Edge Says He Had To Be Talked Into Competing In The Inaugural Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Edge didn’t want to be known as the ladder match guy.

Joining WWE’s The Bump ahead of last weekend’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event, The Rated R Superstar was asked about his involvement in the inaugural match which took place at WrestleMania 21 in 2005. Edge won the match, defeating Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Christian, Kane, and Shelton Benjamin in the process. He would eventually cash in the briefcase at New Year’s Revolution 2006, pinning John Cena to capture the WWE Championship.

According to Edge, however, he had to be talked into doing the match. He shared the following:

“I wish I could say that I had this vision of how it would become its own PPV, and no, not at all. As a 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? I don’t want to be the ladder match guy. I want to do more than that. I want a straight wrestling match where I can just get in there and go.’ 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.

So finally, and this sounds so stupid, but I had to be talked into participating in the match. It wasn’t until about eight months in, holding this briefcase, carrying it with me on every plane because I had to take that thing everywhere — That’s when I started to realize. When I came out at New Year’s Revolution and I heard the crowd, that’s when I went, ‘Oh man, this is something, this is something very cool.’ Then to be involved in the next five year’s worth of cash-ins or — Either it was 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 I was a huge part of Money in the Bank, which is now a PPV, and TLC, which is now a PPV. That’s really cool. That’s the kind of thing when you first get into this, but when you’re thinking of getting out of it you go, ‘Okay, hopefully, I gave back to this industry and I made it better while I was here. Hopefully.’ That should be the goal. I try and help talent along the way, try and push people, whatever it is. 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.”

Currently, Edge can be seen on WWE SmackDown. After losing to Roman Reigns at Money in the Bank, the Hall of Famer has entered into a feud with Seth Rollins and is looking to exact revenge on Rollins for the jealous actions that cost him the Universal Title.

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