It was a show-stealing event on The Grandest Stage of Them All on six separate occasions before the Money in the Bank Ladder Match proved popular enough with the WWE Universe — and vital enough within the championship structure of WWE — to warrant its very own pay-per-view event in 2010. Since the inception of the stipulation itself in 2005, the Money in the Bank Ladder Match has become one of sports-entertainment's most awe-inspiring spectacles; acting as both a showcase for hungry, up-and-coming Superstars and a breeding ground for champions.

See photos from every Money in the Bank Ladder match ever

Counting this year’s participants, there have been a total of 104 Superstars who have vied for Money in the Bank supremacy, a list that includes two WWE Hall of Famers and a Who’s Who of WWE Champions.

With this year's Money in the Bank pay-per-view right around the corner, WWE.com has compiled a numerical breakdown of interesting facts and stats pertaining to the Money in the Bank Ladder Match.

7 (Number of first World Title wins off Money in the Bank cash-ins)

Not convinced that winning a Money in the Bank Ladder Match is key to claiming WWE's ultimate prize? Tell that to the seven Superstars who won their first World Championship after cashing in their coveted contracts. A diverse list that spans Superstars past and present, the esteemed list of Superstars includes Edge (WWE Championship, 2006); Rob Van Dam (WWE Championship, 2006); CM Punk (World Heavyweight Championship, 2008); Jack Swagger (World Heavyweight Championship, 2010); The Miz (WWE Championship, 2010); Alberto Del Rio (WWE Championship, 2011) and Daniel Bryan (World Heavyweight Championship, 2011).

Rob Van Dam, by the way, was the first Superstar to ever make good on his cash-in promise, telling John Cena exactly where and when he would cash in. Although the Cenation leader followed suit after winning a contract in 2012 and announced his intentions of cashing in against WWE Champion CM Punk at Raw 1,000, unlike RVD, he was unable to walk away from his cash-in with championship gold.

3 (Most successful cash-ins during a single calendar year)

The year 2010 was a prolific 365 days for Money in the Bank Ladder Match winners. Three Money in the Bank contests – one at WrestleMania XXVI, plus two during the inaugural Money in the Bank pay-per-view – led to three successful cash-ins by the time 2011 rolled around: Jack Swagger (cashed in on Chris Jericho in April); Kane (on Rey Mysterio in July), and The Miz (on Randy Orton in November).

2 (Most contracts cashed in on a single champion)

Only two champions have had a Money in the Bank contract cashed in on them twice, and the answers may surprise you. Thirteen-time World Champion John Cena has been on the losing end of a cash-in on two separate occasions: Edge redeemed his contract to relieve Cena of the WWE Title in 2006, and Rob Van Dam successfully cashed in on The Champ at ECW One Night Stand later that same year (and for the same title as well).

As WWE Champion, CM Punk has had contracts cashed in against him twice, as well, but he escaped one of those cash-ins with his title reign intact. The Straight Edge Superstar lost the WWE Championship to Alberto Del Rio when The Mexican Aristocrat cashed in his contract at SummerSlam 2011. Cena cashed in against Punk in the summer of 2012, but his attempt did not garner championship gold.

57 (Age of the oldest Money in the Bank competitor)

Ric Flair is no stranger to history-making moments, and at WrestleMania 22, the WWE Hall of Famer once again found his way into the record books. At 57 years of age, Flair took part in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match to become the oldest entrant to compete in the dangerous stipulation bout.

On that night, "The Dirtiest Player in the Game" officially became "The Oldest Player in the Game," a record that may never be broken thanks to the inherent dangers of such a sadistic stipulation. Give credit where it’s due — there’s a reason they call him "The Man."

1 (Number of Superstars to never cash in their contract)

Money in the Bank contract holders have been 11-for-12 in championship cash-ins, but contract winners have been 9-for-10 as a result of one Superstar who never got the opportunity to challenge for a World Title. Mr. Kennedy captured the championship contract at WrestleMania 23, but the Green Bay, Wis., loudmouth never got the chance to use it, as he lost the contract to Edge only a month after winning it.

6 (Contracts cashed in on Raw and SmackDown)

To date, six of the 11 Superstars to win a Money in the Bank Ladder Match have cashed in the contract on Raw or SmackDown. Edge became the first to accomplish this feat on an episode of SmackDown back in May 2007 (even that one occasion has a caveat, based on the previous page's statistic). Moments after The Undertaker endured a hellacious Steel Cage Match against Batista, followed by a vicious beatdown from Mark Henry, The Rated-R Superstar cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, attacked The Phenom and won the World Heavyweight Title. In June 2008, CM Punk followed suit on Raw to win the same title from The Ultimate Opportunist, while on SmackDown in April 2010, Jack Swagger followed up an Edge attack to cash in the contract and win the World Heavyweight Title from Chris Jericho. Only The Miz cashed in his contract to win the WWE Championship on WWE television programming, doing so against Randy Orton on Raw in November 2010.

Both 2012 Money in the Bank Ladder Match winners chose to cash in on Raw: Cena did so against WWE Champion CM Punk at Raw 1,000, but did not come away with the title. Dolph Ziggler, meanwhile, successfully cashed in against World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio on the Raw the night after WrestleMania 29.

6 (Most Money in the Bank Ladder Match appearances by a Superstar)

Currently, the record for most appearances — six — is held by Kane, but come July 14, The Big Red Monster will add a seventh Money in the Bank Ladder Match under his belt. 

Two Superstars are tied with five appearances apiece: Christian and Shelton Benjamin. Captain Charisma will break the tie at this year’s event when he competes in his sixth Money in the Bank Ladder Match. Christian, Kane and Benjamin, as well as four-time Banker Chris Jericho, all appeared in the inaugural contest back in 2005.

9 (Most months passed before a Money in the Bank winner cashed in his contract)

The honor of the longest period of time a Money in the Bank Ladder Match winner went before cashing in his championship contract goes to its inaugural victor, Edge, as well as a 2012 winner, Dolph Ziggler.

After grabbing hold of the contract at WrestleMania 21 on April 3, 2005, “The Ultimate Opportunist” was methodical in his approach to the first Money in the Bank contract cash-in. Waiting nine months – until the following calendar year, in fact – Edge snuck up on WWE Champion John Cena after Cena’s main event title defense at New Year’s Revolution, held Jan. 8, 2006, and walked out of the event with championship gold around his waist.

Ziggler similarly went three-quarters of a year before picking his spot to cash in his contract. The Showoff won a World Heavyweight Championship Match Contract on July 15, 2012, and he finally cashed it in against Alberto Del Rio on the April 8, 2013, edition of Raw.

On the other end of the spectrum is Kane, who cashed in his contract the very same night that he won it.

24 (WWE/World Heavyweight Titles held by 2013 Money in the Bank Ladder Match combatants)

Of the 14 participants involved in this year's two Money in the Bank Ladder Matches, eight have won the prestigious WWE or World Heavyweight Title for a total of 24 reigns. Randy Orton leads the competitive pack, garnering six WWE Titles and three World Heavyweight Championships throughout his WWE career. CM Punk comes in at a distant second, having captured two WWE Titles and three World Heavyweight Titles.

The World Championship accolades belong almost entirely to the Money in the Bank All-Stars, as opposed to those seven individuals who will compete for a World Heavyweight Title Match Contract on July 14: 23 of the 24 World Title reigns can be attributed to the All-Stars; Jack Swagger is the only competitor in the World Heavyweight Championship Contract Money in the Bank Ladder Match to have won a World Title previously.

2 (Most Money in the Bank Ladder Match victories by a Superstar)

Two: It’s a small, seemingly insignificant number, but one that’s undeniably important in Money in the Bank lore. Two is the most number of Money in the Bank Ladder Match victories earned by a single Superstar, an accolade that belongs to CM Punk. (And, yes, Edge may have cashed in two contracts, but he only won one Ladder Match.)

Punk was victorious in consecutive ladder battles, at WrestleMania XXIV and WrestleMania XXV, respectively, and both times The Second City Saint followed up his ladder performance by claiming championship gold. Punk didn’t wait very long to take advantage of his two victories, cashing in to claim the World Heavyweight Championship each time.