Thoughts From The Top Rope 10.08.08: A Decade of Decadence

Decadence [dek-uh-duhns] noun
– the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities

Edge’s career could easily have been so, so different, in that had his opponent for his WWF debut been someone of more worth to the company than Jose Estrada, his career in wrestling would be non-existent. While no-one could blame Edge for that unfortunate incident, your first match with a company resulting in the end of your opponent’s career is hardly a good sign. But someone in management saw something in this “tortured soul”, and Edge would go from strength to strength, picking up a big pay-per-view win at Summerslam ’98 just a few weeks following the above match. After a brief run as Intercontinental Champion, The Brood was formed and the feud with The Hardy Boyz began. The rest, as they say, is history.

There are only a few professional wrestlers who can say that they were part of one of the greatest tag teams of all time, and can lay claim to being one of the biggest singles stars the business has ever seen. The obvious one is Bret Hart – one of the best ever and part of the Hart Foundation. Then you have Steve Austin, a household name and part of the awesome Hollywood Blonds, and finally, Shawn Michaels – the icon, and one half of the greatest team to never hold world tag team championships, The Rockers. In my opinion, Edge is almost on the same level as all of those guys, and was part of another brilliant tag team in Edge and Christian.

The days of the E&C/Hardyz/Dudleyz wars are sorely missed, merely a reminder of how good tag team wrestling can be. It started with a Ladder Match at No Mercy 1999 and from there, these three teams would raise the bar each and every time they met – the ladder matches, the tables matches, the cage matches and the TLC matches – all staples of these great times. And in a time when just about everything the WWF was putting out was kicking ass, these three tag teams were always one of the most exciting things about the product. It was during these times that these guys formed a bunch of good friendships. One in particular – that between Edge and Matt Hardy – would be monumental in Edge making it as a singles star (but more on that later).

Of all the great matches that The Hardyz, Dudleyz and Edge and Christian put on, the one moment I’ll always remember is Jeff Hardy suspended fifteen foot above the ring at WrestleMania X-7, only for Edge to leap from a ladder and cut him in half with a Spear. It was one of the first times I recall jumping out of my seat watching wrestling due to the sheer insanity of what I’d seen. Of course, it would be the first of many such moments that Edge would provide over the years, over his decade of decadence.

Not only were Edge and Christian constantly having great matches back in the day, but they were two young, charismatic individual who had the power to make an audience laugh at them one minute, and boo them out of the arena the next. Their goofy antics added a whole other dimension to their gimmick and I think that that is the reason why both of them went onto such singles success so quickly, whereas the Hardys’ respective singles careers have taken longer to get off the ground and The Dudleys’ singles careers are non-existent. It was clear that however long their spell as a tag team lasted, once they split, Edge and Christian would be OK.

When I think of legendary tag teams, I think of LOD, Hart Foundation, Harlem Heat, Demolition, The Bulldogs et al. But I don’t know whether any of those combined in-ring ability and charisma as well as E&C did. I think had they been together for longer than they were, E&C would easily be the greatest duo of all time, and their seven title reigns are a testament to that.

Of course, Edge’s tag team success was far from over when he and Christian split in the fall of 2001. But Edge’s momentum slowed up a bit despite a run as Intercontinental Champion. Edge’s saving grace would be the Brand Extension, where he was sent to SmackDown. I think this move is monumental in his success. Working with the guys he did in 2002 – Angle, Benoit, Rey, the Guerreros etc – allowed him to become a much better wrestler. We all remember the glorious days of the SmackDown Six, I’m sure. Of all of the guys involved there, I think Edge benefited the most. His series of matches with Angle in the spring, Eddie in the summer and then the tag bouts in the fall made him a much better wrestler. I’m of the opinion that WWE could make better use of their video library by putting out DVDs that showcased certain periods in wrestling history, and I think that a “SmackDown Six” DVD would be all kinds of awesome, because those guys had too many great matches to count in 2002.

Note: The following match list is pure speculation and is merely what the author of this article would like to see included on the upcoming Edge: A Decade of Decadence DVD

A Decade of Decadence (Disc 1):

Debut: Edge vs. Jose Estrada (Raw, 6/22/98)

Mixed Tag: Edge and Sable vs. Marc Mero and Jacqueline (Summerslam, 8/30/98)

WWF Tag Team Championships: New Age Outlaws vs.
Edge and Christian – (Unforgiven, 9/26/99)

Triangle Ladder Match: Edge and Christian vs. The Dudleyz vs. The Hardyz (WrestleMania, 4/2/00)

TLC II: Edge and Christian vs. The Dudleyz vs. The Hardyz (WrestleMania, 4/1/01)

KotR Final: Edge vs. Kurt Angle (King of the Ring, 6/24/01)

Steel Cage Match: Edge vs. Christian (Rebellion, 11/3/01)

Edge vs. Kurt Angle (Backlash, 4/21/02)

WWF Tag Team Championships: Billy and Chuck vs. Edge and Hulk Hogan (SD, 7/4/02)

Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero (Summerslam, 8/25/02)

2/3 Falls, WWE Tag Team Championships: Edge and Rey Mysterio vs. Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit (SD, 11/7/02)

After a lengthy neck injury, Edge returned to Raw in 2004 and found himself in unfamiliar territory – on the A show, on his own. A lot of guys would fade into mid-card hell, maybe have a few more runs with the Intercontinental strap and then find themselves back in a tag team. But Edge was determined not to be that guy. He did indeed pick up another IC title run and a couple more injuries seemed to be dragging him down, but it was his heel turn in the fall of that year that really resurrected his career. The world title-obsessed Edge was a character that fans really began to despise, and soon enough he was getting numerous world title shots.

Then of course, came Money in the Bank. Now I absolutely love this match. It’s one of very few spotfests that combine breath-taking action and inspired psychology – a back story to make you actually care about the guys involved, not just because of the moves they’re doing but because of what they represent. Shelton Benjamin was unfreakingbelievable in this match – a highlight reel in his own right. It was a performance that many thought would propel him up the card. Kane played the part of the monster particularly well, proving a dominant and psychotic force, and it was his work on the arm of Chris Benoit that lead to Edge’s victory. Christian and Jericho provided the usual goodness they do in such environments, but it was Benoit who really stole the show for me. You believed in that performance; the way he sold the arm, the tenacity with which he delivered head butts and everything else was just spot on. And it was the work of Benoit in this match that made people boo that much more when Edge attacked the arm with a steel chair, scale the ladder and become the first Mr. Money in the Bank.

Edge was such a great character at this point. He was the man obsessed with the World Heavyweight Championship to the point of near-insanity. And he was always willing to do anything to get those opportunities, which made even more dislikable. He was pretty much a perfect character, but he was soon to take it up a level. What do fans hate more than a self-obsessed, vicious crazy guy? Why, a self-obsessed, vicious crazy guy with a hot chick on his arm, of course!

When I think of couples in wrestling that go together perfectly, the two I think of most are Savage and Elizabeth, and Edge and Lita. Of course, those two couples are on the opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of what they represented, but I think both were equally good in provoking a response from an audience. Edge and Lita’s run together, in my book, was not just great TV but damn memorable, if for no other reason than we got to see Lita’s left boob. Good times.

I think that the whole Edge/Matt/Lita saga was something of a blessing in disguise. Not only did it give Hardy a second shot of becoming something big, but it also made Edge one of the most hated guys in the business. No longer was there a chance that he’d fall into the trap of being “too cool to be a face” because people loathed not just Edge and Lita, but Adam Copeland and Amy Dumas. Some say the subsequent feud between Hardy and Edge wasn’t that great – essentially killed by some of Hardy’s promo work, but I enjoyed each and every match they had. And there’s no denying the importance of that feud in legitimizing Edge as a top tier star and Matt Hardy as a viable threat and future champion.

Speaking of champions, Edge finally got what he deserved in early 2006, claiming his first WWE Championship by cashing in Money in the Bank and defeating John Cena. The next night on Raw, Edge and Lita hosted a Live Sex Celebration, and the week after that, Edge competed in an hellacious TLC match with Ric Flair. While his first reign only last a few short weeks, I think it’s fair to say that it is one of the most successful (ratings were really high around this time) and memorable (Lita’s boob!) in recent history. This proved that Edge was for real. And thus, the Rated R Superstar was born.

Note: The following match list is pure speculation and is merely what the author of this article would like to see included on the upcoming Edge: A Decade of Decadence DVD

A Decade of Decadence (Disc 2):

Edge vs. Kane (Backlash, 4/18/04)

Intercontinental Championship: Randy Orton vs. Edge (Vengeance, 7/11/04)

Intercontinental Championship: Edge vs. Randy Orton (Raw, 7/19/04)

Intercontinental Championship: Edge vs. Batista vs. Chris Jericho (Summerslam, 8/15/04)

Tag Team Championship: Edge and Chris Benoit vs. La Resistance (Taboo Tuesday, 10/19/04)

Edge vs. Shawn Michaels (Royal Rumble, 1/30/05)

Street Fight: Edge vs. Shawn Michaels (Raw, 2/28/05)

Money in the Bank I (WrestleMania, 4/03/05)

Street Fight: Edge vs. Matt Hardy (Raw, 8/29/05)

Ladder Match: Edge vs. Matt Hardy (Raw, 10/3/05)

WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Edge (New Year’s Revolution, 1/08/06)

2006 was a massive year for Edge. Massive. He and Lita were constantly the most entertaining thing on Raw. The feud with Foley was unbelievable, and it culminated in a brilliant Mania match. The two then joined forces to take on ECW in the summer, and again, that was awesome. The rest of the year was spent feuding with John Cena and DX. I think Edge really blossomed as a performer that year, honing his craft and becoming one of those guys you always expect a good match out of. And nine times out of ten, he does not disappoint. I think it was a great show of faith in him when WWE management put the title on Edge rather than Cena following Rob Van Dam’s cock-up. And Edge took that ball and ran with it like few people ever have.

Edge is also a big part of the reason why SmackDown is seen as being on much more an equal footing with Raw these days. He really has made that show his own in the way that The Rock did back in the late 90s. His series of matches with The Undertaker were nothing short of phenomenal and some of his acting in the segments with Vickie were Oscar nomination-worthy. The guy is far and away one of the best all-round performers in the wrestling world right now.

There are a lot of people out there who did not like the whole La Familia deal, and while I don’t think it was entirely necessary to go that route, I think Edge made it work. Yes, everyone else in the stable apart from Vickie was almost superfluous, but they helped keep the focus on Edge rather than the group. And as I said, the whole La Familia vs. Taker deal has been so well done, and clearly has a ton of legs and it’s been going on for the best part of a year.

Edge is the fucking shit. I don’t think there’s anyone in WWE right now not named Shawn Michaels that can say they have had as many great matches as he has had, be it in his legendary tag team days, the SmackDown Six era or indeed the Rated R eRa. The guy is an absolute legend in my book. Few people in wrestling history have excelled in as many different roles as he has. And I think the reason this isn’t brought up that often is because the guy is still in his prime, so we haven’t had much of a chance to look back and reflect on how good he really is. Say what you want about him personally, but in the wrestling ring, there are few as good as Edge.

I can’t wait until he comes back. I want to see him have a lengthy feud with Triple H, as I feel Edge is one of few legitimate threats to The Game on SmackDown. And creative has more than enough faith in Edge to have Edge maintain the upperhand and go over Trips a few times, which will make the whole thing more interesting. Then a series of Edge/Hardy matches would be more than enjoyable. I’m thinking back to that fifteen-foot high Spear and now thinking of how far both have come, especially Edge. But really, he hasn’t improved that much; Edge has always been awesome.

Note: The following match list is pure speculation and is merely what the author of this article would like to see included on the upcoming Edge: A Decade of Decadence DVD

A Decade of Decadence (Disc 3):

Hardcore Match: Edge vs. Mick Foley (WrestleMania, 4/2/06)

Extreme Rules: Edge, Mick Foley and Lita vs.
Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer and Beulah
(One Night Stand, 6/11/06)

WWE Championship: Edge vs. Rob Van Dam vs. John Cena (Raw, 7/03/06)

WWE Championship: Edge vs. John Cena (Summerslam, 8/20/06)

DX vs. Rated RKO (Cyber Sunday, 11/05/06)

Edge vs. Randy Orton (Raw, 4/30/07)

World Championship: Edge vs. Undertaker (SD, 5/11/07)

World Championship: Edge vs. Rey Mysterio (Royal Rumble, 1/29/08)

World Championship: Edge vs. Undertaker (WrestleMania, 3/30/08)

TLC: Edge vs. Undertaker (One Night Stand, 6/01/08)

Hell in a Cell: Edge vs. Undertaker (Summerslam, 8/17/08)