Spotlight on: Edge
Edge has had a meteoric rise in the WWE, initially as a tag team wrestler before going on to become one of the top singles competitors in the company.
His look, charisma, personality, and wrestling ability have taken him to the top in the WWE, so here we take a look back at the WWE career so far of the man known as the “Rated R Superstar.”
Edge’s Early Days in the WWE
Edge débuted in the WWE in the summer of 1998. He was a mysterious character early on in his career, making his entrance through the crowd in what seemed to be a spoof on the Raven character that had grown popular in ECW and WCW.
Edge’s first big feud was with Gangrel. It was during this feud that his “brother” Christian showed up, taking his rivals side. It wouldn’t be long, though, before Edge would join them and they would form a creepy faction known as the Brood.
The Brood would wind up joining the Undertaker’s Ministry of Darkness for a short period, would later feud with the group. Eventually Edge and Christian broke away from Gangrel and formed a tag team.
Edge and Christian Become the WWE’s Top Tag Team
Edge and Christian would feud extensively with the Hardy Boys in the latter half on ’99. This would lead to what was known as the Terri Invitational Tournament, where both teams battled it out for the managerial services of Terri Runnels.
The tournament would culminate with a great ladder match at No Mercy, the first of it’s kind to include more than the standard two competitors. Even though Edge and Christian lost, both teams received a standing ovation for their efforts. This was the match that put both teams on the map.
At WrestleMania XVI, Edge and Christian would finally reach the pinnacle of tag team wrestling. They would defeat the Hardy Boys and the Dudley Boys in what was one of the greatest ladder matches of all time.
Edge and Christian continued to show their tag team dominance by defeating the same two teams in the first ever TLC match at SummerSlam of that year and once again in TLC 2 at WrestleMania XVII. All the matches were classics.
In all Edge and Christian notched up seven tag team title reigns. It was clear by the middle of 2001 that they had accomplished all they could as a tag team and it was time for them to try their luck in singles competition.
Edge is a Breakout Singles Star
The cracks in the team began to show as Edge became the 2001 King of the Ring, defeating Kurt Angle in the finals. Many past winners of this event had gone on to achieve great things so it was clear that Edge was well on his way.
Within a short period, Edge would win the Intercontinental title as well. Christian became jealous of Edge’s singles success and eventually turn on him, hitting him with a one man Con-chair-to.
Christian went on to defeat Edge for the IC title, but Edge won it back in a memorable ladder match a month later.
Shortly after, Edge lost the IC title to Test, then set his sights on the U.S. title, scoring another victory over Kurt Angle to claim it.
He and Test then met in a unification match, where The Rated R Superstar came out on top, emerging with both belts before eventually dropping the gold to William Regal at the 2002 Royal Rumble.
Heading into WrestleMania of that year, he and Booker T would feud over a Japanese shampoo commercial. It was mostly forgettable but Edge did pick up his first WrestleMania singles win over Booker T in his home-town of Toronto.
Edge would go on to feud with Kurt Angle, a rivalry highlighted by a “hair Vs. hair” match at Judgement Day, which Edge won.
Edge then got to fulfil a life-long dream, teaming with his boyhood hero, Hulk Hogan to win the tag titles on the 4th of July episode of Smackdown.
After losing the titles, Edge entered into rivalries with with Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit, teaming with Rey Mysterio to take on the latter two.
In early 2003 Edge picked up a bad injury to his neck which needed extensive surgery, putting him on the shelf for over a year.
Edge Returns
Edge would be drafted to Raw in March of 2004 and it wasn’t long before he was winning titles again.
Within short order he won the tag titles alongside Chris Benoit and then the IC title from Randy Orton.
By late 2004, Edge set his sights on the World Title, but couldn’t quite ‘grab the brass ring’.
At WrestleMania 21, an innovative concept would be unleashed, it was called the “Money in the Bank Ladder Match.”
The winner would receive a title shot at any point he desired in the next 12 months. Edge outlasted five other men in an outstanding match to become the original “Mr. Money in the Bank.”
Around this time, it came to light that Edge had an affair with Matt Hardy’s real life girlfriend Lita.
Playing on the tension between the two, the WWE turned this into a storyline and the two battled in a memorable feud. It would eventually culminate in a Loser Leaves Raw ladder match which Edge won with the help of his Lita, who by this point was his valet.
Edge Wins the WWE Title
Edge was patient and waited for the perfect opportunity to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase.
After a brutal Elimination Chamber match at New Year’s Revolution, Edge did just that.
He cashed in on a beaten and battered John Cena and won his first WWE Title.
His reign would be short-lived however, as Cena regained the title three weeks later at the Royal Rumble.
Edge and Mick Foley
Mick Foley, in search of his signature WrestleMania moment that had thus far eluded him, challenged Edge to a “Hardcore Rules” match at WrestleMania.
It was a great brawl, considered by most the best match on the card that year. Edge would win after spearing Foley onto a fire-lit table.
Foley gained a measure of respect for Edge and the two teamed together briefly to face hardcore legend Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer at the One Night Stand Pay Per View. Edge and Foley would win a vicious, bloody battle but their team was short-lived after Mick Foley and Vince McMahon had an off-screen altercation that resulted in Foley leaving the company temporarily.
Edge Recaptures WWE Gold
Edge would soon set his sights on the WWE title once again and, taking it from RVD in a 3-way that also involved John Cena.
It is widely believed that had RVD not been pulled up by the WWE on drugs charges, he would have retained the gold in this match, but ever the opportunist, Edge made the most of his unexpected title win.
Edge would then go on to have a memorable feud with John Cena in which he attacked Cena’s father in his own home.
Cena was out for revenge at SummerSlam, but Edge somehow managed to retain the title.
He would, however, lose the title to Cena the next month in what had up until then been considered Edge’s specialty – TLC.
Both were great matches as Edge began developing a reputation for being able to have a quality match with anyone on the roster.
Rated RKO
Next on the agenda forEdge was yet another high profile tag team, this time alongside one of the companies top heels; Randy Orton.
They briefly captured the tag team titles and had a long, memorable feud with DX in which both sides traded victories.
Edge participated in another Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania of this year, but came up short in his bid for a second win.
After WrestleMania, team Rated RKO disbanded and Edge set his sights on singles gold once again.
He goaded Mr. Kennedy into putting his Money in the Bank contract on the line and defeated him to become “Mr. Money in the Bank” for a second time.
Edge, the Ultimate Opportunist
It didn’t take Edge long to cash in this time. Three days after defeating Mr. Kennedy Edge saw a golden opportunity.
Undertaker and Batista had a brutal steel cage match, ending in a draw. After the match, Mark Henry came out and attacked the Undertaker, leaving him laying flat out in the centre of the ring.
Seeing his chance, Edge cashed in, becoming World Champion once again.
A couple months later injury struck Edge once again as he suffered a torn pectoral muscle and had to forfeit the title for another lengthy absence, this time five months.
Edge Is Back Once Again
Edge would return at the Survivor Series, dressing up as a cameraman and costing the Undertaker his “Hell in a Cell” title match against Batista.
This set up a 3-way for the title at Armaggedon, which Edge won with the help of the “Edgeheads”; Kurt Hawkins and Zack Ryder.
Around this time, Edge became romantically involved with Smackdown general manager Vickie Guerrero as she tried to appease him at every turn and make sure he remained the champion.
Edge would vanquish a threat from Rey Mysterio and move on to a much bigger challenge.
Edge vs. Undertaker
Edge vowed that he would be the man to end the Undertaker’s undefeated streak at WrestleMania. Though he put up a good fight, it was not to be as the Undertaker defeated him for the title.
At Backlash, Undertaker would defeat Edge again, this time by submission. This would lead to Vickie stripping the Undertaker of the title, claiming his Hells Gate submission was an illegal choke hold.
They would meet again for the title at Judgement Day and once again the Undertaker won. However, it was via count-out and Vickie ruled the vacant title could not be won by count-out.
They met yet again at One Night Stand, where Edge finally defeated the Undertaker and according to the stipulation placed on the match, The Undertaker not only failed to win the title but was also banished from the WWE.
What Goes Around Comes Around for Edge
Edge would successfully defend the title against Batista at Night of Champions, which infuriated The Animal, leading him to attack Edge mercilessly the next night on Raw.
This led to Edge getting a taste of his own medicine as C.M. Punk came out, cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase claimed the World title in a manner Edge was only too used to being on the positive end of.
The Edge/Vickie Saga
Edge and Vickie got “married” in July. However, Triple H showed up and ruined the ceremony by showing video of Edge flirting with the wedding planner (who later became better known as Alicia Fox) and even kissing her!
With his mind elsewhere, Edge lost his WWE Championship match against Triple H at the Great American Bash.
This would be the least of his worries, however, as Vickie decided to get back at her estranged husband by reinstating The Undertaker and forcing Edge to face him in a “Hell in a Cell” match. The Undertaker would defeat Edge in a great match at SummerSlam.
Edge vs. Jeff Hardy
Edge and Vickie eventually worked out their problems and got back together. So, when Jeff Hardy was attacked in a stairwell before Survivor Series, Vickie let Edge take his place in the WWE Championship match, where he defeated Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov to pick up the gold.
Another 3-way was set up the next month at Armaggedon and Jeff Hardy defeated Edge and Triple H to win his first WWE Title.
Edge would regain the title from Jeff at the Royal Rumble when Matt Hardy shockingly turned on his brother.
From WWE Champion to World Champion in One Night
At the Elimination Chamber, Edge was shockingly eliminated early on in the Smackdown WWE title match, losing his gold in the process.
Ever the opportunist, Edge attacked Kofi Kingston later in the night and took his place in the other Chamber match and won the World title just hours after losing the other Heavyweight belt, an unprecedented feat in the WWE.
Edge vs. John Cena Once Again
With the World Heavyweight Championship on his shoulder Edge would renew his old rivalry with John Cena heading into WrestleMania.
Just for the heck of it, Big Show was also added to the mix due to a ‘Love Triangle’ angle focusing around Vickie Guerrero.
In what was a surprisingly good match, Cena prevailed, pinning the Big Show to claim the title.
At Backlash, Edge would face Cena in a “Last Man Standing Match” and Big Show would interfere, helping Edge reclaim the title once again.
Edge vs. Jeff Hardy Part 2
Edge would then rekindle his feud with Jeff Hardy.
First, Edge defeated Jeff at Judgement Day to retain the title but then dropped it back to him in a Ladder Match the following month at Extreme Rules.
Edge and Chris Jericho
After both complaining to Teddy Long that they were being mis-used, Edge and Chris Jericho emerged as a mystery team at The Bash and defeated Primo and Carlito for the Unified Tag Team titles in a match that also involved Legacy.
Their reign would be short-lived though as Edge would injure once again, tearing his Achilles tendon for a six month stint on the sidelines.
Over the course of his injury Jericho would call him weak and injury prone, fuelling Edge to come back stronger than ever.
Edge made a surprising return as the 29th entrant in this year’s Royal Rumble, going on to win it, eliminating Chris Jericho in the process.
After Jericho captured the World Title at the Elimination Chamber, Edge wasted no time in choosing Jericho as the champion to will face at WrestleMania.
The two men had a stand-out match on a card full of great encounters, which saw Jericho retain the gold by cheating.
However, Edge notched up yet another WrestleMania moment, Spearing Jericho from the announce table and through the barricade after the match.
What the Future Holds for Edge
Edge has already cemented his status as one of the all time greats in the WWE, following in the footsteps of guys like Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart, who achieved great success in tag team wrestling and were able to parley that into great singles careers.
Despite not taking the title at WrestleMania Edge will look to join Triple H as the only current Superstars to have double digit World Title reigns and provided he can stay fit will no doubt achieve it sooner rather than later.
Edge has a true passion for the business and if he can stay healthy, should be a big draw in the WWE for years to come, and a certain Hall of Famer.
