Ranking WWE's last 5 men's Money In The Bank winners
WWE Money In The Bank 2022 is less than three weeks away. The company took its first steps towards building the card for the premium live event on the June 10, 2022 episode of SmackDown, with Lacey Evans qualifying at Xia Li's expense. The field shaped up some more on RAW, with Seth Rollins, Liv Morgan, and Alexa Bliss punching their tickets on Monday night.
Seth Rollins is moving onto #MITB after qualifying for the match this week on #WWERaw.
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This year's edition promises to set up mouthwatering cash-in possibilities, with the women's winner having her choice of champion to challenge. On the men's side, the briefcase holder will have one target: the Unified Universal Champion. It will be interesting to see where this year's winner ranks in the hall of briefcase holders.
With that in mind, let's rank the last five men's winners of the briefcase to see what recent legacy the next holder will attempt to surpass.
#5 WWE Superstar Otis never got the chance to cash in his contract
The 2020 Money In The Bank match was the most unique edition in WWE history since it was held all over the company's headquarters. It was also the only edition in which both the men's and women's matches were held simultaneously. The bout started in the lobby, working its way up through the building and even making it to Mr. McMahon's office.
Otis won the contract after AJ Styles and Baron Corbin unclasped the briefcase but fumbled it while fighting for sole ownership of it. Just as he won the contract in an unorthodox manner by not climbing the ladder, The Bulldozer lost it in bizarre fashion. The Miz dethroned Otis in a match for the contract at Hell In A Cell 2020, going on to successfully cash in a few months later.
#4 Baron Corbin's cash-in on WWE Champion Jinder Mahal was ill-fated
When Baron Corbin won the 2017 Money In The Bank ladder match, it seemed a forgone conclusion that he would become WWE Champion. The Lone Wolf was one of the best heels on SmackDown Live, and a world title win was the logical next step in his progression. However, that didn't happen.
Corbin cashed in on Jinder Mahal after interrupting the champion's match against John Cena. He was ultimately unsuccessful, getting rolled up by Mahal while distracted by Cena. When it was all said and done, his cash-in only served to set up a Summerslam match against the Cenation leader, which he lost.
#3 Braun Strowman's cash-in on WWE Universal champion Roman Reigns was halted by a Shield reunion
2018 Money In The Bank winner Braun Strowman had all the makings of a WWE world champion. While he would eventually fulfill his world title potential, The Monster Among Men would not achieve this from his cash-in. His would-be moment of glory was halted by one of the greatest factions in company history.
Strowman cashed in on Universal Champion Roman Reigns after a grueling title defense against Finn Balor. As The Monster Among Men attacked The Big Dog, the latter's Shield teammates came out for the save. The trio laid out Strowman with a triple powerbomb, ending his spell with the briefcase in failure.
#2 WWE legend Brock Lesnar barely participated in the Money In The Bank ladder match before winning
The 2019 Money In The Bank ladder match was one of the most memorable in WWE history. After an incredible match full of gravity-defying ladder spots and hard-hitting action, Mustafa Ali looked set to win the contract. Brock Lesnar's music hit as Ali climbed the ladder, and within seconds, The Beast held the briefcase.
Lesnar loomed over champions Kofi Kingston and Seth Rollins before he cashed in the contract for a match on the inaugural episode of SmackDown on FOX. On that October 4, 2019, episode, The Beast defeated Kingston within eight seconds to become WWE champion.
Lesnar's reign with the briefcase received mixed reactions because many fans felt it could have helped a younger star become world champion. Nonetheless, his reign was impactful and entertaining.
#1 Big E was the perfect choice for Mr. Money In The Bank
.@WWEBigE cashed in his #MITB contract and it paid off! @fightbobby https://t.co/4YGBmacUNA
The 2021 Money In The Bank premium live event was one of WWE's best in recent years. The women's ladder match opened the show on an exciting note, with great matches all over the card such as Flair vs Ripley headlined by John Cena's all-time great surprise return after Reigns vs Edge. The men's ladder match was the embodiment of this greatness as Big E emerged from the classic match with the contract.
The New Day powerhouse executed his cash-in well, giving Randy Orton and Bobby Lashley prior notice of his intentions. This helped build anticipation for his eventual big win and established him as an honorable babyface. The crowd's reaction to his first world title win was one of the biggest in the history of cash-in.
This classic case of a fan-favorite superstar winning the briefcase and successfully cashing in to become a first-time world champion is the best of the past five years.