The Greatest Match From Every WWE WrestleMania

15. WrestleMania XXI: Money In The Bank

Shawn Michaels Undertaker WrestleMania 25
WWE.com

One of the last great innovations of WWE creative, the Money in the Bank stipulation changed the way the company’s champions thought. No more could you bask in the glory of a job well done following a hard fought victory - at any moment, one of your rivals could come sprinting down to the ring, briefcase in hand, and demand a title shot then and there.

The inaugural match, as with the majority of those which followed it, is car crash wrestling in the best possible way. Shelton Benjamin set a precedent for being the best thing in this stipulation, using ladders as ramps and hitting crashing suplexes from way off the ground (that he didn’t get a big push off the back of this still boggles the mind).

The match has long been a star-maker, and 21 puts over one of the biggest performers for years to come - Edge, on whom the WWE finally pulled the trigger when he grabbed the precious briefcase.

Years to come would see more spot-heavy MITB matches, but the debut bout is probably the best mesh of storytelling and insane high risk action.

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Contributor

Yorkshire-based writer of screenplays, essays, and fiction. Big fan of having a laugh. Read more of my stuff @ www.twotownsover.com (if you want!)