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In a move that nobody say coming, WWE world heavyweight champion Edge retired on WWE RAW. Adam Copeland said that he is retiring under doctor’s orders after experiencing tingling before WrestleMania 27. The thirteen year WWE career of the Rated R Superstar is officially over.

This was a definite shocker. Generally these kinds of stories travel fast and someone within the pro wrestling media reports the news well ahead of time. Tonight’s announcement came out of left field. There hadn’t been a peep of anything wrong with Edge lately. Needless to say the entire pro wrestling community is stunned and saddened by the news.

Edge delivered a very long promo on RAW talking about his journey to the WWE from fan in the crowd to wrestling The Undertaker at WrestleMania. Edge seemed genuine but the skeptic in me is always wondering whether a retirement speech is work or shoot. Most of the time these kinds of retirement speeches are usually a part of a wrestling angle. Unfortunately all signs point to this one being legitimate.

Hearing the news really makes you appreciate the effort Edge put out there at WrestleMania 27 against Alberto Del Rio. If not for the dramatic Triple H vs. The Undertaker match, Edge vs. Del Rio was arguably match of the night. Regardless, Edge wrestled a heck of a match especially when you take into account the risk he took with every move after hearing the news from his doctor. The news may explain the predictable Christian heel turn never happened and as well as Christian’s strong push over Del Rio in the final weeks leading into WrestleMania 27. Now explain to me why Del Rio didn’t go over.

I can’t recall anyone randomly retiring like this other than Shawn Michaels back in 1998. The big difference was that Shawn didn’t give a speech and went away quietly. Michaels retired due to back injuries yet wound up making a remarkable comeback in 2002. The difference is that Michaels was 32 years old when he retired and didn’t make the kind of money that Edge made at the top of his career. Edge is retiring at 37 with a lot of money in the bank and if this is all true, isn’t likely to risk his golden years for another WrestleMania moment.

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I think Edge will be remembered fondly for the most part by wrestling fans of this generation. Edge was always a guy that worked hard and tried to steal the show. He was a big innovator early on as part of an exciting series of matches against the Hardys. His heel run in 2005 was one of the best of the last several years. He has generally brought it at WrestleMania and really doesn’t have any bad matches on the big stage. In all fairness he did get incredibly stale the last few years so being forced out may actually do him some favors when it comes to his legacy.

For the WWE, this is a huge blow. Edge was one of their biggest and most recognizable WWE superstars. He was a main-eventer that could constantly be counted on for strong promos and hard matches. With The Undertaker and Triple H winding down their careers, this leaves only John Cena and Randy Orton to carry the show once those guys retire.

If there was ever a time to start making new stars, the time is certainly now.

Pre-order WWE WrestleMania 27 DVD

Brock Lesnar’s autobiography – Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival

WWE – Edge: A Decade of Decadence DVD

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