca Belair, who had just regained the WWE Women's Championship from Asuka.

Sky would go onto dominate the women's division, establishing herself as one of the best wrestlers in the entire company.

Her reign ended at WrestleMania XL Night 2 by delivering one of the best women's matches in 'Mania history against Bayley.

A year later, she became women's world champion at WrestleMania 41, further establishing herself as the ace of the women's division.

9. Tiffany Stratton - SmackDown, January 3, 2025

A babyface turn by cash-in is a rare sight in WWE, and this was the biggest moment of Tiffany Stratton's career.

While The Center of the Universe was popular from the moment she arrived in WWE, she especially gained popularity under the thumb of Nia Jax.

Stratton helped Jax take the WWE Women's Championship from Bayley at SummerSlam 2024, only to quickly begin targeting her ally, even bringing in Candice LeRae to help with the bullying.

Fans rallied around Stratton, who won Money in the Bank before finally snapping at Jax. She cashed in the briefcase in January 2025 to take the gold.

While most cash-ins are surprises, this felt like an inevitable moment realized, which allows it to stand out among the rest as a fresh use of the briefcase.

Stratton is now established as one of WWE's most reliable stars and could well add more titles to her legacy this year.

Of the 34 Money in the Bank cash-ins in WWE history, only eight have been women, which was a number the men reached in 2010.

That makes it difficult for the women's division to match up to the legacy of the men's division in terms of memorable cash-ins.

Still, Naomi stands out for the best cash-in by any woman so far in WWE history.

It took seven years for the women's division to receive a second Evolution PLE, and it was clear that everyone involved was ready to make the most of the spotlight.

In the main event, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky delivered one of the best matches on 2025, only to be undercut by the first-ever women's mid-match cash-in courtesy of Naomi.

For months since her MITB win, The Glow had teased cashing in on WWE women's champion Tiffany Stratton, only to switch it up at the last minute.

It was a genuine shock and delivered an unforgettable finish to Evolution, signaling that a heel Naomi was about to take over.

However, that did not happen yet as Naomi stepped away to become a new mother with real-life husband Jimmy Uso.

When Naomi returns, the legacy of this moment should be defined better by how high she can go in WWE.

Randy Orton has rarely needed another world title reign. As a 14-time world champion, few can match his legacy.

However, The Viper's cash-in on Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam 2013 was less about Orton's legacy and more about the man he defeated.

Bryan had fought through painfully bad booking to fight John Cena in the most important match of his WWE career.

The Yes! Man delivered an unforgettable match and a rare clean win over The GOAT, seemingly becoming the new top star of WWE.

However, as suddenly as Bryan reached the top, he crashed back down courtesy of a Triple H betrayal and Orton cash-in.

While The Authority angle that followed was far more miss than hit, there has never been a cash-in that started such a massive shift in the business.

This was the moment when all the heels aligned to take over the company and make Bryan the company's top underdog.

Even if fans still had to push to get him there, this is the moment that set up WrestleMania XXX as one of WWE's greatest nights.

6. Dean Ambrose - Money in the Bank 2016

When discussing the legacy of The Shield, WWE has often discounted the third man, Dean Ambrose, due to him leaving the company in 2019.

However, this story is a three-man show, and that was felt more than any other moment in 2016.

Roman Reigns walked in as WWE champion, facing his long-time rival Seth Rollins. Before that main event, though, The Lunatic Fringe captured the Money in the Bank briefcase.

When Rollins successfully overwhelmed Reigns to capture the championship, Ambrose's music hit.

He ran down to take out his former friend and rival Rollins, avenging two years prior when Rollins had stolen the Money in the Bank from him with the help of The Authority.

Ambrose cashed in and successfully defeated Rollins to take the WWE Championship, finally winning the gold both of his Shield brothers had already held.

On this night, all three members of The Shield were WWE champion, and that solidified how important the group was to WWE.

5. Dolph Ziggler - Monday Night Raw, April 8, 2013

On paper, nothing sounds too remarkable about Dolph Ziggler cashing in on an injured Alberto Del Rio on the Raw after WrestleMania.

In the moment, though, it was pure magic.

A long-running veteran was finally getting his due, and a raucous internal audience still around after 'Mania wanted Ziggler to get his win.

It did not matter that Del Rio was supposed to be the babyface or that Ziggler was technically the heel.

Fans cheered overwhelmingly for the victory for The Showoff, who never truly got his fair shake in WWE.

An unfortunate concussion sidelined Ziggler not long after this win, and he quickly dropped the title back to Del Rio.

WWE though did pull a double turn in that match, fueled by the fan reaction from that Raw after WrestleMania, and fans would continue to cheer on Ziggler for years to come despite management losing faith.

4. Rob Van Dam - ECW One Night Stand 2006

Before WWE grew obsessed with only using Money in the Bank for the cash-in payoff, Rob Van Dam set a unique standard for the briefcase that has not been replicated.

RVD did not want to cheat his way to finally winning the top prize in WWE. He wanted to win it on his home turf.

He challenged John Cena to meet him at ECW One Night Stand in the Hammerstein Ballroom in front of a raucous fan base of ECW loyalists.

This set up the most singularly hostile crowd Cena has ever performed in front of, delivering a spectacle that stands strong in the legacy of both men.

While the Edge interference was unnecessary and RVD did not get to be champion for long, it is hard to not get nostalgic thinking about the atmosphere of this match.

It is a shame that more MITB winners do not use the briefcase like this more often, setting up unforgettable home field advantages to redefine their legacies.

The rules of the Money in the Bank briefcase were well established by the time CM Punk won it for the second year in a row at WrestleMania.

However, fans had not seen anything like what The Best in the World was about to do with the case.

For the first time in WWE, a babyface was going to use the case to not only win gold but turn heel on the same night.

It was the perfect setup and payoff, elevated by Punk's opportunistic move the previous year.

He would make clear he was always going to cash in on the winner of the brutal ladder match between Edge and Jeff Hardy, no matter who walked out the victor.

However, he became a hated figure for doing so at the expense of The Charismatic Enigma, who had never gotten a real chance to run as WWE's top champion.

It sparked a rivalry that would end Jeff's run with WWE at that time on a major high and give Punk the platform necessary to show he was ready to be the next big star.

After years of WWE seemingly running out of ways to use the Money in the Bank briefcase, Seth Rollins delivered a shocker on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

The Architect did not wait until after Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns was complete. Instead, he cashed in during the match to make it a Triple Threat.

He then took advantage of a beaten-down Big Dog to win Lesnar's WWE Championship and stand tall with his first world title.

This was the culmination of WWE's post-Shield plans. Less than one year after the breakup of the group, Rollins was the world champion and Reigns was on the hunt for revenge.

It delivered a compelling hook for the coming months as many tried to figure out what they could do to stop the crafty Rollins and The Authority.

This could be argued to be the best cash-in due to its shocking twist, including Rollins rebounding after losing to Randy Orton earlier in the same night.

However, it is hard to beat the true originator of the concept.

It is easy to talk about the legacy of Money in the Bank now as a guarantee, but there was a time where nothing was certain.

WWE did not even truly know what the briefcase could be used for when Edge won it at WrestleMania 21.

However, The Rated-R Superstar held the contract for 280 days and planned out an idea that had never been done before in WWE.

He cashed in his title shot on a vulnerable John Cena, left nearly broken after retaining his WWE Championship inside the Elimination Chamber and beat him after two Spears.

It was a genuinely shocking scene that solidified Edge as a new top heel and would begin a long-term rivalry between The Rated-R Superstar and The GOAT.

Even though Edge's title reign did not last long, he would go on to become an 11-time world champion in WWE and a Hall of Fame headliner off this moment.