Money in the Bank: Top 5 moments in the PPV's history
From being a gimmick match to put notable superstars on WrestleMania's card, to becoming one of the most awaited pay-per-views of the year, Money in the Bank has come a long way. Conceptualized in the year 2005 by the Ayatollah of Rock 'N' Rolla, Chris Jericho, it wasn't until 2010 before MITB became a pay-per-view.
Over the years, MITB has consistently become one of the best events of the year. We have seen superstars like The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, and Seth Rollins rise to the occasion and go on to become world champions. This year, we have upstarts like Ali, Andrade, and Ricochet looking to signal their arrival on the main event scene winning the MITB briefcase.
Money in the Bank has given us some great moments over the past few years and this year's edition promises to be no different. Here are the top five moments in Money In The Bank history.
#5 Daniel Bryan winning the MITB Briefcase
Let's be honest, no one, and we mean no one, expected Daniel Bryan to succeed in WWE. The American Dragon had made a name for himself in the independent circuit before arriving in the world's biggest wrestling promotion.
Bryan wasn't your prototypical WWE Superstar, ie, he didn't have the attributes one would generally associate with a WWE Superstar. In addition to that, Bryan was already a known name due to his stint in Ring of Honour and other independent promotions, and given how the company functioned at that time, it was impossible to envision Bryan as the company's top star.
Bryan winning the Money in the Bank Ladder Match in 2011 was a watershed moment in the company's history as it marked a shift in the company's vision of what a top star ought to be. Bryan's win broke the notion that you had to be built like a tank in order to succeed in WWE.
Bryan would cash-in his contract at TLC 2011 after a brutal chairs match between Mark Henry and The Big Show, to become the World Heavyweight Champion.
Although the world title reign isn't remembered fondly due to the way it ended, the company taking a chance with Bryan opened the doors for stars like AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose to succeed in the company.