5. Edge Was The King Of Money In The Bank
The winner of the inaugural Money in The Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania 21, and the man who would set the standard for Mr. Money In The Bank for years to come, Adam Copeland didnt even want to be a part of the match to begin with. Appearing as a guest on Chris Jerichos podcast in 2013, Edge discussed that historic match in a little detail, and admitted in conversation that his taste for ladder matches had left him by 2005. Tagging with Christian, and feuding with the Hardy Boyz and the Dudleys, Edge had revitalised the ladder match for the Attitude Era audience and, perhaps understandably, didnt feel that he wanted his Wrestlemania to feature yet another multi-man pile-up over climbing a ladder. Copeland went so far as to say to the WWE office that hed actually prefer to be left off the card than compete in the match. As everyone knows, that wasnt to be. Edge was eventually persuaded that it was in his interest to take part, Jericho admitting that his own first thought was, Shut up, dummy youre gonna win this thing. Edge would go on not only to win but to parlay the win into a nine-month tease with the MITB briefcase, his star rising and rising. By the time he actually cashed in on a broken John Cena, capitalising on the brutality of the Elimination Chamber match the champion had just won to deliver two spears for the victory, it seemed like a foregone conclusion. Edge was a main event player. And it was his idea to cash in as he did Copeland persuaded Vince McMahon that his Ultimate Opportunist gimmick needed him to pounce when his victim was least ready to fend him off, not just in a traditionally booked match, and this has now become the cornerstone of the MITB winners storyline. Only three out of fourteen briefcases in ten years have been cashed in when the defending champion wasnt vulnerable due to having just taken a pounding. He only kept the title for three weeks, but Edge wasnt done with Money In The Bank in 2006. Rob Van Dam would win the match at Wrestlemania 22 and the future Rated R Superstar was there to give him an unasked-for helping hand when he cashed in two months later. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLchz-8730o The third Money In The Bank match, at Wrestlemania XXIV, saw WWEs golden boy at the time Mr. Kennedy take the briefcase. Suddenly sidelined with a suspected nasty injury, Kennedy would not be able to fulfill the potential the company saw in him, and the decision was made to hand the briefcase off on RAW, to someone whod proven a capable hand by now https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0yhpDWmIro Edge didnt keep it for long this time WWE had seen an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker had suffered a serious injury at Backlash retaining the title in a Last Man Standing match against Batista. Although poor Kennedys injury would prove not to be nearly as nasty as first thought, the Dead Man would be out for four months. Edge was to cash in on him at Smackdown that same week to win the World title, one he would keep until injury forced him to vacate the championship in turn. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7FmUijrySs The Rated R Superstar wouldnt need the rub from Money In The Bank any longer to keep his main event status. Edge would remain at the top of the card for the next four years, until nagging degenerative issues in his neck forced his retirement in an emotional segment on Monday Night RAW eight days after winning his final ever match, retaining the World Heavyweight title against Alberto Del Rio at Wrestlemania XXVII in 2011. It can easily be argued that Edge was the man who made winning the Money In The Bank match the prestigious thing that it was, right from the very beginning. He instituted the idea of the long reign as Mr. Money In The Bank, the idea of the teased cash-in, and the idea of the opportunistic cash-in. Edge was the King of Money In The Bank