Edge will face Roman Reigns one-on-one for the Universal Championship at Sunday's Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
The expectation is that Reigns will successfully defend his title against the Ultimate Opportunity. He enters as a major -650 betting favorite, not to mention that Reigns vs. John Cena appears to be in store for SummerSlam.
So it's difficult to envision a scenario where Edge leaves Money in the Bank as the new Universal Champion.
Defeating Reigns for the title would be one of the greatest accomplishments in his career and all, but Rated-R Superstar enters this match with absolutely nothing to lose. Edge's legacy is already cemented, and a loss to Reigns won't affect anything whatsoever.
2020: A Return For The Ages
At the advice of doctors, Edge had to retire from professional wrestling 10 years ago due to a serious neck injury. One year later, the perennial main event star and fan favorite was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
But leading up to the 2020 Royal Rumble pay-per-view, Edge quietly worked towards clearance for a return to the ring. Sure enough, he appeared as the No. 21 entry in the men's Royal Rumble match.
Edge made it to the final three before he was eliminated by Reigns. Drew McIntyre went on to win the match, thus beginning his rise to main event stardom. But McIntyre's career-defining moment didn't exactly steal Edge's thunder.
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Edge entered what turned out to be a thrilling mid-card feud with former Rated-RKO partner Randy Orton. In his first singles match back, Edge defeated Orton at WrestleMania 36.
The Viper defeated Edge in a rematch at Backlash, and Edge unfortunately suffered a torn triceps during the bout. The injury would keep him out of action until the 2021 Royal Rumble event.
2021: The Return To Main Event Status
On the Jan. 25 edition of Monday Night Raw, Edge cut a promo and announced that he was entering the men's Royal Rumble match. Edge, the No. 1 entry, lasted 58 and a half minutes and eliminated Orton to earn his ticket to WrestleMania 37.
As expected, Edge entered a feud with Reigns, giving fans a dream showdown for the ages. Daniel Bryan, who lost to Reigns at Fastlane, was added to their Universal Championship bout at WrestleMania 37.
The three superstars put on a true match of the year candidate in the WrestleMania 37 day two main event. When all was said and done, however, Reigns pinned Bryan and Edge at the same time to retain his championship.
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Even though Edge had lost, he did his part in helping Reigns further elevate his status as a main event star and heel. The victory at the Royal Rumble led to one of Edge's greatest opponents and feuds. This wasn't a case of all for nothing.
After being kept off of television for more than two months, Edge returned on the June 25 edition of SmackDown, attacking Reigns to set up their upcoming match at Money in the Bank.
Losing To Reigns Would Further Cement Edge's Legacy
Reigns has yet to lose a match cleanly since his heel turn at the end of SummerSlam 2020, 11 months ago. So yes, it would be a massive achievement for Edge to end Reigns' winning streak and historic title reign, more than a year after his thrilling return.
But actually, a loss to Reigns should only elevate the legacy of the Rated-R Superstar.
There have been too many well-documented cases of top wrestlers refusing to put others over through the years. But WWE doesn't have this problem with Edge. He hasn't displayed any problems in putting Reigns over whatsoever. He already did it at WrestleMania, and Edge will surely do it again if asked at Money in the Bank.
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WWE is trying to push Reigns as an all time great, and defeating marquee superstars like Bryan, Edge and Cena will go a long way in achieving that. Reigns already defeated Bryan and Edge once, and another victory over the WWE Hall of Famer will only strengthen his run as a heel.
A win over Reigns doesn't do much to help Edge. As a part-timer, you know he's going to drop the Universal title in short time. Even after nine years away from the ring, he's not here to steal the thunder of other superstars. Edge is clearly going to do what's best for business.
A loss at Money in the Bank would simply hurt Reigns a lot more than Edge. But as noted earlier, this match is simply house money for the Ultimate Opportunist. He has absolutely nothing to lose, regardless of the match outcome.
Edge will likely fall short against Reigns on Sunday, and that's perfectly okay. His return has already been a giant success in every aspect, and that's not about to change even if he loses at Money in the Bank.
