On SmackDown, Mr. Kennedy warned WWE fans to get ready to call him "Mr. Money in the Bank." At WrestleMania 23, before a record-setting 80,103 WWE fans inside Detroit's Ford Field, the loudmouth backed up his strong words, doing what his seven other Money in the Bank Ladder Match opponents — King Booker, Edge, Finlay, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Randy Orton and CM Punk — couldn't. He climbed the ladder, grabbed the briefcase and won a future title opportunity any time over the next 365 days.

The eight Raw, SmackDown and ECW participants would each make a worthy bid during the Money in the Bank contest, and the screaming Ford Field crowd seemed divided over who to cheer for loudest. However, almost universal fear and concern erupted moments after Jeff Hardy — at his brother Matt's urging — threw himself from the top of a ladder to the outside floor, crashing onto WrestleMania's first-ever Money in the Bank winner, Edge. Dropping more than 20 feet down, the force of Jeff's fall actually broke the ladder beneath Edge in half, practically destroying both men. Neither Jeff nor the Rated-R Superstar — who before this match had gone 5-0 at WrestleMania, and 3-0 in WrestleMania ladder-related matches — would be able to continue following the carnage; in fact, Edge would immediately be stretchered out by medics. His condition currently remains unknown.

Finlay nearly made himself a fighting Irishman in the Bank after catching Matt Hardy with a Celtic Cross onto one ladder. Unfortunately, the move also incapacitated the Belfast brawler, who'd require more than a little help from Hornswoggle to grab the case. Suddenly, Kennedy climbed an adjacent ladder to stop the little guy short, then squashed him in half with a top-rung plunge that earned massive cheers throughout Ford Field. Moments later, Kennedy would continue hearing those growing cheers as he used another ladder to crack a climbing CM Punk in the mouth, sending him to the outside, then as he claimed the briefcase, and its contents, for himself.

Backstage, Mr. Kennedy would congratulate himself for winning a truly wild eight-Superstar contest, then had some words of advice for all World Champions: For the next 12 months, "You better grow eyes in the back of your freakin' head…. Thank God nice guys finish last. Thank God I'm not a nice guy. Thank God I'm Mr. Kennedy! And thank God I'm ‘Mr. Money in the Bank!'"

Pausing briefly, the loudmouth Superstar then ended his interview with Todd Grisham with a definitive "Bank!"

Click here to get your hands on authentic WrestleMania 23 gear!

WrestleMania
WrestleMania
Subscribe Now
WrestleMania
WrestleMania
Subscribe Now

On SmackDown, Mr. Kennedy warned WWE fans to get ready to call him "Mr. Money in the Bank." At WrestleMania 23, before a record-setting 80,103 WWE fans inside Detroit's Ford Field, the loudmouth backed up his strong words, doing what his seven other Money in the Bank Ladder Match opponents — King Booker, Edge, Finlay, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Randy Orton and CM Punk — couldn't. He climbed the ladder, grabbed the briefcase and won a future title opportunity any time over the next 365 days.

The eight Raw, SmackDown and ECW participants would each make a worthy bid during the Money in the Bank contest, and the screaming Ford Field crowd seemed divided over who to cheer for loudest. However, almost universal fear and concern erupted moments after Jeff Hardy — at his brother Matt's urging — threw himself from the top of a ladder to the outside floor, crashing onto WrestleMania's first-ever Money in the Bank winner, Edge. Dropping more than 20 feet down, the force of Jeff's fall actually broke the ladder beneath Edge in half, practically destroying both men. Neither Jeff nor the Rated-R Superstar — who before this match had gone 5-0 at WrestleMania, and 3-0 in WrestleMania ladder-related matches — would be able to continue following the carnage; in fact, Edge would immediately be stretchered out by medics. His condition currently remains unknown.

Finlay nearly made himself a fighting Irishman in the Bank after catching Matt Hardy with a Celtic Cross onto one ladder. Unfortunately, the move also incapacitated the Belfast brawler, who'd require more than a little help from Hornswoggle to grab the case. Suddenly, Kennedy climbed an adjacent ladder to stop the little guy short, then squashed him in half with a top-rung plunge that earned massive cheers throughout Ford Field. Moments later, Kennedy would continue hearing those growing cheers as he used another ladder to crack a climbing CM Punk in the mouth, sending him to the outside, then as he claimed the briefcase, and its contents, for himself.

Backstage, Mr. Kennedy would congratulate himself for winning a truly wild eight-Superstar contest, then had some words of advice for all World Champions: For the next 12 months, "You better grow eyes in the back of your freakin' head…. Thank God nice guys finish last. Thank God I'm not a nice guy. Thank God I'm Mr. Kennedy! And thank God I'm ‘Mr. Money in the Bank!'"

Pausing briefly, the loudmouth Superstar then ended his interview with Todd Grisham with a definitive "Bank!"

Click here to get your hands on authentic WrestleMania 23 gear!