Shining a Spotlight 4.14.11: Farewell, Edge

Boy, you share your honest opinion on a match and you get some of the biggest response numbers you’ve ever had. I still stand by what I said about Taker/HHH and from the comments, there are some who back my opinion up. You want to go on about how it’s some sort of epic classic, go ahead but I’ll stand by how it came off just a dull mess. But, that’s me.

I was going to discuss more of that attitude toward ratings and such but the announcement of Edge’s retirement has changed that up. At first, I had thought it just a work but the outpouring of emotion, combined with revelations of his medical condition, indicate it’s true. In which case, we see a career sadly cut short by various injuries but at least a man who goes out at the top of his game, a performer who proved himself time and again for the fans.

Rise

I’ll admit that when Adam Copeland came on the scene, I didn’t think he’d go that far. We all know the background: growing up in Canada, in the crowd watching Warrior vs Hogan at Wrestlemania VI and deciding that was going to be his life, moving onto training and finally breaking out in 1998. It was a slow bit at first, just him in a long coat and shades coming in through the crowd, a “cool guy” character we’d seen before and likely to see again. He teamed with Sable against Marc Mero for a bit but then came the introduction of “brother” Christian and teamed together as the Brood with Gangrel. They did have some success but still nothing too notable.

But then came “No Mercy ‘99” when E&C faced the Hardyz in a ladder match that set a new standard for fantastic action and made all four men stars. Say what you will about Vince Russo but in his WWF tenure, he did have a knack for elevating the mid-card guys and helping them shine more. The two teams would prove themselves more with the ladder match against the Dudleyz at Wrestlemania 2000 that gained them the tag titles. From there, they took off like a rocket with their incredibly arrogant posing, goofy antics and crazy bouts against the Hardyz and Dudleyz. Edge was clearly the bigger star of the two, great in the ring but bursting with so much charisma you could hardly contain it. Still, I had doubts he’d go that far on his own.

But as soon as he and Christian split up, Edge proved himself, winning King of the Ring and the Intercontinental title, including a great ladder match against Christian at No Mercy. When the brand split went down, he became a big star for SmackDown, including teaming with Hogan to win the tag titles and you can see the man marking out throughout the entire match being with his idol. He was doing pretty well, teaming with Rey Mysterio for a couple of tag titles until he suffered the neck injury that would be the ultimate cause of his career ending. He spent a year out of action, making a big return at the 2004 draft where he was sent to RAW, spearing Erich Bischoff to welcome himself back. He held the tag belts with Chris Benoit and beat Randy Orton for the IC title only to have a groin injury force him to vacate the belt and take time off.

Main Eventer

Coming back in late 2004, Edge turned heel, a move that really fit him better with his arrogant demeanor. He showed his stuff by winning the first Money in the Bank match but it was an off-screen matter that finally shot him to the top. How much of the Edge/Matt/Lita triangle was real and how much was a work is still debated. But there’s no denying that when word hit of Edge and Lita screwing around behind Matt’s back, the heat on Edge was enormous. WWE finally acknowledged it with the two playing the scheming heels to the hilt and with the MITB briefcase, Edge was on track for the main event at last. The actual feud with matt was muted and I think there was just too much raw emotion there for them to be professional about it. But it showed a new push for Edge that proved he could hold the fans at a big level. So having him cash in the contract to beat a weakened Cena was great as he took off instantly as the heel champ.

His first reign was short but it seemed to give him a new confidence, showing it off at a brutal match with Mick Foley at Mania. So when RVD got arrested and they had to take the belt off him, putting it back on Edge made sense as he and Cena engaged in a great feud. Teaming him and Orton as Rated-RKO ended up being a great move, the two clicking perfectly as a heel team and helped get Orton back on track with his own career path. From there, we had him bouncing a bit between shows, holding titles for both brands and engaging in some great fights with the likes of Undertaker and Jeff Hardy. A great bit was in 2008 when an angry Batista laid him out in the ring and CM Punk cashed in MITB himself to pin Edge in five seconds for the belt. It was brilliant karma after Edge had pulled the same stunt twice and loved the sight of him literally slinking out of the arena as Punk celebrated. His Wrestlemania matches were usually top-notch as he always brought an A-game up there and with terrific flair. So it’s all the harder to see that amazing career ending what feels far too soon.

Rating the Superstar

What made Edge such a great guy to watch wasn’t just his wrestling ability. He had that, of course, able to mix some nice technical work with great brawling, fast as lightning and great with selling. His promo work was amazing, a man born for the mic, able to mix comedy lines with deranged ranting with equal ease and his facial expressions in the ring were great too, wicked grins, wide-eyed insanity and stunned when an offense didn’t work. Whenever he was on screen, the energy of a show felt more charged, you just had to watch him. Even the stuff with Vickie Guerrero was tolerable because Edge threw himself into making it work so you could put up with it. Even as a heel, the fans knew and respected that, witness the massive pop when he returned at the 2010 Royal Rumble. The man gave his all, laid his body on the line constantly in various matches, always throwing himself into entertaining everyone…which sadly is the reason he has to hang it up.

One might argue that he made a mistake relying so much on the spear even after his neck injuries. Too many superstars ignore such common wisdom and that costs them. Dynamite Kid is a good example, a man who kept on like he could be the same after rupturing two discs in his back and is now stuck in a wheelchair. More dramatically was Chris Benoit, whose insistence on making it all look real meant never taking protection for his head, which led to his brain damage. But sometimes, you need to know when enough’s enough. Ricky Steamboat knew that as he had to retire from back injuries in 1994 rather than risk himself further. At least he got a great send-off, winning the U.S. title from Steve Austin so he went out a winner. And that’s something Edge can share with him.

I don’t blame Edge for it at all. He’s been through numerous injuries so his time was winding down anyway. It’s clear he loves the business and would much rather go on but he knows he can never be the same intense worker with that condition. His health is far more important than what we fans would like so having him end it now seems best. The fact is, he has nothing left to prove. He’s held pretty much every major title in the company, he’s headlined Wrestlemania, he’s been featured in video games, t-shirts and more, hell, he’s even teamed with his idol (with Hogan showing a real jerk side with his comments on how Edge is a quitter). If you’re going to go out, it might as well be at the top of your game, as a champion and on your own terms and that’s just what he’s deserved.

There are a few here and there who say that “he’s pulling an Angle, faking this so he can go to TNA.” Yes, because clearly WWE hasn’t done enough with him. No, you watch that speech and that was heartfelt and emotional, even more than Shawn’s goodbye as you can see a man forced to give up what he loves but has no choice. The outpouring of respect from workers (minus Hogan) has been huge, showing the fact that so many guys do enjoy what Edge has given to the business. Hell, even Matt Hardy had to give him props after it all. More important has been the reaction of the fans as the crowd at the show was clearly thrown by it but responded with huge rows of applause and chants of “thank you, Edge.” The normally cynical IWC has joined in mostly to note how great a career this has been and sad to see it end.

Thank you, Adam Copeland. Thank you for never failing to give your all in the ring, on the mic, anywhere to entertain the fans and make WWE so fun to watch the last few years. Thank you for so many jaw-dropping spots and shocking moments. Thank you for all the laughs as you threw yourself into a business you so obviously loved. Thank you for putting up with a broken body as long as you could just to keep us enthralled in the action. While it’s a shame you have to cut it shorter than it should have lasted, it’s understandable. Good luck with your life and know you left a legacy that wrestling fans will never forget. You were cutting Edge and as far as a superstar, rated far greater than anyone could try. Thank you for all that and good luck in the future.

For this week the spotlight is off.