At Wrestlemania 21 in 2005, in the inaugural Money In The Bank ladder match, Edge would be successful in winning the briefcase holding a contract for WWE Championship at any time of his choosing in the next calendar year. It was a novel gimmick, dreamed up by RAW head writer Brian Gerwitz in collaboration with Chris Jericho and Vince McMahon in early 2005 when it became clear that several of the promotions top workers didnt have an angle, going into Wrestlemania 21. And as novel as the gimmick was, no one really knew at the time how it was supposed to work. Edge was getting over as a superheel, and being groomed for the main event. The briefcase was a tease, every time he entered the ring: when would Edge cash in the contract, and who would be the champion hed compete against when he did? Of course, John Cena had won the WWE Championship from John Bradshaw Layfield at Wrestlemania 21. As he continued to successfully defend the title throughout the remainder of 2005, the Money In The Bank contract became a storyline sword of Damocles hanging over his head. The story goes that one day Edge pitched to Vince McMahon that it made no sense for his character billed as the ultimate opportunist to challenge the champion and then wait until an officially sanctioned main event pay-per-view match to make the fight fair. McMahon considered it, and then agreed. At New Years Revolution 2006, Cena had yet again retained the title, this time in a brutal Elimination Chamber match against five other men. Following the match, a hyped-up Edge hit the ring to cash in the briefcase and spear Cena twice for the WWE Championship. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_2H6vIZR4g When Edges music hit, fans went nuts. No one expected it to happen. It was the first time the briefcase had ever been cashed in, and it would set the template for the gimmick from then on.
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