Try as you might, there are some things that you simply cannot prepare for. This morning, I read that Edge is retiring from professional wrestling because the spinal stenosis he has suffered ever since reconstructive surgery on his neck in 2003 has deteriorated far enough for him to lose feeling in his arms and for doctors to be confident enough that they can never again medically clear him to wrestle.
Edge's retirement brings to an end his eleventh reign with the world title (and a record-breaking seventh run as World Heavyweight Champion), to go along with twenty other major championships, including a record fourteen world tag team championships.
Having a journey that started with a sixteen-year-old kid watching The Ultimate Warrior beat Hulk Hogan alongside 67,000+ fans at the Sky Dome in Toronto at Wrestlemania VI end by becoming the most decorated champion in WWE history is one of those stories only this wonderful business can produce. I have a million things that I want to say about Edge and how his character and performances have contributed to my formative years but I'm certain that nothing I say will quite capture what I'm feeling right now. So I leave the final word to Frankie Kazarian:
"True class act. A boy with a dream is now a man who has left behind an incredible legacy. Thank you for all you have given."
The fact that Edge evokes such a response from a wrestler who has never even been in the same company as him goes to show just how great an impact he has had on the wrestling business. So long, Edge - there will never again be anyone quite as "Rated-R" as you.
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