Ranking the Best Runs with the WWE Money in the Bank Briefcase | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Unlike others in the years that followed, Edge as Mr. Money in the Bank was hardly a case of "zero to hero." Rather, it was apparent well before he became the first-ever winner that he was bound for bigger and better things than just the midcard scene, to which he had been relegated in early 2000s.

The Rated-R Superstar was consistently and prominently featured on WWE TV from the moment he captured the contract at WrestleMania 21 up until he cashed it in the following January.

In those nine months, he feuded with Chris Benoit, Kane and most notably Matt Hardy. It was during that pivotal period that he was joined by Lita, who only added to his aura as a main event player in the making.

Edge's stock skyrocketed to a point where winning the WWE Championship wasn't what elevated him; he was already a made man by then through his opportunistic antics, great matches and compelling promos.

He held the prestigious prize for all of three weeks before dropping it back to John Cena, but he set the standard for all future MITB winners because of how much he stepped up his game to an elite level in the months leading up to his iconic cash-in.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.