Now we’ve gotten to the point where not just my childhood heroes, but the superstars of my second go-'round in pro wrestling are falling off.
I knew something was wrong last Monday when Edge hit the Spear on Brodus Clay and grabbed at the back of his neck and stayed down. It didn’t look good then, and the MRIs they took immediately after backed that up.
In a strange way, I’m happy about this. From what I understand, Edge saved his money better than Flair did, and furthermore, and more importantly, MRI technology pointed out pretty strongly that the reasons for the numbness and uncontrollable trembling in his arms weren’t going to go away.
Spinal fusion surgery + 300 days on the road, doing yourself that kind of damage- it’s lucky they found out when they did, especially given that his next PPV match was to be a ladder match.
The outcome might be predetermined, but it sure ain’t fake. Thanks for the memories, Edge, and thank God you discovered this in time to avoid being crippled.
As sad as it is, I’m glad he gets to go out at the top of his game, with dignity, and hopefully with health enough to have a fulfilling life. Unlike a whole lot of wrestlers of his caliber.
He retires as World Champion and his last big match was a championship victory at WrestleMania, you can’t finish on a better note than that. Plus, given that a huge part of his draw is his charisma, I foresee a bright non-wrestling future for him in the WWE.
A loss of a great entertainer. So many wrestlers saying, “There but for the grace of Og go I”, except Hulk Hogan who, true to form, is being a douche-bag.
From HH’s twitter
I guess he forgot that neck surgeries are exactly what caused Stone Cold and AA (Arn Anderson) to retire. Or maybe he forgot that both Steve Austin and Edge both had many productive years following neck surgery.
He forgets that he hasn’t “wrestled” in years (and when he did he was getting carried), and the only reason he “performs” any more is because he needs to make sure the alimony checks don’t bounce.
Fuck him. He’s an ego-driven asshole who doesn’t realize that his time is done. And thank goodness the reputable (shudder) dirt sheets are refusing to print those.
Edge was never my favorite, but he was one hell of a worker and I always enjoyed watching him do his thing. He’d be a great on-screen manager for some of the new talent, and a heck of a road agent if he wants to be one.
This post confused me at first. I somehow skimmed over the reference to Hogan in this sentence, and misread the HH as HHH… While I wouldn’t be surprised if HHH were a jerk IRL, or tweeting in character, the stuff about not knowing Edge’s working conditions made no sense for either.
(Though now I wonder what HHH and the MacMahons are saying about Edge’s retirement.)
Anyway. Good for him, getting out before he messes himself up any worse.
As for the McMahons, Vince gave Edge a microphone and no script or time limit for his two TV shows. To me, that says tons about the respect he has for Edge.
FordTaurusSHO94, I loved that match. I think Shawn did that because Hogan was being a dick. Shawn was willing to do the job, but when approached about a 3 match series where Shawn would win the middle match, Hogan wouldn’t accept that and had to have all three.
It’s a shame the injury ended his career. Edge didn’t really hit his stride until I’d stopped following wrestling, but I have seen a few of his matches. Great talent, good talker and a solid hand in the ring. Apparently he’s a lot wiser than most, too. Saved his money so that now he’s set for life.
I was at WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta earlier this month, and seeing Edge (and Miz) defend their world titles was one of the highlights of the show to me. They’re my favorite current performers, and this was the first live event I’d seen since watching The Hollywood Blondes wrestle Ricky Steamboat and Shane Douglas for the WCW tag team titles circa 1992.
I was actually a little disappointed that Del Rio didn’t go over, but I’m glad he was booked to retain and I am hoping that they give Christian the nod at Extreme Rules, even if he’ll be nothing more than a transitional champion. Maybe, with luck, he can use Edge’s dynasty and goodwill to get over that final hump and turn it into a real main event push.
Now knowing that this was his last major match, the show means so much more to me, and I actually teared up a little during the show of locker room respect at the end of this past week’s SmackDown!. I love it when kayfabe is disregarded to honor the performers like that. I really hope he does disappear with his dogs for a while, like he said he would, but I also hope he comes back eventually. He has the charisma and mic skills to be an amazing commentator, manager, or some other on-air personality.
Exactly. Go out champion, off the biggest show of the year.
OTOH, I hope he takes some time to enjoy something of a real life. Go on vacation where he can lie around and enjoy the sights instead of flying in, running to the arena, running back to the airport to fly somewhere else. Enjoy traipsing around his house and his neighborhood. Relax, rest, heal.
Honestly, I hope that he does NOT come back to wrestling in another role. Not because I don’t like him. No, I have enormous respect for the man. But because it sounds like he doesn’t need it, and I truly think he should take the opportunity to see what life holds outside of the WWE travel schedule.
Like was pointed out somewhere else, Andre died 18 years ago.
Hogan’s entire life now is pain and surgery. Just to be able to walk around and/or sit down. He’s a Dumbass AND a Douchebag. I keep hoping that at some point, his injuries become too much for him to be able to physically manage his current attempt at burying TNA under the waste products produced by his enormous ego.
When I say I hope he comes back, I mean years from now. He’s not even 40 yet, and has a lot of time to rest and relax, and hope he does, but I also enjoy him as a personality, and would like to see him again. Not like Foley, Flair, or Hogan, but someone like The Rock. Plus, the business is in his blood. He was voted most likely to be World Champion in high school. It’s not like he’ll come back because he has to (again, like Flair or Hogan), but because he wants to.
Hogan doesn’t let facts get in the way. Henning died too, Hardy probably will soon, and Anderson and Orndorff both quit roughly fifteen years ago due to injuries. Arn’s was even neck related.
I remember his retirement speech, where he mentioned numbness in the arm (same as Edge). Wikipedia says his retirement was due to “extensive neck and upper back injuries”.
