10 Most Deserving Ways A Vacant Wrestling Title Was Won

10. John Cena (Money In The Bank 2014)

Back in the summer of 2014, and fresh off the back of one of the greatest coronations in WrestleMania history, disaster struck for Daniel Bryan. A neck injury forced him to surrender the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and spend the better part of a year in recovery.

Obviously the show had to go on, and with the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on the horizon, there was really only one option available: as well as staging a Money in the Bank match for a shot at the vacant title, there would also be a ladder match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship outright.

This meant a series of qualifying matches to determine the field of participants, but naturally it was the ladder match itself that would prove to be the tougher task.

Ultimately, John Cena emerged the victor, ahead of the likes of Kane, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Bray Wyatt, Alberto Del Rio, Sheamus, and Cesaro. Outlasting that field, plus the extreme nature of this match, meant that it was a title victory well-earned, and a fitting way for Cena to kick off his 15th reign as World Champion.