When John Cena Accidentally Won Money In The Bank In 2012; Find Out What Really Happened

When John Cena won the Money in the Bank ladder in 2012, it looked like an accident. Read more to know what really happened!

By Avik Das

Published on Jul 11, 2024 | 04:31 PM IST | 251.2K

John Cena (PC- Getty Images)

The Money in the Bank ladder match featured a star-studded lineup consisting of John Cena, Chris Jericho, Big Show, The Miz, and Kane. The climax of the match was filled with suspense, and it didn't look pre-planned. John Cena won the briefcase at the end, but it didn't seem like it was meant to happen.

Chris Jericho and The Miz were exchanging blows at the top of the ladder until Big Show came up. With his right-hand punch, the goliath knocked Y2J off the ladder. By that time, John Cena had climbed the ladder.

To block Big Show's punches, Cena used the Money in the Bank briefcase. He was also hitting Show's head with it. During the exchange, the briefcase was accidentally unhooked from the top, meaning Cena was declared the winner.

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Was John Cena meant to win?

A victory for John Cena in the WWE ring shouldn't be doubted, but when he got his hands on the briefcase, it didn't look convincing. The match probably had a premature ending due to the accidental botch.

A couple of days after Money in the Bank 2012, WrestleZone reported that John Cena was not WWE's original pick as a winner. In the early stages, the company decided to go with Chris Jericho.

The current AEW star was slated to be the first wrestler to unsuccessfully cash in the contract on the title holder, CM Punk. Had Y2J won the briefcase, the original idea was to have a cash-in attempt on the same night after the WWE Championship encounter between Daniel Bryan and CM Punk.

As the plan altered in Cena's favor, the Money in the Bank ladder match main-evented the show, while the WWE Championship match took place in the middle.

John Cena's Money in the Bank cash-in

The sixteen-time world champion waited only eight days to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase. That match with CM Punk was interfered with by Big Show, who caused a disqualification.

Following the cash-in, John was the winner of the match, but he didn't get hold of the WWE Championship due to the disqualification victory. CM Punk remained the WWE Champion, thanks to Big Show.

Cena became the first Money in the Bank winner to successfully cash in the briefcase yet not win the World title. The failed cash-in allowed CM Punk to have a record-long 434-day title reign.

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