8 WWE Title Reigns That Were Completely Wasted
7. Edge's First World Championship
At New Year's Revolution in 2006, Edge created history when he became the first person to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase. John Cena was the unlucky champion, having to attempt to fend Edge off after defending his title in an Elimination Chamber match (albeit one that included Carlito and Chris Masters).
Cena couldn't do it, and Edge became the Ultimate Opportunist.
Maybe it was the change of scenery (Cena-ry?), maybe it was the furore created by the cash-in, or maybe it was the thought of Lita in her underwear, but ratings immediately went up when Edge claimed the strap. Edge was proving to be a draw as the champion, and the years of treading water in the middle of the card seemed like they were finally worth it.
Three weeks later, however, the belt was back on Cena. That little pocket of excitement proved to be just that, a little pocket, and everything was back to as it were. The Edge experiment started off a resounding success, but wasn't given anywhere near enough time to flourish.
It was a big wasted opportunity for a WWE that was somewhat struggling creatively at the time.