“A lot of people think that the WWE doesn’t hurt.”
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Adam Copeland, Edge, took to the ring on April 11th, 2011 and addressed the WWE crowd about a situation that was plaguing him. Copeland, one of the most decorated men in the company’s history was nervous and seemed uneasy. There were rumors circulating that afternoon about Edge having to make a stunning announcement, but nobody figured it would be one of the last times we would see Edge in a WWE capacity, much less as a World Champion.
“Eight years ago, I broke my neck. I had spinal fusion surgery, which means they move your throat over, they put a plate in there and screws…it’s really in-depth surgery.” Edge was out for over a year because of the injury, but came back to Raw after being drafted to Raw in 2004.
“I knew because of that surgery,” he said, “I knew I was wrestling on borrowed time from that point on.”
He talked about how for the past few months or so, he’s been in a lot of pain and mentioned how he’s been losing feeling in his arms. It was a clock ticking down to his last match and Edge knew it was time to retire for his well-being and the sake of his opponents.
The crowd was stunning, disapproving of the delivered message, but some unclear if it was a work or not. Edge made it clear soon after it was very much a reality.
“Trust me, it’s not my choice,” Edge commented. “The doctors have told me that I got no choice.”
The audience erupted in applause and cheers for their champion as he took a moment to soak it all in. “This is a little bit tougher than I thought it was going to be,” he joked.
Edge talked about how he was thankful that he was able to end things on his terms and was still such a fan of the WWE. “If you had told me my last match would be at WrestleMania in one of the main events defending the World Heavyweight Championship and that I’d be retiring as the World Heavyweight Champion, man, I couldn’t dream of a better way to go out.” You can watch the entire speech below.
During his time in the WWE, Edge’s transition to vampirish member of The Brood, to surfer clown, to finally the Rated-R Superstar, is one of the best stories that the company told. His evolution from tag team specialist to one of the company’s best world champions of the new millennium is astounding to watch over a decade to see how he grew up as a performer and as a man in front of our eyes. He was one of the leading stars of the PG-era, alongside John Cena, Batista, and Randy Orton. His feuds with Cena, primarily throughout 2006, were the Triple H and Rock rivalry of their generation.
The following year, Edge was an inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2012, along with the likes of Mil Mascaras, Yokozuna, and Ron Simmons. Christian, aka Jay Reso, inducted his best friend of almost 30 years into the Hall of Fame, taking his rightful place among the rest of the immortal names that occupy it.
Edge had a career like none other. The first to win King of the Ring, the Royal Rumble, and Money In The Bank (first MiTB winner as well). A record seven-time World Heavyweight Champion, a four-time WWE Champion, a five-time Intercontinental Champion, a quick United States Championship reign, as well as a fourteen-time Tag Team Champion, a record that still stands five years later.
Though he has stepped away from in-ring competition, Edge and Christian have their own show on the WWE Network that is no-so-subtly called The Edge and Christian Show That Reeks of Awesomeness, which air on the network following Monday Night Raw each week.
Do you have a favorite Edge moment? Did you consider yourself an Edgehead? Do you remember when he made this speech? Chime on in the comments below and one more time: thank you, Edge.
