Why Edge Retired From WWE In 2011, Explained
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WWE Hall of Famer Edge is among the all-time greatest WWE superstars of the 21st century. Winning many championships throughout his career, both as a single and tag team wrestler, there's no doubt that Edge has generated a legendary career for himself during the first stint of his WWE run. Although he could've gone further during the early 2010s, Edge's career ended in mid-2011 as he was forced to retire from a life threatening neck injury.
Related: 10 Most Devastating Moves Of Edge's WWE Career
Edge's Decorated Legacy In WWE
Although not the most physically-imposing superstar, "The Rated R Superstar" Edge garnered an impressive resume in WWE. Not long after making his WWE debut in 1998, Edge became an established character during the Attitude Era when he and Christian became a legendary tag team, winning the Tag Team Championship seven times. As they also helped revolutionize the TLC match stipulation, Edge broke out on his own in 2001 and became among the many rising stars when the Ruthless Aggression Era began in 2002.
Not long after his heel turn in 2004, Edge adopted the "Rated R Superstar" moniker and took off to new heights. Winning the World Title by cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase against John Cena at New Year's Resolution 2006, from that point to when he retired in mid-2011, Edge won an astonishing eleven World Championships. While also taking part in the main event of WrestleMania 24 when defending his World Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker, Edge became an influential performer in WWE, showing someone of his size could be taken seriously among the main-event level superstars in WWE.
Related: Every Major Injury Of Edge's Wrestling Career, Explained
Edge's First Neck Injury Came In A 2003 SmackDown Match With Eddie Guerrero
Edge may have had a successful career, but he had many hurdles he had to go through regarding the gruesome injuries he endured over the years. For instance, Edge's history of neck problems goes back to early 2003, stemming from a bump he took off the ladder during a Street Fight match with Eddie Guerrero on a September 2002 episode of SmackDown. As he sustained a neck injury from the match that got worse, Edge underwent surgery to repair his neck injury in early 2003 and missed the rest of that year.
Edge would return on a March 2004 episode of Monday Night Raw by getting drafted to the Raw brand. Although he succeeded exponentially after returning, his neck injuries would eventually catch up to him many years later.
Edge Was Forced To Retire In 2011 Due To His Neck Injury
As years went by since Edge's first serious neck injury, Edge went on to dominate the WWE main-event scene for the most part. However, his neck problems would eventually catch up to him as he was in the middle of a World Heavyweight Championship run in early 2011.
On an April 2011 episode of Monday Night Raw, Edge announced his retirement from WWE due to a life-threatening neck injury that prevented him from getting cleared to wrestle. He originally was scheduled to face Alberto Del Rio in a Ladder match at Extreme Rules 2011, but Christian took his spot and went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
Regarding the injury that retired him, an MRI test revealed that Edge had cervical spinal stenosis. Initially feeling numbness in his arms, despite passing his strength tests before WrestleMania 27, he continued getting tested after WWE urged him to do so. The news of his diagnosis revealed that Edge could get paralyzed if he were to take another hard fall. Because of this, Edge had no choice but to call it quits at the time.
Upon his announcement, Edge vacated his World Heavyweight Championship on the next episode of Friday Night SmackDown, dedicated to his retirement. From that point, he made only occasional appearances on WWE TV until his contract ran out, although he couldn't get physical in any segments. The following year, Edge was inducted into the 2012 Hall of Fame.
In 2020, Edge Made A Shocking Comeback
Edge stayed out of the ring for almost an entire decade and hardly ever got physical when making appearances for WWE. Due to the severity of his neck injuries, it seemed impossible for him to return and wrestle one more match. And especially with Edge being a lot older and WWE's medical cautiousness, it appeared unlikely that he'd ever wrestle again.
Related: Matt Hardy Wishes Hardy Boyz' Last Match Could Be Against Edge And ChristianHowever, that all changed when Edge returned to WWE at the Royal Rumble 2020 match and performed like he never even retired. Resuming his wrestling career on his terms, Edge's return to the ring after almost a decade is among the greatest comeback stories in professional wrestling.
