Edge | |
|---|---|
 Copeland in 2024 | |
| Born | Adam Joseph Copeland (1973-10-30)October 30, 1973 (age 51) Orangeville, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1992–2011, 2020–present (professional wrestler) 2011–present (actor) |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Ring name(s) | Adam Copeland[1] Adam Impact[2] Cope Conquistador Uno[3] Damon Striker[4] Edge[5] Sexton Hardcastle[6] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)[5] |
| Billed weight | 241 lb (109 kg)[5] |
| Billed from | Toronto, Ontario, Canada[5] |
| Trained by | Ron Hutchison Sweet Daddy Siki |
| Debut | July 1, 1992 |
Adam Joseph Copeland (born October 30, 1973) is a Canadianprofessional wrestler and actor. He is signed toAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under thering nameCope, and is a former two-timeAEW TNT Champion. He is best known for his tenures inWWE, where he performed under the ring nameEdge from 1998 to 2011 and again from 2020 to 2023.
Often regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time,[7][8] Copeland made his professional wrestling debut in 1992, wrestling in manyindependent promotions and competing in singles and tag team competition, the latter with long-time friendChristian Cage. In 1997, he signed a developmental deal with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, renamed WWE in 2002) and made his televised debut in 1998 under the ring name Edge. After winning theIntercontinental Championship in 1999, he formed atag team with Christian, and the two won theWorld Tag Team Championship seven times. During this time, they gained notoriety due to their participation inTables, Ladders, and Chairs matches. They are considered one of the major teams that revived tag team wrestling during theAttitude Era.[9] The team split in 2001 and Copeland embarked on a successful solo career. He won a total of 31 championships in WWE, holding theWorld Heavyweight Championship (2002–2013 version) a record 7 times, theWWE Championship 4 times, the Intercontinental Championship five times, theUnited States Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship a record 12 times, and theWWE Tag Team Championship twice. He is WWE's14th Triple Crown Champion and7th Grand Slam Champion. He won the 2001King of the Ring tournament, the firstMoney in the Bank ladder match atWrestleMania 21 in 2005, and the2010 Royal Rumble match, making him the first wrestler to achieve all three.[10]
Copeland first retired in 2011 due to several neck injuries and was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame the next year. Nine years after retiring, he returned to wrestling as a surprise entrant in the2020 Royal Rumble match and won thenext year's Royal Rumble, becoming the eighth man 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 headlined multiplepay-per-view (PPV) events for WWE, includingWrestleMania XXIV andWrestleMania 37, being one of the company's most prolific PPV performers.[11] After his WWE contract expired in September 2023, he joined AEW the next month and debuted atWrestleDream, going on to win the AEW TNT Championship twice.
Copeland has acted in the filmsHighlander: Endgame (2000),Bending the Rules (2012) andMoney Plane (2020). He has made guest appearances on TV shows such asWeakest Link,Mind of Mencia,Deal or No Deal,MADtv, andThe Flash. He played Dwight Hendrickson on theSyfy seriesHaven (2011–2015),Ketill Flatnose inVikings (2017–2020), andAres in theDisney+ seriesPercy Jackson and the Olympians (2023–present), the latter of which earned him anEmmy Award nomination forOutstanding Supporting Performer in a Preschool, Children's or Young Teen Program.
Adam Joseph Copeland[12] was born inOrangeville, Ontario,[2] on October 30, 1973,[13] the son of Judy Lynn Copeland,[14][15] a single mother who worked two jobs to support him.[16] He has claimed to have never met, or even seen a photograph of, his father.[17] He became interested inprofessional wrestling at a young age; his favorite wrestlers includedMr. Perfect,Randy Savage,Hulk Hogan,Ricky Steamboat,Shawn Michaels, andBret Hart.[18] He met fellow future wrestlerJason Reso, known by his ring-name Christian Cage, in Orangeville when he was 10 years old, and they would make the trip toMaple Leaf Gardens inToronto to watch their favourite wrestlers; at the age of 16, Copeland attendedWrestleMania VI at theToronto SkyDome in 1990, sitting in the 11th row at ringside.[19] He was cheering on WWF Champion Hulk Hogan againstThe Ultimate Warrior, and he credits this match with making him realize he wanted to be a wrestler.[5] When he was 17, he won an essay writing contest hosted by his local gym, the prize for which was free wrestling training withSweet Daddy Siki andRon Hutchison in Toronto.[16][20] However, he put his wrestling aspirations aside to help his mother pay the bills,[21] taking numerous jobs and then receiving a diploma inradio broadcasting fromHumber College before resuming his wrestling training.[22]
Copeland made his professional wrestling debut onCanada Day 1992, in an event atMonarch Park Stadium in Toronto.[23] Throughout the 1990s, he wrestled on theindependent circuit in Ontario and theGreat Lakes region of the United States under thering name Sexton Hardcastle.[24] He became a part of the tag team Sex and Violence withJoe E. Legend. In the mid-1990s, he wrestled as Adam Impact forTony Condello'sWinnipeg promotion. In 1997, Sex and Violence became part of a largerstable called Thug Life, joiningChristian Cage, Zakk Wyld, Bill Skullion, andRhino Richards.[2] During his independent career, he won the MWCW Tag Team Championship twice with Legend and the ICW Street Fight Tag Team Championship twice.[25]
The duo of Hardcastle and Cage were known as Hard Impact before changing their name to the Suicide Blondes.[26] They also worked in Japan under the name The Canadian Rockers.[27][28] Copeland also wrestled as Damon Striker againstMeng on an episode ofWCW Pro in February 1996.[4][29] (Copeland stated in 2021 the name was intended to be "Damien Striker", but the on-screen caption of the name was incorrectly written.[30]) In the summer of 1995, he worked a show inAjax, Ontario, whereBret Hart's business manager,Carl De Marco, was watching. Impressed, he suggested Copeland send an audition tape to theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF).
On May 10, 1996, Copeland replacedBob Holly's opponent on short notice in the opening match of a WWF house show as Sexton Hardcastle inHamilton, Ontario.[31]
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.[32] After aGrand Prix Wrestling tour in the summer of 1997, De Marco urged Copeland to go toCalgary, 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 calledJohnny Smith, 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 alongsideKen Shamrock,Test,Mark Henry andKurrgan. Copeland returned to theMaritimes 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.[33] His first match was on November 10, 1997, inOttawa, Ontario losing to CFL football starGlen Kulka.[34] The next day inCornwall, Ontario, he faced and defeated Christian Cage atShotgun taping in a dark match,[35][36] this match is included onWWE Home Video's 2008 retrospective,Edge: A Decade of Decadence. From 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 ofRaw as Edge. Copeland took the name Edge from anAlbany radio station.[37]
Edge's first televised match was on June 16 (aired June 22) againstJose Estrada Jr., which ended prematurely bycountout when Edge performed asomersault senton from the ring to the outside,legitimately injuring Estrada's neck.[38] In his first pay-per-view match atSummerSlam on August 30, he served asSable's mystery tag team partner defeatingJacqueline andMarc Mero, and slammed Sable onto Mero in apinning position to pick up the win.[39] AtBreakdown: In Your House on September 27, Edge facedOwen Hart in a losing effort making it his first loss on WWF TV.[40] On the October 11 edition ofSunday Night Heat, Edge defeatedVader in Vader's final televised WWF match[41] and atWWF Capital Carnage on December 6, Edge facedTiger Ali Singh in a losing effort.[42]
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Edge was then placed in afeud against the vampire wrestlerGangrel. During the feud, Gangrel introduced Christian, Edge'sstoryline brother, as his ally. Eventually, Gangrel and Christian convinced Edge to join them, and the three of them formed analliance known asThe Brood.[43]
AtRock Bottom: In Your House on December 13, The Brood defeatedThe J.O.B. Squad in a six-man tag team match. At theRoyal Rumble on January 24, 1999, Edge competed in the 30-man Royal Rumble match and was eliminated byRoad Dogg. The Brood was later abducted and converted intoThe Undertaker'sMinistry of Darkness. In May 1999, the Brood broke away from the Ministry after Christian was attacked byKen Shamrock and forced to reveal the location of the captiveStephanie McMahon.[44] The Undertaker chose to have Christian punished for his trespass, but Edge and Gangrel stood by him andbetrayed The Undertaker, leading to a brief feud with the Ministry. AtBacklash: In Your House on April 25, the Brood faced Ministry membersBradshaw,Faarooq, andMideon in a losing effort. AtKing of the Ring 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 onSunday Night Heat ended in a no-contest.
Edge captured his first singles championship, theWWF Intercontinental Championship, on July 24, 1999, defeatingJeff Jarrett at ahouse show in Toronto, Ontario.[45][46] 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 [Jeff Jarrett] 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!"[47]
He lost the title the next night to Jarrett atFully Loaded on July 25.[45][48] AtSummerSlam 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. AtUnforgiven 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 TheHardy Boyz. Gangrel soon betrayed both Edge and Christian and formedThe New Brood with their enemies, The Hardy Boyz. They feuded with the Hardy Boyz, as they went on to compete in aladder match atNo Mercy on October 17 for the "managerial services" ofTerri Runnels and $100,000, which the Hardy Boyz won.[49] The match was widely praised and described as the match of the year by various reviewers.[50] AtSurvivor Series 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. AtArmageddon on December 12, Edge and Christian competed in an 8-team battle royal which was won by The Acolytes. At theRoyal Rumble on January 23, 2000, Edge competed in the Royal Rumble match where he was eliminated by Al Snow and Val Venis. AtNo 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. AtWrestleMania 2000 on April 2, Edge and Christian defeated the Hardy Boyz and theDudley Boyz to win theWWF Tag Team Championship in aTriangleLadder match, which ultimately led to the creation of theTables, Ladders, and Chairs match.[51][52]
AtBacklash on April 30, Edge and Christian defeated D-Generation X to retain the titles. AtJudgment Day 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 atKing of the Ring on June 25. AtFully 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 atSummerSlam on August 27, atUnforgiven 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. AtNo Mercy on October 22, Edge and Christian, masked as Los Conquistadores, defeated The Hardys for the titles. The next night onRaw, 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.
AtSurvivor Series on November 19, Edge and Christian teamed withRight 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 atArmageddon 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 onSmackDown! 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, atSummerSlam in 2000 and then again atWrestleMania X-Seven.[53][54] At theRoyal Rumble on January 21, 2001, Edge and Christian were defeated by the Dudley Boyz and lost the tag team titles.[54] They unsuccessfully attempted to regain the tag team title atNo Way Out on February 25 against the Dudley Boyz andThe Brothers of Destruction,[54] but they succeeded at WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1 against the Dudley Boyz and The Hardyz in the second TLC match.[54] AtJudgment Day 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 24SmackDown!, 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.
Edge solidified himself as an emerging singles competitor by winning the2001King of the Ring tournament and slowly becoming afan favourite by siding with the WWF during theInvasion storyline.[55] Christian betrayed Edge shortly afterward,[56] and the two feuded over Edge'sIntercontinental Championship (which he won atSummerSlam on August 19) that he later lost to Christian atUnforgiven on September 23, though Edge later captured the title in aladder match atNo Mercy on October 21.[57]
Edge lost the Intercontinental Championship toTest on the November 5 episode ofRaw[58] and shortly afterwards won theWCW United States Championship fromKurt Angle on the November 12 episode ofRaw.[59] Edge defeated Test atSurvivor Series on November 18 to regain the Intercontinental Championship which he unified with the United States Championship.[60] From there, Edge was placed in a feud withWilliam Regal for the Intercontinental Championship. Edge first defeated Regal atVengeance on December 9 to retain the championship: however, he lost the title to Regal at theRoyal Rumble on January 20, 2002, and then his rematch against Regal atNo Way Out on February 17 in a Brass Knuckles on a Pole match.[61] AtWrestleMania X8 on March 17, Edge found himself in a match withBooker T that was the result of Edge beating out Booker T for a fictitious Japanese shampoo endorsement.[62] Shortly after defeating Booker T at WrestleMania, Edge was drafted to theSmackDown! brand in the firstWWF Draft Lottery. During this time, Edge also gainedNever Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy) byRob Zombie as his new entrance theme.
Upon arriving there, he began a feud with Kurt Angle. AtBacklash on April 21, Angle defeated Edge which later culminated in Edge shaving Angle's head following ahair vs. hair match atJudgment Day on May 19.[63] On the May 30 episode ofSmackDown!, Edge defeated Angle in a steel cage match to end the feud. During the match, Edge speared Angle from the top rope, injuring his own arm and forcing himself out of action for a month. Two months later, he won theWWE Tag Team Championship alongsideHollywood Hulk Hogan on the July 4 episode ofSmackDown! by defeatingBilly and Chuck.[64] Edge and Hogan lost the titles atVengeance on July 21 toThe Un-Americans (Lance Storm and Christian), and atSummerSlam on August 25, Edge defeated Eddie Guerrero then lost to Guerrero atUnforgiven on September 22. They met one final time days later onSmackDown! in a No Disqualification match where Edge won, ending the feud. He then formed a tag team withRey Mysterio, and the two participated in atournament for the newly created andSmackDown! exclusiveWWE Tag Team Championship. They lost to Kurt Angle andChris Benoit in the finals of the tournament atNo Mercy on October 20; the match was votedMatch of the Year by theWrestling Observer Newsletter.[65] After they failed in winning the titles, Mysterio and Edge defeatedLos Guerreros in a number one contender's match on the October 24 episode ofSmackDown! to earn a title shot.[66] At theRebellion 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 ofSmackDown!, they defeated Angle and Benoit in atwo out-of-three falls match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.[67] They soon lost the tag titles to Los Guerreros in atriple threat elimination match that also involved former champions Angle and Benoit atSurvivor Series on November 17.[68]
After losing the title, Edge and Mysterio went their separate ways to focus on their singles careers. At theRoyal Rumble, Edge competed in the 30-manRoyal Rumble match on January 19, 2003, where he had three eliminations before getting eliminated by Chris Jericho. Edge then teamed up with Chris Benoit, facingTeam Angle in a series of singles and tag team matches. Prior toNo Way Out, Edge suffered alegitimate 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 ofSmackDown! 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.[69] At No Way Out on February 23, Edge was written off television through a backstage attack. He then underwent surgery with Dr.Lloyd Youngblood and was sidelined for over a year.[70]
Edge was drafted to theRaw brand in the2004 WWE draft lottery on March 22, 2004, where he spearedEric Bischoff and returned to in-ring action shortly after the event.[71] AtBacklash on April 18, Edge defeated Kane,[72] and on the April 19 episode ofRaw, he andWorld Heavyweight Champion Chris Benoit won the World Tag Team Championship fromBatista andRic Flair.[73] They continued a close partnership even after losing the title; atBad Blood on June 13, Edge and Benoit defeatedLa Résistance (who defeated them for the titles on the May 31 episode ofRaw) 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 atVengeance on July 11 defeatingRandy Orton, thus becoming a five time Intercontinental Champion.[74] AtSummerSlam on August 15, Edge defeated Chris Jericho and Batista in a triple threat match to retain the Intercontinental Championship.[75] Following a legitimate groin injury in a non-televised match, RawGeneral ManagerEric Bischoff stripped Edge of the Intercontinental title on the September 6 episode ofRaw.[76]
Upon his return, Edge began to pursue the World Heavyweight Championship. Edge, Chris Benoit, andShawn Michaels received a title shot forTriple H's World Heavyweight Championship atTaboo Tuesday 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 Benoit and instead interfered in the World Heavyweight Championship match, costing Michaels the championship.[77] On the November 1 episode ofRaw, 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 for the first time since 2001.[78] Edge also gained a new entrance theme,Metalingus, performed by the then-newly established band,Alter Bridge. AtSurvivor Series on November 14, Edge was part of Team Triple H along with Triple H, Batista, andGene Snitsky. They were defeated by Team Orton (Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, andMaven). During the match, Edge eliminated both Benoit and Jericho before getting eliminated by Orton.[79]
On the November 29 episode ofRaw, both Edge and Benoit competed in a number one contender'sbattle royal, but they eliminated each other simultaneously at the conclusion of the match, resulting in a draw.[80] As a result, Triple H was forced to defend the title in atriple threat match. In the match, Benoit locked theCrippler Crossface on Edge, who shifted his weight putting Benoit's shoulders on the mat for apin. This match also ended in a draw for Benoit and Edge, as Benoit made Edgesubmit at the same time the referee counted a pinfall for Edge.[80] As a result, the World Heavyweight title was vacated the following week onRaw. On January 9, 2005, Edge competed in his firstElimination Chamber match atNew Year's Revolution for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship. Special guest referee Shawn Michaels performed asuperkick on Edge, in retaliation for an accidentalspear by Edge, causing Edge to be the first eliminated.[81] This led to a match at theRoyal Rumble 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 eventual winner Batista andJohn Cena.[82]
AtWrestleMania 21 on April 3, Edge won the first everMoney in the Bank ladder match, gaining a contract that gave him a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship within one year.[83] 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 andGlenn Jacobs who said the match had the potential to be a big success. AtBacklash on May 1, Edge defeated Chris Benoit in aLast Man Standing match to end the feud.[84] Several weeks after, Edge was then paired withLita, his real-life girlfriend at the time, in anangle 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 ofRaw.[85] The next week, Edge received his World Heavyweight Championship match against Batista, which he lost.[86] Edge started a feud with Kane leading to several matches between them including one atVengeance on June 26, when Edge lost to Kane.[87] After trading several victories onRaw, the feud ended in astretcher match on the July 25 episode ofRaw that Edge won, but shortly after, Kane performed atombstone piledriver on Lita and later abducted her in an ambulance.[88]
On the July 11 episode ofRaw, 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.[89] When Hardy was officially brought back to Raw, he and Edge continued their feud, including a match atSummerSlam on August 21 where Edge defeated Hardy, causing Hardy to have excessive blood loss.[90] A week later onRaw, after a match Hardy had withRob Conway, 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.[91] On the August 29 episode ofRaw, Edge and Hardy fought in aStreet Fight, which resulted in ano contest when Hardy performed aside effect on Edge off the entrance ramp into the sound speakers and other electrical equipment.[92] They also fought in aSteel cage match atUnforgiven on September 18 in which Hardy defeated Edge.[93] The feud culminated in a Loser Leaves Raw ladder match onRaw Homecoming on October 3, which Edge won.[94] After the match, Hardy left the Raw brand to go to the SmackDown! brand, while Edge suffered a legit tornpectoralis major muscle that kept him shelved for a couple of months.[95] During his time off, he starred in his own talk show segment on Raw entitledThe Cutting Edge,[96] dubbing himself the "Rated-R Superstar". Edge used his talk show to start a feud withRic Flair following Flair's well-publicized arrest in connection with aroad rage incident.[96][97] Edge eventually began usingThe Cutting Edge as a soapbox to run down Flair until, after weeks of public mockery, Flair eventually showed up and attacked Edge.[98] Edge and Flair formally met at theNew Year's Revolution event on January 8, 2006, in a match for Flair'sIntercontinental Championship, which resulted in Flair retaining after Edge wasdisqualified.[99]
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 sawJohn Cena, the reigning WWE Champion, defend his title in anElimination Chamber match. After a bloody Cena won the match, WWE ChairmanVince McMahon 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 theWWE Championship, marking his first world title win.[99]
The following night onRaw, Edge decided to celebrate his victory by having "hot, unbridled sex" in the middle of the ring. He and Lita engaged inforeplay until they were interrupted by Flair, who called Edge a disgrace and "that he was horrible in the sack".[100] Flair, however, ended up on the receiving end of acon-chair-to on the announcers' table until Cena came out to Flair's aid and performed anFU on Lita.[100] The "Live Sex Celebration" segment earnedRaw a 5.2 rating,[101] the highestRaw rating in over a year,[102] leading Edge to call himself the "most watched champion ever".[103] On the January 16 episode ofRaw, Edge defeated Ric Flair in a TLC match to retain the WWE Championship.[103] At theRoyal Rumble on January 29, Edge lost the WWE Championship back to Cena.[104]
Edge then lost a rematch on the February 16 episode ofRaw and blamedspecial guest refereeMick Foley for his loss.[105] They feuded untilWrestleMania 22 on April 2, where Edge defeated Foley in ahardcore match by Spearing him through a flaming table[106] but sufferedsecond degree burns, thanks to anti-flame material not being applied to the table, at both wrestlers' request.[107][24] According to Copeland, the match with Foley proved him as a main eventer.[108] After losing atriple threat match atBacklash for the WWE Championship,[109] Edge teamed with Foley, pointing asHardcore Champions.[110] AtECW One Night Stand on June 11, Edge, Foley and Lita defeated Dreamer,Terry Funk andBeulah McGillicutty in an Extreme Rules tag team match.[111] Later in the event, Edge interfered in the WWE Championship match between John Cena and challengerRob Van Dam, helping Van Dam win the title after he speared Cena through a table.[111]
While Edge lost a match for the WWE title atVengeance,[112] he won the championship on the July 3 episode ofRaw during a triple threat match.[113] This angle re-ignited Edge's feud with Cena, retaining the title against him atSummerSlam.[114] The night after SummerSlam, Lita disposed of Cena's customized "spinner" belt into theLong Island Sound and he unveiled the new "Rated-R" version of the belt.[115] Edge lost the title to Cena in a TLC match atUnforgiven, a PPV that took place in Edge's hometown of Toronto.[116]
On the October 2 episode ofRaw, interference from the newly reformedD-Generation X (DX) (Triple H and Shawn Michaels) cost Edge his "final chance" at John Cena's WWE Championship in aSteel cage match, though their interference was a response to the interference ofLance Cade and Trevor Murdoch.[117] It led to Edge approachingRandy Orton and asking him to join forces to defeat DX, which Orton accepted and joined an alliance with Edge.[118] The two formed the tag teamRated-RKO.[119] AtCyber Sunday on November 5, Rated-RKO defeated DX withEric Bischoff as the special guest referee.[120] On the November 13 episode ofRaw, Rated-RKO defeated Ric Flair andRoddy Piper to win the World Tag Team Championship, making Edge a record eleven-time tag team champion.[121][122] AtSurvivor Series on November 26, Rated-RKO teamed withJohnny Nitro,Mike Knox andGregory Helms to face Team DX (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.[123] 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 DX on the November 27 episode ofRaw.[124] AtNew Year's Revolution on January 7, 2007, Rated-RKO defended the World Tag Team Championship against DX, but the match was declared a no-contest when Triple H suffered a legitimate injury during the match.[125] At theRoyal Rumble 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 DX member Shawn Michaels. Michaels teamed with John Cena to defeat Rated-RKO for the World Tag Team Championship on January 29, 2007.[126] 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 atWrestleMania 23 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.[127] 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 atBacklash on April 29.[128]
On the May 7 episode ofRaw, 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.[129] 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.[130]
On the May 11 episode ofSmackDown! inPittsburgh,World Heavyweight ChampionThe Undertaker retained his title againstBatista in a steel cage match. Then,Mark Henry attacked The Undertaker. Despite being part of the Raw roster, Edge appeared and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on The Undertaker. After one spear, Edge pinned The Undertaker for the victory and his first World Heavyweight Championship.[131] 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 atJudgment Day on May 20,[132] in a Steel Cage match atOne Night Stand on June 3,[133] and a third and final time by countout in alast chance match atVengeance on June 24.[134] Edge then began a feud withKane after SmackDown! General ManagerTheodore Long announced Kane as the new number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship atThe Great American Bash.[135] Edge was forced to relinquish the World Heavyweight Championship due to a legitimately torn leftpectoral muscle injury on the July 20 episode ofSmackDown! following an attack by Kane a week earlier.[136]
On November 18, atSurvivor Series, Edge made his return, interfering in a World Heavyweight ChampionshipHell in a Cell match between Batista and The Undertaker, helping Batista win the match.[137] The followingSmackDown! show saw Edge and General ManagerVickie Guerrero make their relationship public,[138] making his official in-ring return in a World Heavyweight Championship match against Batista on the November 30 episode ofSmackDown!, a match that ended after The Undertaker interfered.[139] AtArmageddon, Edge won his second World Heavyweight Championship, after giving The Undertaker twochair shots and pinning the defending champion Batista (who had beenTombstoned by The Undertaker prior) in a Triple Threat match. During the match, Edge used two look-a-likes to distract Batista and The Undertaker.[140] It was later revealed that these look-a-likes werethe Major Brothers,[141] who were then repackaged asCurt Hawkins andZack Ryder. Edge also formed an alliance withChavo Guerrero, nephew of Vickie Guerrero, and on the January 22, 2008 broadcast ofECW, he assisted Chavo in winning theECW Championship fromCM Punk.[142] This group eventually came under the name ofLa Familia (Spanish for "The Family"). Edge then successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship over Rey Mysterio at theRoyal Rumble[143] and again atNo Way Out in February.[144] Also that month, he proposed to Vickie, which she accepted.[145]
AtWrestleMania XXIV in March, Edge lost the World Heavyweight Championship to The Undertaker when he tapped out to theHell's Gate.[146] The match was booked for Edge to retain and break the streak, but Edge refused to break the streak, stating in an interview that it made zero sense, he was already a made man, and that he was already in the main event of WrestleMania and that was good enough for him.[147][148] In a WrestleMania rematch, The Undertaker defeated Edge once again atBacklash to retain the World Heavyweight Championship.[149] Following Backlash, The Undertaker was stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship by Vickie Guerrero for using the Hell's Gate, which she previously banned.[150] After winning a tournament to determine who would face The Undertaker for the vacant championship,[151] the two met atJudgment Day, which ended in Edge losing via countout. However, since championships cannot change hands via countout, no champion was crowned.[152] A rematch was scheduled forOne Night Stand, in aTLC match. On the May 23 episode ofSmackDown, Vickie Guerrero added a stipulation that stated if The Undertaker were to lose, he would bekayfabebanished from the WWE.[153] At One Night Stand on June 1, Edge defeated The Undertaker after interference from La Familia, Chavo Guerrero andBam Neely, winning the World Heavyweight Championship for the third time. Since he lost, The Undertaker was also forced to leave the company.[154]
On June 29, Edge retained his championship against Batista atNight of Champions, after interference from La Familia.[155] The next night onRaw, Edge appeared to gloat that two of the top championships were on SmackDown, as WWE ChampionTriple H was drafted to SmackDown in theWWE draft earlier that week. A vengeful Batista then appeared and incapacitated Edge with theBatista Bomb. Just as Batista was leaving,CM Punk 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 aGo To Sleep, losing the World Heavyweight Championship. Due to this win, the championship became exclusive to the Raw brand.[156]
On the July 4 episode ofSmackDown, Edge took his frustrations out on Vickie because he lost the title and told her the wedding was off.[157] The following week, however, after Guerrero saved Edge from a con-chair-to byThe Big Show, Edge re-proposed, and the wedding was back on.[158] On the July 18 episode ofSmackDown, 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. AtThe Great American Bash on July 20, Edge faced Triple H for the WWE Championship in a losing effort.[159] 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 atSummerSlam.[160] Edge then turned on La Familia during the August 8 episode ofSmackDown, performing a one-man con-chair-to on Chavo Guerrero in the ring, and tossed Vickie out of her wheelchair, effectively disbanding the faction.[161] At SummerSlam on August 17, The Undertaker defeated Edge, and after the match, The Undertakerchokeslammed Edge off the top of a ladder and through the ring canvas, with flames rising from the hole.[162]
On November 23, atSurvivor Series, 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 andVladimir Kozlov. He pinned Triple H to become the WWE Champion for thethird time in his career.[163] Edge lost the title to Hardy atArmageddon on December 14 in a triple threat match, which also featured Triple H.[164] At theRoyal Rumble on January 25, 2009, however, Edge regained the title in a no disqualification match, followingMatt Hardy's interference.[165] AtNo 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.[166] Later that night, Edge inserted himself into the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match after attackingKofi Kingston 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.[167] AtWrestleMania 25 on April 5, Edge lost the championship toJohn Cena in a Triple Threat match, which also included Big Show,[168] but regained the championship for a fifth time atBacklash on April 26, when he defeated Cena in aLast Man Standing match, after interference by Big Show.[169] After a successful defense against Jeff Hardy atJudgment Day on May 17,[170] he lost the title to Hardy atExtreme 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.[171] The following night onRaw, 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 adivorce.[172] On the June 15 episode ofRaw, Edge received his rematch for the World Heavyweight Championship in a triple threat match against both Hardy and Punk, but was pinned by Punk.[173]
Edge won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship (the unified version of theWorld Tag Team Championship from the Raw brand and theWWE Tag Team Championship from the SmackDown brand) withChris Jericho atThe Bash on June 28 after he and Jericho were inserted into what was originally a match between reigning championsThe Colóns andLegacy. The win made Edge a record-setting 12 time World Tag Team Champion.[174] On July 3, Edge suffered a tornAchilles tendon 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.[175] During Edge's absence, Jericho replaced him with Big Show (formingJeri-Show) and Jericho began to speak badly of Edge, mocking him for his injury.[176]
At theRoyal Rumble pay-per-view event on January 31, 2010, Edge returned from injury by entering theRoyal Rumble match 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.[177] AtElimination Chamber on February 21, after Chris Jericho won theWorld Heavyweight Championship, Edge challenged Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship atWrestleMania XXVI after a surprise attack on Jericho, turningface for the first time since 2004.[178] At WrestleMania on March 28, Edge failed to win the title.[179] Edge defeated Jericho in a steel cage match atExtreme Rules on April 25, ending their feud.[180]
On April 26, as part of2010 WWE draft, Edge was drafted to the Raw brand, also costing Randy Orton a title shot, by spearing him in a triple threat match againstBatista andSheamus.[181] On the April 30 episode ofSmackDown, 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 turningheel once again.[182] 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.[183] Edge and Orton met in a match at theOver the Limit pay-per-view on May 23, with the match resulting in a double countout.[184] AtFatal 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.[185] Edge then participated in the Raw Money in the Bank ladder match at theMoney in the Bank pay-per-view on July 18, but failed to win the briefcase, as it was won byThe Miz.[186] Edge then went on to participate in the main event ofSummerSlam on August 15 in a seven-on-seven elimination tag team match againstThe Nexus. Although he was eliminated byHeath Slater, his team was victorious.[187] On the 900th episode ofRaw, 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 theanonymous Raw General Manager, during which the general manager cost him several matches. AtNight of Champions on September 19, Edge participated in a six-pack elimination challenge for the WWE Championship, but once again failed to win the title.[188]
At theHell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 3, Edge defeatedJack Swagger.[189] The next night onRaw, he was traded back to SmackDown for CM Punk, due to him destroying the Anonymous Raw General Manager's computer, turningface once again .[190] On the October 15 episode ofSmackDown, he defeatedDolph Ziggler to become part of Team SmackDown atBragging Rights. At Bragging Rights on October 24, Edge won the match for Team SmackDown alongsideRey Mysterio, eliminating R-Truth, John Morrison and The Miz.
On the October 29 episode ofSmackDown, Edge defeated Rey Mysterio andAlberto Del Rio to become the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship atSurvivor Series. On the November 12 episode ofSmackDown, Edge lost his match withDavid Otunga, thanks toPaul Bearer's interference. Edge then kidnapped Bearer and used him to cost Kane his match withBig Show. 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.[191] On December 19, 2010, Edge defeatedKane,Rey Mysterio, andAlberto Del Rio in aTables, Ladders, and Chairs match atTLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs to win the World Heavyweight Championship for a record sixth time and making him a ten time World Champion.[192] Edge then defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Kane in a winning effort in a Last Man Standing match on the January 7 episode ofSmackDown, thus ending their feud.
At theRoyal Rumble on January 30, 2011, Edge successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship againstDolph Ziggler.[193] On the600th episode ofSmackDown 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 ManagerTheodore 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.[194] At theElimination Chamber 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.[195]Edge and Christian briefly reunited to defeat Del Rio and his bodyguardBrodus Clay on the March 11 episode ofSmackDown.[196] AtWrestleMania XXVII on April 3, Edge successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Del Rio.[197]
On the April 11, 2011, episode ofRaw, 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 ascervical 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.[198][199][200] Later that same week, on the April 15 episode ofSmackDown, Edge officially relinquished the World Heavyweight Championship, retiring as the World Heavyweight Champion while recapping his announcement and expressing gratitude over this happening now rather than when it was too late.[201]
On the April 22 episode ofSmackDown, Edge interrupted Alberto Del Rio's mock retirement party for him.[202] AtExtreme Rules on May 1, Edge helped his friend Christian defeat Del Rio in a ladder match to win the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.[203] AtSummerSlam on August 14, Edge was in Christian's corner for hisWorld Heavyweight Championship defense againstRandy Orton 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.[204] On the September 16 episode ofSmackDown, in his hometown of Toronto, Edge hostedThe Cutting Edge betweenMark Henry and the World Heavyweight Champion, Randy Orton. After the show went off the air, they heldEdge Appreciation Night to celebrate his career.
On March 31, 2012, Edge was inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame by Christian, duringWrestleMania XXVIII weekend.[205] Edge made a surprise appearance on the April 23, 2012 episode ofRaw, confronting his long-time rivalJohn Cena aboutBrock Lesnar.[206] On the September 21, 2012 episode ofSmackDown, Edge made an appearance addressingTeam Hell No.[207] Edge returned on the September 9, 2013, episode ofRaw in his hometown of Toronto where he hosted his talk showThe Cutting Edge havingDaniel Bryan as his special guest.[208]
Edge insulted Triple H in the segment, who retaliated by sending The Shield to attack Edge's friend Christian. Later that week, Edge hostedThe Cutting Edge on the September 13 episode ofSmackDown, where he mocked Randy Orton and watched as Orton's attack on Bryan backfired.[209] Edge and Christian hosted the December 29, 2014 episode ofRaw, where they held the first everCutting Edge Peep Show interviewingSeth Rollins, who, along withBig Show, attacked them. Rollins held Edge hostage, thus forcing John Cena to reinstatethe Authority. When Rollins tried to break Edge's neck anyway, Cena ended up making the save.[210] Edge returned on the January 2 episode ofSmackDown and with The Authority back in power, apologized to the pair for the Seth Rollins attack.
Edge and Christian appeared in a backstage segment on the September 7 episode ofRaw, where they were seen playing their trademark kazoos after a confrontation with Rollins. They later became 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 ofThe Cutting Edge Peep Show atFastlane 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 ofSmackDown, Edge hosted a special edition ofThe Cutting Edge with the men's SmackDownSurvivor Series team members as his guests and was later interrupted by the returningUndertaker. He later reunited with his 'Edgeheads'Zack Ryder andCurt Hawkins.[211] Edge was present at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in 2017 as his wifeBeth Phoenix was inducted. On April 7, 2018, Edge and Christian inducted the Dudley Boyz into the WWE Hall of Fame.[212] Later that year on October 16 at the1,000th episode ofSmackDown, Edge hostedThe Cutting Edge withSmackDown Women's ChampionBecky Lynch as his guest.[213]
At theSummerSlam pay-per-view event on August 11, 2019, Edge interruptedElias' performance and performed aspear on him, engaging in physical wrestling for the first time since his retirement.[214] This sparked rumours that Edge had been medically cleared to wrestle, which he denied.[215]
At the2020 Royal Rumble on January 26, Edge entered theMen's Royal Rumble match at the number 21 spot to the loudest crowd reaction of the show, competing in his firstprofessional wrestling match after a nine-year retirement.[216] He eliminated three participants, including former teammateRandy Orton, before being eliminated byRoman Reigns.[217] The following night onRaw, Edge was attacked by Orton,[218] leading to aLast Man Standing match between them on the second night ofWrestleMania 36 on April 5, which Edge won.[219][220] They had another match atBacklash on June 14, where Orton was victorious.[221] During the match, Edge suffered a torn triceps[222] and it was reported that the injury would sideline him for four to eight months.[223] After a seven-month hiatus, Edge returned on the January 25, 2021 episode ofRaw, where he declared that he would enter the2021 Royal Rumble match,[224] which he won after entering first, by last eliminating Orton.[225] 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.[225] The following night onRaw, Edge, with the help ofAlexa Bliss, defeated Orton to end their feud.[226]
AtElimination Chamber on February 21, Edge attackedWWE Universal ChampionRoman Reigns with the spear, making his decision to face him atWrestleMania 37.[227] At Fastlane on March 21, Edge attacked Daniel Bryan, costing him the title and turningheel for the first time since 2010.[228] On the March 26 episode ofSmackDown, Daniel Bryan was added to the match, making it atriple threat match.[229] On the second night of WrestleMania 37 on April 11, Edge ultimately lost the match to Reigns following the assistance fromJey Uso, thus becoming the first person to win the Royal Rumble twice and lose both championship matches at WrestleMania.[230][231] After a two-month hiatus, Edge made his return on the June 25 episode ofSmackDown, attacking both Reigns andJimmy Uso, turning face again.[232] The following day onTalking Smack, it was announced that Edge would face Reigns for the Universal Championship atMoney in the Bank.[233] At Money in the Bank on July 18, Edge was unsuccessful in capturing the title due to interference fromSeth Rollins.[234]
Over the following weeks, Edge and Rollins kept confronting and attacking each other until the August 6 episode ofSmackDown, where Edge challenged Rollins to a match atSummerSlam, which Rollins accepted, starting the feud.[235] At SummerSlam on August 21, Edge defeated Rollins by submission.[236] Edge then faced Rollins on the September 10 episode ofSmackDown[237] where Rollins won and attacked Edge post-match in order to hospitalize him.[238] As part of the2021 Draft, Edge was drafted to theRawbrand.[239] On the October 8 episode ofSmackDown, Edge challenged Rollins to aHell in a Cell match atCrown Jewel after Rollins broke into his house the previous week.[240][239] At Crown Jewel on October 21, Edge subsequently defeated Rollins to end their feud.[241] Edge returned on the November 29 episode ofRaw, where he was confronted byThe Miz.[242] The following week onRaw, after another heated verbal exchange between the two during a Miz TV segment, Miz challenged Edge to a match atDay 1, with Edge accepting.[243] At Day 1 on January 1, 2022, Edge defeated Miz with help from his wife,Beth Phoenix.[244] AtRoyal Rumble on January 29, Edge and his wife Beth Phoenix defeated The Miz and Maryse in amixed tag team match.[245]
On the February 21 show ofRaw, Edge reflected on all theWrestleMania moments in his career and then he issued an open challenge forWrestleMania 38.[246] The following week onRaw, his challenge was accepted byAJ Styles, but Edge viciously attacked him, turningheel.[247] In the buildup to WrestleMania, Edge debuted a new gimmick and a new entrance theme,The Other Side byAlter Bridge.[248] On the second night of WrestleMania 38 on April 3, Edge defeated Styles following a distraction byDamian Priest.[249] Edge formed a faction with Priest namedThe Judgment Day.[250] AtWrestleMania Backlash on May 8, Edge defeated Styles with the help ofRhea Ripley, who became the newest member of The Judgment Day.[251] AtHell in a Cell on June 5, The Judgment Day defeated Styles,Finn Bálor andLiv Morgan in asix-person mixed tag team match.[252] The next night onRaw, 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.[253]
AtSummerSlam on July 30, Edge returned as a face to helpThe Mysterios (Rey andDominik) win theirNo Disqualification match vs. The Judgment Day.[254] He also returned with his previous theme songMetalingus byAlter Bridge on the next show ofRaw.[255] AtClash at the Castle on September 3, Edge teamed up with Rey Mysterio to defeat The Judgment Day. After the match however, Dominik attacked Edge with a low blow and clotheslined his father Rey.[256] AtExtreme Rules on October 8, Edge was defeated by Bálor in an"I Quit" match after interference from Dominik, Priest and Ripley. After he said "I Quit", Ripley attacked his wife,Beth Phoenix (who also interfered during the match on his behalf), with a violent con-chair-to, causing her an injury (kayfabe).[257] After a 3-month hiatus, Edge returned at theRoyal Rumble on January 28, 2023, at #24 eliminating Bálor and Priest before being eliminated by them after interference from Dominik.[258] AtElimination Chamber on February 18, Edge and Phoenix defeated Bálor and Ripley in amixed tag team match despite interference from Dominik.[259] In a press conference after the event, Edge answeredAustin Theory's open challenge for theUnited States Championship.[260] On the nextRaw show, Edge failed to win the title after an interference from Finn Bálor.[261] On Night two ofWrestleMania 39, Edge defeated Bálor in aHell in a Cell match, finishing his rivalry with The Judgment Day.[262]
In the2023 WWE Draft, Edge was drafted to the SmackDownbrand.[263][264] Following being drafted to SmackDown, Edge would enter the tournament to crown the inauguralWorld Heavyweight Champion. On the May 12 episode ofSmackDown, Edge faced AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio in the first round of the tournament, but lost after being pinned by Styles.[265] On the July 7 episode ofSmackDown, Edge was interviewed byGrayson Waller onThe Grayson Waller Effect, where Edge shot down rumors of his retirement. Later that night, Edge defeated Waller and praised him, following the match.[266] On the August 18 episode ofSmackDown, which celebrated his 25 years with WWE, Edge defeated Sheamus in his hometown of Toronto in what would be his last appearance and match for WWE. Edge's contract with WWE expired on September 30.[267][268]
On October 1, 2023, Copeland debuted inAll Elite Wrestling (AEW) at the end of AEW'sWrestleDream PPV event under his real name and the "Rated R Superstar" monicker, savingSting andDarby Allin from an attack byChristian Cage,Luchasaurus, andNick Wayne.[269] During the post-event media scrum, it was revealed that Copeland signed a full-time multi-year contract with AEW.[270] Copeland began a feud with Cage, facing him and his stable,The Patriarchy, teaming with Allin & Sting to defeat them in a six-man tag team match atFull Gear on November 18.[271] Copeland went on to defeat Cage for theTNT Championship atWorlds End, but lost it back to Cage when Cage invoked the title shot earned by his Patriarchy member Killswitch (formerly Luchasaurus) earlier that night to get an immediate rematch, ending Copeland's reign in approximately three minutes.[272] Copeland regained the title in an"I quit" match on March 20, 2024, which started as the main event ofDynamite and concluded on a special liveRampage airing immediately after, ending their six-month feud.[273] Copeland defended the TNT Championship onDynamite andCollision in a series of open challenges, he dubbed "The Cope Open", successfully defending the title against the likes ofMatt Cardona,Penta El Zero Miedo,Buddy Matthews,Brody King &Kyle O'Reilly.[274][275][276][277][278] In March, Copeland began a feud with theHouse of Black (Malakai Black,Brody King &Buddy Matthews).[279] At theDynasty event on April 21, Copeland teamed withMark Briscoe &Eddie Kingston to face the House of Black in a six-man tag team match, but lost.[280] On May 26 atDouble or Nothing, Copeland successfully defended the TNT Championship vs.Malakai Black in abarbed wire steel cage match.[281] However, during the match, Copeland suffered a legitimate fractured tibia after leaping from the top of the cage, and was stripped of the title inkayfabe by AEW executive vice presidentsThe Young Bucks (Matthew Jackson and Nicholas Jackson) on the May 29 episode ofDynamite, ending his second reign at 70 days.[282]
After his return atWorlds End on December 28,[283] Copeland adopted the ring name "Cope",[284][285] and feuded with theAEW World ChampionJon Moxley, facing him on March 9, 2025 atRevolution, where he faced him for the title (which became athree-way match after Christian Cage invoked a title shot contract during the match)[286] and on the March 19 episode ofDynamite in astreet fight, but failed to win both matches[287] On April 6 atDynasty, Cope teamed withFTR (Cash Wheeler andDax Harwood) and unsuccessfully challenged theDeath Riders (Claudio Castagnoli,Pac, andWheeler Yuta) for theAEW World Trios Championship. After the match, FTR attacked Cope, turning heel in the process.[288]
Edge utilizes thespear as his finisher.[5] WWE announcerMichael 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".[289] He has also performed other finishers including alifting DDT called theEdgecution in WWE or theImpaler in AEW, and aninverted sharpshooter submission hold called theEdgecator.[290]
Weeks before his WWE debut in 1998,vignettes were aired depicting Edge as aloner, mysteriously roaming acrossNew York City in various locations such as on rooftops and thesubway. The vignettes also depicted him, asJim Ross described it on his debut, as "some sort of a tortured soul" by showing an excessive amount of rage and beating up on innocent pedestrians. A female voice is also heard describing who Edge's persona is and his characteristics, the same voice that would be used to say, "You think you know me?" in the opening of Edge's entrance themes throughout his career in WWE. Upon his debut, Edge would enter the arena through the crowd for his matches and would continue to do so until becoming a tag team with Christian. In a 2019 interview, Copeland described how "as much as it didn't make sense, I still knew that they [WWE] were trying to set me up as much as they could."[291][292]
Upon teaming with Christian and Gangrel, the group'sgimmick was that of a clan ofvampires, although they were often merely described by announcers as living a "gothic lifestyle". The trio would often make a dramatic entrance into arenas by emerging through a ring of fire onto the elevated stage floor, with Gangrel holding achalice of "blood". Gangrel would typically take a sip from the chalice and sometimes share it with Edge or Christian before spitting it towards the crowd. One of their signature moves was giving their opponents a "blood bath" either before or after a match, where the lights would go out, followed by Gangrel's red flashing entrance lights, and then the arena lights coming back on to reveal their target covered in "blood". All three members of the group had long blond hair, with Gangrel and Christian wearing white shirts and dark pants, while Edge stuck to his long leather coat from his previous persona before joining The Brood. Copeland has mentioned feeling insecure about his previous loner character and welcomed the opportunity to join The Brood, feeling it gave him the confidence he needed at the time.[44]
Following their victory at WrestleMania 2000, Edge & Christian began redefining themselves as avillainous duo of comedic, arrogant,surfer-styledteen idols. The two wrestlers no longer entered the arena through the crowd, instead engaging in various antics such as mocking their opponents and the city they were in. They used unique phrases like "reek of awesomeness" and wore outrageous costumes. One of their trademark moves was the "five-second pose" where they would strike odd poses in the ring for fans to take photos, often ridiculing their opponents or aspects of the local pride to rile up the crowd. This included mockingElvis Presley inMemphis or imitatingBill Buckner's 1986 World Series error at theKing of the Ring event inBoston.[293][294]
Upon being drafted toSmackDown! in 2002, Edge evolved as a determined singles competitor who claimed that the "future is now". During this period, Edge would have seen significant popularity and stronger rivalries.[295] Once Edge returned and turned heel in 2004, he would become cocky and brash, while also becoming more vicious and destructive than ever before in his pursuit for the World Heavyweight Championship.
After his affair with Lita was brought to television as an on-screen relationship in 2005, Edge began to adopt the persona of a villain who reveled in controversy, nicknamed "The Rated-R Superstar." This moniker was solidified when Edge and Lita performed a "live sex celebration" segment after he won his first WWE Championship in early 2006.[296][297] He is also nicknamed "The Master Manipulator" and "The Ultimate Opportunist" due to how he used the Money in the Bank briefcase along with other underhanded opportunities to win numerous World Titles.[298][299] When asked about the persona, Copleand stated that the "Rated-R Superstar" persona of Edge was similar to that of arockstar, "kind of like an 'Appetite for Destruction' eraGuns N' Roses, or 'Too Fast for Love' eraMötley Crüe; like this sleazy, slimy, pretty horrible person that you could picture crawling under the gutter to try and steal your girlfriend. He was that guy, and that, I always said, when I walked through the curtain, that's when I became 'Edge'. And as soon as I walked back through that curtain, I'm going to grab a coffee and I'm right back to being Adam."[300]
In 2012, WWE voted him as both the third-best World Heavyweight Champion and 20th-best wrestling villain in WWE history.[301] Hisentrance theme, "Metalingus" byAlter Bridge, was selected as the greatest in WWE history by the company in a 2013 list.[302]
In 2000, Copeland had acameo appearance as a road bandit in the fantasy movieHighlander: Endgame.[303] In March 2002, he appeared with other wrestlers on the quiz showWeakest Link. He was voted out in the first round, and the eventual winner wasKane.[304] On the August 6, 2006 episode ofMind of Mencia, he appeared as Edge as a commentator for "The Royal Religious Rumble". He punched out an actor playingL. Ron Hubbard to stopScientology from ruling the world and thenspeared another actor playingTom Cruise.[305] In March 2007, Copeland appeared alongsideRandy Orton,John Cena, andBobby Lashley onDeal or No Deal.[306] Weeks later, he appeared on the sketch comedy showMADtv.[306] He appeared in aSlim Jim commercial, in which his "spicy side" caused chaos in aDMV, a restaurant, and a hotel.[307]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.[308]
In June 2011, Copeland appeared as Thelo, an Abnormal, in theSanctuary episode "Into the Black".[309] 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.[310][311][312] Copeland appeared regularly in the Syfy seriesHaven, which started in July 2011, as Dwight Hendrickson, a troubled man whose affliction is revealed to be attracting bullets and who works as acleaner, 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.[313][314]WWE Studios releasedBending the Rules, in which Copeland starred, in 2012. WWE released the official trailer of the film on the February 28, 2012 episode ofRaw. 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 seriesGhost Mine.[315] In December 2014, Copeland made a cameo appearance in the music video for theIn-Flight Safety song "Destroy" as his Dwight Hendrickson character.[316] In July 2015, Copeland was nominated for aGolden Maple Award for Best Actor in a TV series which was broadcast in the U.S. for his role in Haven as Dwight Hendrickson.[317] On July 16, 2015, it was announced that Copeland would portrayAtom-Smasher in the second season ofThe Flash.[318][319] On February 21, 2016, Copeland and Christian began starring onThe Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness, a series on theWWE Network. On July 14, 2016, Copeland starred in the Canadian television seriesPrivate Eyes where he played Ben Fisk.[320] On July 26, 2016, it was announced that Copeland would playKjetill Flatnose on Season 5 and 6 of theVikings in a recurring role.[321][322] The series ended December 30, 2020.
On October 13, 2022, it was announced that Copeland would play Ares in thePercy Jackson and the Olympians TV series adaptation ofthe original book series, streaming onDisney+.[323]
Hisautobiography,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, who also wrote his wrestling autobiography himself in longhand, wrote the foreword to his book.[324]
In March 2016, Copeland appeared on CBC'sCanada Reads competition where he championed the bookMinister Without Portfolio by the English-born Canadian writer and authorMichael Winter.[325]
From March 2017 to September 2019, Copeland co-hosted theE&C's Pod of Awesomenesspodcast with Christian.[326][327] He has since left the podcast.[328]
On August 21, 2022, Edge was the subject of an episode of the documentary seriesBiography: WWE Legends.
Copeland lives inAsheville, North Carolina.[329] He began a relationship with Alannah Morley, the sister of wrestlerVal Venis, in 1998; they married on November 8, 2001,[330] and divorced on March 10, 2004.[331] He married Lisa Ortiz on October 21, 2004. Soon after marrying her, he began an affair with wrestlerLita, who was dating his friendMatt Hardy. The affair became public knowledge in February 2005,[332] resulting in Copeland and Ortiz divorcing on November 17, 2005.[333] Copeland and Elizabeth Kociański, who wrestles asBeth Phoenix in WWE, began a relationship together in 2011. They had a daughter in 2013 and a second daughter in 2016.[334][335] They were married on October 30, 2016 (his 43rd birthday).[336]
Copeland is a lifelong close friend of wrestlerChristian Cage.[337] He is a fan of theToronto Maple Leafs andNew Jersey Devils ice hockey teams,[338] and used to play ice hockey with retiredNHL playerAaron Downey.[339] He has said that he smoked one cigarette when he was 16, hated it, and has not smoked since.[340] He has several tattoos including a red and black sun on his left upper biceps which covers a former tattoo of a muscular shark, a star on his right upper biceps with several smaller stars and two skulls wearing bandanas adorned with flowers and hearts, a cross on his left forearm, and a scroll adorned with the words "Rise Above". All of his tattoos represent a stage in his career.[337]
In March 2007,Sports Illustrated investigated a steroid andhuman growth hormone (hGH) ring used by a number of professional athletes in several sports. An article mentioned several current and former WWE wrestlers, including Copeland, who was alleged to have obtained hGH.[341] Copeland previously admitted to using steroids in April 2004 as an experiment after neck surgery, but said he felt like they slowed him down so he quickly stopped using them.[342] According to Copeland, he took hGH after returning from a spinal fusion neck surgery because doctors told him that it would help the bones grow back around the screws and plate that were inserted into his neck.[343] ASports Illustrated article in August 2007 named Copeland as one of 10 wrestlers who were found to have purchased steroids and other drugs from an online pharmacy in violation of WWE's Talent Wellness program. He was said to have received the growth hormones somatropin and genotropin, as well as the steroidstanozolol, between September 2004 and February 2007.[344][345]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1999 | Beyond the Mat | Himself | Uncredited |
| 2000 | Highlander: Endgame | Lachlan | |
| 2012 | Bending the Rules | Nick Blades | |
| 2015 | Dumb Luck | Cameron | Short film |
| 2016 | Interrogation | Lucas Nolan | |
| 2020 | Money Plane | Jack Reese | |
| Television | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2002 | Weakest Link | Edge | 1 episode |
| 2004 | Ministry of Mayhem | Edge | 1 episode |
| 2006 | Mind of Mencia | Edge | Season 2, episode 13: "Royal Religious Rumble" |
| 2007 | Deal or No Deal | Edge | 1 episode |
| MADtv | Cornell Overstreet / Edge | 1 episode | |
| 2011 | Sanctuary | Thelo | 2 episodes |
| 2011–2015 | Haven | Dwight Hendrickson | Recurring role, 42 episodes |
| 2013 | Ghost Mine | Himself | Host - 1 episode |
| 2015 | The Flash | Al Rothstein / Atom Smasher | Season 2, episode 1: "The Man Who Saved Central City" |
| 2016 | Canada Reads | Himself | 4 episodes |
| Private Eyes | Ben Fisk | Season 1, episode 8: "I Do, I Do" | |
| Bookaboo | Himself | 2 episodes | |
| 2017–2020 | Vikings | Kjetill Flatnose | Recurring role, 25 episodes |
| 2020 | Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series | Sledge (voice) | Season 2, episode 5: "Clint Eatswood" |
| 2024 | Percy Jackson and the Olympians | Ares | 3 episodes |
| Music Videos | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Song | Artist | Role |
| 2014 | "Destroy" | In-Flight Safety | Dwight Hendrickson |
| Awards and nominations | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2015 | Golden Maple Awards | Best Actor in a TV series broadcast in the U.S[346] | Haven | Nominated |
| 2024 | Children's and Family Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performer[347] | Percy Jackson and the Olympians | Nominated |
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edge (hair) | Kurt Angle (hair) | Nashville, Tennessee | Judgment Day | May 19, 2002 | [63] |
One showdown guaranteed to have the crowds on their feet is the billed world heavyweight championship bout between Edge, real name Adam Joseph Copeland, and titleholder John Cena
I was born weighing 10 pounds 12 ounces at 7:05 A.M. on October 30, 1973, at the Orangeville Hospital.
To Raw's newest tag team ... [Chris] Benoit & captured the World Tag Team Championship in front of their native Canadian fans by defeating Ric Flair & Batista
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