Top 5: WWE Money In The Bank Cash-Ins
WWE's Money in the Bank pay-per-view will be taking place on July 18th, and with a week of build-up left, this year's pay-per-view is taking shape. In the meantime, it might be a good time to take a stroll down memory lane and relieve some of the most exciting cash-ins of all time in WWE.
For those new to the WWE product, the concept of Money in the Bank (shortened to MITB) is simple. Several superstars compete in a ladder match where a briefcase is suspended above the ring, within the briefcase is a contract, guaranteeing the winner a WWE world championship match in the future. The match can take place anytime, anywhere, and for any WWE world title that the case holder chooses, hence the term "cash-in".
In WWE history, MITB cash-in's come in all different shapes and sizes. Some don't cash-in their briefcases for nearly a year, while some do it the same night they win the case itself. Some take advantage of an injured champion, while others opt to use their MITB contract to schedule a match at a later date.
There have been a total of 20 successful cash-ins since WWE introduced Money in the Bank, but only a handful deserve to be placed in the Top 5 of all-time. Let's not waste a moment longer and dive into the Top 5 WWE Money in the Bank cash-in's
#5. Rob Van Dam brings WWE Champ John Cena to the Land of Extreme
RVD was the second man in WWE history to claim MITB, doing so at WrestleMania 22. While the previous winner (who we will get to later) had cashed-in his briefcase unannounced, The Whole F'n Show wanted to do things differently.
On Monday Night RAW, RVD challenged then-WWE Champion John Cena to a match for the world title at the upcoming ECW: One Night Stand pay-per-view. Marking the first time the championship would be defended in the land of extreme.
The pay-per-view itself emanated from the Manhattan Center, the old Hammerstein Ballroom and the original home of ECW in New York City.The match would go on to gain legendary status, as it would be the single most hostile crowd John Cena had ever encountered since becoming the face of WWE.
This pay-per-view show was designed to look and feel like anything BUT a WWE produced show. With the crowd being far from a typical sampling of the WWE Universe that John Cena was used to interacting with.
Cena was not greeted as the babyface hero that he would usually be in a typical WWE arena at the time. Instead of young fans and families chanting his name, he was instead met by a sea of hardcore ECW and internet wrestling fans who loathed the WWE Champion. With many fans chanting "Cena Sucks" and "F*ck You Cena" throughout the bout.
After a chaotic match, which included WWE superstar Edge spearing Cena through a table, RVD would hit the 5 Star Frogsplash and get a pinfall victory over John Cena.
The moment marked RVD's first WWE Championship win, and the only time in WWE history that a MITB winner "called their shot" ahead of time and still won the title. Those points, along with the addition of the infamous hostile atmosphere, make this cash-in deserving of the #5 spot.