Edge (wrestler)
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Adam Joseph Copeland (born October 30, 1973), is a Canadian
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...
Edge. He is considered to be one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. After making his professional wrestling debut in 1992, Copeland wrestled in various independent promotions, competing in singles and tag-team competition, the latter with long-time friend
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christ ...
. In 1997, Copeland signed a developmental deal with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and made his televised debut in 1998 as Edge. After winning his first WWF championship, the
WWF Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roste ...
, in July 1999, Edge formed a tag team with Christian, and the two won the
World Tag Team Championship The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions. Nomenclature The name of the promo ...
on seven occasions. During this time, they gained notoriety in the tag team division, partly due to their participation in Tables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. They are considered one of the major teams that revived tag team wrestling during the
Attitude Era The Attitude Era was a term used by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as World Wrestling Entertainment or WWE) to describe the company's programming from November 9, 1997 to May 6, 2002. It started during the Monday Night Wars, a ...
. Edge split with Christian in September 2001 and embarked on a successful solo career. Edge has won the second-most championships in WWE history (after
R-Truth Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand under the ring name R-Truth. Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now ...
) with 31, as he has held the World Heavyweight Championship a record seven times, the
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand di ...
four times, the Intercontinental Championship five times, the United States Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship a record 12 times, and the
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
twice. He is WWE's 14th Triple Crown Champion and 7th Grand Slam Champion. Edge won the
King of the Ring tournament The King of the Ring tournament is a men's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1985, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Do ...
in 2001, was the first
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was establish ...
winner in
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
, and won the 2010 Royal Rumble match, making him the first wrestler in history to achieve all three. Edge retired in 2011 due to several neck injuries, and was inducted into the
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
the following year. However, he returned to competition in the 2020 Royal Rumble match, and won the
2021 Royal Rumble The 2021 Royal Rumble was the 34th annual Royal Rumble professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on Januar ...
, becoming the eighth man in history 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 has headlined multiple pay-per-view events for WWE, including WrestleMania XXIV and
WrestleMania 37 WrestleMania 37 was the 37th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place as a two-night ...
, and is one of the company's most prolific pay-per-view performers. Aside from professional wrestling, Copeland appeared in the fantasy film '' Highlander: Endgame'' and WWE Studios' ''
Bending the Rules Gaming the system (also rigging, abusing, cheating, milking, playing, working, or breaking the system, or gaming or bending the rules) can be defined as using the rules and procedures meant to protect a system to, instead, manipulate the system ...
''. He has made guest appearances on television shows such as ''
Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...
'', ''
Mind of Mencia ''Mind of Mencia'' is an American comedy television series on the cable channel Comedy Central. Hosted by comedian Carlos Mencia, it aired from July 6, 2005 to July 23, 2008. History The first season of ''Mind of Mencia'' ran from July 6, 2005 ...
'', ''
Deal or No Deal ''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch '' Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this format is the final round (a.k ...
'', ''
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'', and ''
The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
''. He appeared on the
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series '' Haven'' in 2015 as recurring character Dwight Hendrickson, and as recurring character
Ketill Flatnose Ketill Björnsson, nicknamed Flatnose (Old Norse: ''Flatnefr''), was a Norse King of the Isles of the 9th century. Primary sources The story of Ketill and his daughter Auðr (or Aud) was probably first recorded by the Icelander Ari Þorgilsson ...
in the fifth and sixth seasons of ''
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
'' (2017–2020). He is also scheduled to appear as Ares in the Disney+ series
Percy Jackson and the Olympians ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' is a series of five fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan, and the first book series in the ''Camp Half-Blood Chronicles''. The novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st centur ...
.


Early life

Adam Joseph Copeland was born on October 30, 1973, in the rural town of
Orangeville, Ontario Orangeville (Canada 2016 Census 28,900) is a town in south-central Ontario, Canada, and the seat of Dufferin County. History The first patent of land was issued to Ezekiel Benson, a land surveyor, on August 7, 1820. That was followed by lan ...
, 50 miles northwest of
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, the son of Judy Lynn Copeland (January 2, 1953 – November 27, 2018), a single parent who worked two jobs to support Adam. Copeland has stated that he has never met, nor ever seen a picture of, his father. He became interested in
professional wrestling Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
at a young age; his favorite wrestlers included Mr. Perfect,
Randy Savage Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestl ...
,
Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
,
Ricky Steamboat Richard Henry Blood Sr. (born February 28, 1953), better known by his ring name Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, is an American retired professional wrestler best known for his work with the American Wrestling Association (AWA), Jim Crockett Promot ...
,
Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one ...
, and
Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...
. He met fellow future wrestler Jason "Christian" Reso in Orangeville when he was 10 years old, and they would make the trip down to
Maple Leaf Gardens Maple Leaf Gardens is a historic building located at the northwest corner of Carlton Street and Church Street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The building was initially constructed in 1931 as an arena to host ice hockey games, though it has sinc ...
in Toronto and watch their favorite wrestlers, and at the age of 16, Copeland attended
WrestleMania VI WrestleMania VI was the sixth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 1, 1990, at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario in Canada, marking the f ...
at the Toronto SkyDome in 1990 sitting in the eleventh row at ringside. He was cheering on WWF World Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan against
The Ultimate Warrior Warrior (born James Brian Hellwig; June 16, 1959 – April 8, 2014) was an American professional wrestler and bodybuilder. Best known by his ring name The Ultimate Warrior, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) from ...
, and he credits this match with making him realize he wanted to be a wrestler. When he was 17, he won an essay contest with his local gym, and his prize was free wrestling training with
Sweet Daddy Siki Reginald Siki (born June 16, 1940) is an American-Canadian retired professional wrestler and singer, best known as Sweet Daddy Siki. He is believed to be the first African-American to challenge for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. Professi ...
and
Ron Hutchison Ron Hutchison (born February 7, 1964) is a retired Canadian professional wrestler, trainer and promoter who competed for Canadian independent promotions such as Grand Prix Wrestling and Maple Leaf Wrestling as well as a brief stint in the World Wr ...
in Toronto. He put his wrestling aspirations aside to help pay the bills. He held numerous jobs and then attended
Humber College The Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, commonly known as Humber College, is a public College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1967, Humber has two main campuses: the Humber North c ...
, where he graduated with a diploma in
radio broadcasting Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
, then received training.


Professional wrestling career


Early career (1992–1995)

Copeland made his professional wrestling debut on
Canada Day Canada Day (french: Fête du Canada), formerly known as Dominion Day (french: Fête du Dominion), is the national day of Canada. A federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 18 ...
1992, in an event at
Monarch Park Stadium Monarch Park Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located near the intersection of Hanson Street and Coxwell Avenue next to Monarch Park Collegiate. Monarch Park Stadium is used mostly for amateur soccer, baseba ...
in Toronto. Throughout the 1990s, Copeland wrestled on the
independent circuit In professional wrestling, the independent circuit or indie circuit is the collective noun, collective name of independent professional wrestling promotions which are smaller than major televised promotions. It is roughly analogous to a minor lea ...
in Ontario and the
Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...
region of the United States under the
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or project ...
Sexton Hardcastle. 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 Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749 ...
promotion. In 1997, Sex and Violence became part of a larger
stable A stable is a building in which livestock, especially horses, are kept. It most commonly means a building that is divided into separate stalls for individual animals and livestock. There are many different types of stables in use today; the ...
called Thug Life, joining
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christ ...
, Zakk Wyld, Bill Skullion, and Rhino Richards. During his independent career, he won the MWCW Tag Team Championship twice with Legend and the ICW Street Fight Tag Team Championship twice. The duo of Hardcastle and Cage were known as Hard Impact before changing their name to The Suicide Blondes. They also worked in Japan under the name The Canadian Rockers. Copeland also wrestled briefly as Damian Striker (presented on-screen as Damon Striker, something which Edge disputed in 2021) against
Meng Meng may refer to: * Meng (surname) (孟), a Chinese surname * Master of Engineering (MEng or M.Eng.), an academic or professional master's degree in the field of engineering * , "M with hook", letter used in the International Phonetic Alphabet * ...
on an episode of '' WCW Pro'' in February 1996. In the summer of 1995, he worked a show in
Ajax, Ontario Ajax (; 2021 population: 126,666) is a town in Durham Region in Southern Ontario, Canada, located in the eastern part of the Greater Toronto Area. The town is named for , a Royal Navy cruiser that served in the Second World War. It is approxima ...
, where
Bret Hart Bret Hart (born July 2, 1957) is a Canadian-American retired professional wrestler, currently signed to WWE under a legend's contract. A member of the Hart wrestling family and a second-generation wrestler, he has an amateur wrestling back ...
's business manager,
Carl De Marco Carl De Marco is a Canadian sports agent best known for being the President of World Wrestling Federation Canada (now WWE Canada) from 1995 to 2009. He is also the business manager of professional wrestler Bret Hart. Awards and recognitions * C ...
, was watching. Impressed, he suggested Copeland send an audition tape to the
World Wrestling Federation World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
(WWF). Copeland did not hear back from WWF, but some time later, De Marco was appointed President of WWF Canada and told Copeland that he'd put in a good word.


World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE


Early years (1996–1998)

On May 10, 1996, Copeland replaced
Bob Holly Robert William Howard (born January 29, 1963) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former auto racer and wrestling trainer/ host, better known by the ring name Hardcore Holly or Bob Holly. He is best known for his 16-year career wit ...
's opponent on short notice in the opening match of a WWF house show as Sexton Hardcastle in
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of ...
. 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. After a Grand Prix Wrestling tour in the summer of 1997, De Marco urged Copeland to go to
Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
, 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 Johnny Henry Smith II (June 25, 1922 – June 11, 2013) was an American cool jazz and mainstream jazz guitarist. He wrote "Walk, Don't Run" in 1954. In 1984, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. Early life During the Great D ...
, 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 Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Cha ...
,
Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
,
Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
and Kurrgan. Copeland returned to the
Maritimes The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of C ...
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. His first match was on November 10, 1997 in
Ottawa, Ontario Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
losing to CFL football star
Glen Kulka Glenn Kulka (born March 3, 1964) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler, hockey and football player who competed in Canadian independent promotions during the late 1990s and had a brief stint in the World Wrestling Federation in 1997. He al ...
. The next day in
Cornwall, Ontario Cornwall is a city in Eastern Ontario, Canada, situated where the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and the state of New York converge. It is the seat of the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry and is Ontario's easternmost city ...
, he faced and defeated Christian Cage at ''
Shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub- pr ...
'' taping in a dark match, this match is included on
WWE Home Video WWE Home Video is a video distribution and production company that distributes WWE programming. A division of WWE formed on April 16, 1997 as WWF Home Video, it replaced a similar independent company owned by Evart Enterprises, Coliseum Video, ...
's 2008 retrospective, ''Edge: A Decade of Decadence''. Form 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, a loner character who entered the arena through the crowd for his matches. This had been preceded by weeks of vignettes for the character, which included him aimlessly walking around darkened city streets and assaulting innocent pedestrians. Copeland took the name Edge from an Albany radio station. Edge's first televised match was on June 16 (aired June 22) against
Jose Estrada Jr. Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods. * Jose ben Abin * Jose ben Akabya *Jose the Galil ...
, which ended prematurely by
countout Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
when Edge performed a somersault senton from the ring to the outside, legitimately injuring Estrada's neck. In his first pay-per-view match at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 30, he served as
Sable The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...
's mystery tag team partner defeating
Jacqueline Jacqueline may refer to: People * Jacqueline (given name), including a list of people with the name * Jacqueline Moore (born 1964), ring name "Jacqueline", American professional wrestler Arts and entertainment * ''Jacqueline'' (1923 film), ...
and Marc Mero, and slammed Sable onto Mero in a pinning position to pick up the win. At Breakdown: In Your House on September 27, Edge faced
Owen Hart Owen James Hart (May 7, 1965 – May 23, 1999) was a Canadian-American professional wrestler who worked for several promotions including Stampede Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and the World Wres ...
in a losing effort making it his first loss on WWF TV. On the October 11 edition of ''
Sunday Night Heat ''WWE Heat'' (formerly known as ''Sunday Night Heat'' and also known as ''Heat'') is an American professional wrestling television program that was produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and aired from August 2, 1998 to May 30, 2008. Ori ...
'', Edge defeated Vader in Vader's final televised WWF match and at
WWF Capital Carnage WWF Capital Carnage was a United Kingdom-only professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the American promotion, the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on December 6, 1998, at the London Arena in London, E ...
on December 6, Edge faced Tiger Ali Singh in a losing effort.


Teaming with Christian (1998–2001)

Edge was then placed in a
feud A feud , referred to in more extreme cases as a blood feud, vendetta, faida, clan war, gang war, or private war, is a long-running argument or fight, often between social groups of people, especially families or clans. Feuds begin because one par ...
against the vampire wrestler
Gangrel David William Heath (born February 16, 1969) is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his appearances in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1998 to 2001 and intermittently throughout the mid-2000s under the ...
. 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 An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
known as
The Brood ''The Brood'' is a 1979 Canadian psychological body horror film written and directed by David Cronenberg and starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, and Art Hindle. Its plot follows a man and his mentally ill ex-wife, who has been sequestered by ...
. At Rock Bottom: In Your House on December 13, The Brood defeated
The J.O.B. Squad The J.O.B. Squad was a professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in the late 1990s. The theme of the group was that each member was a perennial enhancement talent (otherwise known as jobbers), in which they lost to est ...
in a six-man tag team match. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 24, 1999, Edge competed in the 30-man Royal Rumble match and was eliminated by
Road Dogg Brian Girard James (born May 20, 1969) is an American professional wrestler currently signed with the WWE where he serves as the Senior Vice President of Live Events. James was best known for his initial tenure with World Wrestling Federation ( ...
. The Brood was later abducted and converted into
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
's
Ministry of Darkness The Ministry of Darkness was a villainous professional wrestling stable in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1999. Led by The Undertaker, the Ministry was a controversial group with pseudo-witchcraft-themed storylines that included rituals ...
. In May 1999, the Brood broke away from the Ministry after Christian was attacked by
Ken Shamrock Kenneth Wayne Shamrock (''né'' Kilpatrick; born February 11, 1964) is an American bare-knuckle boxing promoter and semi-retired professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, and kickboxer. He is best known for his time in Ultimate Fighting Cha ...
and forced to reveal the location of the captive
Stephanie McMahon Stephanie McMahon Levesque (born Stephanie Marie McMahon; ; September 24, 1976) is an American businesswoman and retired professional wrestler. She is the current chairwoman and co-chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the world's largest prof ...
. 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 Ronald Nasir Simmons (born May 15, 1958) is an American retired professional wrestler and football player. He performed for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) under his real name, and in the World Wres ...
, and Mideon in a losing effort. At
King of the Ring King of the Ring was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The PPV event was held annually in June and was established in 1993 when the promotion ...
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 captured his first singles championship, the
WWF Intercontinental Championship The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roste ...
, on July 24, 1999, defeating
Jeff Jarrett Jeffrey Leonard Jarrett (born July 14, 1967) is an American professional wrestler and promoter. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he also serves as Director of Business Development. Beginning his career in his father ...
at a
house show A house show or live event is a professional wrestling event produced by a major Professional wrestling promotion, promotion that is not televised, though they can be recorded. Promotions use house shows mainly to cash in on the exposure that t ...
in Toronto, Ontario. 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
eff Jarrett EFF or eff may refer to: Politics * Economic Freedom Fighters, a South African communist political party * Economic Freedom Fund, an American political organization * Election Fighting Fund, a British suffragist organization supporting the early ...
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!” He lost the title the next night to Jarrett at Fully Loaded on July 25. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
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 ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
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 The Hardys, also known as The Hardy Boyz, are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of real-life brothers Matt and Jeff Hardy, who are currently appearing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The team is currently inactive due to Jeff ...
. 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 A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
at No Mercy on October 17 for the " managerial services" of
Terri Runnels Terri Lynne Boatright Runnels A transcript of the article can be found a (born October 5, 1966) is an American retired professional wrestling manager, television host, and professional wrestler. Runnels began her professional wrestling career ...
and $100,000, which the Hardy Boyz won. The match was widely praised and described as the match of the year by various reviewers. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
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 According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
on December 12, Edge and Christian competed in an 8-team battle royal which was won by The Acolytes. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
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 WrestleMania 2000 (sequentially known as WrestleMania 16) was the 16th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 2, 2000, at the Arrowh ...
on April 2, Edge and Christian defeated the Hardy Boyz and the
Dudley Boyz The Dudley Boyz (also known as Team 3D) are an American professional wrestling tag team that consisted of kayfabe half-brothers Bubba Ray Dudley (Mark LoMonaco) and D-Von Dudley (Devon Hughes). The team was also joined by various Dudley family ...
to win the
WWF Tag Team Championship The World Tag Team Championship was the original professional wrestling world tag team championship in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion, and the promotion's third tag team championship overall. Originally established by the then- ...
in a
Triangle A triangle is a polygon with three edges and three vertices. It is one of the basic shapes in geometry. A triangle with vertices ''A'', ''B'', and ''C'' is denoted \triangle ABC. In Euclidean geometry, any three points, when non- colline ...
Ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
, which ultimately led to the creation of the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match. Following this victory, Edge and Christian found success as a heel duo, winning the WWF Tag Team Championship six more times. During this time, their trademark became the "five second pose" where they performed a pose in the ring for five seconds "for the benefit of those with flash photography" to mock, insult, or otherwise amuse the fans. At Backlash on April 30, Edge and Christian defeated D-Generation X to retain the titles. At
Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
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 King of the Ring was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and WWE Network event produced by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. The PPV event was held annually in June and was established in 1993 when the promotion ...
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 SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 27, at
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
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 Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
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 According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
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 SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
in 2000 and then again at
WrestleMania X-Seven WrestleMania 17 (stylized as WrestleMania X-Seven) was the 17th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on April 1, 2001, at the Reliant Ast ...
. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 21, 2001, Edge and Christian were defeated by the Dudley Boyz and lost the tag team titles. 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 The Brothers of Destruction were a professional wrestling tag team in WWE composed of storyline half-brothers The Undertaker and Kane. With more deep-seated drama and dysfunction than other WWE tag team combinations, their relationship/brot ...
, but they succeeded at WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1 against the Dudley Boyz and The Hardyz in the second TLC match. At
Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
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
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
King of the Ring tournament The King of the Ring tournament is a men's professional wrestling single-elimination tournament held periodically by WWE, a Connecticut-based professional wrestling promotion. Established in 1985, the winner of the inaugural tournament was Do ...
and becoming a
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
by siding with the WWF during the Invasion storyline. Christian betrayed Edge shortly afterward, and the two feuded over Edge's Intercontinental Championship (which he won at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 19) that he later lost to Christian at
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
on September 23, though Edge later captured the title in a
ladder match A ladder match is a type of match in professional wrestling, most commonly one in which an item (usually a title belt) is hung above the ring, and the winner is the contestant who climbs a ladder and retrieves the item. The ladder itself becom ...
at No Mercy on October 21. Following this, Edge lost the Intercontinental Championship to
Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
on the November 5 episode of ''Raw'' and shortly afterwards won the
WCW United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, currently de ...
from
Kurt Angle Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Action ...
on the November 12 episode of ''Raw''. Edge defeated Test at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 18 to regain the Intercontinental Championship with the United States Championship. From there, Edge was placed in a feud with
William Regal Darren Kenneth Matthews (born 10 May 1968), better known by the ring name William Regal, is an English retired professional wrestler. He is known for his over 20 years spent in WWE, as both a performer and an on-screen authority, and for his ti ...
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 The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
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. At
WrestleMania X8 WrestleMania 18 (stylized as WrestleMania X8) was the 18th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on March 17, 2002, at the SkyDome in Toronto, ...
on March 17, Edge found himself in a match with
Booker T Booker T or Booker T. may refer to * Booker T. Washington (1856–1915), African American political leader at the turn of the 20th century ** List of things named after Booker T. Washington, some nicknamed "Booker T." * Booker T. Jones (born 1944 ...
that was the result of Edge beating out Booker for a fictitious Japanese shampoo endorsement. Shortly after defeating Booker 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) "Never Gonna Stop (The Red, Red Kroovy)" is a promotional single taken from Rob Zombie's second album '' The Sinister Urge''. The song can also be found on Zombie's '' Past, Present & Future'' and ''The Best of Rob Zombie''. It was nominated for ...
by
Rob Zombie Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, filmmaker, and voice actor. His music and lyrics are notable for their horror and sci-fi themes, and his live shows have be ...
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 Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at
Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
on May 19. On the May 30 episode of ''SmackDown!'', Edge defeated Angle in a steel cage match to end the feud but during the match Edge speared Angle from the top rope. In the process, Edge injured his arm and would be forced out of action for a month. Two months later, he would end up winning the
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
alongside
Hollywood Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
on the July 4 episode of ''SmackDown!'' by defeating
Billy and Chuck Billy and Chuck were a professional wrestling tag team of Billy Gunn and Chuck Palumbo who performed in WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) from 2001 to 2002. They were two-time World Tag Team Championship (WWE), WWE World Tag Team Champions. ...
. Edge and Hogan lost the titles at Vengeance on July 21 to
The Un-Americans The Un-Americans (originally known as The Anti-Americans) were a heel Canadian professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment who were active from 2002 to 2003. The stable was originally composed of three Canadian wrestlers: La ...
(
Lance Storm Lance Timothy Evers (; born April 3, 1969), known professionally by his ring name Lance Storm, is a Canadians, Canadian retired Professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is best known for his work in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), ...
and Christian), and at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 25, Edge defeated Eddie Guerrero then lost to Guerrero at
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
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 Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
, and the two participated in a
tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
for the newly created and SmackDown!-exclusive
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
. They lost to Kurt Angle and
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
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 The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
. After they failed in winning the titles, Mysterio and Edge defeated
Los Guerreros Los Guerreros (English: The Warriors) was an American professional wrestling tag team, which consisted of Eddie Guerrero and his nephew Chavo Guerrero Jr. Both wrestlers were members of the Guerrero family. They wrestled as a team in World Champio ...
in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode of ''SmackDown!'' to earn a title shot. At the
Rebellion Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
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. They soon lost the tag titles to Los Guerreros in a
triple threat elimination match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ...
that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 17. After losing the title, Edge and Mysterio went their separate ways to focus on their singles careers. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
, Edge competed in the 30-man
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
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. At No Way Out on February 23, Edge was written off television through a backstage attack. He then underwent surgery with Dr.
Lloyd Youngblood Lloyd Youngblood (born in Beaumont, Texas in 1946) is an American neurosurgeon. He was the chief of the Department of Neurosurgery at Methodist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas until December 2002. He is currently the VP of the South Texas Organ Ban ...
and was sidelined for over a year.


World championship pursuits (2004–2005)

Edge was drafted to the
Raw brand Raw is a brand of the American professional wrestling promotion WWE that was established on March 25, 2002. Brands are divisions of WWE's roster where wrestlers are assigned to perform on a weekly basis when a brand extension is in effect. Wrestle ...
in the
2004 WWE draft lottery The 2004 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft lottery, the second WWE draft, took place at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan on March 22. The draft took place live for two hours on WWE's television program, '' Raw'' on Spike TV. Post ...
on March 22, 2004, where he speared Eric Bischoff and returned to in-ring action shortly after the event. At Backlash on April 18, Edge defeated Kane, 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 Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...
. 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 Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
, thus becoming a five time Intercontinental Champion. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 15, Edge defeated Chris Jericho and Batista in a triple threat match to retain the Intercontinental Championship. Following a legitimate groin injury in a non-televised match, Raw
General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Eric Bischoff stripped Edge of the Intercontinental title on the September 6 episode of ''Raw''. Upon his return, Edge began to pursue the World Heavyweight Championship, while also beginning a slow heel turn. Edge, Chris Benoit, and
Shawn Michaels Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one ...
received a title shot for
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
's World Heavyweight Championship at
Taboo Tuesday WWE Cyber Sunday (originally known as WWE Taboo Tuesday) was an annual professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. Established in 2004, th ...
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 his partner and instead interfered in the World Heavyweight Championship match, costing Michaels the championship. 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 The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
in the process. 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 ''One Day Remains'' is the debut studio album by the American hard rock band Alter Bridge, released on August 10, 2004, on Wind-up Records. The album was produced by Ben Grosse, making it the band's only album to not be produced by Michael "Elvis ...
'', performed by then-newly established band,
Alter Bridge Alter Bridge is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. After their former ba ...
. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 14, Edge was part of Team Triple H along with Triple H, Batista, and
Gene Snitsky Eugene Alan Snisky (born January 14, 1970) is an American actor and retired professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Gene Snitsky, who is best known for his time spent with World Wrestling Entertainment. He played college football at ...
. They were defeated by Team Orton (Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, and
Maven MAVEN is an American spacecraft orbiting Mars to study the loss of its atmospheric gases to space, providing insight into the history of the planet's climate and water. The spacecraft name is an acronym for "Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolu ...
). During the match, Edge eliminated both Benoit and Jericho before getting eliminated by Orton. On the November 29 episode of ''Raw'', both Edge and Benoit competed in a number one contender's
battle royal Battle royal (; also royale) traditionally refers to a fight involving many combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing, usually conducted under either boxing or wrestling rules. In recent times, the term has been used in a ...
, but they eliminated each other simultaneously at the conclusion of the match, resulting in a draw. As a result, Triple H was forced to defend the title in a
triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. In the match, Benoit locked the
Crippler Crossface Professional wrestling holds include a number of set moves and pins used by performers to immobilize their opponents or lead to a submission. This article covers the various pins, stretches and transition holds used in the ring. Some wrestlers use ...
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 ''Submit'' is an EP by the British band Pitchshifter, released on 23 March 1992 by Earache on LP, cassette and CD. French black metal band Blut aus Nord Blut Aus Nord (, ) is a French black metal band from Mondeville, Calvados, that ...
at the same time the referee counted a pinfall for Edge. 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 WWE New Year's Revolution was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 2005 and its name was a play on the Western tradition of New Year's resolutions, ...
for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Special guest referee Shawn Michaels performed a superkick on Edge, in retaliation for an accidental
spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastene ...
by Edge, causing Edge to be the first eliminated. This led to a match at the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
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 John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
.


WWE Champion (2005–2006)

At
WrestleMania 21 WrestleMania 21 was the 21st annual WrestleMania 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 too ...
on April 3, Edge won the first ever
Money in the Bank ladder match The Money in the Bank ladder match is a multi-person ladder match held by the professional wrestling promotion WWE. First contested at WWE's annual WrestleMania event beginning in 2005, a separate Money in the Bank pay-per-view was establish ...
, gaining a contract that gave him a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship within one year. 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 Glenn Thomas Jacobs (born April 26, 1967), better known by the ring name Kane is an American politician and professional wrestler. Jacobs has been signed to WWE since 1995 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. He has also been t ...
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. Several weeks after, Edge was then paired with Lita, his real-life girlfriend at the time, in an
angle In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays, called the '' sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex'' of the angle. Angles formed by two rays lie in the plane that contains the rays. Angles ...
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''. The next week, Edge received his World Heavyweight Championship match against Batista, which he lost. Edge started a feud with Kane leading to several matches between them including one at Vengeance on June 26, when Edge lost to Kane. 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. 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. When Hardy was officially brought back to Raw, he and Edge continued their feud, including a match at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 21 where Edge defeated Hardy, causing Hardy to have excessive blood loss. A week later on ''Raw'', after a match Hardy had with
Rob Conway Robert Thomas Conway Jr. (born November 28, 1974), is an American professional wrestler. He is known for his work with World Wrestling Entertainment, where he performed under his real name and as Robért Conway. Post-WWE, he is also known for hi ...
, 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. On the August 29 episode of ''Raw'', Edge and Hardy fought in a Street Fight, which resulted in a
no contest ' is a legal term that comes from the Latin phrase for "I do not wish to contend". It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. In criminal trials in certain United States jurisdictions, it is a plea where the defendant ne ...
when Hardy performed a
side effect In medicine, a side effect is an effect, whether therapeutic or adverse, that is secondary to the one intended; although the term is predominantly employed to describe adverse effects, it can also apply to beneficial, but unintended, consequence ...
on Edge off the entrance ramp into the sound speakers and other electrical equipment. They also fought in a
Steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
on September 18 in which Hardy defeated Edge. The feud culminated in a Loser Leaves Raw ladder match on ''Raw Homecoming'' on October 3, which Edge won. After the match, Hardy left the Raw brand to go to the SmackDown! brand, while Edge suffered a legit torn
pectoralis major muscle The pectoralis major () is a thick, fan-shaped or triangular convergent muscle, situated at the chest of the human body. It makes up the bulk of the chest muscles and lies under the breast. Beneath the pectoralis major is the pectoralis minor ...
that kept him shelved for a couple of months. During his time off, he starred in his own talk show segment on Raw entitled ''
The Cutting Edge ''The Cutting Edge'' is a 1992 American sports-romantic comedy film directed by Paul Michael Glaser and written by Tony Gilroy. The plot is about a wealthy, spoiled figure skater (played by Moira Kelly) who is paired with an injury-sidelined i ...
'', dubbing himself the " Rated-R Superstar". Edge used his talk show to start a feud with
Ric Flair Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...
following Flair's well-publicized arrest in connection with a
road rage Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by motorists. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians or cyclists in an effort to intimid ...
incident. 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. Edge and Flair formally met at the
New Year's Revolution WWE New Year's Revolution was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 2005 and its name was a play on the Western tradition of New Year's resolutions, ...
event on January 8, 2006 in a match for Flair's Intercontinental Championship, which resulted in Flair retaining after Edge was disqualified. 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 John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
, the reigning WWE Champion, defend his title in an Elimination Chamber match. After a bloody Cena won the match, WWE Chairman
Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
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 The WWE Championship is a World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand di ...
, marking his first world title win. 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 Foreplay is a set of emotionally and physically intimate acts between one or more people meant to create sexual arousal and desire for sexual activity. Although foreplay is typically understood as physical sexual activity, nonphysical activiti ...
until they were interrupted by Flair, who called Edge a disgrace and "that he was horrible in the sack". Flair, however, ended up on the receiving end of a
con-chair-to In professional wrestling double-team maneuvers are executed by multiple wrestlers instead of one and typically are used by tag teams in tag team matches. Many of these maneuvers are combination of two throws, or submission holds. Most moves ar ...
on the announcers' table until Cena came out to Flair's aid and performed an FU on Lita. The "Live Sex Celebration" segment earned ''Raw'' a 5.2 rating, the highest ''Raw'' rating in over a year, leading Edge to call himself the "most watched champion ever". On the January 16 episode of ''Raw'', Edge defeated Ric Flair in a TLC match to retain the WWE Championship. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 29, Edge lost the WWE Championship back to Cena. Edge then lost a rematch on the February 16 episode of ''Raw'' and blamed
special guest referee In professional wrestling, a referee is an authority figure present in or near the ring during matches. The referee's purpose is similar to that of referees in combat sports such as boxing or mixed martial arts, that is, as an arbiter of the rul ...
Mick Foley Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador. Foley worked for m ...
for his loss, claiming biased officiating and attacked him. At ''
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXII ''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling television program that is produced by WWE (known at the time of launch as the World Wrestling Federation). Premiering in 1985, it originally aired on NBC in the United Stat ...
'', Foley got revenge on Edge by assaulting him with a con-chair-to. They feuded until
WrestleMania 22 WrestleMania 22 was the 22nd annual WrestleMania 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 ...
on April 2, where a heavily bloodied, abrasion and thumbtack-covered Edge defeated Foley in a
hardcore match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
(which involved spots involving barbed wire and other metallic objects) by Spearing him through a flaming table but suffered
second degree burn A burn is an injury to skin, or other tissues, caused by heat, cold, electricity, chemicals, friction, or ultraviolet radiation (like sunburn). Most burns are due to heat from hot liquids (called scalding), solids, or fire. Burns occur main ...
s, thanks to anti-flame material not being applied to the table, at both wrestlers' request. Following his feud with Foley, Edge once again challenged John Cena for the WWE Championship.
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
was involved in a feud with Cena at the time, resulting in a
triple threat match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
at Backlash on April 30, where Cena pinned Triple H to retain the title. After Backlash, Edge continued his feud with Mick Foley as they entered a triple threat
hardcore match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
with
Tommy Dreamer Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) prom ...
on the May 8 episode of ''Raw''. Foley, however, betrayed his friend Dreamer with Edge's assistance. Edge and Foley then proclaimed that, because of their brutal match at WrestleMania, they were the true Hardcore Champions. At ECW One Night Stand on June 11, Edge, Foley and Lita defeated Dreamer,
Terry Funk Terrence Funk (born June 30, 1944) is an American retired professional wrestler, rapper, disc jockey and actor. Funk is known for the longevity of his career – which spanned more than 50 years and included multiple short-lived retirements – ...
and
Beulah McGillicutty Trisa Laughlin (née Hayes; born March 14, 1969) is an American author and retired professional wrestling valet, better known by her ring name, Beulah McGillicutty. She is best known for her appearances in Extreme Championship Wrestling from 1995 ...
in an Extreme Rules tag team match. Later in the event, Edge interfered in the WWE Championship match between John Cena and challenger
Rob Van Dam Robert Alexander Szatkowski (born December 18, 1970) is an American professional wrestler and actor better known by his ring name Rob Van Dam (frequently abbreviated to RVD). He is best known for his tenures in Extreme Championship Wrestling ...
, helping Van Dam win the title after he speared Cena through a table. Edge, who won a number one contender's match to face Van Dam for the WWE Championship, was unable to win their match at Vengeance on June 25. On the July 3 episode of ''Raw'', Edge pinned Van Dam in a triple threat match, after blindsiding Cena with the title belt, to become WWE Champion for the second time. This angle re-ignited Edge's feud with Cena, and he lost by disqualification at ''
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIII ''Saturday Night's Main Event'' is an American professional wrestling television program that is produced by WWE (known at the time of launch as the World Wrestling Federation). Premiering in 1985, it originally aired on NBC in the United Stat ...
'' in order to retain the title. Subsequently, a match was made for the August event
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
with the stipulation that if Edge disqualified himself, he would lose the title. At SummerSlam on August 20, Edge retained the title by pinning Cena after he hit him in the back of the head with a pair of
brass knuckles Brass knuckles (variously referred to as knuckles, knucks, brass knucks, knucklebusters, knuckledusters, knuckle daggers, English punch, iron fist, paperweight, or a classic) are "fist-load weapons" used in hand-to-hand combat. Brass knuckle ...
when the referee was not looking. The night after SummerSlam, Lita disposed of Cena's customized "spinner" belt into the
Long Island Sound Long Island Sound is a marine sound and tidal estuary of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies predominantly between the U.S. state of Connecticut to the north and Long Island in New York to the south. From west to east, the sound stretches from the Eas ...
at Edge's command, who declared it the end of the "Cena era" in his life. Edge later unveiled the new "Rated-R" version of the belt. Cena, however, interfered in Edge's match with a returning
Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
later that night, chasing him down to the outside of the building, assaulting him, and tossing Edge into the Long Island Sound. The following week, Cena made a deal with Edge: if Edge could defeat him in a match for the WWE Championship, he would sign a contract to move to ''SmackDown!''. Edge accepted, on the condition the match be a TLC match held at September's
Unforgiven ''Unforgiven'' is a 1992 American Revisionist Western film starring, directed, and produced by Clint Eastwood, and written by David Webb Peoples. The film tells the story of William Munny, an aging outlaw and killer who takes on one more job, ...
event in Edge's home town of Toronto. At Unforgiven on September 17, he lost the WWE Championship after Cena performed the FU on him, sending Edge crashing through two stacked tables from a ladder. At one point during the match, Cena locked in a modified STF while Edge was in a ladder, who later said he was legitimately choked unconscious, the first time he had been knocked out in a match during his career.


Rated-RKO (2006–2007)

On the October 2 episode of ''Raw'', interference from the newly reformed
D-Generation X D-Generation X (DX) is an American professional wrestling stable, and later a tag team, who consisted of Triple H and Shawn Michaels. The group originated in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) in the midst of the "Attitud ...
(D-X) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) cost Edge his " final chance" at John Cena's WWE Championship in a
Steel cage match Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
, though their interference was a response to the interference of Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch. It led to Edge approaching
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
and asking him to join forces to defeat D-X, which Orton accepted and joined an alliance with Edge. The two formed the tag team Rated-RKO. At Cyber Sunday on November 5, Rated-RKO defeated D-X with Eric Bischoff as the special guest referee. On the November 13 episode of ''Raw'', Rated-RKO defeated Ric Flair and
Roddy Piper Roderick George Toombs (April 17, 1954 – July 31, 2015), better known as "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, was a Canadian professional wrestler, amateur wrestler, and actor. In professional wrestling, Piper was best known to international audiences for his ...
to win the World Tag Team Championship, making Edge a record eleven-time tag team champion. At
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
on November 26, Rated-RKO teamed with Johnny Nitro,
Mike Knox Michael Knoxville Hettinga (born July 17, 1978) is an American professional wrestler best known under the ring name Mike Knox. He currently performs for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). Hettinga is best known for his work in World Wrestli ...
and Gregory Helms to face Team D-X (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. 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 D-X on the November 27 episode of ''Raw''. At
New Year's Revolution WWE New Year's Revolution was a professional wrestling event produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. The event was created in 2005 and its name was a play on the Western tradition of New Year's resolutions, ...
on January 7, 2007, Rated-RKO defended the World Tag Team Championship against D-X, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
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 D-X member Shawn Michaels. Michaels teamed with John Cena to defeat Rated-RKO for the World Tag Team Championship on January 29, 2007. 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 WrestleMania 23 was the 23rd annual WrestleMania 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 eve ...
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. 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.


La Familia (2007–2009)

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. 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. On the May 11 episode of '' SmackDown!'', World Heavyweight Champion
The Undertaker Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
retained his title against Batista in a steel cage match. Then,
Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
attacked the Undertaker. Despite being part of the Raw roster, Edge would appear and cash in his Money in the Bank contract on an injured Undertaker. After two spears, Edge pinned the Undertaker for the victory and his first World Heavyweight Championship. 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 The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
on May 20, in a Steel Cage match at
One Night Stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...
on June 3, and a third and final time by count out in a last chance match at Vengeance on June 24. 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. Edge was forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship due to a legitimately torn left
pectoral muscle Pectoral muscles (colloquially referred to as "pecs") are the muscles that connect the front of the human chest with the bones of the upper arm and shoulder. This region contains four muscles that provide movements to the upper limbs or ribs. Pe ...
injury on the July 20 episode of ''SmackDown!'' following an attack by Kane a week earlier. On November 18, at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, Edge made his return, interfering in a World Heavyweight Championship
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
match between Batista and The Undertaker, helping Batista win the match. The following ''SmackDown!'' show saw Edge and General Manager
Vickie Guerrero Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her t ...
make their relationship public, 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. At
Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
, Edge won his second World Heavyweight Championship, after giving The Undertaker two
chair shot Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...
s and pinning the defending champion Batista (who had been Tombstoned by Undertaker prior) in a Triple Threat match. During the match, Edge used two look-a-likes to distract Batista and The Undertaker. It was later revealed that these look-a-likes were the Major Brothers, who were then repackaged as Curt Hawkins and
Zack Ryder Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryd ...
. Edge also formed an alliance with
Chavo Guerrero Jr. Salvador Guerrero IV (born October 20, 1970) better known by his ring names Chavo Guerrero and Chavo Guerrero Jr., is an American professional wrestler. He has previously worked for World Championship Wrestling (WCW), World Wrestling Federatio ...
, nephew of Vickie Guerrero, and on the January 22, 2008 broadcast of '' ECW'', he assisted Chavo in winning the
ECW Championship The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship originally used in Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) and later, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was the original world title of the ECW ...
from
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known f ...
. 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 The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
and again No Way Out in February. Also that month, he proposed to Vickie, which she accepted. At WrestleMania XXIV in March, Edge lost the World Heavyweight Championship to the Undertaker when he tapped out to the
Hell's Gate Hells Gate or Hell's Gate or Hell Gate may refer to: Places Africa * Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya Antarctica * Hells Gate Moraine, Victoria Land Asia * Nyalam Town, Tibet * A location in Nampong, Arunachal Pradesh, India * The Darvaza g ...
. In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again at Backlash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Following Backlash, the Undertaker was stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship by Vickie Guerrero for using the Hell's Gate, which she previously banned. After winning a tournament to determine who would face the Undertaker for the vacant championship, the two met at
Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
, which ended in Edge losing via countout. However, since championships cannot change hands via countout, no champion was crowned. A rematch was scheduled for
One Night Stand A one-night stand or one-night sex is a single sexual encounter in which there is an expectation that there shall be no further relations between the sexual participants. It draws its name from the common practice of a one-night stand, a single ...
, 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
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
banished Banished may refer to: * ''Banished'' (TV series), a 2015 drama television series * ''Banished'' (film), a 2007 documentary * ''Banished'' (video game), a city-building strategy game by Shining Rock Software * Banished (Halo) The ''Halo'' vi ...
from the WWE. At One Night Stand on June 1, Edge would defeat the Undertaker after interference from Chavo Guerrero and
Bam Neely Justin Bruce Rocheleau (born June 18, 1975) is an American former professional wrestler. He is best known for his stint with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) on its ECW brand under the ring name Bam Neely. Professional wrestling career Indep ...
, in the process winning the World Heavyweight Championship for the third time. Since he lost, the Undertaker was also forced to leave the company. On June 29, Edge retained his championship against Batista at
Night of Champions Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends on ...
, after interference from La Familia. The next night on ''Raw'', Edge appeared to gloat that two of the top championships were on SmackDown, as WWE Champion
Triple H Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
was drafted to SmackDown in the
WWE draft The WWE Draft, alternatively called the WWE Superstar Shake-up from 2017 to 2019, is a process used by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion WWE to refresh its rosters between the Raw (WWE brand), Raw and SmackDown (WWE bran ...
earlier that week. A vengeful Batista then appeared and incapacitated Edge with the Batista Bomb. Just as Batista was leaving,
CM Punk Phillip Jack Brooks (born October 26, 1978), better known by the ring name CM Punk, is an American professional wrestler, sports commentator, actor, and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Best known f ...
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 "Go to Sleep" is a song by the English rock band Radiohead, released as the second single from their sixth studio album ''Hail to the Thief'' (2003) on 18 August 2003. It reached number two on the Canadian Singles Chart, number nine on the Ita ...
, losing the World Heavyweight Championship in the process. Due to this win, the championship became exclusive to the Raw brand. 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. 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. 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 Victoria Crawford (born June 30, 1986) is an American retired professional wrestler and former model known for her time with WWE under the ring name Alicia Fox. Crawford debuted on '' SmackDown'' on June 13, 2008, using the Alicia Fox name and ...
. At The Great American Bash on July 20, Edge faced Triple H for the WWE Championship in a losing effort. 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 SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
. 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. At SummerSlam on August 17, The Undertaker defeated Edge, and after the match, Undertaker
chokeslam A chokeslam is a type of body slam in professional wrestling, in which a wrestler grasps an opponent's neck, lifts them up, and slams them to the mat. It is common in televised wrestling because it is simple and relatively safe, yet looks power ...
med Edge off the top of a ladder and through the ring canvas, with flames rising from the hole. On November 23, at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, 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. Edge lost the title to Hardy at
Armageddon According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
on December 14 in a triple threat match, which also featured Triple H. At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 25, 2009, however, Edge regained the title in a no disqualification match, following
Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
's interference. 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. Later that night, Edge inserted himself into the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match after attacking
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
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. At
WrestleMania 25 WrestleMania 25 (also marketed as The 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania and written as WrestleMania 25th Anniversary) was the 25th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WW ...
on April 5, Edge lost the championship to
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
in a Triple Threat match, which also included Big Show, 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. After a successful defense against Jeff Hardy at
Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
on May 17, 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. 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 Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving th ...
. 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. Edge won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship (the unified version of the
World Tag Team Championship The world tag team championship is the name usually given to the primary tag team championship (professional wrestling), championships in professional wrestling Professional wrestling promotions, promotions. Nomenclature The name of the promo ...
from the Raw brand and the
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
from the SmackDown brand) with
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
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 In law, a legacy is something held and transferred to someone as their inheritance, as by will and testament. Personal effects, family property, marriage property or collective property gained by will of real property. Legacy or legacies may refer ...
. The win made Edge a record setting 12 time World Tag Team Champion. On July 3, Edge suffered a torn
Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus ...
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. During Edge's absence, Jericho replaced him with Big Show (forming
Jeri-Show Jeri-Show was a villainous professional wrestling tag team consisting of Big Show and Chris Jericho, which competed in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) promotion. The duo made their debut in July 2009 at WWE's Night of Champions pay-per- ...
) and Jericho began to speak badly of Edge, mocking him for his injury.


Record-breaking World Heavyweight Champion (2010–2011)

At the
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
pay-per-view event on January 31, 2010, Edge returned from injury by entering the
Royal Rumble match The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
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. 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 WrestleMania XXVI (also written as WrestleMania 26) was the 26th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDo ...
after a surprise attack on Jericho, turning
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
for the first time since 2004. At WrestleMania on March 28, Edge failed to win the title. Edge defeated Jericho in a steel cage match at Extreme Rules on April 25, ending their feud. On April 26, as part of
2010 WWE draft The 2010 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draft was the eighth WWE draft, produced by the American professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment. The draft took place over two days: the first day was televised live for three ...
, 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 Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus. Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European i ...
. 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 The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
once again. 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. 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. 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. 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 Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fa ...
. Edge then went on to participate in the main event of
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 15 in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match against The Nexus. Although he was eliminated by
Heath Slater Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he performs mononymously as Heath, and is also active on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in ...
, his team were victorious. 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 Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends on ...
on September 19, Edge participated in a six-pack elimination challenge for the WWE Championship, but once again failed to win the title. At the
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
pay-per-view on October 3, Edge defeated
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
. 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, thus turning
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
once again in the process. On the October 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', he defeated
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...
to become part of Team SmackDown at
Bragging Rights Boasting or bragging is speaking with excessive pride and self-satisfaction about one's achievements, possessions, or abilities. Boasting occurs when someone feels a sense of satisfaction or when someone feels that whatever occurred proves thei ...
. At Bragging Rights on October 24, Edge won the match for Team SmackDown alongside
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
, eliminating R-Truth, John Morrison and The Miz. On the October 29 episode of ''SmackDown'', Edge defeated Rey Mysterio and
Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship at
Survivor Series Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
. On the November 12 episode of ''SmackDown'', Edge lost his match with
David Otunga David Daniel Otunga''Lawyer ' (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Otunga is best known for his time working with WWE. He was the runner-up on the first season of ''NXT''. He is also an original member of ...
, thanks to
Paul Bearer William Alvin Moody (April 10, 1954 – March 5, 2013) was an American professional wrestling manager and licensed funeral director. He is best known for his tenure with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later WWE) where he performed under ...
's interference. Edge then kidnapped Bearer and used him to cost Kane his match with
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
. 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. On December 19, 2010, Edge defeated Kane,
Rey Mysterio Óscar Gutiérrez (born December 11, 1974), better known by his ring name Rey Mysterio, is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand. Widely regarded as one of the greatest prof ...
, and
Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
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. 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 The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 30, 2011, Edge successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against
Dolph Ziggler Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand. After a prolific career in amateur ...
. 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. At the
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
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.
Edge and Christian Edge & Christian (E&C) were a Canadian professional wrestling tag team. They are 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 ...
briefly reunited to defeat Del Rio and his bodyguard
Brodus Clay George Murdoch (born February 21, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and cable news personality known by his ring/stage name Tyrus. As a wrestler, he is signed to the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), where he is the reigning NWA World ...
on the March 11 episode of ''SmackDown''. At
WrestleMania XXVII WrestleMania XXVII (also written as WrestleMania 27) was the 27th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDow ...
on April 3, Edge successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Del Rio.


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 Cervical spinal stenosis is a bone disease involving the narrowing of the spinal canal at the level of the neck. It is frequently due to chronic degeneration, but may also be congenital. Treatment is frequently surgical. 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. Later that same week on the April 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', Edge officially relinquished the World Heavyweight Championship, retiring as the World Heavyweight Champion in the process of recapping his announcement and expressing gratitude over this happening now rather than it being too late. On the April 22 episode of ''SmackDown'', Edge interrupted Alberto Del Rio's mock retirement party for him. At Extreme Rules on May 1, Edge helped his friend Christian to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. At
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 14, Edge was in Christian's corner for his World Heavyweight Championship defense against
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
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. On the September 16 episode of ''SmackDown'', in his hometown of Toronto, Edge hosted ''The Cutting Edge'' between
Mark Henry Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
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 The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
by Christian, during
WrestleMania XXVIII WrestleMania XXVIII (also written as WrestleMania 28) was the 28th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE. It took place on April 1, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. It is the hig ...
weekend. Edge made a surprise appearance on the April 23, 2012 episode of ''Raw'', confronting his long-time rival
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
about
Brock Lesnar Brock Edward Lesnar ( ; born July 12, 1977) is an American-Canadian professional wrestler, former mixed martial artist (MMA), amateur wrestler, and professional American football player who holds both American and Canadian citizenship. He is ...
. On the September 21, 2012 episode of ''SmackDown'', Edge made an appearance addressing
Team Hell No Team Hell No was an American professional wrestling tag team in the WWE. They performed on the SmackDown brand consisting of Kane and Daniel Bryan. The team's name is a reference to the two wrestlers' personas: Kane is portrayed as a violent py ...
. 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. 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. Edge and Christian hosted the December 29, 2014 episode of ''Raw'', where they held the first ever ''Cutting Edge Peep Show'' interviewing
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...
, who, along with
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
, 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. Edge would return on the January 2 episode of ''SmackDown'' and with The Authority back in power, apologised 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 Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
team members as his guests and was later interrupted by the returning
Undertaker A funeral director, also known as an undertaker (British English) or mortician (American English), is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as ...
. He later reunited with his 'Edgeheads'
Zack Ryder Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryd ...
and Curt Hawkins. Edge was present at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremoney in 2017 as his wife
Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Kociański had a successful amateur ...
was inducted. On April 7, 2018, Edge and Christian inducted the Dudley Boyz into the WWE Hall of Fame. Later that year on October 16 at the 1,000th episode of ''SmackDown'', Edge hosted ''The Cutting Edge'' with
SmackDown Women's Champion The WWE SmackDown Women's Championship is a women's professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two women's world titles for WWE's main ros ...
Becky Lynch Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and highest-paid wrestlers. Twitter name ...
as his guest. At the
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
pay-per-view event on August 11, 2019, Edge interrupted
Elias Elias is the Greek equivalent of Elijah ( he, אֵלִיָּהוּ‎ ''ʾĒlīyyāhū''; Syriac: ܐܠܝܐ ''Eliyā''; Arabic: الیاس Ilyās/Elyās), a prophet in the Northern Kingdom of Israel in the 9th century BC, mentioned in several h ...
' performance and performed a
spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...
on him, engaging in physical wrestling for the first time since his retirement. This sparked rumors that Edge had been medically cleared to wrestle, which he denied.


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 Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
match after a nine-year retirement. He eliminated three participants, including former teammate
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
, before being eliminated by
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
. The following night on '' Raw'', Edge was attacked by Orton, leading to a Last Man Standing match between them on the second night of
WrestleMania 36 WrestleMania 36 was the 36th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brand divisions. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic ...
on April 5, which Edge won. They had another match at
Backlash Backlash may refer to: Literature * '' Backlash: The Undeclared War Against American Women'', a 1991 book by Susan Faludi * ''Backlash'' (Star Wars novel), a 2010 novel by Aaron Allston * Backlash (Marc Slayton), comic book character * ''Backla ...
on June 14, where Orton was victorious. During the match, Edge suffered a torn triceps and it was reported that the injury would sideline him for four to eight months. 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, which he won after entering first, by last eliminating Orton. 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. The following night on ''Raw'', Edge, with the help of
Alexa Bliss Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss signed a contract with WWE and was a ...
, defeated Orton to end their feud. At
Elimination Chamber The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
on February 21, Edge attacked
WWE Universal Champion The WWE Universal Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two world titles for WWE's main roster, alo ...
Roman Reigns Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The B ...
with the spear, making his decision to face him at
WrestleMania 37 WrestleMania 37 was the 37th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place as a two-night ...
. 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 Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. On the second night of WrestleMania 37 on April 11, Edge ultimately lost the match to Reigns following the assistance from
Jey Uso Jey may refer to: *Jey, Iran, a village in Alborz Province, Iran *Jey Rural District, in Isfahan Province, Iran *Alih Jey, a Latin Grammy nominated Dominican Rock music singer and songwriter *Clarence Jey, a Los Angeles-based Billboard Record Produ ...
, thus becoming the first person to win the Royal Rumble twice and lose both championship matches at WrestleMania. After a two-month hiatus, Edge made his return on the June 25 episode of ''SmackDown'', attacking both Reigns and
Jimmy Uso The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They are b ...
. The following day on ''Talking Smack'', it was announced that Edge would face Reigns for the Universal Championship at Money in the Bank. At Money in the Bank on July 18, Edge was unsuccessful in capturing the title due to interference from
Seth Rollins Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins). Prior to signing ...
. Over the following weeks, Edge and Rollins kept confronting and attacking each other until the August 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', where Edge would challenge Rollins to a match at
SummerSlam SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
, which Rollins accepted. At SummerSlam on August 21, Edge defeated Rollins by submission. As part of the 2021 Draft, Edge was drafted to the Raw
brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
. On the October 8 episode of ''SmackDown'', Edge challenged Rollins to a
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
match at Crown Jewel after Rollins broke into his house the previous week. At Crown Jewel on October 21, Edge subsequently defeated Rollins to end their trilogy chapter. Edge returned on the November 29 episode of ''Raw'', where he was confronted by
The Miz Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz. Mizanin first gained fa ...
. 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. At Day 1 on January 1, 2022, Edge defeated Miz with help from his wife,
Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Kociański had a successful amateur ...
. At
Royal Rumble The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 29, Edge and his wife Beth Phoenix defeated The Miz and Maryse in a
mixed tag team match Much like the singles match, tag team professional wrestling matches can and have taken many forms. Just about any singles or melee match type can be adapted to tag teams; for example, hardcore tag team matches are commonplace. Tag team ladder ...
.


Storyline with The Judgment Day (2022–present)

On the February 21 episode of ''Raw'', Edge reflected on all the
WrestleMania WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, mos ...
moments in his career and then he issued an open challenge for
WrestleMania 38 WrestleMania 38 was the 38th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event was held as a two-night eve ...
. The following week on ''Raw'', his challenge was accepted by
AJ Styles Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
, but Edge viciously attacked him, turning
heel The heel is the prominence at the posterior end of the foot. It is based on the projection of one bone, the calcaneus or heel bone, behind the articulation of the bones of the lower leg. Structure To distribute the compressive forces exer ...
for the first time since 2010. During the buildup to WrestleMania, Edge debuted a new gimmick and a new entrance theme, '' The Other Side'' by
Alter Bridge Alter Bridge is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. After their former ba ...
. On the second night of WrestleMania 38 on April 3, Edge defeated Styles following a distraction by
Damian Priest Luis Martínez (born September 26, 1982) is an American professional wrestler of Puerto Rican descent. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Damian Priest, and is a member of the stable The Judg ...
. Edge formed a faction with Priest named
The Judgment Day The Judgment Day is a villainous professional wrestling stable composed of Finn Bálor, Damian Priest, Rhea Ripley, and Dominik Mysterio. The stable performs in WWE on the Raw brand. The Judgment Day was founded and previously led by Edge. H ...
, where Edge claimed to wipe out anyone who did not fit in their "Mountain of Omnipotence". At
WrestleMania Backlash WWE Backlash, known as WrestleMania Backlash since 2021, is a professional wrestling event that is produced by WWE, a professional wrestling promotion based in Connecticut. It is broadcast live and available only through pay-per-view (PPV) and ...
on May 8, Edge defeated Styles with the help of
Rhea Ripley Demi Bennett (born 11 October 1996) is an Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Rhea Ripley and is a member of The Judgment Day. She was also the inaugural N ...
, who became the newest member of The Judgment Day. At
Hell in a Cell Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
on June 5, The Judgment Day defeated Styles,
Finn Bálor Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (), and is a member of The Judgment Day. Devitt is widely known for his t ...
and
Liv Morgan Gionna Jene Daddio (born June 8, 1994) is an American professional wrestler and actress. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Liv Morgan. She is a former SmackDown Women's Champion. In ...
in a six-person mixed tag team match. 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. Edge turned
face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
once again in the process. At SummerSlam (2022), SummerSlam on July 30, Edge returned to help Mysterios, The Mysterios (Rey Mysterio, Rey and Dominik Mysterio, Dominik) win their No Disqualification match against The Judgment Day, cementing his face turn. He also returned with his original theme song Metalingus by
Alter Bridge Alter Bridge is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. After their former ba ...
on the following episode of ''Raw''. At WWE Clash at the Castle, Clash at the Castle on September 3, Edge teamed up with Rey Mysterio for the first time in nearly 20 years to defeat The Judgment Day. After the match however, Dominik attacked Edge with a low blow and clotheslined his father Rey. At Extreme Rules (2022), Extreme Rules on October 8, Edge was defeated by Bálor in an "I Quit" match after interference from The Judgment Day. After he said "I Quit", Ripley attacked his wife,
Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Kociański had a successful amateur ...
(who also interfered during the match on his behalf), with a violent con-chair-to, severely injuring her (
kayfabe In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
) and suffering his first loss in 2022.


Professional wrestling style and persona

Edge utilizes the Professional wrestling attacks#Spear, spear as his finisher. WWE announcer Michael Cole (wrestling), 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". He has also performed other finishers including a DDT (professional wrestling)#Lifting DDT, lifting DDT called the ''Edgecution'', and an Sharpshooter (professional wrestling)#History and variations, inverted sharpshooter submission hold called the ''Edgecator''. In 2006, after performing a segment with Lita where they had sex in the ring, Edge began to use the nickname of "The Rated R Superstar". He is also nicknamed "The Ultimate Opportunist" due to how he used the Money in the Bank briefcase to win World Titles. In 2012, WWE voted him as both the third best World Heavyweight Champion and 20th best wrestling villain in WWE history. His Music in professional wrestling, entrance theme, "One Day Remains#"Metalingus", Metalingus" by
Alter Bridge Alter Bridge is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. After their former ba ...
, was selected as the greatest in WWE history by the company in a 2013 list.


Acting career

In 2000, Copeland had a cameo appearance as a road bandit in the fantasy movie '' Highlander: Endgame''. In March 2002, he appeared with other wrestlers on the quiz show ''
Weakest Link ''Weakest Link'' (also known as ''The Weakest Link'') is a television game show which first appeared in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 14 August 2000 and originally ended on 31 March 2012 when its host Anne Robinson completed her contract. ...
''. He was voted out in the first round, and the eventual winner was Kane. On the August 6, 2006 episode of ''
Mind of Mencia ''Mind of Mencia'' is an American comedy television series on the cable channel Comedy Central. Hosted by comedian Carlos Mencia, it aired from July 6, 2005 to July 23, 2008. History The first season of ''Mind of Mencia'' ran from July 6, 2005 ...
'', 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 Spear (wrestling), speared another actor playing Tom Cruise. In March 2007, Copeland appeared alongside
Randy Orton Randal Keith Orton (born April 1, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and actor who is signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand but is currently out of action due to a back injury. He is widely regarded as one of the grea ...
,
John Cena John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
, and Bobby Lashley on ''
Deal or No Deal ''Deal or No Deal'' is the name of several closely related television game shows, the first of which (launching the format) was the Dutch '' Miljoenenjacht'' (''Hunt/Chase for Millions''). The centerpiece of this format is the final round (a.k ...
''. Weeks later, he appeared on the sketch comedy show ''
MADtv ''Mad TV'' (stylized as ''MADtv'') is an American sketch comedy television series originally inspired by ''Mad (magazine), Mad'' magazine. In its initial run, it aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from 1995 to 2009. After a one-off reuni ...
''. He appeared in a Slim Jim (snack food), Slim Jim commercial, in which his "spicy side" caused chaos in a Department of Motor Vehicles, DMV, a restaurant, and a hotel. ''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. In June 2011, Copeland appeared as Thelo, an Abnormal, in the ''Sanctuary (TV series), Sanctuary'' episode "Into the Black". 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. 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 (crime), 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. WWE Studios released ''
Bending the Rules Gaming the system (also rigging, abusing, cheating, milking, playing, working, or breaking the system, or gaming or bending the rules) can be defined as using the rules and procedures meant to protect a system to, instead, manipulate the system ...
'', 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 (TV series), Ghost Mine. In December 2014, Copeland made a cameo appearance in the music video for the In-Flight Safety song "Destroy" as his Dwight Hendrickson character. 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. On July 16, 2015, it was announced that Copeland would be set to portray Albert Rothstein, Atom-Smasher in the second season of ''
The Flash The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
''. 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 (TV series), Private Eyes'' where he played Ben Fisk. On July 26, 2016, it was announced that Copeland would play Ketill Flatnose, Kjetill Flatnose on Season 5 and 6 of the ''
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
'' in a recurring role. The series ended December 30, 2020. On October 13, 2022, it was announced that Copeland would play Ares in the ''
Percy Jackson and the Olympians ''Percy Jackson & the Olympians'' is a series of five fantasy novels written by American author Rick Riordan, and the first book series in the ''Camp Half-Blood Chronicles''. The novels are set in a world with the Greek gods in the 21st centur ...
'' TV series adaptation of Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the original book series, streaming on Disney+.


Other media

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 Michael Francis Foley (born June 7, 1965) is an American actor, author, retired professional wrestler, and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE under the company's Legends program, acting as a company ambassador. Foley worked for m ...
, who also wrote his wrestling autobiography himself in longhand, wrote the foreword to his book. 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 (writer), Michael Winter. From March 2017 to September 2019, Copeland co-hosted the ''E&C's Pod of Awesomeness'' podcast with Christian. He has since left the podcast.


Video games


Personal life

Copeland resides in Asheville, North Carolina. Copeland used to play hockey with retired National Hockey League (NHL) player Aaron Downey. He is a fan of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils. Copeland is also best friends with fellow professional wrestler Jason Reso, better known as
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christ ...
. The two grew up together in their native home of Ontario and went to the same high school and wrestling training academy. Copeland has several tattoos: a red and black sun on his left upper biceps, which covers a tattoo of a muscular shark which resembled the ''Street Sharks''; a star on his right upper biceps with several smaller stars and two skulls wearing bandanas, adorned with flowers and hearts, below said star tattoo; a tattoo of a cross on his left forearm; and another tattoo of a scroll like piece of paper adorned with the words "Rise Above". All of Copeland's tattoos represent a stage in his career. His sun, which Copeland got while recovering from his neck injury, represents "looking towards brighter days." The cross tattoo represents his time with the Brood, and his star and skull tattoos represent his Rated-R Superstar persona and his self-proclaimed status as the "Guns N' Roses of wrestling". In March 2007, Copeland became a key figure in an alleged steroid ring and drug investigation. On March 19, ''Sports Illustrated'' posted an article on its website in its continuing series investigating a steroid and Growth hormone treatment, human growth hormone (hGH) ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. That article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Copeland, who was alleged to have obtained hGH. Copeland has previously admitted to using steroids in April 2004 after neck surgery as an experiment on TSN's ''Off The Record with Michael Landsberg'' in January 2005. He said, he felt it slowed him down, so he quickly got off the substance. According to Copeland, he took hGH after returning from a spinal fusion neck surgery. He was told by doctors that it would help the bones grow back around the screws and plate that were inserted into his neck. He claims to have taken blood tests, consulted doctors, studied the drug, and got prescriptions before deciding to take them. According to a ''Sports Illustrated'' article rotated on August 30, 2007, Copeland was named one of ten wrestlers found to have purchased steroids and other drugs from an online pharmacy, a violation of the WWE Talent Wellness program. Copeland was said to have received Growth hormone, somatropin, genotropin, and stanozolol between September 2004 and February 2007. Copeland does not smoke. He claims he had his first cigarette when he was sixteen, hated it, and has not smoked since. In 1998, Copeland began a relationship with Alannah Morley, the sister of Val Venis, Sean Morley (aka Val Venis), and they married on November 8, 2001. They divorced a few years later on March 10, 2004. His second marriage was to Lisa Ortiz on October 21, 2004. Soon after marrying his second wife, Copeland started an affair with fellow wrestler Lita (wrestler), Amy "Lita" Dumas, who was the girlfriend of Copeland's real life friend
Matt Hardy Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE. With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
at the time. The relationship between Copeland and Dumas became public knowledge in February 2005, resulting in Copeland's divorce from Ortiz on November 17, 2005. On December 12, 2013, Copeland and former WWE wrestler
Beth Phoenix Elizabeth Copeland ( Kociański; born November 24, 1980), known professionally as Beth Phoenix, is an American professional wrestler. She is a former WWE Divas Champion and a three-time WWE Women's Champion. Kociański had a successful amateur ...
had a daughter, and named her Lyric Rose Copeland. On May 31, 2016, their second daughter was born; they named her Ruby Ever Copeland. Copeland and Phoenix married on October 30, 2016, which was Copeland's 43rd birthday.


Filmography


Championships and accomplishments

* ''The Baltimore Sun'' ** Best Feud of the Decade (2000s) * Canadian Wrestling Association ** CWA North American Championship (1 time) * Cauliflower Alley Club ** Men's Wrestling Award (2013) * CBSSports.com, CBS Sports ** Best Moment of the Year (2020) ** Promo of the Year (2020) * Insane Championship Wrestling ** ICW Street Fight Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with
Christian Cage William Jason Reso (born November 30, 1973) is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Christian Cage. He is best known for his tenure in WWE under the ring name Christ ...
(1) and Joe E. Legend (1) ** MWCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Joe E. Legend * George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame ** Lou Thesz Award (2013) * ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Comeback of the Year, Comeback of the Year (2004) ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Feud of the Year, Feud of the Year (2005) ** Feud of the Year (2006) ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Match of the Year, Match of the Year (2000) ** Match of the Year (2001) ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Most Hated Wrestler of the Year, Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2006) ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Most Improved Wrestler of the Year, Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2001) ** List of Pro Wrestling Illustrated awards#Inspirational Wrestler of the Year, Inspirational Wrestler of the Year (2021) ** Ranked No. 2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated#PWI 500, PWI 500'' in 2007 *Tokyo Pro Wrestling **CCW Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Ken Johnson **CCW Tag Team Championship Tournament (1998) - with Ken Johnson * WWE, World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE **
WWE Championship The WWE Championship is a World championship (professional wrestling), world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand di ...
(List of WWE Champions, 4 times) ** World Heavyweight Championship (List of World Heavyweight Champions (WWE), 7 times) ** WWE Intercontinental Championship, WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (List of WWE Intercontinental Champions, 5 times) **
WCW United States Championship The WWE United States Championship is a professional wrestling Professional wrestling championship#Location-specific championships, championship promoted by the United States, American professional wrestling promotion, promotion WWE, currently de ...
(List of WWE United States Champions, 1 time) **
WWE Tag Team Championship WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
(List of WWE Raw Tag Team Champions, 2 times) – with Rey Mysterio Jr. (1) and
Chris Jericho Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
(1) ** World Tag Team Championship (WWE), WWF/World Tag Team Championship (List of World Tag Team Champions (WWE), 12 times) – with Christian (7),
Hollywood Hulk Hogan Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
(1),
Chris Benoit Christopher Michael Benoit (; May 21, 1967 – June 24, 2007) was a Canadian professional wrestler. He worked for various pro-wrestling promotions during his 22-year career including most notably the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestlin ...
(2), Randy Orton (1) and Chris Jericho (1) ** King of the Ring tournament, King of the Ring (
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a multi-national coalition in an invasion of Afghanist ...
) ** Money in the Bank ladder match, Money in the Bank (
2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...
) **Bragging Rights (2010), Bragging Rights Trophy (2010) – with Team SmackDown (
Big Show Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
, Rey Mysterio,
Jack Swagger Donald Jacob Hager Jr. (born March 24, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and mixed martial artist, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Jake Hager, where he is a member of the Jericho Appreciation Society ...
,
Alberto Del Rio José Alberto Rodríguez Chucuan (born 25 May 1977) is a Mexican-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling promoter, sports commentator, and mixed martial artist, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a c ...
,
Kofi Kingston Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
and Tyler Reks)
** Royal Rumble match, Royal Rumble (Royal Rumble (2010), 2010, Royal Rumble (2021), 2021) ** List of WWE tournaments#Gold Rush Tournament (2005), Gold Rush Tournament (2005) ** List of WWE tournaments#Championship Chase Tournament, Championship Chase Tournament (2008) ** Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#List of WWE Men's Triple Crown winners, Fourteenth Triple Crown Champion ** Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#Current format, Third Grand Slam Champion (under the current format, Thirteenth overall) **
WWE Hall of Fame The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
(WWE Hall of Fame (2012), Class of 2012) ** Slammy Award (4 times) *** Couple of the Year (Slammy Award#2008 Slammy Awards, 2008) – with
Vickie Guerrero Vickie Lynn Benson (formerly Guerrero, née Lara;Guerrero, Eddie. ''Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story'', p. 53. born April 16, 1968) is an American professional wrestling personality and manager. She is best known for her t ...
*** "Oh Snap" Meltdown of the Year (Slammy Award#2010 Slammy Awards, 2010) – *** Return of the Year (Slammy Award#2020 Slammy Awards, 2020) *** Rivalry of the Year (Slammy Award#2020 Slammy Awards, 2020) – with Randy Orton * ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts. Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
'' ** Match of the Year (2002) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Tag Team of the Year, Tag Team of the Year (2000) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Feud of the Year, Worst Feud of the Year (2010) ** List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Worst Worked Match of the Year, Worst Worked Match of the Year (2008)


''Luchas de Apuestas'' record


Notes


References


Sources

* * *


External links

* * * * {{Authority control 1973 births 20th-century professional wrestlers 20th-century Canadian male actors 21st-century professional wrestlers 21st-century Canadian male actors Canadian colour commentators Canadian expatriate male actors in the United States Canadian expatriate professional wrestlers in the United States Canadian male film actors Canadian male professional wrestlers Canadian male television actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian podcasters Living people Male actors from Toronto NWA/WCW/WWE United States Heavyweight Champions People from Orangeville, Ontario Professional wrestlers from Toronto Professional wrestling podcasters WWE Champions WWE Grand Slam champions WWE Hall of Fame inductees WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions WWF/WWE King Crown's Champions/King of the Ring winners World Heavyweight Champions (WWE)