10 Wrestling Matches That Shaped Vince McMahon’s Vision Of Sports Entertainment
2. Money In The Bank Ladder Match - WWE WrestleMania 21
The first Money In The Bank ladder match remains the best ever, to this writer's mind. It was predicated more on dramatic subplots and ebb and flow more so than contrived stunts and incongruous stretches of selling, contrived to set up the next two-man sequence.
That match was forward-thinking in itself - it adapted the multi-man tag team ladder match to incorporate singles action - and for reasons more dubious.
When Edge opportunistically used the briefcase to carve out his shortcut to superstardom, it sparked something within the WWE creative regime. It became apparent to them that the toils of crafting engaging, long-form story arcs were longer necessary. The power of the briefcase was such that it embodied those who held it as headliners elect. Lost in the magic of that moment, the surprise cash-in at John Cena's expense at New Year's Revolution 2006, was that Edge had already received preferential booking treatment. The briefcase was the capper.
WWE in ensuing years attempted to replicate the push with the likes of Jack Swagger, most infamously. It was thought that the briefcase alone could maketh the man - but his failed main event run proved that Edge made the briefcase.