The Secret History Of WWE’s Ruthless Aggression Era | Wrestling Timelines

January 8, 2006 - Edge Cashes In

WWE creates another new, lasting headliner in Edge.

A super-charismatic midcard fixture throughout the Attitude Era, Edge’s singles career never took off as hoped in the babyface role. He was outstanding in the ring, but not the most fashionable member of the ‘SmackDown Six’. The mischievous wit of 2000 was lacking. He was generic, a bit of a starstruck devotee of Hulk Hogan at one point, and by 2004, his personality was mourned to such an extent that his home city fans jeered him at SummerSlam.

When he embarks on an extramarital affair, his fortunes change. There’s a hypocrisy to it, in that his lover Lita is received as a slut, where Edge himself is revered as an entertaining, horned-up sex machine who manages to pull your teenage crush.

Edge is sensational in the role, which is believable, and which matters more than anything. He really did cheat on his wife with Lita, who cheated on Matt Hardy, who was fired for how he addressed it but returns to capitalise on the story. Edge basically annihilates Matt en route to the main event, where he creates one of the most iconic and transformative moments in company history.

He holds the Money In The Bank briefcase, but nobody really knows how it works. He gets a World title match whenever he wants, that is clear, but the presumption is that he can select whichever pay-per-view he wishes to headline in advance.

This does not happen; stunningly, at New Year’s Revolution, the “cash-in” is pioneered. It feels like a proper, unfair heel transgression at a time when heat is a dated concept that wrestling must nonetheless persist with because it’s the only way to drive the medium in the United States. In an impromptu match, Edge quickly defeats a bloodied and thrashed John Cena, who had just survived an Elimination Chamber main event, to capture his maiden WWE/World title. Underscoring the success of the performer and character, he will win 10 more.

In a further masterstroke, Edge had lost in under eight minutes to Ric Flair (via disqualification) in the opener. Informing the shock of the swerve, by careful design, he felt nothing like a headliner. Edge does in fact display ruthless aggression, inside of the ring and out, to establish himself as a superstar. His escapist counter magician heel character, the Ultimate Opportunist, is instrumental in countless brilliant WWE main events.

While not perfect, 2005 was one of the best creative years in WWE history - but it’s an aberration.