First contested at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, this dangerous, but rewarding contest pits Superstars against one another in a battle to climb a ladder and snatch a briefcase hanging precariously above the ring. Inside the case is a contract giving the winner an opportunity to face a World Champion at a time of their choosing throughout a 12-month period.

This unique ability to “cash in” a championship opportunity at any moment has given Money in the Bank winners a serious advantage over their opponents on many occasions. Edge, the first-ever “Mr. Money in the Bank,” cashed in his contract at New Year’s Revolution 2006, defeating WWE Champion John Cena immediately after the 12 Rounds star had just successfully defended his title in an Elimination Chamber Match. At Extreme Rules in 2009, CM Punk elected to face Jeff Hardy moments after The Charismatic Enigma defeated Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship in a grueling Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match.

Every Superstar who has cashed in a Money in the Bank contract has gone on to win a World Championship, including CM Punk, who won the contest at WrestleMania in 2008 and 2009. This amazing percentage for victory has proven that the risks of this perilous match are certainly worth the reward.

First contested at WrestleMania 21 in 2005, this dangerous, but rewarding contest pits eight Superstars against one another in a battle to climb a ladder and snatch a briefcase hanging precariously above the ring. Inside the case is a contract giving the winner an opportunity to face a World Champion at a time of their choosing throughout a 12-month period.

This unique ability to “cash in” a championship opportunity at any moment has given Money in the Bank winners a serious advantage over their opponents on many occasions. Edge, the first-ever “Mr. Money in the Bank,” cashed in his contract at New Year’s Revolution 2006, defeating WWE Champion John Cena immediately after the 12 Rounds star had just successfully defended his title in an Elimination Chamber Match. At Extreme Rules in 2009, CM Punk elected to face Jeff Hardy moments after The Charismatic Enigma defeated Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship in a grueling Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match.

Every Superstar who has cashed in a Money in the Bank contract has gone on to win a World Championship, including CM Punk, who won the contest at WrestleMania in 2008 and 2009. This amazing percentage for victory has proven that the risks of this perilous match are certainly worth the reward.

Ezekiel Jackson’s victory was impressive to say the least as Hardy, Kane and CM Punk are all former ECW Champions and Vance Archer and Yoshi Tatsu are two of the Land of the Extreme’s most promising young stars. Previously Big Zeke showed just how dangerous he can be, especially under William Regal’s tutelage, with the strategic and powerful dismantling of former associate Vladimir Kozlov in an ECW Homecoming qualifying match. With his sights now set on the ECW Championship, there may be no stopping the 6-foot-4, 309-pound Guyanese Goliath, and with The British Brawler acting as his advisor, there’s no telling what unscrupulous tactics the two might employ.

These two Superstars are no strangers to this dangerous bout. Christian built his reputation competing in high-risk Ladder Matches, including the first-ever Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match at SummerSlam 2000, a grueling contest many fans considered to be one of the greatest WWE matches of all time.

Benjamin, perhaps the finest athlete in all of WWE, has competed in a record four Money in the Bank Ladder Matches. While The Gold Standard has never walked away with the coveted briefcase, his amazing feats of athleticism have wowed the WWE Universe year in and year out. At the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania, Benjamin’s memorable dive off the top of a 20-foot ladder became an immediate fixture of WWE highlight reels.

Though Orton may be more experienced than Kingston, the athletic Superstar has shown in recent weeks that he has exactly what it takes to hit The Viper where it hurts. As retaliation for Orton viciously attacking him after a match, Kingston sought out his nemesis’ personalized NASCAR racer and defaced it while The Legend Killer looked on, helpless to stop the automotive carnage. The two’s rivalry then expanded during a Six-Man Tag Team Match on Raw when Kingston and Orton were joined by fellow Survivor Series combatants, MVP & Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase, respectively.

Christian defeated Regal in a record-breaking eight seconds at The Biggest Event of the Eummer to retain ECW gold, only to be viciously ambushed moments later by Kozlov & Jackson. Since then, Regal has been on a warpath against Christian. First, he defeated Captain Charisma to become No. 1 contender on ECW on Syfy. A week later, Christian & Tommy Dreamer retaliated with a Singapore Cane attack on Kozlov & Jackson. But most recently on ECW on Syfy, the dangerous duo of Jackson & Kozlov decimated Christian & Dreamer as Regal watched from ringside and later applied the devastating Regal Stretch to Dreamer and then kicked the ECW Champion in the head.

After emerging victorious from a brutal Extreme Rules Match against Tommy Dreamer, Christian thought his ECW Championship was safe, when he appeared as a guest on “The Abraham Washington Show.” But after defending the ECW Original to the brash talk-show host, Captain Charisma was introduced to the recently named No. 1 contender, William Regal.