WWE Money in the Bank: All 16 Winners, Ranked

credit: wwe.com

8. Rob Van Dam – WrestleMania 22

If ever a superstar has done MITB the right way, it was Rob Van Dam. RVD emerged from WrestleMania 22 with the briefcase, outsmarting Bobby Lashley, Finlay, Shelton Benjamin, Ric Flair, and Matt Hardy.  As far as MITB standards go, this match was solid and Van Dam certainly looked like the star everyone knew he was ever since his days in ECW.  He took some wicked bumps and delivered some massive high spots which delighted the capacity crowd in Rosemont, Illinois as the majority of them erupted as RVD unhooked the case.

2 months later announced that he would cash it in at his old hunting grounds, the ECW Arena at One Night Stand against John Cena.  In a terrific match that night in Philadelphia, Van Dam would earn his first WWE world championship, albeit with some help from Edge.  It was a huge night for RVD as he celebrated in the place where his career initially flourished and proved that hard work and dedication eventually pays off.  Days later, Paul Heyman confirmed that Van Dam was not only the WWE Champion, but also the first ECW Champion as the WWE had brought back the brand.  To this day, he’s the only wrestler to hold both belts at the same time.

The celebration, however, was short-lived.  In less than a month he’d lose both titles, the WWE Championship to Edge and ECW Championship to The Big Show.  Shortly after the losses, RVD was suspended due to a drug possession arrest.  And less than a year after that, he was out of the WWE.  RVD would eventually return to the WWE in 2013 but never get anywhere close to the top again.  Oh RVD, what could’ve been.