5 times WWE Superstars exploited the rules at Money in the Bank
Over the years, last-minute additions and outside interferences have made the already-dynamic Money in the Bank matches more intriguing.
Since 2010, WWE Money in the Bank has featured some of the most star-studded, action-packed ladder matches of all time. Although there are no rules when multiple superstars are in the same ring at the same time, surrounded by ladders, the general expectation is that nobody other than the participants will be involved in the bout.
However, as history has shown, doing things the straightforward way isn't WWE's style. That's why numerous non-participants have made themselves part of these high-stakes contests.
This list mentions five such instances.
#5 Roman and Seth Rollins help out Dean Ambrose (2013)
#MatchOfTheDay
Damien Sandow vs Cody Rhodes vs Dean Ambrose vs Fandango vs Antonio Cesaro vs Jack Swagger vs Wade Barrett - WWE Money In The Bank 2013
My Rating: 3.75⭐ https://t.co/uLYtPAwC0T
The first Money in the Bank match at 2013's namesake event featured seven young guns ready to seize the opportunity of a lifetime. The star-studded affair was packed with gnarly ladder spots, interesting alliances, a shocking betrayal, and whatnot.
Dean Ambrose (representing The Shield at the time) was part of the contest as well. Despite his best efforts, he found it hard to beat the competition. That prompted his Shield stablemates, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, to hit the ring and help him out.
They disrupted the flow of the match by stopping Cody Rhodes from winning and taking out Fandango. But before they could cause any further damage, The Usos, who had just lost to Reigns and Rollins earlier in the night, ran out.
Thus, The Shield faced unavoidable resistance and couldn't ensure The Lunatic Fringe's victory.
#4 Brock Lesnar inserts himself into the match during its climax (2019)
On this day in 2019, @BrockLesnar won the Money in the Bank Ladder Match #WWE #MoneyintheBank #MITB https://t.co/3kBrIRPn94
Brock Lesnar does what Brock Lesnar wants, and there's no denying that. And if The Beast Incarnate wishes to enter a match after it has begun, who will say no to him? That's exactly what happened at WWE Money in the Bank 2019.
At the event in question, Sami Zayn was supposed to be a part of the men's ladder match. However, long before the match began, he was ruled out after getting ambushed off-camera by a mystery attacker.
The bout proceeded without Zayn or his replacement. When the dust settled, Mustafa Ali was inches close to grabbing the coveted briefcase. But that was when familiar music hit and none other than Brock Lesnar came out, revealing himself as both Sami Zayn's attacker and his last-minute replacement.
The former world champion quickly got rid of Ali to secure the briefcase. Who could have thought that showing up late to work could be that rewarding?
#3 James Ellsworth becomes the first-ever Ms. Money in the Bank? (2017)
THE MAN... THE LEGEND... The First Ever Miss Money in the Bank!!! @realellsworth https://t.co/JWVadhpyRy
After years of watching their male counterparts have all the fun, the women of WWE finally got their own Money in the Bank match in 2017. The competitors in the bout were Carmella, Natalya, Tamina, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch.
What was supposed to be a history-making contest became memorable, but for the wrong reason. Just as all signs started pointing to The Man finally getting her moment in the sun, she got interrupted by a man.
Carmella's manager at the time, James Ellsworth, ended up costing Becky the match. Additionally, he went the extra mile and grabbed the briefcase himself before giving it to The Princess of Staten Island.
The controversial finish led to a rematch less than two weeks later, which was also won by Carmella.
#2 Tyson Tomko lives up to his reputation as the
"Problem Solver" (2005)
Tag Team of the Week: Christian Cage and Tomko- Although these two didn’t spark the tag team world, they did gives off vibes of early Hbk/Nash days. From WWE to Impact Wrestling, these men made a mark in the industry together. #tysontomko #christaincage #christian #wwe #impact https://t.co/z3hqroXnIv
Before they got their separate event, the Money in the Bank matches used to be the highlight of WrestleMania. WrestleMania 21 was the first time fans got to see the said match. Decorated names such as Chris Jericho, Christian, and Edge were the competitors, among others.
While all the other superstars were on their own, Captain Charisma bought some help. His manager at the time, Tyson Tomko, was ringside and got involved several times.
At one point, The Problem Solver decided to take things into his own hands. He temporarily got rid of Kane (who was about to win) and set up a ladder for Christian to climb.
However, he was quick to learn that it's not possible to keep The Big Red Machine down for long. Kane sent Tomko out of the ring before pushing The Instant Classic off the ladder.
#1 Kane removes obstacles from Seth Rollins' path (2014)
The mid-2010s proved how capable all three members of The Shield are as individual stars. It all began in June 2014 when the trio broke up following Seth Rollins's heinous betrayal. The Architect then started focusing on the forthcoming Money in the Bank ladder match.
Also in the bout was Dean Ambrose, Rollins' former Shield brother. The Lunatic Fringe tried everything he could to stop his friend-turned-foe from grabbing the briefcase. But all his efforts failed when he discovered that The Authority backed The Visionary.
Kane, who had no business being in the match, took out Ambrose with a vintage "Tombstone Piledriver." And that was how The Big Red Machine got rid of the final hurdle in the path of Triple H's protege.
Rollins would then climb the ladder, retrieve the championship contract, and kick off an iconic year-and-a-half run.