51 Days Until Wrestlemania 28: Money in the Bank

We are now 51days and counting to Wrestlemania 28, with the huge match between the Rock andJohn Cena, April 1^st 2012 in Miami Florida and Sheamus receiving achampionship match as a result of winning the Royal Rumble. Also a match thatis returning for the first time in a couple of years at Wrestlemania, is theMoney in the Bank Ladder Match. Before it returns, it would be prudent to dialback the hands of time to the night of April 3^rd 2005, for the firstever Money in the Bank Ladder Match featuring Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho,Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Christian, and Edge.

TheFirst Money in the Bank Match-Edge’s Big Moment.

As recounted in entertaining fashionin Chris Jericho’s second book, the Money in the Bank Match was supposed tooriginally be the Hollywood Dream Ladder Match, where the winner would get awish, and Rob Van Dam would win, thus causing ECW to return. Well it did a yearlater, for better or for worse, but RVD was injured and Vince McMahon decidedthat the Hollywood Dream Ladder Match was a stupid idea. So it was shelved inthe favor of the Money in the Bank Ladder Match for a title shot for the next yearfrom Wrestlemania to Wrestlemania.

The six men in the match reallydidn’t have all that much better to do on that night. It would be a night thatwould elevate these six men, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Kane, SheltonBenjamin, Christian, and Edge. Shelton Benjamin in particular started atradition where he stole the show with his daredevil performance in the Moneyin the Bank. Sadly, it didn’t really translate into much more in WWE, but thethought was there.

The match was good and it reallywas the match that springboarded Edge right to the top of the WWE. Now Edgereally tends to get a lot of flack from certain circles of fans, but his RatedR Superstar character was a rather engaging heel personality for many years andthis Money in the Bank Ladder Match was step one of the catalyst(with step zeroperhaps being the real life stealing of Lita from Matt Hardy and sending Hardyright down a downward spiral but that’s beside the point). Edge wins, takingout Chris Benoit. Edge would hold the Money in the Bank right through thesummer and fall and into the winter, before beating John Cena. Most of theMoney in the Bank wins(with the exception of Rob Van Dam’s 2006 win), came whenthe Money In the Bank winner attacked the wounded champion, taking him out.

Edge is going into the 2012 WWEHall of Fame, and obviously he might be a better choice than many.