Ranking WWE Hall of Famer Edge's Most Memorable Matches and Moments of 25-Year Career

Credit: WWE.com

There are few Superstars who have created the number of unforgettable moments and defining matches that Edge has.

From his days as an enigmatic loner to the moments he reeked of awesomeness with Christian to The Rated-R Superstar and his triumphant return, he has captivated audiences and left them with some of the most iconic imagery in WWE history.

Friday night, he returns to the ring on SmackDown in his hometown of Toronto. According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Radio, citing the Hall of Famer's trainer Ron Hutchison, the match is set to be his final one.

While it has not been billed as such, and there has been no formal announcement from the man himself, it would be the end of an era for a competitor who has sweated blood for an industry he has loved since childhood.

Retirement or not, and ahead of the celebration of his 25 years in WWE Friday night on Fox, these are the matches and moments that have helped define one of professional wrestling's most endearing (and enduring) stars.

WWE Pay-Per-View Debut (SummerSlam 1998)

Between mysterious vignettes that did nothing to explain anything about him or the character, and a debut TV match that ended with an unfortunate injury suffered by his opponent, Edge did not have the most auspicious start to his WWE career.

He made up for it, though, when he teamed with Sable to defeat "Marvelous" Marc Mero and Jacqueline at SummerSlam 1998 from the historic Madison Square Garden.

It was the first of 139 PPV matches (and counting?) for the Hall of Famer.

Intercontinental Champion (WWE Live, July 24, 1999)

A late fill-in for Ken Shamrock, Edge achieved his first taste of WWE gold in his hometown of Toronto, defeating Jeff Jarrett to win the Intercontinental Championship in the same arena in which he attended WrestleMania VI.

It was the first of many title wins to come and, though he would lose it back to JJ the next night, it was still a significant milestone.

A Most Excellent King (King of the Ring 2001)

Edge defeated Rhyno and Kurt Angle to become King of the Ring in 2001.

It was the first step of many in his singles push and a message to the wrestling world that company officials saw something in the young, charismatic Canadian that made them believe he could be a future face of the company.

The, Um, Celebration (WWE Raw, January 9, 2006)

On the heels of a monumental Money in the Bank cash-in one night earlier, Edge and his "sinister sexpot," Lita, took to the squared circle for what was billed as a Live Sex Celebration.

The moment was one of the most audacious in Monday Night Raw history and generated big ratings numbers for the company.

It was also controversial enough for that night's host arena, the Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, not to book live WWE TV in the venue for three years.

Love, Marriage and Beating Up The Miz (Royal Rumble 2022)

For the first time, Edge teamed with his wife, fellow WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix, to battle The Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag team match at the 2022 Royal Rumble.

Not necessarily an instant in-ring classic, but it was an unforgettable moment for two decorated greats to partner between the ropes.

Three teams with eyes on stealing the show at WrestleMania 2000 did just that and in the process, revolutionized this style of bout when Edge and Christian and the Hardy Boyz challenged the Dudley Boyz for the WWE Tag Team Championship in a Triangle Ladder match.

Innovative spots, jaw-dropping feats of athleticism and chaos gave way to Edge and Christian earning their first tag team titles.

It was an unforgettable moment for the childhood friends, who shared a defining highlight on the industry's grandest stage.

A heel turn shortly after would jump-start their momentum and result in recognition as one of the hottest and most entertaining acts in all of professional wrestling.

A heel turn in the fall of 2004 reinvigorated Edge at a time when he desperately needed it.

No longer an undefined babyface, he entered WrestleMania 21 as a red-hot villain who stopped at nothing to achieve his goals and a participant in the historic first Money in the Bank ladder match.

With momentum on his side, Edge outlasted Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Christian, Chris Jericho, and Chris Benoit to win a guaranteed shot at the WWE or World Heavyweight Championship at any time of his choosing.

The win added necessary credibility to his star as he looked to break out of the crowded midcard scene and into the main event picture.

In hindsight, it was the victory that would set the rest of his career in motion.

On the heels of a successful World Heavyweight Championship defense against Albert Del Rio at WrestleMania 27, it appeared as though The Rated-R Superstar was on his way to another strong year as a top WWE Superstar.

Then came the news no one foresaw: A serious, potentially life-altering neck injury would force him into early retirement.

It was impossible not to join him in tearing up as he discussed his lifelong dream to be a wrestler and all that it had provided him.

It was somehow more emotionally devastating to see him standing on the WWE Hall of Fame stage a year later, accepting the honor as the youngest to ever be inducted at that point, knowing full well that he had not yet accomplished all that he could have.

Unlike others in that position, though, his entry into the Hall would not be the culmination of a career but rather a pause.

Imagine growing up as a wrestling fan, tuning into WWE television religiously to see your favorite, and even attending WrestleMania VI because you had to see your favorite, Hulk Hogan, take on his Ultimate Challenge.

Now, imagine fast-forwarding 12 years, being one of WWE's up-and-coming stars, and being told you will be partnering with Hogan to win the tag team titles.

That is precisely the scenario Edge found himself in on the special Independence Day edition of SmackDown in July 2002.

On that night, he joined Hogan in defeating Billy and Chuck to win the WWE Tag Team Championship, a title that The Hulkster had never held before.

It was a significant moment for Edge, not only because of the personal implications but because WWE brass believed he could handle the enormous pressure of it all and was worthy of that spotlight.

For anyone who ever watched their idols growing up and daydreamed of sharing the ring with them, it was a reminder that no matter how cheesy the phrase may be, dreams do come true.

In the summer of 2009, Edge suffered a devastating torn Achilles that put him out of action for six months and led some to wonder if he would return in time for WrestleMania 26 the following year.

But he did so with a bang, entering the men's Rumble match as a surprise entrant at No. 30 and winning it.

The returning hero dispatched Chris Jericho before sparing fans from another John Cena Rumble win by removing him after a fun little sequence.

It was a triumphant comeback and another big-item prize to check off Edge's Hall of Fame resume.

One year after delivering star-making performances in the Triangle Ladder match, and revolutionizing tag team wrestling in the process, the Dudley Boyz, Hardy Boyz, and Edge and Christian returned to the WrestleMania stage for TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs II, the follow-up to their iconic original months earlier at SummerSlam.

The performers built on previously established spots, were true to the stories they were attempting to tell amid the chaos and stole the show on one of the biggest nights in pro wrestling with the undisputed best match of 2001.

The most memorable moment, and the one that is still a staple of WrestleMania video packages, is Edge's midair spear from a ladder, to a dangling Jeff Hardy, before both men crashed to the mat below.

It was an awe-inspiring exclamation point on a match that forever elevated expectations and silenced any doubts about the legitimacy of the six men and their star power.

For Edge, it was a career highlight that gave audiences their first taste of his knack for understanding the power of the moment and his willingness to seize it, sometimes at great risk to himself.

A moment in time that will remain etched in the annals of WWE history and one that holds up as one of the great creative, high-risk spots in the sport's long history.

By the time WrestleMania 24 rolled around in 2008, Edge was solidly entrenched in WWE's main event scene.

A lead heel, he had spent much of the preceding year as a centerpiece of the company's creative efforts and at The Showcase of the Immortals, would have his spot as one of the elite legitimized when he stood across the ring from The Undertaker.

It was one thing to headline the biggest show of the year, but it was another entirely to be the hand-picked opponent of The Deadman on a stage he was synonymous with.

As one half of the show-closer and the reigning world heavyweight champion, there was considerable pressure on Edge to deliver. But deliver he did, a theme in his legendary career.

A dramatic match that leaned on perfectly timed near-falls and a bit of interference on behalf of the villainous champion, it took fans on an emotional roller-coaster ride that ended with the Undertaker tapping Edge out with Hell's Gate to win the title and extend his unbeaten 'Mania streak.

For Edge, it announced to the world that he could hang with the measuring stick in WWE on the grandest stage.

It is entirely possible that the 2008 match with Undertaker does not happen without the Hardcore match against Mick Foley that occurred two years earlier.

At WrestleMania 22, Edge was still very much an unproven commodity as a potential main event star. He had won his first WWE title in January by cashing in Money in the Bank, had popped some solid television ratings, but losing the title back to John Cena in short order at January's Royal Rumble had robbed him of the opportunity to prove his worth in that role.

Driven to prove himself, he took to the squared circle with former friend and mentor Mick Foley for a defining performance.

Midway through the biggest show of the year, Edge did what he had so many times before by stealing it out from underneath those at the top of the card. He and Foley unleashed an unflinchingly violent brawl that included blood, barbed wire, thumbtacks and gasoline before a grand finale that featured a table engulfed in flame.

In one of the most unforgettable moments of his career, Edge hit the ropes and dove face-first into the fire, spearing Foley off the ring apron and through the table while fans watched in disbelief.

Edge stumbled up the ramp, propped up by Lita and with blood pooling in his eyes, there was little doubt this was a guy who belonged at the top of the card.

By the time the summer rolled around, he would be WWE champion for the second time that year.

On top of it all, he provided Foley with the WrestleMania moment that had eluded him.

In 2019, there were rumblings that Edge had been spotted in Pittsburgh, presumably to meet with WWE physicians regarding a potential return to the ring. He played down the rumors and said he was involved in a WWE Network documentary.

At the 2020 men's Royal Rumble match, though, he made one of the most shocking and unforgettable comebacks in wrestling history.

The crowd erupted as he stepped through the curtain and made his way to the squared circle for his first in-ring action of any kind in nine years. The look of disbelief on his face was that of a man relieved to have a second chance in his pro-wrestling life.

He had, after all, been told that one wrong bump could threaten his well-being less than a decade earlier and that he had no choice but to walk away from the only professional role he had known.

Now, he was back in the middle of the ring at one of WWE's premier events, with raw emotion and understandable nerves painting his face.

Once the shock wore off, Edge competed for over 23 minutes, proving this was more than a one-time nostalgia shot or surprise appearance. The Rated-R Superstar was back and ready to resume a career that had been shut down long before he was ready for it to be.

He would not only emerge victorious on that night, but he would also go on to have an intense rivalry with Randy Orton en route to a return to the Rumble the following year and a second victory in the prestigious contest.

Nearly 10 months after winning Money in the Bank at WrestleMania 21, Edge set the standard for cash-ins at New Year's Revolution in January 2006 when he walked through the curtain and handed his briefcase containing a guaranteed title opportunity to Vince McMahon.

From there, he proceeded to defeat a beaten and battered John Cena to capture the WWE Championship in a stunning conclusion to that night's show.

Fans in Albany, New York erupted with joy as Edge celebrated his new title. Lita stood beside him, clearly overjoyed for someone she had been so close to for so long.

It was the realization of a long, hard journey to the top of pro wrestling that had been plagued by injuries, start-and-stop pushes and critics who voiced their doubts about his ability to be the guy in WWE.

Despite all of that, he reigned over the premier sports-entertainment promotion in the world as its champion, his name forever etched alongside those he grew up and idolized as a kid.

It was a moment that would remain with all who watched it unfold live and the fans who had followed the competitor on his journey from undefined newcomer to one-third of The Brood. From goofy tag team heel to promising young star and back to villainy as The Rated-R Superstar.

Despite all that happened before, and every title that came after, it remains the defining moment of a career that exceeded expectations and continued on when no one imagined it possible.

If his match with Sheamus in Toronto is his last, Edge has left WWE fans with a treasure trove of moments and matches they can relive for generations. If the quality of their work is any indication, expect him to go out with one more banger with the eyes of the wrestling world on him Friday night on SmackDown.