Edge didn’t even want to be in the original Money In The Bank match, but now he realizes the important roles both he and the match itself have played in WWE history.
Edge was a guest on WWE’s The Bump and was asked about his legacy in the Money In The Bank match. The former two-time winner of the contract said he wished he had a better story and could say he knew it would be this huge milestone, but it was quite the opposite. Edge explained how he didn’t even want to be in the original match at WrestleMania 21, noting that he felt like he’d be stereotyped as a ‘ladder match guy.’
Edge had already been part of several all-time great ladder (and TLC) matches with the Hardys and Dudleys, and tried to get out of this match in 2005. He said it wasn’t until he actually cashed his briefcase at New Year’s Revolution that he understood the gravity of it all and finally realized the opportunity he’d been given.
“I wish I could say I had this vision of how it would become its own pay-per-view and—no, not at all. As matter of fact, when they first told me that I’d be in this thing called the Money In The Bank match, I said, ‘Another ladder match?’ Like I don’t want to be the ‘ladder match guy,’ I want to do more than that,” Edge explained, “I want a straight wrestling match where I can just get in there and go.
“And I actually said ‘Don’t put me in it. I’ll find my way on WrestleMania another way. And if I’m not on this year, I’ll make sure I’m on next year, but I’m tired of ladder matches. I don’t want to get pigeonholed for that.’ That was not very bright thinking for that. [laughs] So finally, and this sounds so stupid, but I had to be talked into participating into the match. It wasn’t until about eight months in, holding this briefcase and carrying it with me, every plane—I had to take that thing everywhere—that’s when I started to realize it,” he stated. “And when I came out at New Year’s Revolution and I heard the crowd, that’s when I went, ‘Ohhh…. this is something. This is something very cool.’
Edge went on to talk about the history of the match itself and how the contract has helped build new stars, adding that now he just hopes he left the business in a better place than he found it.
“And then to be involved in the next five years’ worth of cash-ins—I cashed in or it was cashed in on me, or I was in the match where it was cashed in—it’s so amazing to sit back and think that I was a huge part of Money In The Bank, which is now a pay-per-view, and TLC, which is now a pay-per-view, that’s really cool. That’s the kind of thing, when you first get into this and when you’re thinking of getting out of it, you go, ‘OK, hopefully I gave back to this industry and I made it better while I was here.’ Hopefully, that should be the goal. Helping talents along the way, push people, whatever it is,” he explained, “I think even if those are the only two things that I am part of leaving behind, because there was plenty of talent involved in it, then it’s mission accomplished.”
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