15 MORE Incredible WWE Ruthless Aggression Era Moments Nobody Ever Talks About
5. CM Punk Preempts Edge Cash In
ROH-lovers and independent wrestling enthusiasts cheered like never before when CM Punk tore down the Money In The Bank briefcase at WrestleMania XXIV. Those cheers turned to giddiness when Punk cashed in the case on a downed Edge during the 30 June 2008 Raw. Before that, both men had given fans a sneak preview of what was coming next.
Edge and Punk tangled in a hot match on the 25 April '08 SmackDown. It was banging from start to finish, and there's no doubt that Punk impressed the ‘Rated-R Superstar’ here. Also, for the record, this episode had The Undertaker vs. Batista on it. The star power in the 'Ruthless Aggression' era was insane. People hype up 'Attitude' for that, but RA matched it and then some.
Perhaps the biggest names weren't on 'Stone Cold's' level, but the star power was more evenly spread on the undercard, and Edge vs. Punk proved it. At times, it was like the former was going out of his own way to ready Punk for a major push. He was. Fans just didn't know that CM would be cashing in on Edge yet.
Sadly, Punk's MITB moment didn't lead to a pay-per-view collision between these super-workers. They'd actually already matched up before this on the 25 January 2008 SmackDown, but Punk looked much more comfortable in the role by April. Winning Money In The Bank at 'Mania would've given his confidence a major boost.
So, no PPV classic, but matches on SmackDown, house shows and...Superstars? Make it make sense.