5 times the WWE Money in the Bank contract was defended in a regular match
WWE's annual Money in the Bank pay-per-view is rapidly approaching.
This has led to the WWE Universe already predicting who they think will leave Money in the Bank this year with the men's and women's Money in the Bank contracts.
However, sometimes winning the Money in the Bank briefcase is just half of the battle. The real challenge is keeping the Money in the Bank contract.
Throughout WWE history there have been numerous examples of WWE Superstars defending their Money in the Bank contract in regular matches.
In stark contrast to the danger and recklessness of the ladder matches used to win the Money in the Bank contract, a regular match in which a WWE Superstar must defend their Money in the Bank briefcase poses several different types of challenges.
Let's take a closer look at five times the WWE Money in the Bank contract was defended in a regular match.
#5 Chris Jericho vs Dolph Ziggler - Career vs. Contract match (WWE RAW - August 20, 2012)
Dolph Ziggler achieved one of the most famous Money in the Bank cash-ins in WWE history when he won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship on Monday Night RAW in 2013.
However, it could have been very different for Ziggler if certain matches hadn't gone his way in 2012. The former Intercontinental Champion defended his Money in the Bank contract on several occasions during his time holding the briefcase.
One such instance was on the August 20, 2012 edition of Monday Night RAW. Dolph Ziggler was engaged in a lengthy feud with former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho during the summer of 2012 on WWE television.
Ziggler claimed that Y2J had "lost his touch" and wasn't the wrestler he once was. This led to a match at SummerSlam in which Chris Jericho defeated Dolph Ziggler in the opening match of the show.
The following night on RAW a re-match between Ziggler and Jericho was set. Except this time, the stakes had been raised. Dolph Ziggler was forced to place his Money in the Bank contract on the line, whereas Chris Jericho was forced to put his WWE contract on the line in a career vs contract match.
After a long, physical encounter, Dolph Ziggler was able to defeat Chris Jericho, retaining his Money in the Bank briefcase and therefore terminating Jericho's contract with WWE.