The Money in the Bank Ladder Match is, usually, a standard six man ladder match exclusive to World Wrestling Entertainment with the premise of the winner receiving a contract for a WWE or World Heavyweight Championship match at the time and place of his choosing within one year of winning the match. These matches are usually held at WrestleMania.
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 and 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) the same way a championship is.
History
2005
The "Money in the Bank" match was created by Chris Jericho in early 2005. He announced this match idea for a 6-man ladder match on an episode of WWE RAW and then-General Manager of RAW Eric Bischoff, announced the match for WrestleMania 21 with the participants being Chris Jericho, Christian, Chris Benoit, Edge, Kane, and then Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin. The winner of the match would be the person who ascended the ladder and unlatched a hanging briefcase which contained the guaranteed contract.
Edge went on to win after a brutal match which entailed many spots, including one in which Benjamin ran across a ladder which was leaning against another ladder to clothesline Jericho from the top of the second ladder and doing his signature T-Bone to Edge off of a 16 footer ladder. Edge then carried and used the briefcase as a weapon for the next six months until he had to put it on the line in another "Money in the Bank" Ladder Match against Matt Hardy at WWE Homecoming, in which the loser must leave RAW, which Edge won, retaining the contract.
2006
The contract was finally used at New Year's Revolution 2006, when Edge cashed in the briefcase to Mr. McMahon and defeated then-WWE Champion John Cena in less than two minutes, after Cena defeated Kurt Angle, Kane, Shawn Michaels, Chris Masters, and Carlito in an Elimination Chamber match, to win his first WWE Championship. Cena would reclaim the WWE Championship three weeks later by defeating Edge on January 29, 2006 at the 2006 Royal Rumble.
The idea for "Money in the Bank" was revived by Carlito again on an episode on RAW in February 2006. Mr. McMahon approved the suggestion and set up qualifying matches for the match which would take place at WrestleMania 22. In the first series of qualifying matches, Rob Van Dam defeated Trevor Murdoch, Shelton Benjamin defeated Chavo Guerrero, and Ric Flair defeated Carlito. On a later episode of RAW, SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long announced that the "Money in the Bank" ladder match at the upcoming WrestleMania will be interpromotional, meaning three RAW Superstars and three SmackDown! Superstars would participate in the match. Finlay defeated Bobby Lashley and Matt Hardy defeated Road Warrior Animal to qualify. Bobby Lashley qualified on the March 24, 2006 edition of SmackDown! by winning a Last Chance Battle Royal.
Rob Van Dam won this "Money in the Bank" ladder match after pushing Benjamin and Matt Hardy off of a ladder while he was on another ladder.
On the April 10, 2006 edition of RAW, Shelton Benjamin challenged RVD for the MITB contract, to which RVD replied by challenging Benjamin for the Intercontinental Championship, which culminated in a Money In The Bank vs. Intercontinental Championship match at Backlash, where the winner takes all. This was the first match in which the Money in the Bank contract would not be contested in a ladder match. Rob Van Dam pinned Benjamin following a Five-Star Frog Splash to win the Intercontinental Championship and retain the contract.
On the May 22, 2006 edition of RAW, Van Dam cashed in the briefcase to challenge WWE Champion John Cena to a match for the title at ECW One Night Stand. On May 29, when he was drafted to ECW by Paul Heyman, Van Dam stated his intention to rechristen the WWE Championship as the ECW Championship if he won it at One Night Stand.
At ECW One Night Stand 2006, Van Dam defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship. The match ended in controversial fashion after Edge interfered on behalf of Van Dam, spearing Cena through a table and knocking him out. Edge then knocked out the referee. After some time, Van Dam landed his Five Star Frog Splash and the pinfall was counted by Paul Heyman, replacing the unconscious referee.
The following night on RAW, Paul Heyman reported the title change was official as the match was under Extreme rules. Van Dam has since lost the WWE Championship (ironically) to the original Money in the Bank winner, Edge.
Match history
Official Money in the Bank ladder matches
| No. | Match | Event, Date and Location | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Edge defeated Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, Shelton Benjamin and Kane | WrestleMania 21 April 3, 2005, Los Angeles, California | ||
| II | Rob Van Dam defeated Ric Flair, Shelton Benjamin, Finlay, Matt Hardy and Bobby Lashley | WrestleMania 22 April 2, 2006, Chicago, Illinois | ||
Money in the Bank defenses
Along with the official Money in the Bank ladder matches that take place at WrestleMania, there are sometimes matches in which the current "Mr. Money in the Bank" places his championship shot on the line against an opponent. These may or may not be ladder matches and may or may not include additional stipulations.
| No. | Match | Event, Date and Location |
|---|---|---|
| I | Edge (MITB) defeated Matt Hardy (Loser Leaves RAW Ladder Match: Matt Hardy forced to leave RAW, went to SmackDown!) | WWE Homecoming October 3, 2005, Dallas, Texas |
| II | Rob Van Dam (MITB) def. Intercontinental Champion Shelton Benjamin (non-ladder, winner take all match) and wins the IC Championship | Backlash 2006 April 30, 2006, Lexington, Kentucky |
Trivia
- Rob Van Dam had his briefcase airbrushed after he won the second Money in the Bank ladder match so that it read "Mr. Money in the Bank" on one side and RVD on the other, both in green lettering.
- Rob Van Dam is the only person to hold a title as well as the Money in the Bank contract at the same time (he won the Intercontinental Championship during his MITB reign).
- Both MITB winners have beaten John Cena for the title.
- Both Money In The Bank winners have held the Intercontinental Championship, WWE World Tag Team championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship. They were both WWE Tag Team Champions with Rey Mysterio in separate reigns.
- Both Money in The Bank winners have won their Money in the Bank title matches, only to lose the title about 3 weeks later (Edge lost the title in 21 days, Rob Van Dam lost the title in 22 days).