Former WWE wrestler Chris Masters says he did not know Edge would cash in the first Money in the Bank contract. Masters recalled the surprise while talking about the January 2006 moment that changed WWE history.
What happened that night
Edge won the first-ever Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania 21. He used that contract to challenge WWE Champion John Cena at New Year’s Revolution in January 2006. Cena had just defended his title in an Elimination Chamber match that included Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Kane, Carlito, and Chris Masters. After the match, Edge came out and cashed in the contract, beating Cena to become champion.
Masters, who worked in WWE from 2005 to 2007, said the cash-in was a real surprise to most wrestlers in the ring. “Honestly, none of us knew about Edge coming out after. None of us knew,” he said on the show Insight with Chris Van Vliet. He added that Shawn Michaels might have known, but most did not. (h/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcription)
Confusion in the ring
Masters remembered the odd feeling right after the finish. He said Carlito kept saying the ending felt strange and that “something’s not right.” The wrestlers were still processing the match when Vince McMahon and Edge appeared. Masters said he did not suspect Edge would cash in until it happened.
That moment is now one of the most replayed surprises in WWE. It set a standard for Money in the Bank cash-ins, showing how the briefcase could change a show and a career in an instant.
Why secrecy matters today
Masters also talked about how planning and secrecy work now. He said fewer people should know big storyline details because news spreads fast on social media. He stressed that keeping things quiet is not about being rude to coworkers. It is a practical way to protect surprise moments that are meant to shock fans.
He said the less people who know, the better. That approach helps preserve the big reactions when a surprise happens live on television, just like Edge’s cash-in did in 2006. (Quote credit: Insight with Chris Van Vliet; h/t Wrestling Inc.)
