Hello to all the wrestling fans out there. Its your pal @KC_CARLYLE here again to talk about what happened at the 2020 WWE Royal Rumble. Edge “The Rated R Superstar” returns!
As usual I am going to start with Edge’s accomplishments before coming to WWE. Edge began his training in 1992 being trained by Ron Hutchison and Sweet Daddy Siki. When Edge began his training he was learning in 12’x14′ boxing ring (which has a mat that is much harder than your traditional wrestling ring). Edge’s training included one full weekday of training as well as full weekends, every weekend. According to Edge, the ceiling of his training facility was very low with lots of exposed piping. The exposed piping prevented him from practicing moves from the top rope, which he attributes to him being forced to drill and train his mat wrestling ability.
Edge made his debut on Canada Day in 1992 at the Monarch Park Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Edge wrestled in the Great Lakes region as “Sexton Hardcastle”, he would then go on to form a tag-team with Joe E. Legend called “Sex and Violence”. In the mid 1990’s Edge was wrestling for Tony Codello’s Winnipeg territory as “Adam Impact”. In the summer of 1995 Edge was working a show in Ajax, Ontario, Canada where Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s business manager Carl De Marco was in attendance. After being impressed by Edge’s performance Carl De Marco urged Edge to send (the then WWF) an audition tape. Edge never heard back from (ofthe then WWF) but Carl De Marco would become the head of WWF Canada not long after and told Edge he would put in a good word for him.
In 1996 Edge had the proverbial “cup of coffee” in WCW, he had one televised match against “The Scariest Man in Wrestling” Meng a.k.a. Haku (seriously look up the stories about Haku). In 1997 the “Sex and Violence” tag team of Edge (Sexton Hardcastle at the time) and Joe E. Legend joined a group called “Thug Life” consisting of Christian Cage, Zakk Wyld, Bill Skullion, and Rhino Richards [who fans know as ECW legend RHYNO]. Edge and Christian would tag on the independent scene as “Hard Impact” they would then change their team name to the “Suicide Blondes”, while in Japan they would wrestle as “The Canadian Rockers”. On the Independent scene Edge would win the MWCW Tag-Team titles twice as “Sex and Violence”. As well as The ICW Streetfight Tag-Team titles twice.
After a tour for Grand Prix Wrestling in the summer of 1997 Carl De Marco urged Edge to head to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The reason for this was Bret “The Hitman” Hart was informally training wrestlers while he recovered from knee surgery. Edge spent all the earnings from his tour he had just finished on getting to Calgary. Edge arrived in Calgary with no money, no place to sleep, and no way to get anywhere. He placed a call to a wrestler named Johnny Smith (kayfabe family member to “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith).
Johnny Smith would help Edge out with food, lodging, and transportation to the gym and to Hart’s wrestling camp. While training at Bret ‘The Hitman” Hart’s camp he trained alongside guys like “The Worlds Most Dangerous Man” Ken Shamrock, Andrew “Test” Martin, “The Worlds Strongest Man” Mark Henry, and Kurrgan (of Truth Comission and Oddities fame).
After one more tour in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, Edge returned to Bret “The Hitman” Hart’s wrestling camp. This time bringing his lifelong best friend Christian with him this time. After successfully completing the wrestling camp Bret “The Hitman” Hart decided that he was impressed enough with their ability to put in a good word for Edge and Christian in (the then WWF). Edge would go on to sign a developmental deal with (the then WWF) in mid to late 1997. Edge would then go on to make his tv debut on June 22, 1998, and as they say the rest is history.
So now as I like to say, on to the “Meat and Potatoes of this article. We are only four days removed from the Royal Rumble and already Edge has been through some quite “explosive” moments. First of all lets just talk about the skill, passion, commitment, charisma, and overall “it factor” of Edge. The guy oozes charisma and “the it factor”! Whether you were a fan of Edge during his time in “The Brood”, one of the people who had the benefit of flash photography a.k.a “5 second pose Edge”, or “The Rated R Superstar” the mans reputation and accolades speak for themselves.
We saw Edge return at the Royal Rumble and boy what a return it was! The arena went ballistic! Iwas super stoked to see a small reunion of one of my personal favorite tag teams “Rated RKO”. Edge only eliminated three people in the Royal Rumble (Randy Orton being one of them) . He lasted around or a little over 25 minutes in the Royal Rumble, and also made it to the final four participants in the match. Fast forward to Monday night and we see “The Ultimate Opportunist” Edge in the ring to close the show out. He teased the real reunion of “Rated RKO” only to have the other half of Rated RKO, Randy Orton make his way to the ring.
As usual “The Viper” slithered his way into Edge’s trust and hit him with an RKO out of nowhere! Then Orton proceeded to savagely beat him with chairs, targeting the surgically repaired spine of Edge in the process. “The Viper” seemed a bit more unhinged than usual. Not his usual cold calculating methodical maniacal self. Could it be “The Viper” has feelings after all? Or is this just another plot to get into Edge’s head?
The only thing that will answer these lingering questions in the minds of fans is time. Will we see a “Rated RKO” reunion, or will we see a new rivalry, between Edge “The Rated R Superstar” and “The Viper Only time will tell…
