April 15, 2011
“Congratulations Edge” may seem like a strange title for this commentary, considering he’s a good friend of mine and he just announced his sudden retirement due to a serious neck injury, but I’ve seen posts all over the net titled, “Remembering Edge”, or “My memories of Edge” and they sound like obituaries. I have had to write far too many wrestling obituary, and I have no intention of having this tribute come off as one. While a career ending neck injury is certainly tragic, in no way shape or form is the story of Edge’s career a tragic one, so I will not allow this to be a sad commentary.
If you haven’t read Edge’s book, “Adam Copeland: On Edge” you really should because it gives you a great perspective on how much of a success story Adam Copeland’s life really is. He was a kid with a dream and nothing more at his disposal to achieve that dream, other than determination, a miserable bastard of a best friend with the same dream, and an awesome mom.
He won a contest to get into wrestling school, made his wrestling debuted in 1992, had his first WWE match in 1996, was signed by WWE in 1997, and debuted on Monday Night RAW in 1998.
His WWE accomplishments include:
A King of the Ring winner
A 2 time Money in the Bank Winner
A Royal Rumble Winner
A United States Heavyweight Champion
5 time Intercontinental Champion: One of which he won from me
14 Tag Team Title runs: One of which he lost to his best friend and me.
11 WWE or World Heavyweight Titles
He wrestled at 11 WrestleManias, 4 of which he competed in the WWE or World Title match, on 3 occasions he was the reigning Champ going in, and at WrestleMania 24, in front of 74,635 fans he Main Evented the show defending the World Heavyweight Title against the Undertaker. There is nothing left for this man to accomplish, except a Hall of Fame induction, which is something you have to retire to achieve anyway.
After a 19 year career, he has achieved more than even his wildest dreams, as a kid, could have imagined, he still has the same best friend (still a miserable bastard), and his mom (if I can borrow an old Edge-ism) still very much reeks of awesomeness. I could not be happier for him or prouder to call him a friend.
Before I wrap this up I will add a few personal notes, from my career with Edge, because Edge was a huge part of my time in WWE. We first met in 1995 working one of Tony Condello’s Winnipeg “Death Tours”, so when I arrived in WWE in 2001, we became friends pretty quick. We were travel partners on the road and so many of my WWE firsts involved my good friend.
My first WWE PPV match was at the Invasion PPV where Mike Awesome and I teamed up to face Edge and Christian. My first and only WWE singles match on PPV was at Summer Slam 2001 where I lost the Intercontinental Title to Edge. My debut match at New York’s Madison Square Garden was my infamous 1:08 match with Edge where I failed in my attempt to regain the IC Title. My first WWE World Tag Team title run came when Christian and I defeated Edge and Hulk Hogan at Vengeance 2002.
With the exception of my tag run with William Regal all of my best times in WWE involved the Edgemiester. He was the one who pants’d me on national TV to reveal my Power Ranger underwear; I spent all afternoon with him at SkyDome in Toronto before WrestleMania 18 practicing that ill fated Edge-a-rooni, and it was he and I who sang the “Humpty Hump” together at 2 am to stay awake during the driving from Yuma, AZ back to Tucson for a SD taping.
And if those weren’t great times enough how about the time Edge came out to visit me while recuperating from neck fusion surgery and I took him out to a local pub to shoot darts. While standing in the pub watching SD, this detail conscious idiot decides to demonstrate proper cross face technique on his friend, completely forgetting the IMPORTANT DETAIL of his recently BROKEN NECK. I probably have a receipt coming.
Congratulation my friend, you had an amazing career, and I am so proud to have been a part of it. I have no doubt many great things lie ahead for you including the Hall of Fame. Enjoy some much deserved time off. When you are done catching up with your Mom, your Dogs, and everyone else you need to spend time with, I hope you find your way out west to visit me. My door is always open and Tina’s cooking is worth the trip.
All the best my friend,
Lance Evers
P.S. When the HOF induction does come, I’d appreciate a heads up, I’d really like to be there for it.
