The Piledriver Report 08.20.08: The “Rated R Superstar:” Wrestling's Real MVP

Posted by Ronny Sarnecky on 08.20.2008

This week, “The Piledriver Report” takes a look at the greatest performer in the world of professional wrestling today, Edge. For years Edge was on the brink of main event stardom. Take a look back at what held Edge back throughout his early WWF/E career, and when he was finally able to break through and become one of the top stars in the business in the present.

Most Valuable Player. It's an award given out in team sports to let you know which player was the most valuable player in the league. In the next week and a half, the Major League Baseball season is heading into its final month of regular season play. It is during this last month on the baseball calendar that will determine the most valuable players in both the American and National Leagues.

In professional wrestling, there is no official MVP award. Sure, you have the Wrestling Observer Awards, as well as Pro Wrestling Illustrated's year end awards. However, there is no "official" award given out by the Associated Press for wrestling's best. Despite that fact, most fans vote on their MVP, Match of the Year, Pay Per View of the Year, and so forth, through various websites.

While it is too early to hand out "end of the year" awards, there is one performer who has truly been the most valuable performer in the professional wrestling industry for most of the past two years.

In the WWE, the ex-World Heavyweight champion, Edge is the clear cut MVP, not only on the "B" show, but also in the whole business. On SmackDown!, there is Edge, and everybody else. Even the WWE World champion Triple H takes a backseat to the "Rated R Superstar."

Throughout his career, Edge had always seemed to be on the brink of becoming a main event star. However, injuries would always keep him down. In 2002, Edge received World title matches against Brock Lesnar and the Big Show. However, in February 2003, Edge suffered a neck injury. The surgery kept him out of action for a year. Just before his return, his broke his hand, and was forced to miss an additional month's of action. In September 2004, Edge had to relinquish the Intercontinental championship following a groin injury.

When Edge returned from his groin injury, the WWE decided to start the push of Edge as a main event level superstar. The character of Edge became crazed with wanting to win the World Heavyweight championship. At Taboo Tuesday, Edge was included as one of the possible competitors for Triple H's belt. Although Shawn Michaels won the fans' voting to participate in the World title match, the seeds were planted that Edge would eventually be in the title picture.

In December 2004, Edge and Chris Benoit competed in a #1 contender's battle royal, but eliminated each other simultaneously at the conclusion of the match, resulting in a draw. Triple H was forced to defend the title in a triple threat match against the two. In the match, Benoit locked on the Crippler Crossface on Edge, who shifted his weight putting Benoit's shoulders on the mat for a pin. This match was ruled a draw, as Benoit made Edge submit at the same time the referee counted a pinfall for Edge. As a result, the World Heavyweight Title was vacated, and an Elimination Chamber match was set up for New Year's Revolution 2005, in which Edge participated in his first Chamber match.

In the early months of 2005, the WWE announced that Edge, Chris Jericho, Christian, Chris Benoit, Kane, and Shelton Benjamin would participate in a new match called "Money in the Bank," at WrestleMania 21. The winner of this ladder match would receive a World title shot, which they can cash in any time within the next twelve months. Edge won the match, and the WWE continued Edge's slow build to the title.

Shortly after WrestleMania 21, Matt Hardy was released by the WWE. It was Matt's departure that probably led to Edge's career taking off. When Matt left the WWE, rumors started to circulate that the reason Matt was let go is because Edge had an affair with Matt's on and off-screen girlfriend, Lita. Matt confirmed the Edge/Lita affair via his website. For months Edge received a ton of heat from the fans. It wasn't a "boo, because you are a heel" heat. This was legitimate hatred. After all, Edge was the one who had the affair with Lita, and Matt, the injured party in the whole triangle, gets released. It just wasn't fair.

To his credit, Edge took the fans' hatred and ran with it. His character was arrogant and cocky. He egged the fans on. It was like, "Yeah, I fucked Lita. And I would do it again!" The fans truly hated Edge, and demanded that the WWE bring Matt Hardy back. The WWE brought Matt back into the fold, where he fueded with Edge and Lita. Although their feud was a little too brief for me, the Matt/Edge in-ring battles were necessary if the WWE was ever going to get Edge into the World title picture.

Before Edge could take that turn, shortly after the WWE's USA Network Homecoming show, Edge suffered a torn pectoral muscle. Rather than lose all of the momentum that a heel Edge created, the WWE gave Edge his own interview segment called the "Cutting Edge." "The Cutting Edge" allowed the "Rated R Superstar to keep his heat while stirring up trouble against Ric Flair. The two men had a match for Flair's Intercontinental championship at New Year's Revolution 2006. Most fans' predicted that Edge would recapture the IC belt. However the WWE had other plans for him.

In what would become Edge's trademark, he decided to become the "ultimate opportunist." Following a grueling Elimination Chamber match at New Year's Revolution 2006, Edge decided to cash in his "Money in the Bank" title shot against John Cena. Edge was supposed to be nothing more then a transitional champion, used just to shake things up for three weeks before dropping the belt back to Cena at the Royal Rumble. Even though Edge did just that, a funny thing happened during Edge's mini-title reign. He got over. He got over big.

At this point in time, the fans were sick of John Cena, booing him at every arena in the country. They were sick of Triple H. He was too much of the "same old, same old." Edge was new, exciting and controversial. The ratings showed that the fans wanted Edge. On the RAW after his title victory, Edge promised that he and Lita would have a "Live Sex Celebration" in the ring. Their simulated sex show garnered a 5.2 rating. This was RAW's largest rating in over a year. Edge gloated about this rating, calling himself "the most-watched WWE Champion in the last 5 years."

Despite many fans' protest, not only did Edge drop the title at the Royal Rumble to John Cena, he also was kept out of the WWE World title match at WrestleMania 22. The WWE had been planning on a John Cena/Triple H match at WrestleMania ever since John Cena was drafted to the RAW brand. However, this was one instance where the WWE should have cancelled their long term plans. They may have thought that John Cena vs. Triple H was THE money match, and it was. However, Edge deserved to be included in that match as part of a Triple Threat. Even though Edge was shut out of a Mania title shot, he remained in the title picture before and after the biggest card of the year.

When Rob Van Dam decided to cash in his "Money in the Bank" title shot against John Cena at the upcoming ECW: One Night Stand pay per view, Edge made his presence felt during their main event title match. Edge attacked John Cena to help Rob Van Dan win the title while chants of "Thank You Edge" rang throughout the Manhattan Center. Edge didn't choose to interfere in the match based solely on his hatred for Cena. Once again, Edge was being the "ultimate opportunitist." He used the opportunity of Cena vs. RVD to get himself inserted into a three way feud for the title. His scheming paid off as on July 3rd, 2006, Edge captured his second WWE World title.

A year earlier, the fans hated Edge due to his real life affair with Lita. Now, the fans booed him out of respect for the work his was doing as a heel. They also started to cheer him, especially since he was feuding throughout the whole summer against the fans' favorite whipping boy, John Cena. Despite the cheers, Edge still knew how to push the fans' buttons. After his SummerSlam victory over Cena, Edge debuted a new World title belt on RAW. The fans' were excited over finally being rid of Cena's spinner belt, that was more a prop then a legit championship strap. However, true to form, Edge pulled one over on the fans when he unveiled the "Rated R" World belt, as the same ugly title design, except it had Edge's logo and did not spin.

If Edge became a main eventer during his three week title reign in January, he cemented himself as arguably the top star in wrestling during his second stint with the belt. His second eign lasted over two months. When Edge finally dropped the belt in September, he moved on to a feud against the staple of RAW, Triple H. Their feud was not a one on one feud. Instead their feud pitted the newly reunited DeGeneration X against Edge and his new partner Randy Orton. Edge and Orton formed a team called "Rated RKO."

Normally, I am not a fan of top single stars pairing up to create a short term team. However, the two heels made it work. Edge and Orton formed a great team together. The pair won the World Tag Team Championships at Cyber Sunday 2006, thus putting a final bow on Edge's phenomenal 2006. Years from now when Edge gets inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, when you look at the turning point in his career, his affair with Lita will be looked at as the spark that lit the stick of dynamite. The year 2006 will be viewed at as the year when that dynamite exploded and Edge became the best in the business.

While 2006 was the Year of the Edge, 2007 started a little slower. Edge continued his team with Randy Orton. Eventually, the two had some descention due to both wanting to win the WWE World title. They, along with Shawn Michaels, fought in a Fatal Fourway against WWE World champion John Cena at Backlash. Despite being in the WWE World title match on a pay per view, you didn't get the feeling that Edge would win his third WWE World title.

While Edge didn't get the WWE title, in May 2007, he got something greater; his own brand. When the World Heavyweight champion Undertaker suffered an arm injury that required surgery, the latest "Money in the Bank" winner, Ken Kennedy was going to cash in the briefcase to take the title. Unfortunately, Kennedy was mis-diagnosed with a long term injury. Faced with losing both Kennedy and the Undertaker for a long period of time, the WWE had Edge challenge Kennedy for his "Money in the Bank" title shot. Edge won the match, and the briefcase. After the Undertaker's final match before surgery, Edge left RAW for SmackDown! and the "ultimate opportunist" once again used the opportunity to defeat an injured man for a World championship.

It was during this championship run that Edge would suffer from the SmackDown! title injury jinx, as well as his own injury plagued history. While he suffered a broken jaw earlier in the year, Edge was still able to be an active performer in the WWE. However, the SmackDown! champion suffered a torn left pectoral muscle after an attack by Kane on July 20th. This injury would keep him out of action and away from WWE cameras until the Survivor Series.

Ever since Edge returned from his latest injury, SmackDown! had become "The Edge Show." The WWE immediately put Edge in the World title main event picture. On top of that, the WWE showed long term planning by teaming Edge up with SmackDown! General Manager Vicki Guerrero as a loving couple. The Edge/Vicki pairing has been gold for the WWE. At Armaggedon 2007, Edge regained the World Heavyweight championship in a Triple Threat match against the Undertaker and the champion Batista. During the match, the "Edge-Heads" debuted to help Edge out. In January 2008, Chavo Guerrero joined Vicki, Edge, Curt Hawkins, and Zack Ryder to form the "Rated R" stable entitled "La Familia."

While holding the title with "La Familia" by his side, Edge headed into WrestleMania with a lot of steam. He was on a collision course with the Undertaker for an Orlando, Florida showdown. Two years ago, Edge was robbed of not heading to WrestleMania as a champion or contender in a WrestleMania title match. At WrestleMania XXIV, Edge not only defended the World Heavyweight title at the big show, but the "Rated R Superstar" wrestled in the main event on the most important card of the year.

As the leader of "La Familia," Edge showed off his skills as being a leader of a stable. Edge was no longer the loner that he portrayed when he made his WWF debut. Edge was now surrounded by a friend, a lover, and a couple of proteges. With Vicki by his side, Edge used her power to strip the Undertaker of the World title. The two were finally able to get the belt back around Edge's waist, and rid the WWE of the "deadman" at the same time after Edge beat the Undertaker in a T.L.C match at One Night Stand.

After the pay per view "Night of Champions," Edge went on RAW bragging about remaining the World Heavyweight champion, and that the fans of RAW will never see that belt defended on RAW unless Edge gets drafted to the brand next year. Batista eventually came down to the ring and attacked Edge. With Edge lying practically dead, CM Punk cashed in his "Money in the Bank" title shot, and beat Edge for the title.

On a show that now features Triple H, Edge would prove to still be SmackDown's centerpiece attraction. Following his World title loss, Edge called his upcoming wedding to Vickie Guerrero off. However, the next week, he reproposed, and the wedding was back on. Leading up to Edge's title bout against WWE World champion Triple H, the focus of SmackDown! centered on Edge and Vickie's upcoming wedding.

One of the best aspects of his upcoming nuptuals is that Edge used a talent that he hadn't used in awhile; comedy. When Triple H aired the video of Edge and the wedding planner, Edge's facials were hysterical. The dialogue and delivery that Edge used in the video when he was hitting on the wedding planner was even better. Since Edge cheated on Vickie, and Vickie revealed that she reinstated the Undertaker, and he would fight Edge at SummerSlam in a Hell in a Cell, Edge's persona grew another layer.

When Edge asked for Mick Foley's assitance against the Undertaker at the Hell in the Cell, Foley said Edge needs to go back to the Edge of 2006, and not the "Vickie's boyfriend" Edge. Edge then attacked Mick Foley, and has been acting like a psyochotic genius ever since. I've read an article talking about how Edge is now acting like Heath Ledger acted as the Joker in "The Dark Night." I couldn't agree anymore. That is a perfect analogy. In one scene, he is acting like a derranged mad man. In another scene, he is racing Vickie wildly around in her wheelchair, and then kicks his feet up in the air making the audience laugh.


This is Adam Copeland. He is the complete entertainment package. He can play Edge in some many different lights. He can be a determined title contender. Sometimes, he is a freightend man trying to run for cover. He acts arrogant and cocky when it suits his needs. Edge can act loving to Vickie, and then hateful all in one fell swoop. Edge can play the psycho one minute, but have us laughing the next. Adam Copeland is an extremely smart performer. He gives his character more layers of emotional depth then just the standard, good guy-bad guy-tweener formula. It's the range of his character combined with his in-ring work rate that makes Edge the most unique performer on the card. When the name Edge is on the marqee, you know that you are seeing the best show in town. That is an MVP, and not Montel Vontavious Porter. That guy's on the mid-card. Edge is THE main event.