5 WWE Money in the Bank victories that went nowhere
WWE's Money in the Bank briefcase is practically the perfect wrestling storytelling tool. It's a way to bump someone up to main-event level status, as well as advance a main-event level feud. It also features a briefcase, which can be used to smash dudes in the head, and that's always a bonus.
While winning the briefcase isn't the sure-fire trip to Championship City it used to be, it certainly raises the stature of whoever holds it. Edge, the very first Money in the Bank winner, went from mid-card to main event just by pulling that briefcase down off its hook. But it hasn't been that way every single time.
It's worth noting that all of the women who have won Money in the Bank thus far have gone on to become champions. A handful of guys, however, have won the grueling ladder match, only to come up empty handed in the championship department. Some have even seen their careers come to a standstill afterwards.
Well, I hope those guys aren't reading, because we're about to dredge up some unhappy memories for them. Let's take a look at 5 Money in the Bank victories that went absolutely nowhere.
#5. John Cena - 2012
Let's start out with a victory of a match that contained five wrestlers who simply didn't need it. The match for the WWE Championship-specific briefcase featured five former WWE Champions - Cena, Kane, The Miz, The Big Show, and Chris Jericho. You know, a bunch of young, hungry upstarts just waiting for that chance to shine.
The first Money in the Bank to be won accidentally?
Cena won the match after the hook holding the Money in the Bank briefcase broke as Cena was using it to bash Big Show with. The look of surprise on Cena's face sort of seemed to indicate that... that wasn't supposed to happen. But it did, and Cena was your winner that year. Hurray.
Cena, ever the noble gentleman, used the contract to challenge then-Champion CM Punk to a title match on the 1000th episode of WWE Raw (rather than just sneaking up on the champion). However, while he technically won that match, it was by DQ (Big Show punched him) so he didn't win the title.
While it gave us a pretty good match, the entire thing was kind of pointless.