Major WWE superstar retires through injury

[Super Cena]

It's a shame that he couldn't have gone out at Toronto as he wished but, as has been said already, it's a blessing that he's able to say goodbye without being confined to a wheelchair - or worse.

 

I hadn't read this thread before I watched Raw this morning but I'd seen the title so I was curious as to who it was going to be. I mean this in the best way possible - at least it wasn't a young up-and-coming guy. Edge has made his money and carved out a legacy for himself; between the money that he's earned, future appearances and royalties, he's set up for life.

 

His career will never be talked about in the same breath as the likes of Hunter, Austin, Hogan, Cena or Taker's etc, but he definetley had one of the best runs throughout the 00's of anybody in WWE.

 

His initial Rated-R phase w/ Lita, TLC match against Cena, MITB win etc was one of the highlights of the past decade. His mid-air spear at Mania 17 was one of the best looking bumps ever.

 

It was a very good and emotional promo that he cut.

[darepool]

I echo what others say, it's a shame he doesn't get to go out on terms but unlike 99% of guys he's going out on top by being a World Champion.

It's scary to think that many hundreds of wrestlers around the world are wrestling every week without this high level of medical care available. With the 'new generation' has come alot more big bumps and he is a symbol of that.

[The Amence One]

RAW GM now mabye? I can't see WWE giving up on him completly while he still has drawing power, not when it's not really been his choice to retire....

[Super Cena]

I'm wondering who's going to step in to fill the void left by Edge then. They seem to prefer to have SD headed by a face at the top and I can't see Christian being able to carry Smackdown. It has already been proven that Mysterio can't carry the weight of the show on his shoulders. Del Rio will no doubt carry the belt heading into the summer months, feuding with Christian. However, when they eventually look toward a face that they can put the belt back on I'm not sure if Christian would be capable of anything more than a short reign.

 

Unfortunately, it'll more than likely be simply a case of Orton getting drafted over to fill in the gap.

[Smeg_&_The_Heads]

Hulk Hogan who was Edge's childhood hero and the reason he wanted to become a wrestler made this tweet about Edge.

 

if any of the guys like me,Flair,Hardy,Andre,AA,Blanchard,orndoff,Henning would have listened to doctors we would have quit15yrsago

 

but I don't know Edges working environment because they are a media company not a wrestling company. HH wrestlers work hurt!

 

Great examples Hogan a bunch of injured-dead guys and messed up guys

 

Why retire when you can rather than end up dead or in a wheelchair and in pain 24/7 to prove just how tough you are

[Baz Windham]

Sad stuff, I knew he wouldn't be around too much longer but it's very out of the blue now, as i'm sure it was for him. He seems like a great bloke in interviews and always seems a massive fan. He's had a fantastic career when all is said and done though and hopefully they can find a non-wrestling role on TV for someone so talented, Raw GM is a possibility but that would take some explaining. He might not be looked back on as an Austin, Hogan etc in years to come but for pure WWE guys he's definately not far off. Trying to think of someone on his level and perhaps a Mick Foley type legend? Never the massive star but hold a very special place in history.

 

He's a bit of a special one for me as from when i got back into wrestling he'd just started and i've seen him rise and rise since and he's always been in it, I can't think of anyone else that matches that description. He's had countless memorable matches throughout his various periods and a classic rise to the top that you don't see to often these days or certainly not in such a steady manner, Loads of Tag titles, then mid carder for quite a few years with various mid card title reigns then main eventer for the last 5 years with about a dozen (some very short) reigns totalling up to a ridiculous number of total title wins which will always set him apart from some, even if they're not 'real' titles.

 

He's certainly leaving a big hole, but a great legacy.

[Super Cena]

^ In response to what Hogan tweeted, it's statements like that which make them look like they're still stuck in the 80's. Saying that "wrestlers work hurt" sounds like a very disrespectful thing to say publicly about Edge, who's obviously doing the sensible thing.

 

I don't watch UFC but one thing that is very appealing about their product is that for the most part they come across as all being young, hungry guys. A couple of years ago, people were dismissing WWE saying that they were screwed because of their failure to bring in any new stars. Then they brought in a ton of new, fresh guys (or elevated others) such as Del Rio, Miz, Punk, Ziggler, Morrison etc and their product is now the best it's been in years.

 

As long as the likes of Flair, Bischoff and Hogan are perceived as being the face of TNA, they'll struggle to attract a large number of fans who want to see younger, 'cooler' guys on their screens.

[Cobra1000]

I'm so, so gutted. I didn't expect this at all when I got up to watch Raw. At the start I was ah its a work, but as it progressed it dawned on me it wasn't and I was getting more and more upset.

 

I know a lot of people see his 11 title reigns as ridiculous, and maybe so but he earned it, he was probably the one superstar that benifitted from the brand split, the title went on him, because he was over and he was good. He has had a lot of amazing matches over the years and I'm absolutely gutted to see him go. I guess we know the reason why he was kinda lacklustre this past year, but he had some good matches with Ziggler and his fued (and Mania match) with Del Rio were great.

 

Edge said that he grew up in front of all the fans, and for me I grew up watching Edge on TV. His whole career. With Michaels and Flair I knew who they were, I knew the legacy, I felt the emotion, watched the matches. but I never watched them week in week out for thier whole career. I'm so gutted.

 

I feel really selfish too, the man retired on his own terms, and a smart decision obviously feeling he just couldn't continue, but I still want him around...

[mackie]

This is both really sad and it feels fortunate at the same time. I just watched the speech from raw and it was very emotional i assume he will make the hall of fame soon

[mim731]

Hogan is a moron. Surely "working hurt" and risking permanent paralysis/death are slightly different things.

 

I also think using someone's retirement due to injury as an opportunity to take a pop at the competition is pretty low.

[Magnum]

I don't watch UFC but one thing that is very appealing about their product is that for the most part they come across as all being young, hungry guys. A couple of years ago, people were dismissing WWE saying that they were screwed because of their failure to bring in any new stars. Then they brought in a ton of new, fresh guys (or elevated others) such as Del Rio, Miz, Punk, Ziggler, Morrison etc and their product is now the best it's been in years.

 

As long as the likes of Flair, Bischoff and Hogan are perceived as being the face of TNA, they'll struggle to attract a large number of fans who want to see younger, 'cooler' guys on their screens.

 

Let's be fair though, they're not stars. Not to derail the thread, but those criticisms weren't/aren't about the lack of younger faces on WWE TV, it was about their failure to go the extra mile with any of them (with that in mind, Del Rio jobbing clean to Edge looks an even stranger decision in hindsight). Those criticisms still stand after Wrestlemania, as without Triple H, Undertaker and The Rock, the buyrate would've likely been Donald Ducked.

 

I do agree that, creatively, this is the best the WWE has been for several years, but they've got some way to go before people start to perceive the names you've mentioned as on a par with the established main eventers.

 

EDIT: the comments from Hogan do smack of outdated 'old school' mentality, though.

[Dazz]

Sad to hear about Edge.

 

I reckon though, that they didn't give Bertie the win at mania, because they knew Edge was gonna have to retire, and gave edge his mania swansong.. What do you think?

[The Miz]

Very sad day for Pro Wrestling. Edge was excellent, I have seen his whole career pan out. One of the best ever.

 

Oh and Hulk Hogan he is also one of the best ever. Then again he is also a Cunt.

[simonworden]

I was really shocked to see this today to, although I am glad he has chosen not to keep going and risk futher injury as well as line up 2-3 years worth of bad matches due to injury. his recent stuff has been decent although a bit of last year was shoddy (fair enough if he was this bad).

 

I think that he may perhaps have one more match, either his ladder match he may still be in after being bated into it by del rio or perhaps at next years mania to properly finish up.

[The Invisible Boy]

This is awful news, I got into wrestling at the time Edge and Christian had just about debuted and were known as The Brood with Gangrel and feuding with The Hardy Boys and Michael Hayes. I always liked Edge, he seemed to grow into a main eventer through the years and whilst some say they can't remember his Title reigns I actually find it difficult recalling a lot of wrestler's Title reigns anyway, so I don't know if it is the norm to be able to pluck off every Title reign certain wrestlers have had. I do know that he has been very entertaining as Champion though and the fact that he has had quite a few short Title reigns that people can't recall may be due to his character being the ultimate opportunitist. Either way it's sad to see someone forced out of what they love to do, especially when they are very good at it but at least he has had a good run and is fortunate enough to know what he does know and not blissfully carry on and then end up destroying himself. It's also a shame he will never get to finish as he wanted to, saying that though Bret Hart was never cleared to wrestle again and he had his match with Vince at Wrestlemania, granted it wasn't really a proper wrestling match by his standards back in his prime when he was healthy but what I'm saying is at a long shot Edge could have that one off sort of match where he wouldn't need to take any dangerous bumps whenever they are in Toronto and it'd be a good closure for him.

 

As for Hogan, I've lost a lot of respect for him saying that. A guy works hard and has a great career as Edge has had because Hogan was his hero as a child and then he finds out if he continues to wrestle after the years he's given to the business that he could possibly suffer paralysis or death and his hero pretty much bashes him saying he should work hurt and spouts off a list of guys who are dead, injured and some who have problems. If anything that tweet which seemed to be about bashing WWE more than anything ironically showed that Edge is doing the right thing by hanging up his boots now. Just because a handful of the old guys ignored what doctors said and were lucky doesn't mean there were a lot more who also ignored doctors and weren't so lucky, if a doctor tells you it's unlikely you'll ever be cleared again I think then is the point to realise that being alive, healthy and able to walk is much more important than anything else. Anyway I can see Edge being in WWE for many years to come as something other than a wrestler, possibly a GM, a manager or a commentator, which has been stated above and I think he'd be brilliant as a commentator.