Edge

* WrestleMania 27
* WrestleMania 25
* Unforgiven '06
* WrestleMania 22

**Adam Joseph Copeland** (born October 30, 1973), better known by his ring name **Edge**, is a Canadian actor and professional wrestler known for his long tenure in the professional wrestling promotion WWE, where he is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.

## Background

### Pre-WrestleMania

On May 10, 1996, Copeland (as Sexton Hardcastle) replaced Bob Holly's opponent on short notice in the opening match of a WWF house show in Hamilton, Ontario.

### WrestleMania XXIV (2008)

On the February 1 episode of SmackDown, Assistant General Manager Theodore Long announced that at No Way Out, an Elimination Chamber match would be held to determine the number one contender to the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania. The Undertaker won the match by last eliminating Batista.

On the following episode of SmackDown, Edge predicted that The Undertaker's 15–0 undefeated streak at WrestleMania would come to an end once he defeated him. Two weeks later, on the March 7 episode of SmackDown, the team of Edge and Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder defeated The Undertaker in a Handicap match, in which one wrestler faces a team of two or more wrestlers, after Edge pinned The Undertaker following a takedown variation called the spear. The following week, Edge, Hawkins, Ryder, and Chavo Guerrero, a group of aligned wrestlers, defeated Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels in a Steel Cage match, where the ring was surrounded by walls of steel. During the match, Undertaker interfered and attacked Hawkins, Ryder, and Guerrero. The Undertaker used a Double chokeslam on Hawkins and Ryder and a Tombstone Piledriver on Guerrero. As Undertaker was attacking Guerrero, however, Edge escaped the cage and won the match for his team. The next week on SmackDown, Edge, along with Vickie Guerrero, Hawkins, and Ryder, held a mock burial, entitled "Burial of The Undertaker's WrestleMania Undefeated Streak," to celebrate Edge's early victory over The Undertaker. During the "burial", however, The Undertaker emerged from a casket, which was inside the ring, and attacked Edge, Hawkins, and Ryder, knocking Hawkins and Ryder outside the ring and chokeslamming Edge through the casket.

### WrestleMania XXV (2009)

Following the main event of the March 2 episode of Raw, SmackDown general manager Vickie Guerrero announced that her storyline husband, Edge, would defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Big Show at WrestleMania. A contract to be signed to make the match official was intended to be held on the following episode of SmackDown; however, John Cena, from whom Edge won the World Heavyweight Championship at the previous month's pay per view, No Way Out (in the Elimination Chamber match), interfered with the signing before whispering a message in Vickie's ear prompting the signing to be canceled. On the March 9 episode of Raw, Vickie announced to the surprise of Edge and The Big Show that Cena would be in the match making it a Triple Threat match, a standard wrestling match involving three wrestlers that is won after one wrestler scores a decision. It was soon revealed that the match would involve the new challenger based on Cena extorting Guerrero with footage of the general manager having adulterous relations with The Big Show.

On the March 16 episode of Raw, Edge, his wife Vickie Guerrero and Vickie's lover Big Show were set to confront John Cena. Due to Cena revealing the affair between Vickie and Big Show, much to the chagrin of all three. As a result, Guerrero arranged a match pitting Edge against Cena with herself serving as a special guest referee. With all that misdirected hostility focused on Cena, who could not touch Vickie lest he sacrifice his World Title Match at WrestleMania, a lopsided confrontation seemed inevitable. As Edge and Cena battled, Big Show walked down the ramp toward the ring. When he arrived, Edge joined him in tying Cena up within the ring ropes. Fittingly, each drove their anger in his direction: Edge speared him, Vickie slapped him and Big Show drove his giant fist into Cena's ribs several times before clocking him in the jaw. Edge then speared Big Show, and sent a message that he would retain his title at WrestleMania.

### WrestleMania XXVI (2010)

At The Bash in 2009, Edge and Chris Jericho established a tag team partnership when they won the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship that night. Their partnership was short lived as Edge suffered a torn achilles tendon and had to vacate his half of the championship. Jericho distanced himself from Edge, crediting himself for all of the team's success.

Edge made his return from injury at the Royal Rumble, where he won the 23rd annual Royal Rumble match, earning himself an opportunity to fight for either the WWE Championship or the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXVI. In the main event of the Elimination Chamber event three weeks later, Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship in an Elimination Chamber match. The following night on *Raw*, Edge challenged Jericho for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania after spearing him.

### WrestleMania XXVII (2011)

Alberto Del Rio won the 40-man Royal Rumble match in 2011 and challenged Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. This led to a series of assaults from Del Rio to Edge in the following weeks. However, Edge was joined by the returning Christian, who aided Edge from Del Rio and his bodyguard Brodus Clay, and proceeded to be in Edge´s corner at WrestleMania.

## In wrestling

* **Finishing moves**
	+ *Buzzkiller / Edgecution / Impaler DDT* (Lifting DDT, sometimes from an elevated position) – 1998–2002; used as a signature move thereafter; adopted from Gangrel
	+ *Downard Spriral* (Reverse STO) – 1998–2000
	+ *Edgecator* (Kneeling inverted sharpshooter) – Innovated
	+ *Killswitch* (Inverted double underhook facebuster) – 2011; adopted from Christian
* **Signature moves**
	+ **​**Diving crossbody
	+ *Edge-O-Matic* (Sitout rear mat slam)
* **Entrance themes**
	+ **​**"You Think You Know Me" by Jim Johnston (June 22, 1998)
	+ **"Metalingus"** by Alter Bridge (November 1, 2004 − April 3, 2011)

## Championships and accomplishments

* **World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE**
	+ WCW United States Championship (1 time)
	+ World Heavyweight Championship (7 times)
	+ WWE Championship (4 times)
	+ WWF/E Intercontinental Championship (5 times)
	+ WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Rey Mysterio (1) and Chris Jericho (1)
	+ WWF/World Tag Team Championship (12 times) – with Christian (7), Hollywood Hulk Hogan (1), Chris Benoit (2), Randy Orton (1) and Chris Jericho (1)
	+ King of the Ring (2001)
	+ Money in the Bank (2005)
	+ Royal Rumble (2010)
	+ Gold Rush Tournament (2005)
	+ Championship Chase Tournament (2008)
	+ WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)
	+ Slammy Award (2 times)
		- Couple of the Year (2008) – with Vickie Guerrero
		- "Oh Snap" Meltdown of the Year (2010) – Destroying the Anonymous Raw General Manager's computer
	+ Fourteenth Triple Crown Champion
	+ Seventh Grand Slam Champion (under the current format)

## Trivia

* Edge's left arm in his *WrestleMania 25* and *27* attires is missing a star tattoo in *WWE 2K14*, luckily it was fixed in *WWE 2K15* as part of *One More Match* showcase.