Is Money in the Bank 2011 the greatest Money in the Bank show of all time? No 2016 was.
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The 10th Anniversary of the Money in the Bank 2011 is upon us. But is it the greatest Money in the Bank pay-per-view of all time? It might be a controversial opinion, but it is not. Going over every show from the last 11 years, the 2016 edition of the show has left a better legacy.
First, let’s look at the more significant matches from the 2011 edition. First, Daniel Bryan wins the Smackdown Money in the Bank ladder match, which many believe elevated Daniel Bryan into a main event talent. But that is not the case. He went on to lose at Summerslam to Wade Barret and, while holding the briefcase, could hardly get on television. Then he only became World Heavyweight Champion because Mark Henry had to lose his title due to injury. Daniel Bryan’s actual ascension to the main event scene has to be in 2013 when his popularity grew to new heights and the Yes Movement took over the world.
In Raw’s Money in the Bank ladder match, fans saw Alberto Del Rio win the briefcase, leading Del Rio to win two WWE Championships in Summer to Fall of that year. And at that time, it was weird to see the WWE rookie in the main event picture with John Cena and CM Punk. Fast forward to the present, Del Rio is a prestigious wrestler, but his controversies overshadow his accomplishments. As of right now, he is attempting to make a comeback in wrestling after some troubles in the law. Rewatching this show and seeing him win the ladder match is somewhat uncomfortable, knowing what he has done since.
Other than the Summer of Punk happening, fans also experience the Summer of Christian who, after years of being in the mid-card Christian, is in the main event wrestling Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship. These series of matches would go on to be classics in recent history. But what happens is not so great Christian goes back to the mid-card and does not reach the heights of the main event since this year. Orton does go on to make Mark Henry look tremendous and start Henry’s World Championship reign. And at that point in Orton’s career, it is known that no matter Orton will always be presented as the main eventer. Christian would retire for few years but great to see him thrive in a new company like AEW to prove why he should belong in the main event after this rivalry.
Finally, the match will go down in history as the moment where it felt like WWE was heading in a new direction. But that was not the case. Before this event, the now-iconic “Pipebomb” promo happened where CM Punk aired his frustration in not being in the main event picture after work he has done—famously saying that this company would be better off when Vince McMahon is dead. For the first time in what feels like forever, it felt like wrestling was heading into a new boom period with this “Pipebomb” leading to a brand new era. The rumbling of the crowd coming from Punk’s hometown crowd will never be matched in Chicago. Not a soul in the arena wanted to see Punk lose this match. And then it happened Punk pins John Cena and left with WWE Championship became the greatest endings in wrestling history. But what followed went all downhill.
A few weeks later, Cena beats Rey Mysterio for the vacant WWE Championship, who just won it hours ago, and CM Punk makes his return. Then it gets confusing where the WWE Championship was passed around to Punk, Del Rio, Cena, and back to Punk which stopped the momentum; Punk was building from the Pipebomb. After these events, Punk would stay a top star, but by January of 2014, Punk would walk out on the company. Rewatching this match leaves a bitter taste that he eventually does walk out on wrestling as a whole. Punk has gone on the record saying that he wants to change wrestling by not sitting on his couch but by doing something. But the irony is that since leaving the company, things changed with the number of main eventers created. Sadly, CM Punk’s passion for wrestling is gone, but it would be wanted to change the industry, then the name CM Punk would still be involved in wrestling somehow.
Five years later brings us to the greatest Money in the Bank event coming to Las Vegas in 2016. Which featured the first John Cena and AJ Styles wrestled one on one and night where every member of the Shield held the WWE Championship.
Before discussing the three big matches that carried this show, one thing to point out was the opener. Which saw the New Day survive of a Fatal-Four way at the beginning of their journey to being the greatest tag team in WWE history,
This show will go down in history as the first one-on-one meeting between AJ Styles and John Cena. For over ten years, fans have desired a match, and it started to feel like it was never going to happen. And finally, on the May 30th episode, the returning Cena would meet Styles, and the arena was electric. And after that show, the stage was set AJ Styles vs. John Cena for the first time at Money in the Bank. Even though this match ended with interference with the help of Gallows and Anderson, they still delivered. This match was only a taste of the magic they can make. The two would have two more classic matches in SummerSlam of that year and the Royal Rumble of 2017. After this match, there were no doubt Styles in WWE was a success.
Now on to the all-star Money in the Bank ladder match. The ladder match was trimmed down to six men, and this is an instance of fewer means better. This match had four up-and-comers who have never held a world title with Dean Ambrose, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, and Cesaro, known for bringing out the best in each other. And then there was Chris Jericho, who in 2016 reinvented himself with the “Stupid Idiot” phrase and later would create the List of Jericho that took a life of its own. Alberto Del Rio was also there and delivered. So many painful spots occurred that had fans going nuts believing that anyone could win this match. But it was Dean Ambrose who took the briefcase, and finally, Ambrose received the long-overdue moment.
Then it came down to the main event, the returning Seth Rollins attempting to take back the title he never lost against Roman Reigns. This match could have happened at any Wrestlemania but having it at Money in the Bank makes this show even more stacked. Reigns and Rollins know each other so well that there was no doubt these two will have a hell of a match. And they did, going back and forth and having one unique match ending when Rollins reversed a Spear into a Pedigree getting the win. Everyone is standing up in disbelief that Rollins beat the “Big Dog.” But that was not the end of the show. Ambrose’s music starts playing, and from behind hits Rollins with his briefcase and wins his first WWE Championship.
The results of the 2016 edition of Money in the Bank changed the wrestling world today than it did in 2011. In 2016 fans saw Dean Ambrose become WWE Champion for the first time, who would later become one of the biggest wrestling names to this day. For years it seemed like Ambrose would be the only member of the Shield not to win a world title, and this event solidified him as the main eventer he is today. This show also solidified AJ Styles as a main eventer in WWE. After losing to Chris Jericho, many believed his career was over. But after this win from John Cena, his career was on the up and up. Today people only see AJ Styles as a mainstay in the WWE who delivers in every match. 2016 gave a spotlight to stars who still rule the wrestling world today. Current day stars like The New Day, Chris Jericho, Sami Zayn, Kevin Owens, Jon Moxley, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, AJ Styles, etc. Most importantly, this show would lead to the fantastic Brand Split of 2016 that presented so many great moments in both the men and women of WWE.
If CM Punk still had a prominent role in the wrestling world today, then 2011 would be superior but leaving in 2014 leaves a bitter taste when rewatching. Money in the Bank 2016 can be looked at as the beginning of the era of wrestling today.
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