It's one of the biggest nights in the entire WWE calendar and, boy, did the 2024 edition of Money In The Bank live up to that billing. Coming from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, the Money In The Bank ladder match has seen the likes of CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton claim world championship victories via the famous MITB briefcase. The course of the entire year is annually spun on its head over the course of one evening.

And as if that all wasn't substantial enough to bring to the table during one of the hottest years in WWE history, John Cena announced his retirement. Winners and Losers takes in the past, present and future of the WWE and its superstars to bring you a comprehensive breakdown of the biggest moments both in and out of the ring.

Winners

John Cena

It is an impossible job to even begin to summarize a career that could be considered the greatest in the history of professional wrestling. Commandeering a longer run at the top of the WWE than any superstar, John Cena’s decision to call time on his legendary run will lead to a year-long farewell tour, running from January to December 2025, that he hopes will take in “thirty to forty dates” and will be the centerpiece of the company’s first year on Netflix. It simply doesn’t get bigger. It couldn’t be more deserved.

Fantasy booking Cena’s opponents is what the remainder of the year is for. What we know for sure is that he’ll be taking part in the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, WrestleMania and Money In The Bank and will be retiring at the end of December, 2025. The Rock, Solo Sikoa and The Bloodline already have reason to restart their beef with Big Match John. CM Punk has already thrown his name in the proverbial ring. There will surely be a last dance with Randy Orton and a chance to win a record-breaking seventeenth world title. These are all possibilities but here’s what’s certain: it’s going to be emotional and there will be jorts.

The Bloodline

Looking increasingly like a force to be reckoned with and less like a cheap knock-off from Temu, Solo Sikoa’s new look Bloodline claimed their biggest scalp to date with victory over three future Hall Of Famers. All eyes were on the rabid, snarling Jacob Fatu for his first official match in a WWE ring. He looks every bit the nightmare on legs he is being sold as (“a one man army” was the excellent assessment of Corey Graves) but it was the alpha aura of Solo that became the story of the evening.

With expletive-ridden chants aimed at him and the respect of his united brethren, the rumor of him challenging Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam looks far less underwhelming following Sikoa pinning the WWE champion here. His trio's savagery on Kevin Owens was uncomfortable viewing. Randy Orton was nullified. If the last few months have seen The Bloodline simmering, the last 8 days have been red hot.

Damian Priest

Damian Priest has had to suffer overwhelming and unjust criticism since cashing in at WrestleMania and taking Drew McIntyre’s World Heavyweight Championship moments after he gained it. During a period that includes CM Punk and Drew’s hate-fueled feud, Liv Morgan’s viral-worthy antics and the birth of The Wyatt Sicks (and that’s just on Raw), it is a difficult time to stand out. Even on this card, Priest had to follow the unexpected retirement announcement of John Cena. A little slack can be cut at some point, right?

This victory was Priest's greatest to date. Capitalizing on Drew McIntyre’s arrogance, Priest would steal a triple threat that left both The Scottish Warrior and Seth Rollins in the mud and him retaining his title to remain the kingpin of The Judgement Day. In truth, there won't be a sane bet being placed upon Damian in his upcoming SummerSlam match with Gunther but, for now, El Campion lives to fight another day... even after that botched kick out.

Tiffany Stratton

It simply had to be. No matter how much online clamor there may have been for Chelsea Green to walk away with the briefcase, Tiffany Stratton’s future as a Main Roster world champion is inevitable. Her 100+ day reign as NXT Women’s Champion was only cut short by future Hall Of Famer, Becky Lynch, and despite only being on the main roster since February, she now already has wins over Liv Morgan, and Naomi, and now she’s added the title of Ms. Money In The Bank.

Her friendship with Nia Jax is sure to face heightened scrutiny now that she has the briefcase too. The current Queen Of The Ring is set to face Bayley for the Women’s Championship at SummerSlam and, if she keep her friends close and her enemies closer, there’s every chance that it could truly be Tiffany’s time by the close of this summer.

The Women’s MITB Match

And how about that match?! If the idea of the Money In The Bank ladder match is to stoke several fires at once, this was an all-night BBQ at Satan’s house. Lyra Valkyria and Iyo Sky’s burgeoning rivalry was a regular fixture as ladders were used as weapons left and right.

Chelsea Green has surely secured more time on our screens with her magnificent performances over the last month and a show-stealing effort during this encounter. Naomi’s spot fighting foes while doing the splits across two ladders was anatomy-defying. Zoe Stark shut a lot of people up. “Hell yeah”s all round!

CM Punk

Even if you saw it coming, it didn’t make it any less satisfying when it arrived. Drew McIntyre’s promise that he’d cash in his contract for a title shot on the same evening if he were to win the Money In The Bank ladder match wasn’t so much bait as it was throwing up the Straight Edge Bat Signal into the Toronto night sky. He asked for it and, via an absolute mauling with two separate chairs, being choked with a sound cable (the PG-13 era is so over), and being put to sleep with the title belt that he was trying to win, he got it.

There is a moment in Die Hard in which Holly McClane learns that John is alive “because nobody else can piss a man off that much”. That line could have been written for CM Punk. Punk has many superpowers, but perhaps his strongest suit of all is his ability to get under someone’s skin. He could make a hippy throw a haymaker and the amount of malice that he’s currently conjuring is masterful.

"No comment." - CM Punk when asked if he felt bad for Seth Rollins losing his title opportunity.

The New Look WWE Post-Show

Maybe it’s the nerdier side of being a wrestling fan in the current era but the WWE’s constantly evolving production values have been a real highlight of the year so far. The latest addition to that was a Post-Show that was as must-see as the event itself. Solo Sikoa took part in a brash interview with a headset on that felt like a post-match NBA or UFC chat. Drew McIntyre destroyed the set and was dragged away by Adam Pearce. John Cena fielded more questions than an under-fire politician. It all felt fresh and exciting.

All of these slight tweaks feel like they’re going to burst into overdrive when Netflix and WWE begin their partnership in January. Perhaps more excitingly and more immediately, the presentation of WWE continues to evolve in ways that still feel satisfying. We are still relatively early in the post-Vince landscape. Let's cherish our brighter future together.

Losers

Bron Breakker

To cut the BS early, Bron Breakker has had more entrance themes than he has losses in 2024. He's now onto 3. He’s impressed everybody who’s laid eyes on him, and he’s not just a future player in this company, he’s going to write golden chapters in it. Everybody breathe, Bron’s going to be just fine.

To be thrust into an Intercontinental Championship bout at one of the company’s biggest shows of the year, and all just 3 months after his main roster debut, lets everybody know that there’s major league belief within the upper echelons of WWE in the ability of this generation’s Genetic Freak.

That anyone seemed genuinely shocked that a seasoned veteran like Sami Zayn didn't drop the belt to him speaks volumes about how sold the audience is on Bron. He may have lost the match, but you have to pity whoever gets in his way on Raw.

This was Bron Breakker’s first loss in singles competition since losing to Carmelo Hayes on October 10th, 2023

Drew McIntyre & The MITB Briefcase

Oh, Drew. After earning the Money In The Bank briefcase earlier in the evening with a cunning and powerful performance, McIntyre made good on the promise he made on Monday Night Raw to cash in that evening, turning Seth vs Priest into a triple threat. In doing so, he became the sixth person to use the briefcase on the very same evening it was obtained but, unlike the other five who won their matches, Drew McIntyre got on the wrong side of CM Punk.

From one perspective, The Scottish Warrior fumbling the bag at the hands of CM Punk yet again has only added more to what is unquestionably WWE’s feud of the year. On the other hand, this means there is no briefcase in play this year within the men’s division and that’s always a pity. Still, it serves him right for being what he would call a "wee dafty".

This was Drew's sixth Money In The Bank ladder match and his first victory.

Seth Rollins

Lost within the captivating bitterness between Messrs McIntyre and Punk, it’s easy to forget that it was the bile-driven rivalry between Rollins and the Second City Saint that was the most anticipated after CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series last November.

But there is potential redemption here. Now that Seth’s title opportunity has been vanquished in the midst of their pettiness WWE has just potentially made the Hottest Party Of The Summer feel a lot hotter.

If, during WrestleMania season, he suffered constant chatter about whether he was being lost in the shuffle of Cody vs The Bloodline or Drew vs Punk, Seth Rollins could be granted the opportunity to upstage both. Fans of legitimate beef can only hope that WWE SummerSlam has all three men competing in a triple threat match.

The Final Word…

• Chad Gable and Jey Uso were the only two competitors at this year's MITB to have never taken part in a ladder match in singles competition
• Damian Priest vs Seth Rollins has only happened once before
• Selling Jacob Fatu like he’s Con Air's Cyrus The Virus is working a treat
• Carmelo Hayes’ Toronto Raptors ring gear was fire
• The "Poo McIntyre" sign was funny. We don’t make the rules
• The Frankensteiner was the Wrestling Observer Newsletter’s move of the year in both 1989 and 1990
• The Intercontinental championship has only changed hands once at MITB when Shinsuke Nakamura defeated Finn Balor in 2019
• The montage before John Cena’s last match is going to be biblical.