100 Greatest WWE Matches Of All Time (Ranked)
25. Edge vs. John Cena (Unforgiven 2006)
If you've never clapped eyes on the poster for Unforgiven 2006, then go Google it immediately. That thing was a badass Photoshop job that carved the pay-per-view's name into the bulging biceps and chest of literal poster boy John Cena. In the main event, Cena toppled Edge to become the brand new WWE Champion - his third reign with that belt overall, and a run that'd last a whopping 380 days before injuries forced him to relinquish it.
WWE front-loaded the stipulations for Cena vs. Edge by making it a TLC bout and by claiming that 'Super Cena' would have to switch brands from Raw to SmackDown if he lost. Yep, this was back when the brand split actually meant something more than a thinly-veiled excuse to run a nothing Draft every other year. People cared about who was going where in '06.
Credit must go to Lita as well, by the way. She was stalking ringside to support her man Edge, and one of her spots led to maximum drama: Lita smashed Cena in the back with a steel chair while the 'Rated-R Superstar' was climbing the ladder, which accidentally sent John tumbling into the prop and Edge tumbling through a table. As if that wasn't enough, Cena hit his F-U (Attitude Adjustment) on Lita to pop the fans once more.
When Edge recovered just in time to stop John from winning, Cena gave him another F-U through more tables to keep him down for good. The drama was thick, the star power was fierce, and the action was satisfying. What a match this was. A true pay-per-view classic that's rarely given the respect it deserves