10 WWE Money In The Bank Winners & Their King Of The Ring Counterparts
Who had the most similar roles with the contract and the crown?
As a kid, this was my favorite time of year. When the Spring was ready to become Summer, it was time to get excited. Excited for the school year to come to an end, excited for 3 months to hang out with my friends, play outside, and go on vacation, and, believe it or not, excitement for the yearly King Of The Ring pay-per-view.
As an adult, my perspective on the months of May and June aren't what they once were. Gone is the greatest feeling in the world that was "the last day of school", the weeks of spending all hours of the day outside with friends have also dissipated, but there is one thing that remains...
It may not be called "King Of The Ring" anymore, but today's annual June PPV is just as worthy of fans' excitement and anticipation as ever before. Similar to its predecessor, the Money In The Bank concept grew into an special event all to itself, worthy of becoming WWE's yearly June spectacle.
In essence, the KOTR has been replaced by MITB and in more ways than one. The purpose of both accomplishments remain the same: to get a superstar over. In some cases, it works exactly as drawn up and there are times when nothing went according to plan.
This article will take a look at 10 Money In The Bank Winner and their counterparts from a previous era when the King Of The Ring ruled June.
10. Alberto Del Rio (2011) & Kurt Angle (2000)
First on the list are two superstars who achieved their respective accomplishments in the middle of their ascent to the main event.
Alberto Del Rio debuted in WWE in mid-2010 and by the next year he was retrieving the Money In The Bank briefcase. Kurt Angle also debuted the year before his watermark victory at the 2000 King Of The Ring in Boston. Both men were well on their way to the main event when they won the contract and crown and probably would've made it even without them.
The similarities don't end there.
In addition to being hot prospects and highly touted individuals upon their WWE debut, both Angle and Alberto are proud patriots that turned their milestone victories into WWE Championships within 6 months.
Throughout the years that followed, the two WWE Superstars would close the show on many occasions. Though never considered "the man" ala Stone Cold Steve Austin, John Cena, or Roman Reigns, Alberto and Kurt both took the opportunity their victory presented to them and used it to turn in an impressive, championship-laden career.