page_title: Edge (wrestler)
section_title: La Familia (2007–2009)
hierarchical_section_title: Edge (wrestler) / Professional wrestling career / World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE / La Familia (2007–2009)
caption_attribution_description: English: Edge at WrestleMania XXIV
context_page_description: Adam Joseph Copeland is a Canadian professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Edge, and is currently inactive due to injury.
  Copeland was trained by professional wrestlers Sweet Daddy Siki and Ron Hutchison. Throughout the 1990s, he wrestled in various United States independent promotions. During his time in these promotions, he competed in singles and tag team competition, the latter with longtime best friend Jason Reso. In 1997, Copeland signed a developmental deal with the WWF and was rebranded as the storyline brother of Christian, Reso's WWF persona. He made his televised debut the following June under the ring name Edge. In July 1999, he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship at a house show in Toronto, marking his first title reign with the company. Edge and Christian, billed as brothers and later childhood friends in WWF/WWE storylines, went on to win the WWF Tag Team Championship 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.
context_section_description: 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, and so far only, not to do so in the ladder match.
  On the May 11 episode of SmackDown!, World Heavyweight Champion The Undertaker retained his title against Batista in a steel cage match. Then, Mark Henry 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, in a Steel Cage match at One Night Stand, and a third and final time by count out in a last chance match at Vengeance. 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 title. Edge was forced to relinquish the World title due to a legitimately torn left pectoral muscle injury on the July 20 episode of SmackDown! following an attack by Kane.
  On November 18, at Survivor Series, Edge made his return, interfering in a World Heavyweight Championship Hell in a Cell match between Batista and The Undertaker. The following SmackDown! show saw Edge and General Manager Vickie Guerrero make their relationship public, making his official in-ring return in a World title match against Batista on November 30, a match that ended after The Undertaker interfered. At Armageddon, Edge won his second World Heavyweight Championship, after giving The Undertaker two chair shots 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. Edge also formed an alliance with Chavo Guerrero, nephew of Vickie Guerrero, and on the January 22, 2008 broadcast of ECW, he assisted Chavo in winning the ECW Championship from CM Punk. This group 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 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. 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 title 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, 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, 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 fired from the WWE. At the event on June 1, Edge would defeat the Undertaker after interference from Chavo Guerrero and Bam Neely, 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, E
caption: Edge before facing Undertaker at WrestleMania XXIV in 2008
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