Thank You Edge

Watching Monday Night Raw the WWE Universe received an announcement it was not prepared to hear. It was the retirement of the Rated R Superstar Edge. The most decorated WWE superstar of all time is calling it quits due to neck injury that he suffered 8 years ago that has progressively gotten worse. Some people may think that this is a work but almost everybody that I have talked to close to the business says that this is the real deal. The doctors will not clear him anymore to wrestle. Edge has carved out big time Hall of Fame career. He is actually the most decorated superstar in WWE history. He has won every possible title that could be won. He is the only guy win Money in The Bank, Royal Rumble and King of the Ring. So I decided to dedicate this blog to the great career of on Adam Copeland also know as The Rated R Superstar, The Ultimate Opportunist, The Master Manipulator or simply Edge.

As a kid growing up in Toronto, Canada Edge was a huge wrestling fan. He was a self professed Hulkamanic like most kids who grew up in the 1980's. In his high school year book Copeland was named "Most Likely to be WWF Champion", very prophetic words. At age 18, a young Adam won an essay contest, with Sully's Gym offering free wrestling classes to whoever could write a good enough essay, stating why they want to be a professional wrestler. By him winning the contest, he was trained by Sweet Daddy Siki and Ron Hutchinsonin Toronto.

After grinding it out around the Great Lakes and Canadian indy scene Edge eventually made it to the big time. He and childhood friend Christian Cage made it big as the innovative tag team Edge and Christian. Billed as brothers (kayfabe) from Toronto who helped revolutionize the tag team division. Their most popular opponents were the Hardy Boyz and later the Dudley Boyz. Together they became tag team Champions 7 times. They were also involved in a matched that changed Tag Team and Wrestling history known as TLC (Tables, Ladders and Chairs). This involved the Dudleyz, Hardyz and E and C. The Dudleyz were the masters of the tables, Hardyz masters of the ladders and Edge and Christian were the masters of the chairs. As heels or as faces Edge/Christian solidified themselves as one of the greatest tag teams of all time. They also displayed incredible comedic timing with their wonderful costume changes they provided entertainment inside and outside the ring.
After his run ended with Christian around 2001 when the Invasion angle started Edge started to make a name for himself as a singles wrestler. Also that year he went on to win the King of the Ring tournament in 2001. After that Christian betrayed Edge and the two feuded over Edge's Intercontinental Championship that Edge won at SummerSlam and later lost to Christian at Unforgiven. Following this, Edge lost the Intercontinental title to Test and shortly afterwards won the WCW United States Championship from Kurt Angle. Edge defeated Test at Survivor Series to unify the Intercontinental Championship with the U.S. Championship.
After this Edge went to wrestle on the Smackdown brand after the brand extension came on where he had a classic fued with Kurt Angle which ended in a hair vs hair match at Judgement Day in which Edge won and force Kurt to shave his head. Two months later, he would end up winning the WWE Tag Team Championship (later renamed the World Tag Team Championship) alongside childhood hero Hulk Hogan on July 4, 2002 from Billy and Chuck.
In February of 2003, Edge suffered a neck injury and had to undergo surgery with Dr. Lloyd Youngblood. Recovery kept him sidelined for almost a year where he had the spinal fusion. I really thought as a fan that this was around the time that Adam was going to go to the next level and insert himself in the World Title picture. He was so solid with his in ring work and personality that it was just a matter of time. To not be denied he returend strong as ever. He was placed on the Raw brand in the WWE Draft after WrestleMania XX and returned to in-ring action shortly after that event. Copeland went on to win the Intercontinental championship at Vengeance from Randy Orton in 2004.
Following a devasting groin injury in a non-televised match, Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff stripped Edge of the Intercontinental title.

When Edge came back around 2004 he made a switch back to a heel type character that he was before Edge and Christian had broken up as he began to pursue the World Heavyweight Championship.

His big breakout has to be the 1st ever Money in The Bank match at Wrestlemania XXI where Edge became the first ever money in the bank winner. After cashing it in after John Cena fought through a tough Elimination Chamber match the Ultimate Opportunist had his first of 11 World Titles. Over the years the Rated R Superstar has never been short on entertainment value and will be missed...

Top 5 Favorite Matches Involving Edge
1. Tables, Ladders, Chairs - Edge/Christian vs Dudley Boyz vs The Hardyz - Wrestlemania XVII/ WWE Tag Team Championship

2. Edge vs The Undertaker - Wrestlemania XXIV/ World Heavyweight Title Match

3. Edge/Christian vs The Hardyz - Terri Invitational Final/ No Mercy 1999 (Ladder Match)

4. Edge vs Mick Foley (Hardcore Match) - Wrestlemania XXII

5. Money in The Bank Ladder Match (original) - Wrestlemania XXI


Career Accomplishments World Heavyweight Championship (7 times)
WWE Champion (4 times)
World Tag Team Championship (12 times)– with Christian (7), Chris Benoit (2), Hulk Hogan (1), Randy Orton (1) and Chris Jericho (1)
WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times)[ – with Rey Mysterio (1) and Chris Jericho (1)
WWE Intercontinental Championship (5 times)
WCW United States Championship (1 time)
Fourteenth Triple Crown Champion
King of the Ring (2001)
Mr. Money in the Bank (2005, 2007)
Royal Rumble (2010)
Slammy Award for Couple of the Year (2008) – with Vickie Guerrero
Slammy Award for "Oh Snap" Meltdown of the Year (2010)Destroying the Anonymous GM's computer


WWE Bio
http://us.wwe.com/superstars/smackdown/edge