Edge Was Mad Over Losing The WWE Championship To John Cena At Royal Rumble 2006
Edge's first WWE Championship reign was short and sweet.
The Rated-R Superstar stunned everybody at the end of New Year's Revolution 2006, when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to take the WWE Championship from John Cena.
An exhausted Cena had just outlasted five others superstars in an Elimination Chamber match to retain his title. Moments later, Vince McMahon appeared and announced that Edge was cashing in his contract. It took him less than two minutes to defeat Cena for the title.
Edge only held the title for 20 days, however, before Cena regained it from him at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view.
On a new episode of WWE Untold (h/t Ringside News), The Ultimate Opportunist admitted that he wasn't exactly pleased about having to drop the title to Cena after .
"That (losing to John Cena) made me mad because I felt like I was doing everything I could on my end and I was very motivated, and then in talking to Mick Foley I realized that he was just as motivated to get that moment and to help me, to help me solidify myself as a main-event player here, to help me change the perception in the fans’ eyes."
After losing the championship, Edge went on to feud with fellow Hall of Famer Mick Foley. This led to a Hardcore match at WrestleMania 22, where Edge emerged victorious.
Fortunately, Edge wouldn't have to wait long for his next championship reign.
He faced Cena and Rob Van Dam in a triple threat match for the title on the July 3, 2006 episode of Raw. Edge managed to pin RVD to win his second WWE Championship. And the rest, as they say, is history.
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From there, Edge would enjoy a long-term spot in the main event scene. He won 11 World Championships (four WWE, seven World Heavyweight titles) in his first run with the company.
Edge will try to make it 12 World Championships when he faces Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns in a triple threat match for the Universal title at WrestleMania 37.
Everything Worked Out For Edge
It's easy to understand why Edge wasn't happy about losing the title to Cena. This was his first major title reign, after all. But it didn't hurt his career long-term whatsoever. He continued his rise as a main event talent throughout 2006, and he became one of the company's top stars of the 21st century. So in the very end, it all worked out for Edge.
