10 WWE Moments You Won't Believe Are 10 Years Old

4. The Ultimate Opportunist...Again

Donald Trump Vince McMahon
WWE.com

Edge set the standard for the Money in the Bank cash-in, blasting John Cena with a spear to capture the WWE Championship in January 2006.

One year later, he was on the losing end of the coveted Money in the Bank Ladder match, left on the outside looking in at Ken Kennedy, who was prepping to replicate the actions of The Rated R Superstar.

When SmackDown's World champion Undertaker suffered a serious injury and needed to drop the title as soon as possible, and then Kennedy appeared to follow in his footsteps with a major triceps tear, the decision was made to book Edge to regain the briefcase and cash it in on The Deadman.

He did just that, winning the title on the May 8 episode of SmackDown just moments after a brutal steel cage match between Undertaker and Batista.

The move solidified Edge as the top heel on SmackDown. For the majority of the next four years, he remained the face of the brand, the Superstar around whom major stories and matches were built. It as a key moment in the brand extension years of the Ruthless Aggression Era, and one that added to a resume that ultimately concluded with The Ultimate Opportunist taking his place in the Hall of Fame.

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Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.