The 10 Startling Things About WWE's Edge You Probably Didnt Know
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Edge, born Adam Joseph Copeland, underwent sheer hardship before becoming the decorated professional wrestler he is known as today. His father abandoned him and his mother when he was very young. In fact, he has never seen his father to this day. His mother worked two jobs to fend for the family while Edge took up odd jobs just to chip in. At a very young age, he developed a very strong love for professional wrestling. He admired the likes of Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and Mr. Perfect, and he would train on one weekday and all weekend.
Edge got into WWF after several years on the independent circuit. He got his first title at a WWF house show that lasted a day. In the coming years, both critics and fans would describe Edge as one of the greatest and most decorated WWE wrestler in history. His record is impressive with 31 WWE championships under his belt (more on that later). He has also done some embarrassing things in his real life that he would want us to totally forget (but we haven't). For example, that time he cheated on his real-life wife...
Here are 10 startling things you probably didn’t know about Edge:
10. Edge Has Bagged 31 Championships in WWE Overall
Edge is one of the most adored wrestlers in the history of WWE. Since he signed with the company, Edge has gone on to bag an impressive 31 championships. He has won the World Heavyweight Championship title seven times and the WWE Championship title four times. He has also remarkably bagged the WWF/E (World) Tag Team Championship twelve times, seven of those with his childhood friend Christian. His record also includes one WWE United States Championship title, two WWE Tag Team Championship titles, a King of the Ring title, a Royal Rumble title and WWE Hall of Fame award. He also holds the 2010 "Oh Snap" Meltdown of the Year Slammy Award.
9. He Was the First Money in the Bank Ladder Match Winner
The Money in the Bank Ladder Match was first contested in 2005 at WrestleMania XXI. In March of that year, Chris Jericho pitched the idea to the then General Manager Eric Bischoff who liked the idea so much that he slotted it at WrestleMania XXI. He named Kane, Jericho, Chris Benoit, Christian, Shelton Benjamin, and Edge as the participants of the match, and Edge won becoming the first wrestler to win the Money in the Bank Ladder Match. When he retrieved the briefcase dangling 20 feet above the ring, Edge then secured a contract to fight for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against John Cena. The contract is usually valid for one year.
8. He is The Only Wrestler in History to Win a King of the Ring tournament, Money in the Bank Ladder Match and a Royal Rumble Match.
In 2001, Edge beat Kurt Angle to clinch the win at that year's King of the Ring match. As we’ve seen, he was also the first WWE superstar to win the first Money in the Bank Ladder match, which he also won two years later. In 2010, Edge won the Royal Rumble, entering the ring at number 29 and eliminating John Cena to claim victory. As a result, Edge is the only person in WWE’s history to accomplish these three titles to date. Given this awesome accomplishment, even critics ought to love him.
7. He Has Never Met His Dad To This Day
Born Adam Joseph Copeland in October 30, 1973, Edge was raised by his mother only. Her name is Judy Copeland and she worked two jobs to support the family. He had no father figure in his life, and to this day, he has never met or even seen a picture of his father. He engaged in odd jobs to help her mother make ends meet. Despite facing many challenges when young, he always had a soft spot for professional wrestling. His role models included Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, Mr. Perfect, and Randy Savage and he trained relentlessly to get his chance to wrestle in the WWE.
6. He Once Wrestled Under the Ring Name Sexton Hardcastle
In the 90s, Edge wrestled under the name Sexton Hardcastle on the independent circuit in Canada and the Great Lakes region. He also formed the tag team Sex and Violence with his former classmate Joe Legend, wining the MWCW Tag Team Championship twice. Later in 1997, Sex and Violence joined the Thug Life stable that included Christian, Rhino Richards, Zakk Wyld, and Bill Skullion. Hardcastle and Christian then teamed up to become The Suicide Blondes and The Canadian Rockers (in Japan).
5. He Initially Made $210 per Week at WWE
In 1995, Carl De Marco, Bret Hart’s manager, watched Edge performing at a show in Ajax, Ontario and was impressed. He told Edge to send an audition tape to WWF, and he did. However, Edge never heard back from WWF. This was to change months later after De Marco was appointed President of WWF Canada. He put in a good word for him and he made his first WWF match at a WWF house show in Hamilton, Ontario. While working at WWF without a contract, he was initially making $210 per week. WWF also settled his outstanding $40,000 college debt.
4. He Has Cervical Spinal Stenosis
On the April 15 episode of SmackDown, Edge renounced the World Heavyweight Championship and retired as the World Champion. This wasn’t due to old age but due to a condition known as cervical spinal stenosis. His doctors refused to clear him to compete because of the high probability of neck-down paralysis or even death, should he continue to wrestle. Basically, cervical spinal stenosis is the thinning of the spinal canal along the neck. It causes pain and numbness in the neck, arms, and legs and can sometimes affect control of your bowels and bladder.
3. He Wrote His Wrestling Autobiography Himself in Longhand
Edge published his autobiography, Adam Copeland on Edge, on November 4, 2004. Contrasting to his fellow WWE superstars who have ghostwriters inscribe their autobiographies, Edge wrote the whole book himself in longhand with Mick Foley writing his foreword. The book contains Edge’s story from childhood to becoming a WWE champion. He always kept daily journals and it was his neck injury that gave him an opportunity to turn the journals into a full book for his kids and grandkids. However, officials at WWE saw snippets of the book and were impressed, helping him land a major book deal. The book details personal stuff from his hate for cigarettes to the bodily punishment and demanding schedule a WWE wrestler undergoes.
2. He’s Also an Actor
In addition to being one of the greatest professional wrestlers in history, Edge is also an actor. He has made appearances on films such as Highlander: Endgame, a 2000 fantasy film, Bending the Rules, a 2012 action comedy produced by WWE Studios, and Beyond the Mat, a 1999 documentary directed by Barry W. Blaustein. He has also appeared on TV shows such as The Weakest Link (US Version), TV Total, Mind of Mencia, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Sanctuary, and Haven.
1. He Cheated on His Second Wife with Lita
In 2001, Edge married Val Venis’s sister Alanah Morley. This marriage ended in divorce in 2004. During this time, he was remarried to Lisa Ortiz. Sadly, Edge also began an affair with Matt Hardy’s girlfriend Lita roughly at the same time. This affair became one of the biggest stories in WWE in 2005. Lisa Ortiz lashed out on Matt Hardy’s website saying nasty things such as “That nasty (insert bad word here) will bust her kneecap every other seven months” and “Good riddance to them both. They deserve each other.” Edge then feuded with Mart Hardy for sometime while Lita was Edge’s manager.
Sources: wwe.com, webmd.com, prowrestling.about.com, amazon.com, whatculture.com
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