Edge cashed in his Money in the Bank contract immediately after Cena had completed the Elimination Chamber Match against Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Kane, Carlito, and Chris Masters to retain the WWE Championship.
This was the first Money in the Bank cash-in in WWE history. Cena was bloodied and exhausted when Vince McMahon announced that Edge was exercising the contract he had held since WrestleMania 21.
Edge attacked right away and hit Cena with a Spear, but Cena managed to kick out of the first pin attempt. Edge waited for Cena to get back to his feet and connected with a second Spear, this time scoring the pinfall to win his first WWE Championship.
The surprise title change sparked the rivalry between Cena and Edge that ran on and off through 2009. It also set the template for how the Money in the Bank contracts would be used going forward.
Edge didn’t wait for a fair shot at a fresh champion. He cashed in against a man in no condition to defend. Nearly every cash-in since then has followed that pattern, and the opportunistic heel champion became a defining part of the idea.
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