8 Worst WWE Money In The Bank Cash-Ins EVER

Although some of these other entries could stake a claim for the top spot on this list, there really is only one clear “winner” here, and that’s the only person who cashed in their Money in the Bank briefcase to challenge for a secondary title… and still lost.

Austin Theory was the poor, hapless soul who found himself in this unenviable position, but given the year he had before that failed cash-in, it really should not have been a surprise.

WWE had an odd way of showing they wanted to push Theory, having him steal Cleopatra’s Egg (Google it, the whole saga is too dumb to rehash), which somehow led Vince McMahon to grant Austin a world title match – which he lost. McMahon would mentor Theory, who feuded with Pat McAfee and lost to him at WrestleMania 38.

Theory captured the United States Championship that spring, but lost it at Money in the Bank. He was then added to the MITB ladder match and retrieved the briefcase later that night.

Like a dope, Theory tried cashing in his contract for a world title match, but he kept getting beat up before he could turn over the briefcase. Finally, he opted to cash in for a shot at Seth Rollins (with whom he was feuding) for his US title.

But even setting his sights “lower” on the United States Championship and an injured Rollins didn’t help Theory, as Bobby Lashley helped cost him that title match by jumping Austin and pummeling him while the referee was knocked out.

One would think that would have been the end of Theory as a serious singles threat, but he would win the US title three weeks later (begging the question why WWE booked him to fail with a layup of the cash-in) and defeat John Cena to hold onto the title at WrestleMania 39.

To this day, however, no one has ever used their MITB briefcase to challenge for a non-world title. Theory holds that distinction alone – and he flopped on the attempt.