Adam Joseph Copeland (born October 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) where he performs under his real name and is a former two-time AEW TNT Champion. He is currently on hiatus due to injury. Copeland is best known for his 25-year tenure in WWE from 1998 to 2023, where he performed under the ring nameEdge and is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
Copeland first retired in 2011 due to several neck injuries and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the following year. Nine years after retiring, he returned to wrestling as a surprise entrant in the 2020 Royal Rumble match and won the next year's Royal Rumble, becoming the eighth man to win the Royal Rumble twice, the third to win it as the first entrant, and the first to win it after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He headlined multiple pay-per-view (PPV) events for WWE, including WrestleMania XXIV and WrestleMania 37, being one of the company's most prolific PPV performers.[12] After his WWE contract expired in September 2023, he joined rival promotion AEW the following month, debuting at the WrestleDream PPV. He went on to win the AEW TNT Championship twice.
Adam Joseph Copeland[13] was born in Orangeville, Ontario,[2] on October 30, 1973,[14] the son of Judy Lynn Copeland,[15][16] a single mother who worked two jobs to support him.[17] He has said he never met his father, or even saw a picture of him.[18] He became interested in professional wrestling at a young age; his favorite wrestlers included Mr. Perfect, Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, Ricky Steamboat, Shawn Michaels, and Bret Hart.[19] He met fellow future wrestler Jason Reso, known by his ring-name Christian Cage, in Orangeville when he was 10 years old, and they would make the trip to Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto to watch their favourite wrestlers; at the age of 16, Copeland attended WrestleMania VI at the Toronto SkyDome in 1990, sitting in the 11th row at ringside.[20] He was cheering on WWF Champion Hulk Hogan against The Ultimate Warrior, and he credits this match with making him realize he wanted to be a wrestler.[5] When he was 17, he won an essay writing contest hosted by his local gym, the prize for which was free wrestling training with Sweet Daddy Siki and Ron Hutchison in Toronto.[17][21] However, he put his wrestling aspirations aside to help his mother pay the bills,[22] taking numerous jobs and then receiving a diploma in radio broadcasting from Humber College before resuming his wrestling training.[23]
Professional wrestling career
Early career (1992–1995)
Copeland made his professional wrestling debut on Canada Day 1992, in an event at Monarch Park Stadium in Toronto.[7] Throughout the 1990s, Copeland wrestled on the independent circuit in Ontario and the Great Lakes region of the United States under the ring name Sexton Hardcastle.[24] He became a part of the tag team Sex and Violence with Joe E. Legend. In the mid-1990s, he wrestled as Adam Impact for Tony Condello's Winnipeg promotion. In 1997, Sex and Violence became part of a larger stable called Thug Life, joining Christian Cage, Zakk Wyld, Bill Skullion, and Rhino Richards.[2] During his independent career, he won the MWCW Tag Team Championship twice with Legend and the ICW Street Fight Tag Team Championship twice.[25]
The duo of Hardcastle and Cage were known as Hard Impact before changing their name to The Suicide Blondes.[26] They also worked in Japan under the name The Canadian Rockers.[27][28] Copeland also wrestled as Damon Striker against Meng on an episode of WCW Pro in February 1996.[4][29] (Copeland stated in 2021 the name was intended to be "Damien Striker", but the on-screen caption of the name was incorrectly written.[30]) In the summer of 1995, he worked a show in Ajax, Ontario, where Bret Hart's business manager, Carl De Marco, was watching. Impressed, he suggested Copeland send an audition tape to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE (1996–2023)
Early years (1996–1998)
On May 10, 1996, Copeland replaced Bob Holly's opponent on short notice in the opening match of a WWF house show as Sexton Hardcastle in Hamilton, Ontario.[31]
In 1996, Copeland initially made $210 per week while working for the WWF without an official contract. The company also paid for his outstanding college debt, which was around $40,000.[32] After a Grand Prix Wrestling tour in the summer of 1997, De Marco urged Copeland to go to Calgary, where Hart was informally training wrestlers while recovering from knee surgery. He spent his tour earnings on a plane ticket and landed with no money or place to stay. He called Johnny Smith, whom he met twice, and Smith agreed to give him food and shelter. Smith also drove Copeland to and from the gym and Hart's house, where he trained alongside Ken Shamrock, Test, Mark Henry and Kurrgan. Copeland returned to the Maritimes for another Grand Prix tour before going back to Hart's house, bringing Christian with him. After this camp, Hart was impressed enough to put in a good word for both men at the WWF.
Copeland received a developmental contract with the WWF in 1997.[33] His first match was on November 10, 1997, in Ottawa, Ontario losing to CFL football star Glen Kulka.[34] The next day in Cornwall, Ontario, he faced and defeated Christian Cage at Shotgun taping in a dark match,[35][36] this match is included on WWE Home Video's 2008 retrospective, Edge: A Decade of Decadence. From March to June 1998, Copeland appeared in many house shows and dark matches. Upon completing his training, Copeland made his WWF television debut on the June 22, 1998 episode of Raw as Edge. Copeland took the name Edge from an Albany radio station.[37]
Weeks before his WWE debut in 1998, vignettes were aired depicting Edge as a loner, mysteriously roaming across New York City in various locations such as on rooftops and the subway. The vignettes also depicted him, as Jim Ross described it on his debut as "some sort of a tortured soul", by showing an excessive amount of rage and beating up on innocent pedestrians. A female voice is also heard describing who Edge's persona is and his characteristics, the same voice that would be used to say, "You think you know me?" in the opening of Edge's entrance themes throughout his career in WWE. Upon his debut, Edge would enter the arena through the crowd for his matches and would continue to do so until becoming a tag team with Christian. In a 2019 interview, Copeland described how "as much as it didn't make sense, I still knew that they [WWE] were trying to set me up as much as they could."[38][39]
Edge (right) with Christian in their Brood attire, which they used along with gothic symbols
Edge was then placed in a feud against the vampire wrestler Gangrel. During the feud, Gangrel introduced Christian, Edge's storyline brother, as his ally. Eventually, Gangrel and Christian convinced Edge to join them, and the three of them formed an alliance known as The Brood.[45]
The group's gimmick was that of a clan of vampires, although they were often merely described by announcers as living a "gothic lifestyle". The trio would often make a dramatic entrance into arenas by emerging through a ring of fire onto the elevated stage floor, with Gangrel holding a chalice of "blood". Gangrel would typically take a sip from the chalice and sometimes share it with Edge or Christian before spitting it towards the crowd. One of their signature moves was giving their opponents a "blood bath" either before or after a match, where the lights would go out, followed by Gangrel's red flashing entrance lights, and then the arena lights coming back on to reveal their target covered in "blood". All three members of the group had long blond hair, with Gangrel and Christian wearing white shirts and dark pants, while Edge stuck to his long leather coat from his previous persona before joining The Brood. Copeland has mentioned feeling insecure about his previous character and welcomed the opportunity to join The Brood, feeling it gave him the confidence he needed at the time.[46]
At Rock Bottom: In Your House on December 13, The Brood defeated The J.O.B. Squad in a six-man tag team match. At the Royal Rumble on January 24, 1999, Edge competed in the 30-man Royal Rumble match and was eliminated by Road Dogg. The Brood was later abducted and converted into The Undertaker's Ministry of Darkness. In May 1999, the Brood broke away from the Ministry after Christian was attacked by Ken Shamrock and forced to reveal the location of the captive Stephanie McMahon.[46] The Undertaker chose to have Christian punished for his trespass, but Edge and Gangrel stood by him and betrayed The Undertaker, leading to a brief feud with the Ministry. At Backlash: In Your House on April 25, the Brood faced Ministry members Bradshaw, Faarooq, and Mideon in a losing effort. At King of the Ring on June 27, The Hardy Boyz defeated Edge and Christian in a match to determine the number one contender to the WWF Tag Team Championship, after their first match on Sunday Night Heat ended in a no-contest.
Edge in 1999
Edge captured his first singles championship, the WWF Intercontinental Championship, on July 24, 1999, defeating Jeff Jarrett at a house show in Toronto, Ontario.[47][48] Interestingly, the match wasn't booked this way. Edge explained in an interview in 2021 with Loudwire: "During the match we did this thing where I pinned [Jeff Jarrett] and the crowd thought I won and then they were gonna reverse it, but then Jack Lanza, who was the road agent at the time, walked out and said, ‘Go get your belt.’ I went, ‘Whaaaa?’ We're calling an audible here!”[49]
He lost the title the next night to Jarrett at Fully Loaded on July 25.[47][50] At SummerSlam on August 22, Edge and Christian competed in a Tag team turmoil match where they eliminated three teams: The Hardy Boyz, Mideon and Viscera, and Droz and Prince Albert before getting eliminated from the match by The Acolytes. At Unforgiven on September 26, Edge and Christian faced The New Age Outlaws for the WWF Tag Team Championship but failed to win the titles.
Later in the year, he was placed in a storyline angle with The Hardy Boyz. Gangrel soon betrayed both Edge and Christian and formed The New Brood with their enemies, The Hardy Boyz. They feuded with the Hardy Boyz, as they went on to compete in a ladder match at No Mercy on October 17 for the "managerial services" of Terri Runnels and $100,000, which the Hardy Boyz won.[51] The match was widely praised and described as the match of the year by various reviewers.[52] At Survivor Series on November 14, Edge and Christian and The Hardy Boyz faced Too Cool and The Hollys in a four-on-four Survivor Series elimination match where they lost. At Armageddon on December 12, Edge and Christian competed in an 8-team battle royal which was won by The Acolytes. At the Royal Rumble on January 23, 2000, Edge competed in the Royal Rumble match where he was eliminated by Al Snow and Val Venis. At No Way Out on February 27, Edge and Christian defeated The Hardy Boyz in a tag team match to determine the number one contenders to the WWF Tag Team Championship. At WrestleMania 2000 on April 2, Edge and Christian defeated the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz to win the WWF Tag Team Championship in a TriangleLadder match, which ultimately led to the creation of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.[53][54]
Edge (right) and Christian at King of the Ring 2000 performing their five-second pose
Following this victory, Edge & Christian began redefining themselves as a villainous duo of comedic, arrogant, surfer-styled teen idols. The two wrestlers no longer entered the arena through the crowd, instead engaging in various antics such as mocking their opponents and the city they were in. They used unique phrases like "reek of awesomeness" and wore outrageous costumes. One of their trademark moves was the "five-second pose" where they would strike odd poses in the ring for fans to take photos, often ridiculing their opponents or aspects of the local pride to rile up the crowd. This included mocking Elvis Presley in Memphis or imitating Bill Buckner's 1986 World Series error at the King of the Ring event in Boston.[55][56]
At Backlash on April 30, Edge and Christian defeated D-Generation X to retain the titles. At Judgment Day on May 21, Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle lost a six-man tag team match to Rikishi and Too Cool. Soon after, they lost the tag titles to Too Cool but won them back in a Four corners elimination match at King of the Ring on June 25. At Fully Loaded on July 23, they defended the titles against The Acolytes Protection Agency where they got disqualified but retained the titles. After retaining the titles at SummerSlam on August 27, at Unforgiven on September 24, Edge and Christian defended the titles against The Hardy Boyz in a steel cage match where they lost the titles and were not allowed another title shot. At No Mercy on October 22, Edge and Christian, masked as Los Conquistadores, defeated The Hardys for the titles. The next night on Raw, the Hardy Boyz dressed as the Los Conquistadores and defeated Edge in a handicap match after Christian was taken out backstage to regain the WWF Tag Team Championship.
At Survivor Series on November 19, Edge and Christian teamed with Right to Censor's Bull Buchanan and The Goodfather in a four-on-four Survivor Series elimination match, where they lost to The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz, They regained the tag titles at Armageddon on December 10 in a fatal four-way match, but lost them eight days later to The Rock and The Undertaker. They won them back three days later on SmackDown! thanks to special guest referee Kurt Angle. During Edge and Christian's run as a tag team, they also competed as a team in the first three TLC matches, winning the first two over The Dudley Boyz and The Hardy Boyz, at SummerSlam in 2000 and then again at WrestleMania X-Seven.[57][58] At the Royal Rumble on January 21, 2001, Edge and Christian were defeated by the Dudley Boyz and lost the tag team titles.[58] They unsuccessfully attempted to regain the tag team title at No Way Out on February 25 against the Dudley Boyz and The Brothers of Destruction,[58] but they succeeded at WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1 against the Dudley Boyz and The Hardyz in the second TLC match.[58] At Judgment Day on May 20, Edge and Christian competed in a Tag Team Turmoil match which was won by Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit. Days later on the May 24 SmackDown!, Edge and Christian competed in a Fatal 4-Way Tag Team TLC Match for the WWF Tag Team Championship where Benoit and Jericho retained the titles.
Championship reigns and various feuds (2001–2003)
Edge solidified himself as an emerging singles competitor by winning the 2001King of the Ring tournament and slowly becoming a fan favourite by siding with the WWF during the Invasion storyline.[59] Christian betrayed Edge shortly afterward,[60] and the two feuded over Edge's Intercontinental Championship (which he won at SummerSlam on August 19) that he later lost to Christian at Unforgiven on September 23,[61] though Edge later captured the title in a ladder match at No Mercy on October 21. Following this, Edge evolved as a determined and hungry competitor who claimed that the "future is now". During this period, Edge would have seen significant popularity and stronger rivalries.[62]
Edge lost the Intercontinental Championship to Test on the November 5 episode of Raw[63] and shortly afterwards won the WCW United States Championship from Kurt Angle on the November 12 episode of Raw.[64] Edge defeated Test at Survivor Series on November 18 to regain the Intercontinental Championship which he unified with the United States Championship.[65] From there, Edge was placed in a feud with William Regal for the Intercontinental Championship. Edge first defeated Regal at Vengeance on December 9 to retain the championship: however, he would come up short in the new year, losing the title to Regal at the Royal Rumble on January 20, 2002, and then coming up short in his rematch against Regal at No Way Out on February 17 in a Brass Knuckles on a Pole match.[66] At WrestleMania X8 on March 17, Edge found himself in a match with Booker T that was the result of Edge beating out Booker T for a fictitious Japanese shampoo endorsement.[67] Shortly after defeating Booker T at WrestleMania, Edge was drafted to the SmackDown! brand in the first WWF Draft Lottery. During this time, Edge also gained Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy) by Rob Zombie as his new entrance theme.
Upon arriving there, he began a feud with Kurt Angle. At Backlash on April 21, Angle defeated Edge which later culminated in Edge shaving Angle's head following a hair vs. hair match at Judgment Day on May 19.[68] On the May 30 episode of SmackDown!, Edge defeated Angle in a steel cage match to end the feud. During the match, Edge speared Angle from the top rope, injuring his own arm and forcing himself out of action for a month. Two months later, he would end up winning the WWE Tag Team Championship alongside Hollywood Hulk Hogan on the July 4 episode of SmackDown! by defeating Billy and Chuck.[69] Edge and Hogan lost the titles at Vengeance on July 21 to The Un-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian), and at SummerSlam on August 25, Edge defeated Eddie Guerrero then lost to Guerrero at Unforgiven on September 22. They met one final time days later on SmackDown! in a No Disqualification match where Edge won, ending the feud. He then formed a tag team with Rey Mysterio, and the two participated in a tournament for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive WWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit in the finals of the tournament at No Mercy on October 20; the match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.[70] After they failed in winning the titles, Mysterio and Edge defeated Los Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of SmackDown! to earn a title shot.[71] At the Rebellion pay-per-view on October 26, Edge faced Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman in a Handicap match for the WWE Championship where Lesnar retained the title after Lesnar pinned Edge. On the November 7 episode of SmackDown!, they defeated Angle and Benoit in a two out-of-three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.[72] They soon lost the tag titles to Los Guerreros in a triple threat elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at Survivor Series on November 17.[73]
After losing the title, Edge and Mysterio went their separate ways to focus on their singles careers. At the Royal Rumble, Edge competed in the 30-man Royal Rumble match on January 19, 2003, where he had three eliminations before getting eliminated by Chris Jericho. Edge then teamed up with Chris Benoit, facing Team Angle in a series of singles and tag team matches. Prior to No Way Out, Edge suffered a legitimate neck injury, rendering him unable to compete in his scheduled match. The injury stemmed from a bump he took on a closed ladder on the September 26, 2002 edition of SmackDown! while wrestling Eddie Guerrero, who then frog-splashed him while he was still laying on the ladder. His arms would then numb more and more in the following months before deciding to have the surgery, as he was gradually in more pain and did not want to risk dropping an opponent dangerously because of his numb arms.[74] At No Way Out on February 23, Edge was written off television through a backstage attack. He then underwent surgery with Dr. Lloyd Youngblood and was sidelined for over a year.[75]
World championship pursuits (2004–2005)
Edge in 2005 with the Money In The Bank briefcase
Edge was drafted to the Raw brand in the 2004 WWE draft lottery on March 22, 2004, where he speared Eric Bischoff and returned to in-ring action shortly after the event.[76] At Backlash on April 18, Edge defeated Kane,[77] and on the April 19 episode of Raw, he and World Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit won the World Tag Team Championship from Batista and Ric Flair.[78] They continued a close partnership even after losing the title; at Bad Blood on June 13, Edge and Benoit defeated La Résistance (who defeated them for the titles on the May 31 episode of Raw) in a match for the World Tag Team Championship by disqualification but did not win the titles. The team disbanded when Edge won the Intercontinental Championship at Vengeance on July 11 defeating Randy Orton, thus becoming a five time Intercontinental Champion.[79] At SummerSlam on August 15, Edge defeated Chris Jericho and Batista in a triple threat match to retain the Intercontinental Championship.[80] Following a legitimate groin injury in a non-televised match, Raw General ManagerEric Bischoff stripped Edge of the Intercontinental title on the September 6 episode of Raw.[81]
Upon his return, Edge began to pursue the World Heavyweight Championship. Edge, Chris Benoit, and Shawn Michaels received a title shot for Triple H's World Heavyweight Championship at Taboo Tuesday on October 19. Michaels won the audience vote to receive the title shot, giving Edge and Benoit a tag team title shot against La Résistance. They regained the titles. During the match, an angry Edge abandoned Benoit and instead interfered in the World Heavyweight Championship match, costing Michaels the championship.[82] On the November 1 episode of Raw, Edge and Benoit lost the World Tag Team Championship back to La Résistance with Edge abandoning Benoit again and sitting in a chair and watching the match. After the conclusion of the match, Edge attacked Benoit, turning heel.[83] Edge would then become cocky and brash, while also becoming more vicious and destructive than ever before. Edge would also gain a new entrance theme, Metalingus, performed by the then-newly established band, Alter Bridge. At Survivor Series on November 14, Edge was part of Team Triple H along with Triple H, Batista, and Gene Snitsky. They were defeated by Team Orton (Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and Maven). During the match, Edge eliminated both Benoit and Jericho before getting eliminated by Orton.[84]
On the November 29 episode of Raw, both Edge and Benoit competed in a number one contender's battle royal, but they eliminated each other simultaneously at the conclusion of the match, resulting in a draw.[85] As a result, Triple H was forced to defend the title in a triple threat match. In the match, Benoit locked the Crippler Crossface on Edge, who shifted his weight putting Benoit's shoulders on the mat for a pin. This match also ended in a draw for Benoit and Edge, as Benoit made Edge submit at the same time the referee counted a pinfall for Edge.[85] As a result, the World Heavyweight title was vacated the following week on Raw. On January 9, 2005, Edge competed in his first Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Special guest referee Shawn Michaels performed a superkick on Edge, in retaliation for an accidental spear by Edge, causing Edge to be the first eliminated.[86] This led to a match at the Royal Rumble on January 30, in which Edge defeated Michaels. Edge also competed in the Royal Rumble match later that night, where he lasted until the final three but was eliminated by Batista and John Cena.[87]
WWE Champion (2005–2006)
At WrestleMania 21 on April 3, Edge won the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match, gaining a contract that gave him a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship within one year.[88] According to a podcast interview with Chris Jericho, Copeland said that he did not initially like the idea of the ladder match and even told WWE management not to include him on the WrestleMania 21 card altogether. However, he was talked into competing by the other participants like Jericho and Glenn Jacobs who said the match had the potential to be a big success. At Backlash on May 1, Edge defeated Chris Benoit in a Last Man Standing match to end the feud.[89] Several weeks after, Edge was then paired with Lita, his real-life girlfriend at the time, in an angle in which she betrayed her storyline husband Kane, by costing him the Gold Rush tournament finals match to determine the number-one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship on the May 16 episode of Raw.[90] The next week, Edge received his World Heavyweight Championship match against Batista, which he lost.[91] Edge started a feud with Kane leading to several matches between them including one at Vengeance on June 26, when Edge lost to Kane.[92] After trading several victories on Raw, the feud ended in a stretcher match on the July 25 episode of Raw that Edge won, but shortly after, Kane performed a tombstone piledriver on Lita and later abducted her in an ambulance.[93]
On the July 11 episode of Raw, Edge's match with Kane was interrupted when Matt Hardy made a surprise appearance. Hardy referred to Edge by his real name and issued a threat to Lita as well.[94] When Hardy was officially brought back to Raw, he and Edge continued their feud, including a match at SummerSlam on August 21 where Edge defeated Hardy, causing Hardy to have excessive blood loss.[95] A week later on Raw, after a match Hardy had with Rob Conway, Edge then appeared and overpowered Hardy. He then wedged Hardy's head between the steel steps and the ringpost, and then kicked the steel steps into Hardy's head.[96] On the August 29 episode of Raw, Edge and Hardy fought in a Street Fight, which resulted in a no contest when Hardy performed a side effect on Edge off the entrance ramp into the sound speakers and other electrical equipment.[97] They also fought in a Steel cage match at Unforgiven on September 18 in which Hardy defeated Edge.[98] The feud culminated in a Loser Leaves Raw ladder match on Raw Homecoming on October 3, which Edge won.[99] After the match, Hardy left the Raw brand to go to the SmackDown! brand, while Edge suffered a legit torn pectoralis major muscle that kept him shelved for a couple of months.[100] During his time off, he starred in his own talk show segment on Raw entitled The Cutting Edge,[101] dubbing himself the "Rated-R Superstar". Edge used his talk show to start a feud with Ric Flair following Flair's well-publicized arrest in connection with a road rage incident.[101][102] Edge eventually began using The Cutting Edge as a soapbox to run down Flair until, after weeks of public mockery, Flair eventually showed up and attacked Edge.[103] Edge and Flair formally met at the New Year's Revolution event on January 8, 2006, in a match for Flair's Intercontinental Championship, which resulted in Flair retaining after Edge was disqualified.[104]
Edge and Lita in July 2005
Although Edge had lost his scheduled match at New Year's Revolution, that would not be his only match that evening as the main event saw John Cena, the reigning WWE Champion, defend his title in an Elimination Chamber match. After a bloody Cena won the match, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon revealed that Edge was cashing in his Money in the Bank contract to face Cena for the championship immediately. After two spears, Edge quickly defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, marking his first world title win.[104]
The following night on Raw, Edge decided to celebrate his victory by having "hot, unbridled sex" in the middle of the ring. He and Lita engaged in foreplay until they were interrupted by Flair, who called Edge a disgrace and "that he was horrible in the sack".[105] Flair, however, ended up on the receiving end of a con-chair-to on the announcers' table until Cena came out to Flair's aid and performed an FU on Lita.[105] The "Live Sex Celebration" segment earned Raw a 5.2 rating,[106] the highest Raw rating in over a year,[107] leading Edge to call himself the "most watched champion ever".[108] On the January 16 episode of Raw, Edge defeated Ric Flair in a TLC match to retain the WWE Championship.[108] At the Royal Rumble on January 29, Edge lost the WWE Championship back to Cena.[109]
Edge then lost a rematch on the February 16 episode of Raw and blamed special guest refereeMick Foley for his loss.[110] They feuded until WrestleMania 22 on April 2, where Edge defeated Foley in a hardcore match by Spearing him through a flaming table[111] but suffered second degree burns, thanks to anti-flame material not being applied to the table, at both wrestlers' request.[112][24] According to Copeland, the match with Foley proved him as a main eventer.[113] After losing a triple threat match at Backlash for the WWE Championship,[114] Edge teamed with Foley, pointing as Hardcore Champions.[115] At ECW One Night Stand on June 11, Edge, Foley and Lita defeated Dreamer, Terry Funk and Beulah McGillicutty in an Extreme Rules tag team match.[116] Later in the event, Edge interfered in the WWE Championship match between John Cena and challenger Rob Van Dam, helping Van Dam win the title after he speared Cena through a table.[116]
Edge, pictured with his custom "Rated-R" Spinner belt, at Unforgiven during his second WWE Championship reign
While Edge lost a match for the WWE title at Vengeance,[117] he won the championship on the July 3 episode of Raw during a triple threat match.[118] This angle re-ignited Edge's feud with Cena, retaining the title against him at SummerSlam.[119] The night after SummerSlam, Lita disposed of Cena's customized "spinner" belt into the Long Island Sound and he unveiled the new "Rated-R" version of the belt.[120] Edge lost the title to Cena in a TLC match at Unforgiven, a PPV that took place in Edge's hometown of Toronto.[121]
On the October 2 episode of Raw, interference from the newly reformed D-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) cost Edge his "final chance" at John Cena's WWE Championship in a Steel cage match, though their interference was a response to the interference of Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.[122] It led to Edge approaching Randy Orton and asking him to join forces to defeat DX, which Orton accepted and joined an alliance with Edge.[123] The two formed the tag team Rated-RKO.[124] At Cyber Sunday on November 5, Rated-RKO defeated DX with Eric Bischoff as the special guest referee.[125] On the November 13 episode of Raw, Rated-RKO defeated Ric Flair and Roddy Piper to win the World Tag Team Championship, making Edge a record eleven-time tag team champion.[126][127] At Survivor Series on November 26, Rated-RKO teamed with Johnny Nitro, Mike Knox and Gregory Helms to face Team DX (Triple H, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) in a Survivor Series match, but lost when all members of Team Rated-RKO were eliminated in a clean sweep.[128] Also that month, Lita retired, and her on-screen relationship with Edge abruptly ended, with no explanation.
As part of the storyline angle, Rated-RKO attacked Ric Flair with steel chairs to enrage DX on the November 27 episode of Raw.[129] At New Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, Rated-RKO defended the World Tag Team Championship against DX, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match.[130] At the Royal Rumble on January 28, Edge competed in the 30-man Royal Rumble match where he lasted the longest in the match with a time of 44 minutes, eliminating 5 men and making it to the final 4 in the match before getting eliminated by Shawn Michaels. With Triple H out of action, the team continued their on-screen rivalry with remaining DX member Shawn Michaels. Michaels teamed with John Cena to defeat Rated-RKO for the World Tag Team Championship on January 29, 2007.[131] Edge and Orton suffered a series of losses to Cena and Michaels in the following months. Edge competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 23 on April 1 in a losing effort. During the match, Matt Hardy threw him onto a ladder and encouraged Jeff Hardy, who was close to the winning briefcase, to finish him off. Hardy then leaped off the 20-foot-high (6.1 m) ladder, and drove him through the ladder with a leg drop, seemingly injuring both Edge and himself. The two were unable to continue the match and were removed from ringside on stretchers.[132] After this Edge and Orton also became rivals in their goals of achieving the WWE Championship. Neither Edge nor Orton won the championship, and they lost their claims as number one contenders after a failed match with Cena at Backlash on April 29.[133]
On the May 7 episode of Raw, Edge interrupted an in-ring promo by the winner of the 2007 Money in the Bank contract, Mr. Kennedy. Kennedy had said for weeks that he would not cash in the contract until the following WrestleMania, but Edge decided to goad him into a match for his briefcase. Edge attacked Kennedy before the match even started, severely injuring his shoulder, and took advantage of the injury to beat Kennedy and take the briefcase.[134] Edge thus became the first person to gain the Money in the Bank contract twice and the first not to do so in the ladder match.[135]
On the May 11 episode of SmackDown! in Pittsburgh, World Heavyweight ChampionThe Undertaker retained his title against Batista in a steel cage match. Then, Mark Henry attacked The Undertaker. Despite being part of the Raw roster, Edge would appear and cash in his Money in the Bank contract on The Undertaker. After one spear, Edge pinned The Undertaker for the victory and his first World Heavyweight Championship.[136] As a result, Edge became a member of the SmackDown! roster. Edge then began a feud with Batista and successfully defended his championship title against him at Judgment Day on May 20,[137] in a Steel Cage match at One Night Stand on June 3,[138] and a third and final time by countout in a last chance match at Vengeance on June 24.[139] Edge then began a feud with Kane after SmackDown! General Manager Theodore Long announced Kane as the new number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at The Great American Bash.[140] Edge was forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship due to a legitimately torn left pectoral muscle injury on the July 20 episode of SmackDown! following an attack by Kane a week earlier.[141]
On November 18, at Survivor Series, Edge made his return, interfering in a World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell match between Batista and The Undertaker, helping Batista win the match.[142] The following SmackDown! show saw Edge and General Manager Vickie Guerrero make their relationship public,[143] making his official in-ring return in a World Heavyweight Championship match against Batista on the November 30 episode of SmackDown!, a match that ended after The Undertaker interfered.[144] At Armageddon, Edge won his second World Heavyweight Championship, after giving The Undertaker two chair shots and pinning the defending champion Batista (who had been Tombstoned by The Undertaker prior) in a Triple Threat match. During the match, Edge used two look-a-likes to distract Batista and The Undertaker.[145] It was later revealed that these look-a-likes were the Major Brothers,[146] who were then repackaged as Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder. Edge also formed an alliance with Chavo Guerrero, nephew of Vickie Guerrero, and on the January 22, 2008 broadcast of ECW, he assisted Chavo in winning the ECW Championship from CM Punk.[147] This group eventually came under the name of La Familia (Spanish for "The Family"). Edge then successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship over Rey Mysterio at the Royal Rumble[148] and again at No Way Out in February.[149] Also that month, he proposed to Vickie, which she accepted.[150]
Edge before facing Undertaker at WrestleMania XXIV in 2008
At WrestleMania XXIV in March, Edge lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker when he tapped out to the Hell's Gate.[151] The match was booked for Edge to retain and break the streak, but Edge refused to break the streak, stating in an interview that it made zero sense, he was already a made man, and that he was already in the main event of WrestleMania and that was good enough for him.[152][153] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[154] Following Backlash, The Undertaker was stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship by Vickie Guerrero for using the Hell's Gate, which she previously banned.[155] After winning a tournament to determine who would face The Undertaker for the vacant championship,[156] the two met at Judgment Day, which ended in Edge losing via countout. However, since championships cannot change hands via countout, no champion was crowned.[157] A rematch was scheduled for One Night Stand, in a TLC match. On the May 23 episode of SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero added a stipulation that stated if The Undertaker were to lose, he would be kayfabebanished from the WWE.[158] At One Night Stand on June 1, Edge would defeat The Undertaker after interference from La Familia, Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neely, winning the World Heavyweight Championship for the third time. Since he lost, The Undertaker was also forced to leave the company.[159]
On June 29, Edge retained his championship against Batista at Night of Champions, after interference from La Familia.[160] The next night on Raw, Edge appeared to gloat that two of the top championships were on SmackDown, as WWE Champion Triple H was drafted to SmackDown in the WWE draft earlier that week. A vengeful Batista then appeared and incapacitated Edge with the Batista Bomb. Just as Batista was leaving, CM Punk ran to the ring carrying his Money in the Bank briefcase, with referee in tow, who then cashed in the briefcase. Edge, who was still knocked down from the attack by Batista, was easily pinned by Punk after a Go To Sleep, losing the World Heavyweight Championship. Due to this win, the championship became exclusive to the Raw brand.[161]
On the July 4 episode of SmackDown, Edge took his frustrations out on Vickie because he lost the title and told her the wedding was off.[162] The following week, however, after Guerrero saved Edge from a con-chair-to by The Big Show, Edge re-proposed, and the wedding was back on.[163] On the July 18 episode of SmackDown, at the wedding reception, Triple H came out and showed a video of Edge cheating on Guerrero the day before with the wedding planner, Alicia Fox. At The Great American Bash on July 20, Edge faced Triple H for the WWE Championship in a losing effort.[164] Edge attempted to apologize to Guerrero, but she revealed to him that she had rehired The Undertaker and that Edge would face him in a Hell in a Cell match at SummerSlam.[165] Edge then turned on La Familia during the August 8 episode of SmackDown, performing a one-man con-chair-to on Chavo Guerrero in the ring, and tossed Vickie out of her wheelchair, effectively disbanding the faction.[166] At SummerSlam on August 17, The Undertaker defeated Edge, and after the match, The Undertaker chokeslammed Edge off the top of a ladder and through the ring canvas, with flames rising from the hole.[167]
On November 23, at Survivor Series, Edge returned to WWE after an introduction by SmackDown General Manager and his on-screen wife Vickie Guerrero, replacing Jeff Hardy in the Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship involving champion Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov. He pinned Triple H to become the WWE Champion for the third time in his career.[168] Edge lost the title to Hardy at Armageddon on December 14 in a triple threat match, which also featured Triple H.[169] At the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2009, however, Edge regained the title in a no disqualification match, following Matt Hardy's interference.[170] At No Way Out on February 15, Edge lost the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match after being pinned by Jeff Hardy, being the first to be eliminated, with the title eventually being won by Triple H.[171] Later that night, Edge inserted himself into the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match after attacking Kofi Kingston and barricading himself inside one of the chamber's pods, proceeding to win his fourth World Heavyweight Championship, last eliminating Rey Mysterio and taking the title over to SmackDown.[172] At WrestleMania 25 on April 5, Edge lost the championship to John Cena in a Triple Threat match, which also included Big Show,[173] but regained the championship for a fifth time at Backlash on April 26, when he defeated Cena in a Last Man Standing match, after interference by Big Show.[174] After a successful defense against Jeff Hardy at Judgment Day on May 17,[175] he lost the title to Hardy at Extreme Rules on June 7 in a ladder match. While Hardy was celebrating, CM Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank and defeated Hardy to win the World Heavyweight Championship.[176] The following night on Raw, Guerrero resigned as the Raw General Manager due to being humiliated, and Edge came out to apologize. Instead, however, he confessed he married Guerrero only because she had authoritative powers as the General Manager, and sought a divorce.[177] On the June 15 episode of Raw, Edge received his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match against both Hardy and Punk, but was pinned by Punk.[178]
Edge won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship (the unified version of the World Tag Team Championship from the Raw brand and the WWE Tag Team Championship from the SmackDown brand) with Chris Jericho at The Bash on June 28 after he and Jericho were inserted into what was originally a match between reigning champions The Colóns and Legacy. The win made Edge a record-setting 12 time World Tag Team Champion.[179] On July 3, Edge suffered a torn Achilles tendon while competing at a live event in San Diego in a match against Jeff Hardy, and later underwent surgery. It was reported that he could be out of action for up to a year.[180] During Edge's absence, Jericho replaced him with Big Show (forming Jeri-Show) and Jericho began to speak badly of Edge, mocking him for his injury.[181]
Record-breaking World Heavyweight Champion (2010–2011)
At the Royal Rumble pay-per-view event on January 31, 2010, Edge returned from injury by entering the Royal Rumble match as the twenty-ninth surprise entrant, where he won the Royal Rumble match for the first time in his career, after last eliminating John Cena.[182] At Elimination Chamber on February 21, after Chris Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship, Edge challenged Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXVI after a surprise attack on Jericho, turning face for the first time since 2004.[183] At WrestleMania on March 28, Edge failed to win the title.[184] Edge defeated Jericho in a steel cage match at Extreme Rules on April 25, ending their feud.[185]
On April 26, as part of 2010 WWE draft, Edge was drafted to the Raw brand, also costing Randy Orton a title shot, by spearing him in a triple threat match against Batista and Sheamus.[186] On the April 30 episode of SmackDown, Edge said goodbye to the SmackDown fans. However, Edge turned on the fans by calling them "puppets" for chanting for him and later tried a sneak attack on his former tag team partner Christian, thus turning heel once again.[187] Edge began a feud with Randy Orton, with both Edge and Orton gaining the upper hand over one another. Much of the antagonism stemmed of Orton's refusal to re-form Rated-RKO with Edge, as Edge wanted to pursue the tag team titles he had been stripped of.[188] Edge and Orton met in a match at the Over the Limit pay-per-view on May 23, with the match resulting in a double countout.[189] At Fatal 4-Way on June 20, Edge participated in a fatal four-way match that also included Orton, John Cena, and Sheamus for the WWE Championship, though Edge failed to win the title.[190] Edge then participated in the Raw Money in the Bank ladder match at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view on July 18, but failed to win the briefcase, as it was won by The Miz.[191] Edge then went on to participate in the main event of SummerSlam on August 15 in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match against The Nexus. Although he was eliminated by Heath Slater, his team was victorious.[192] On the 900th episode of Raw, Edge disqualified himself in the main event in a five-on-five elimination match against The Nexus. This saw him enter into a feud with the anonymous Raw General Manager, during which the general manager cost him several matches. At Night of Champions on September 19, Edge participated in a six-pack elimination challenge for the WWE Championship, but once again failed to win the title.[193]
At the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 3, Edge defeated Jack Swagger.[194] The next night on Raw, he was traded back to SmackDown for CM Punk, due to him destroying the Anonymous Raw General Manager's computer, turning face once again .[195] On the October 15 episode of SmackDown, he defeated Dolph Ziggler to become part of Team SmackDown at Bragging Rights. At Bragging Rights on October 24, Edge won the match for Team SmackDown alongside Rey Mysterio, eliminating R-Truth, John Morrison and The Miz.
On the October 29 episode of SmackDown, Edge defeated Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at Survivor Series. On the November 12 episode of SmackDown, Edge lost his match with David Otunga, thanks to Paul Bearer's interference. Edge then kidnapped Bearer and used him to cost Kane his match with Big Show. The following week, Edge tortured Paul Bearer, forcing him to play dodgeball and force-feeding him, planning to wear down Kane. He then ambushed Kane in the garage when he was a few feet from Paul Bearer and drove away with his hostage. At Survivor Series on November 21, Edge failed to win the title after the referee determined the match a draw, due to both men pinning each other at the same time.[196] On December 19, 2010, Edge defeated Kane, Rey Mysterio, and Alberto Del Rio in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs to win the World Heavyweight Championship for a record sixth time and making him a ten time World Champion.[197] Edge then defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane in a winning effort in a Last Man Standing match on the January 7 episode of SmackDown, thus ending their feud.
At the Royal Rumble on January 30, 2011, Edge successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Dolph Ziggler.[198] On the 600th episode of SmackDown on February 18, acting General Manager Guerrero fired Edge in storyline, and awarded the World Heavyweight Championship to her on-screen boyfriend Ziggler. SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long returned later that night, and rehired Edge. Edge then defeated Ziggler to become the World Heavyweight Champion for the record seventh and final time, his 11th world championship overall.[199] At the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on February 20, Edge successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match by finally pinning Rey Mysterio. After he won the match, he was attacked by Royal Rumble winner Alberto Del Rio, but was saved by the returning Christian.[200]Edge and Christian briefly reunited to defeat Del Rio and his bodyguard Brodus Clay on the March 11 episode of SmackDown.[201] At WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, Edge successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Del Rio.[202]
First retirement and WWE Hall of Famer (2011–2019)
On the April 11, 2011, episode of Raw, Edge gave an emotional speech about his career and the realities of wrestling. He reflected upon his previous neck injury and cervical vertebral fusion, and stated that he had felt numbness in his arms. He passed basic-strength tests prior to WrestleMania, but WWE had urged him for further testing and an MRI result forced him to retire. This was diagnosed as cervical spinal stenosis, and doctors would not clear him to compete, for risk of neck-down paralysis or even death should he take a hard enough fall.[203][204][205] Later that same week, on the April 15 episode of SmackDown, Edge officially relinquished the World Heavyweight Championship, retiring as the World Heavyweight Champion while recapping his announcement and expressing gratitude over this happening now rather than when it was too late.[206]
On the April 22 episode of SmackDown, Edge interrupted Alberto Del Rio's mock retirement party for him.[207] At Extreme Rules on May 1, Edge helped his friend Christian defeat Del Rio in a ladder match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.[208] At SummerSlam on August 14, Edge was in Christian's corner for his World Heavyweight Championship defense against Randy Orton but, disappointed by the cowardly tactics Christian used to win his second World Heavyweight Championship, berated him and walked out on him. Christian then lost the title to Orton for a second time.[209] On the September 16 episode of SmackDown, in his hometown of Toronto, Edge hosted The Cutting Edge between Mark Henry and the World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton. After the show went off the air, they held Edge Appreciation Night to celebrate his career.
On March 31, 2012, Edge was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Christian, during WrestleMania XXVIII weekend.[210] Edge made a surprise appearance on the April 23, 2012 episode of Raw, confronting his long-time rival John Cena about Brock Lesnar.[211] On the September 21, 2012 episode of SmackDown, Edge made an appearance addressing Team Hell No.[212] Edge returned on the September 9, 2013, episode of Raw in his hometown of Toronto where he hosted his talk show The Cutting Edge having Daniel Bryan as his special guest.[213]
Edge insulted Triple H in the segment, who retaliated by sending The Shield to attack Edge's friend Christian. Later that week, Edge hosted The Cutting Edge on the September 13 episode of SmackDown, where he mocked Randy Orton and watched as Orton's attack on Bryan backfired.[214] Edge and Christian hosted the December 29, 2014 episode of Raw, where they held the first ever Cutting Edge Peep Show interviewing Seth Rollins, who, along with Big Show, attacked them. Rollins held Edge hostage, thus forcing John Cena to reinstate the Authority. When Rollins tried to break Edge's neck anyway, Cena ended up making the save.[215] Edge would return on the January 2 episode of SmackDown and with The Authority back in power, apologized to the pair for the Seth Rollins attack.
Edge and Christian appeared in a backstage segment on the September 7 episode of Raw, where they were seen playing their trademark kazoos after a confrontation with Rollins. They would later become involved in an altercation with The New Day and The Dudley Boyz. In 2016, Edge and Christian began hosting the WWE Network Show, "The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness", a second season would eventually go on to air.
On February 15, 2016, it was announced Edge and Christian would host an installment of The Cutting Edge Peep Show at Fastlane with The New Day as their special guests. At the event, Edge and Christian joined forces with The New Day against The League of Nations with The New Day completing a 'Face turn'. On November 15, 2016, on the 900th episode of SmackDown, Edge hosted a special edition of The Cutting Edge with the men's SmackDown Survivor Series team members as his guests and was later interrupted by the returning Undertaker. He later reunited with his 'Edgeheads' Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins.[216] Edge was present at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2017 as his wife Beth Phoenix was inducted. On April 7, 2018, Edge and Christian inducted the Dudley Boyz into the WWE Hall of Fame.[217] Later that year on October 16 at the 1,000th episode of SmackDown, Edge hosted The Cutting Edge with SmackDown Women's ChampionBecky Lynch as his guest.[218]
At the SummerSlam pay-per-view event on August 11, 2019, Edge interrupted Elias' performance and performed a spear on him, engaging in physical wrestling for the first time since his retirement.[219] This sparked rumours that Edge had been medically cleared to wrestle, which he denied.[220]
In-ring return and Universal Championship pursuits (2020–2022)
At the 2020 Royal Rumble on January 26, Edge entered the Men's Royal Rumble match at the number 21 spot to the loudest crowd reaction of the show, competing in his first professional wrestling match after a nine-year retirement.[221] He eliminated three participants, including former teammate Randy Orton, before being eliminated by Roman Reigns.[222] The following night on Raw, Edge was attacked by Orton,[223] leading to a Last Man Standing match between them on the second night of WrestleMania 36 on April 5, which Edge won.[224][225] They had another match at Backlash on June 14, where Orton was victorious.[226] During the match, Edge suffered a torn triceps[227] and it was reported that the injury would sideline him for four to eight months.[228] After a seven-month hiatus, Edge returned on the January 25, 2021 episode of Raw, where he declared that he would enter the 2021 Royal Rumble match,[229] which he won after entering first, by last eliminating Orton.[230] With this victory, Edge became the eighth man to win the Royal Rumble match twice, the third to win it from the number one position, and the first to win it after being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.[230] The following night on Raw, Edge, with the help of Alexa Bliss, defeated Orton to end their feud.[231]
At Elimination Chamber on February 21, Edge attacked WWE Universal ChampionRoman Reigns with the spear, making his decision to face him at WrestleMania 37.[232] At Fastlane on March 21, Edge attacked Daniel Bryan, costing him the title. On the March 26 episode of SmackDown, Daniel Bryan was added to the match, making it a triple threat match.[233] On the second night of WrestleMania 37 on April 11, Edge ultimately lost the match to Reigns following the assistance from Jey Uso, thus becoming the first person to win the Royal Rumble twice and lose both championship matches at WrestleMania.[234][235] After a two-month hiatus, Edge made his return on the June 25 episode of SmackDown, attacking both Reigns and Jimmy Uso.[236] The following day on Talking Smack, it was announced that Edge would face Reigns for the Universal Championship at Money in the Bank.[237] At Money in the Bank on July 18, Edge was unsuccessful in capturing the title due to interference from Seth Rollins.[238]
Over the following weeks, Edge and Rollins kept confronting and attacking each other until the August 6 episode of SmackDown, where Edge challenged Rollins to a match at SummerSlam, which Rollins accepted, starting the feud.[239] At SummerSlam on August 21, Edge defeated Rollins by submission.[240] Edge would then face Rollins on the September 10 episode of SmackDown[241] where Rollins would win and attack Edge post-match in order to hospitalize him.[242] As part of the 2021 Draft, Edge was drafted to the Rawbrand.[243] On the October 8 episode of SmackDown, Edge challenged Rollins to a Hell in a Cell match at Crown Jewel after Rollins broke into his house the previous week.[244][243] At Crown Jewel on October 21, Edge subsequently defeated Rollins to end their feud.[245] Edge returned on the November 29 episode of Raw, where he was confronted by The Miz.[246] The following week on Raw, after another heated verbal exchange between the two during a Miz TV segment, Miz challenged Edge to a match at Day 1, with Edge accepting.[247] At Day 1 on January 1, 2022, Edge defeated Miz with help from his wife, Beth Phoenix.[248] At Royal Rumble on January 29, Edge and his wife Beth Phoenix defeated The Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag team match.[249]
On the February 21 episode of Raw, Edge reflected on all the WrestleMania moments in his career and then he issued an open challenge for WrestleMania 38.[250] The following week on Raw, his challenge was accepted by AJ Styles, but Edge viciously attacked him, turning heel.[251] During the buildup to WrestleMania, Edge debuted a new gimmick and a new entrance theme, The Other Side by Alter Bridge.[252] On the second night of WrestleMania 38 on April 3, Edge defeated Styles following a distraction by Damian Priest.[253] Edge formed a faction with Priest named The Judgment Day.[254] At WrestleMania Backlash on May 8, Edge defeated Styles with the help of Rhea Ripley, who became the newest member of The Judgment Day.[255] At Hell in a Cell on June 5, The Judgment Day defeated Styles, Finn Bálor and Liv Morgan in a six-person mixed tag team match.[256] The next night on Raw, Edge introduced Bálor as the newest member of The Judgment Day. Almost immediately, Bálor, Priest and Ripley suddenly turned on their leader, attacking Edge with his own signature con-chair-to move and kicking him out of the group.[257]
Edge making his entrance in July 2023
At SummerSlam on July 30, Edge returned as a face to help The Mysterios (Rey and Dominik) win their No Disqualification match against The Judgment Day.[258] He also returned with his original theme song Metalingus by Alter Bridge on the following episode of Raw.[259] At Clash at the Castle on September 3, Edge teamed up with Rey Mysterio to defeat The Judgment Day. After the match however, Dominik attacked Edge with a low blow and clotheslined his father Rey.[260] At Extreme Rules on October 8, Edge was defeated by Bálor in an "I Quit" match after interference from Dominik, Priest and Ripley. After he said "I Quit", Ripley attacked his wife, Beth Phoenix (who also interfered during the match on his behalf), with a violent con-chair-to, severely injuring her (kayfabe).[261] After a three-month hiatus, Edge made his return at the Royal Rumble on January 28, 2023, at #24 eliminating Bálor and Priest before being eliminated by them after a distraction from Dominik Mysterio.[262] At Elimination Chamber on February 18, Edge and Phoenix defeated Bálor and Ripley in a mixed tag team match despite interference from Dominik.[263] In a press conference after the event, Edge answered Austin Theory's open challenge for the United States Championship.[264] On the following episode of Raw, Edge failed to win the title after interference from Bálor.[265] On Night 2 of WrestleMania 39, Edge defeated Bálor in a Hell in a Cell match, ending his feud with The Judgment Day.[266]
As part of the 2023 WWE Draft, Edge was drafted to the SmackDown brand.[267][268] On the August 18 episode of SmackDown, which celebrated his 25 years with WWE, Edge defeated Sheamus in his hometown of Toronto in what would be his last appearance and match for WWE, leaving WWE on September 30.[269][270]
All Elite Wrestling (2023–present)
On October 1, 2023, Copeland made his debut in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) at the end of AEW's WrestleDream pay-per-view event under his real name and the "Rated R Superstar" monicker, saving Sting and Darby Allin from an attack by Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Nick Wayne.[271] During the post-event media scrum, it was revealed that Copeland signed a full-time multi-year contract with AEW.[272] Copeland began a feud with Cage, facing him and his stable, The Patriarchy, teaming with Allin and Sting to defeat them in a six-man tag team match at Full Gear on November 18.[273] Copeland would go onto defeat Cage for the TNT Championship at Worlds End, but lost it back to Cage when Cage invoked the title shot earned by his Patriarchy member Killswitch (formerly Luchasaurus) earlier that night to get an immediate rematch, ending Copeland's reign in approximately three minutes.[274] Copeland would regain the title in an "I quit" match on March 20, 2024, which started as the main event of Dynamite and concluded on a special live Rampage, both airing back-to-back ending their six-month feud.[275] Copeland defended the TNT Championship on Dynamite and Collision in a series of open challenges, he dubbed "The Cope Open", successfully defending the title against the likes of Matt Cardona, Penta El Zero Miedo, Buddy Matthews, Brody King, and Kyle O'Reilly.[276][277][278][279][280] In March, Copeland would begin a feud with the House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews).[281] At the Dynasty event on April 21, Copeland teamed with Mark Briscoe and Eddie Kingston to face the House of Black in a six-man tag team match, but lost.[282] On May 26 at Double or Nothing, Copeland successfully defended the TNT Championship against Malakai Black in a barbed wire steel cage match.[283] However, during the match, Copeland suffered a legitimate fractured tibia after leaping from the top of the cage, and was stripped of the title in kayfabe by AEW executive vice presidents The Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) on the May 29 episode of Dynamite, ending his second reign at 70 days.[284]
Professional wrestling style and persona
Edge hitting his finishing move, the spear, on Mr. Kennedy
Edge utilizes the spear as his finisher.[5] WWE announcer Michael Cole praised the psychology Edge included in the move, since "he knew that the longer he made the audience wait, the better it was going to be".[285] He has also performed other finishers including a lifting DDT called the Edgecution, and an inverted sharpshooter submission hold called the Edgecator.[286]
After his affair with Lita was brought to television as an on-screen relationship in 2005, Edge began to adopt the persona of a villain who revelled in controversy, nicknamed "The Rated R Superstar". This moniker was solidified when Edge and Lita performed a "live sex celebration" segment after he won his first WWE Championship in early 2006.[287][288] He is also nicknamed "The Master Manipulator" and "The Ultimate Opportunist" due to how he used the Money in the Bank briefcase along with other underhanded opportunities to win numerous World Titles.[289][290]
When asked about his wrestling persona, Copleand stated that the 'Rated-R Superstar' Edge was similar to that of a rockstar, "kind of like an 'Appetite for Destruction' era Guns N' Roses, or 'Too Fast for Love' era Mötley Crüe; like this sleazy, slimy, pretty horrible person that you could picture crawling under the gutter to try and steal your girlfriend. He was that guy, and that, I always said, when I walked through the curtain, that’s when I became 'Edge'. And as soon as I walked back through that curtain, I'm going to grab a coffee and I'm right back to being Adam."[291]
In 2012, WWE voted him as both the third-best World Heavyweight Champion and 20th-best wrestling villain in WWE history.[292] His entrance theme, "Metalingus" by Alter Bridge, was selected as the greatest in WWE history by the company in a 2013 list.[293]
Acting career
In 2000, Copeland had a cameo appearance as a road bandit in the fantasy movie Highlander: Endgame.[294] In March 2002, he appeared with other wrestlers on the quiz show Weakest Link. He was voted out in the first round, and the eventual winner was Kane.[295] On the August 6, 2006 episode of Mind of Mencia, he appeared as Edge as a commentator for "The Royal Religious Rumble". He punched out an actor playing L. Ron Hubbard to stop Scientology from ruling the world and then speared another actor playing Tom Cruise.[296] In March 2007, Copeland appeared alongside Randy Orton, John Cena, and Bobby Lashley on Deal or No Deal.[297] Weeks later, he appeared on the sketch comedy show MADtv.[297] He appeared in a Slim Jim commercial, in which his "spicy side" caused chaos in a DMV, a restaurant, and a hotel.[298]Edge: a Decade of Decadence, a DVD documentary of Copeland's life, was released in December 2008. The DVD illustrates his wrestling career dating from when he entered the WWF to 2008.[299]
In June 2011, Copeland appeared as Thelo, an Abnormal, in the Sanctuary episode "Into the Black".[300] In September 2011, he held an "Edgucational" Essay Scholarship Contest, as an echo back to how he himself got a start in the wrestling business. The scholarship went to one of the students at Squared Circle Wrestling in Toronto, Alysha Verhoven, who has since gone on to work as Leah von Dutch.[301][302][303] Copeland appeared regularly in the Syfy series Haven, which started in July 2011, as Dwight Hendrickson, a troubled man whose affliction is revealed to be attracting bullets and who works as a cleaner, cleaning up after the troubles. He is later appointed the Chief of Police. He was part of the cast until the show's series finale in December 2015.[304][305]WWE Studios released Bending the Rules, in which Copeland starred, in 2012. WWE released the official trailer of the film on the February 28, 2012 episode of Raw. The 2012 documentary, You Think You Know Me – The Story of Edge, includes a look at Copeland's life and career in pro wrestling.
On September 4, 2013, Copeland hosted a special episode of the Syfy series Ghost Mine.[306] In December 2014, Copeland made a cameo appearance in the music video for the In-Flight Safety song "Destroy" as his Dwight Hendrickson character.[307] In July 2015, Copeland was nominated for a Golden Maple Award for Best Actor in a TV series which was broadcast in the U.S. for his role in Haven as Dwight Hendrickson.[308] On July 16, 2015, it was announced that Copeland would be set to portray Atom-Smasher in the second season of The Flash.[309][310] On February 21, 2016, Copeland and Christian began starring on The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness, a series on the WWE Network. On July 14, 2016, Copeland starred in the Canadian television series Private Eyes where he played Ben Fisk.[311] On July 26, 2016, it was announced that Copeland would play Kjetill Flatnose on Season 5 and 6 of the Vikings in a recurring role.[312][313] The series ended December 30, 2020.
His autobiography, Adam Copeland on Edge, was released on November 2, 2004. Unlike most wrestlers who used "ghostwriters" to write their biographies, Copeland wrote the entire book himself, in longhand. Mick Foley, who also wrote his wrestling autobiography himself in longhand, wrote the foreword to his book.[315]
In March 2016, Copeland appeared on CBC's Canada Reads competition where he championed the book Minister Without Portfolio by the English-born Canadian writer and author Michael Winter.[316]
From March 2017 to September 2019, Copeland co-hosted the E&C's Pod of Awesomenesspodcast with Christian.[317][318] He has since left the podcast.[319]
On August 21, 2022, Edge was the subject of an episode of the documentary series Biography: WWE Legends.
Copeland lives in Asheville, North Carolina.[320] He began a relationship with Alannah Morley, the sister of wrestler Val Venis, in 1998; they married on November 8, 2001,[321] and divorced on March 10, 2004.[322] He married Lisa Ortiz on October 21, 2004. Soon after marrying her, he began an affair with wrestler Lita, who was dating his friend Matt Hardy. The affair became public knowledge in February 2005,[323] resulting in Copeland and Ortiz divorcing on November 17, 2005.[324] Copeland and wrestler Beth Phoenix had a daughter in 2013 and a second daughter in 2016.[325][326] They were married on October 30, 2016 (his 43rd birthday).[327]
Copeland is a lifelong close friend of wrestler Christian Cage.[328] He is a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils ice hockey teams,[329] and used to play ice hockey with retired NHL player Aaron Downey.[330] He has said that he smoked one cigarette when he was 16, hated it, and has not smoked since.[331] He has several tattoos including a red and black sun on his left upper biceps which covers a former tattoo of a muscular shark, a star on his right upper biceps with several smaller stars and two skulls wearing bandanas adorned with flowers and hearts, a cross on his left forearm, and a scroll adorned with the words "Rise Above". All of his tattoos represent a stage in his career.[328]
In March 2007, Sports Illustrated investigated a steroid and human growth hormone (hGH) ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. An article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Copeland, who was alleged to have obtained hGH.[332] Copeland previously admitted to using steroids in April 2004 as an experiment after neck surgery, but said he felt like they slowed him down so he quickly stopped using them.[333] According to Copeland, he took hGH after returning from a spinal fusion neck surgery because doctors told him that it would help the bones grow back around the screws and plate that were inserted into his neck.[334] A Sports Illustrated article in August 2007 named Copeland as one of 10 wrestlers who were found to have purchased steroids and other drugs from an online pharmacy in violation of WWE's Talent Wellness program. He was said to have received the growth hormones somatropin and genotropin, as well as the steroid stanozolol, between September 2004 and February 2007.[335][336]
John Felix Anthony Cena is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE since 2001, but has performed part-time since 2018. A record 16-time world champion as recognized by WWE alongside Ric Flair, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
William Jason Reso, better known by his ring name Christian Cage or Christian, is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of The Patriarchy stable. He is a former two-time AEW TNT Champion and a one-time AEW World Trios Champion. He is widely known for his time with WWF/E. He is also recognized for his tenure in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).
The 2004 Royal Rumble was the 17th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place on January 25, 2004, at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania, in this instance, WrestleMania XX. Beginning with this Royal Rumble, the winner could choose which championship to challenge for at WrestleMania, either Raw's World Heavyweight Championship or SmackDown!'s WWE Championship.
Randal Keith Orton is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Orton has the tied-third most world championship reigns in history, and a career spanning over 20 years.
The 2005 Royal Rumble was the 18th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown! brand divisions. The event took place on January 30, 2005, at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2005 event, the winner received their choice to challenge for either Raw's World Heavyweight Championship or SmackDown!'s WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21.
Edge & Christian (E&C) were a Canadian professional wrestling tag team best known for their time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where they won the WWF Tag Team Championship on seven occasions. Initially, the two were portrayed as on-screen brothers, but the aspect was de-emphasized in the mid-2000s, and in 2010, the team was officially retconned as legitimate childhood friends. The team disbanded in 2001 but reunited briefly under the SmackDown brand in 2011. Edge, however, announced his retirement from professional wrestling due to neck injury on the April 11 episode of Monday Night Raw, which would ultimately end their final run together. Edge made his in-ring return in 2020, followed by Christian in 2021, as the two were both entrants in the 2021 Royal Rumble. Shortly after, Christian left WWE for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) using the ring name Christian Cage, and Edge would then join AEW in 2023 under his real name, Adam Copeland.
Michael Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Stephen Farrelly is an Irish professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Sheamus.
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoaʻi, better known by his ring name Roman Reigns, is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers in the world, Reigns's 1,316-day reign as Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweight Champion is the fourth-longest world title reign in WWE history and the longest championship reign since 1988.
The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First performed at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank event was established in 2010. The prize of the match is a briefcase containing a contract for a championship match of the winner's choice, which, within WWEs fictional storyline, can be "cashed in" by the holder of the briefcase at any point in the year following their victory. If the contract is not used within a year of winning it, it will be invalid, but this has yet to happen. From its inception until 2017, the match only involved male wrestlers, with the contract being for a world championship match. Beginning with the 2017 Money in the Bank event, women also have the opportunity to compete in such a match, with their prize being a contract for a women's championship match. As of the 2022 event, winners can use the contract on any championship.
Rated-RKO was a villainous professional wrestling tag team in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) consisting of Edge and Randy Orton, with Lita as their manager for a short while. The team's name was created by combining Edge's nickname, "The Rated-R Superstar", with Orton's initials, RKO, which is also the name of his finishing move.
The 2008 Royal Rumble was the 21st annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on January 27, 2008, at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. The event was also the first WWE pay-per-view broadcast in high definition. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2008 event, the winner received their choice to challenge for either Raw's WWE Championship, SmackDown's World Heavyweight Championship, or the ECW Championship at WrestleMania XXIV.
The 2007 Backlash was the ninth Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown!, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on April 29, 2007, at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. It was WWE's first monthly PPV held to feature all three brands after the company discontinued brand-exclusive PPVs. The concept of the pay-per-view was based around the backlash from WrestleMania 23.
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston and is part of The New Day.
The 2008 Night of Champions was the second annual Night of Champions professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on June 29, 2008, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. While it was the second Night of Champions event, it was the first to be promoted solely under the Night of Champions name as the first event was a cross-promotional event with Vengeance called Vengeance: Night of Champions; Night of Champions subsequently replaced Vengeance. As per the theme of the event, every match on the card was contested for one of WWE's eight then-active championships; three were won and five were retained.
The 2008 Survivor Series was the 22nd annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on November 23, 2008, at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. This is the second event to take place in Boston, the first one since 1993. The event's card consisted of six professional wrestling matches. The event received 319,000 pay-per-view buys, less than the previous year's event. It was also the first Survivor Series PPV broadcast in high definition.
The 2009 Royal Rumble was the 22nd annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on January 25, 2009, at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2009 event, the winner received their choice to challenge for either Raw's World Heavyweight Championship, SmackDown's WWE Championship, or the ECW Championship at WrestleMania 25.
The 2009 Backlash was the 11th Backlash professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on April 26, 2009, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. It was the final Backlash held until 2016, as in 2010, Backlash was replaced by Extreme Rules. The concept of the pay-per-view was based around the backlash from WrestleMania 25—despite the event's revival in 2016, the 2009 event would be the final Backlash to carry the post-WrestleMania theme until the 2021 event.
The 2010 Royal Rumble was the 23rd annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and ECW brand divisions. The event took place on January 31, 2010, at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. As has been customary since 1993, the Royal Rumble match winner received a world championship match at that year's WrestleMania. For the 2010 event, the winner received their choice to challenge for either Raw's WWE Championship, SmackDown's World Heavyweight Championship, or the ECW Championship at WrestleMania XXVI—this was the last Royal Rumble in which the ECW Championship was an option as the ECW brand was disbanded in February, also deactivating the title, thus also being WWE's last PPV to include the ECW brand.
Dominik Óscar Gutiérrez is an American professional wrestler. As of 2020, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name "Dirty" Dominik Mysterio, where he is a member of The Judgment Day stable. Mysterio is a former two-time NXT North American Champion.
↑ Brodi, Caroline (April 16, 2009). "Grappling with the world-beaters". Aberdeen Press & Journal. One showdown guaranteed to have the crowds on their feet is the billed world heavyweight championship bout between Edge, real name Adam Joseph Copeland, and titleholder John Cena
↑ "Second high for Benoit". The Malay Mail. April 22, 2004. To Raw's newest tag team... [Chris] Benoit & captured the World Tag Team Championship in front of their native Canadian fans by defeating Ric Flair & Batista
1 2 Elliott, Brian (June 12, 2006). "ECW resurrected at PPV". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
↑ Plummer, Dale (April 26, 2010). "Raw: Feeling a draft". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
↑ Hillhouse, Dave (May 1, 2010). "Smackdown!: Comings and goings". Slam! Sports. Canadian Online Explorer. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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