Edge: A Man Deserving of the HOF

Growing up, my family made many trips to Canada where I had an Aunt living at the time. To be completely honest, I wasn’t particularly crazy about the trip. It was long; Canada was cold (I’m from Texas) and the people all spoke with a really strange accent.  My dad knew I wasn’t crazy about the trips so being the great Dad he was, he always came up with something for us guys to do while we were up there. Typically that meant we were going to a Blue Jays game or to see the Argonauts do their thing. But on July 24, 1999 my dad surprised me with two tickets to a WWF House Show in Toronto, Ontario. This was the first time I’d ever been to a WWF event; I was only 10 so I don’t really remember too much. But there was one thing I distinctly remember and that was Adam Copeland, more popularly known as The Rated R Superstar Edge.

That night Edge beat Jeff Jarrett for the Intercontinental Championship, therefore winning his first ever singles championship. Seeing him hold that belt in the air in front of all of his Canadian fans instantly made him a favorite of mine. And to this day he remains in my Top 5 favorite wrestlers in WWE History. You could tell in his face that he was a man who truly loved the business and what he got to do each and every night in the ring. He inspired me that day to pursue the things that I loved to do. At 10, that meant I was setting up Backyard Wrestling Rings on the neighbors Trampoline. Obviously I’m not doing that today but I still pursue each dream that I’ve had. Since I was 18 years old, I wanted to become a Writer and Motivational Speaker. A couple of speaking gigs and a columnist job later, I’ve succeeded in making those dreams come true. I credit some of that to Adam Copeland and the passion he had for doing what he loved to do.

All the way from the Brood to those who with the benefit of flash photography, Edge had some of the most epic tag-team matches the WWE will ever see. And in a time where Tag Teams are practically non-existent, it’s easy to be nostalgic with the memories of Edge and Christian putting on classics with the Hardy Boyz and the Dudley Boyz. I remember watching Wrestlemania 16 and seeing Edge and Christian win the WWF Tag Team Championships in one of the best ladder matches of all time. Aside from the Jericho/Angle/Benoit match, this Wrestlemania would’ve been a complete waste if it hadn’t been for the efforts of Edge and the five other guys in the ring with him. Edge would go on to be a 14 Time Tag Team Champion, winning championships with Christian, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, Hulk Hogan and Randy Orton.

At New Year’s Resolution in 2005, Edge would earn his “opportunistic” nickname when he cashed in the Money in the Bank briefcase against a beaten John Cena. On that night Edge could officially call himself a WWE Champion. While Cena has quite a few people that can’t stand him, people still enjoyed seeing him in the ring when it came to his rivalry with Edge. Their rivalry would include sneak attacks with brass knuckles, slapping fathers, getting thrown into a river and getting fu’ed through multiple tables. Edge was the villain that you loved to hate. He pushed himself to the limit in each match that he was in and more often than not left the audience in awe of what he could do. Whether it was live sex celebrations or barricading himself inside an Elimination Chamber pod, you always knew that Edge was going to do something. So it was only fitting that the man left the WWE as the World Heavyweight Champion and tearing apart a car with his best friend. The rest feels like history as Edge would go on to become an 11 Time Major Champion (7 World Heavyweight Championships, 4 WWE Championships) in the WWE.

Edge has made his share of poor decisions in life as we all have. Some will point to his affair with Amy Dumas (Lita) and the steroid use in his early career in attempts to make the man look like a bad person. But the truth is, Copeland was anything but a bad guy. He’s credited by many superstars and divas as being the nicest guy in the locker room. Many of those same superstars and divas credit him for working with them in the ring to help them get better. Sure he did things that people could sit back and judge…but haven’t we all? I respect the man for everything that he did in the ring and a lot of the things he did outside of it. He was a man that loved the business, the people he worked with and the many that sat behind their television sets and watched him each night. He gave so much of himself to all of us that he physically could not continue to do what he loves so much. And that my friend…is a man that is truly deserving of being in the Hall of Fame. I understand the complaints that guys like The Rock and Randy Savage should have already been in. Not only do I understand those complaints, I wholeheartedly agree with them. But regardless of how long or short he has been away and who has or has not been already inducted, Edge still deserved this. And it will be a special day for fans like myself that watched this man since his very first day in the WWE. I’ll remember Edge for all that he did, for all that he gave and for the many memories that came along with his WWE Career. I guess I really only have three words left to say…thank you Edge.