Long before he was an 11-time World Champion, before he shocked the world as The Rated-R Superstar, before he pushed the envelope in Tables, Ladders and Chairs Matches, Adam Copeland was just another wide-eyed kid in the Toronto SkyDome, cheering on Hulk Hogan in his battle against The Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania VI.

The year was 1990 and Copeland was only seventeen. A die-hard WWE fan, he grew up reading comic books, listening to KISS and dreaming of one day making it as a Superstar. His classmates had even voted him “Most Likely to be WWE Champion” in the school yearbook. However, it would have been impossible for him to know then that he would be in the main event of The Show of Shows in 18 years. Even further from his mind was the idea that he would eventually win the World Tag Team Championships with his hero, The Hulkster.

On that April day, Copeland was still eight long years away from making his WWE debut. That journey would begin several months later, when the Orangeville-native won an essay contest that earned him free wrestling classes at Sully’s Gym under the tutelage of Canadian competitors Ron Hutchinson and Sweet Daddy Siki. Tough guys who had made their bones in the hardscrabble days of the territory system, they pushed the hopeful to quit, but this was his dream. He would not be deterred. Continue reading »

Less than a week after his successful title defense against Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania XXVII, World Heavyweight Champion Edge has been forced to retire from in-ring competition due to injury. The unexpected news brings to an end a storied WWE career spanning 13 years and consisting of 11 World Title reigns. (CAREER PHOTOS)

The Rated-R Superstar had been suffering numbness and uncontrollable trembling in his arms and hands. This is not the first time Edge has experienced these symptoms of nueropraxia. An MRI administered at Atlanta Midtown Diagnostic Imaging last Monday was sent to Dr. Joseph Maroon, a renowned neurosurgeon and professor of neurosurgery at The Pittsburgh School of Medicine. After careful examination of the MRI, it was determined that Edge would never be cleared to compete again, and thus, he is forced to retire.

In 2003, Edge underwent a two level spinal fusion of the discs between his C5, C6 and C7 vertebrae. After being cleared to compete, The Rated-R Superstar returned to the ring, resulting in stenosis of the spine, or a narrowing of the spinal column, above and below the fused discs. This narrowing resulted in less and less of the vital fluid needed to protect the spinal cord. Medical professionals cannot clear Edge to compete ever again in WWE since doing so could result in paralysis or even death.

Champion vs. Champion

Live on Monday Night Raw, the top titleholders of WWE’s dual brands collide as World Heavyweight Champion Edge journeys from SmackDown to face WWE Champion The Miz – just days before both men defend their titles at the Royal Rumble.

Think talk is cheap? Try telling that to the 25 Superstars on this list. From an arrogant former reality TV star with an attitude problem to a wildly charismatic plumber’s son, these men have packed arenas and glued millions of fans to their television screens with their unique ability to inspire passion, fear, anger and laughter through their captivating interviews. Nearly every Superstar who has ever set foot in a WWE ring has spoken on a microphone, but these 25 men were the best at it.

When Edge first arrived in WWE in 1998, he was a mysterious, stoic character who never spoke a word. How times have changed. First finding his voice as sarcastic, kazoo-tooting slacker alongside his longtime tag team partner, Christian, the former WWE Champion truly captured his persona when he become the The Rated-R Superstar. Toeing the line of sanity, Edge has never had a problem being completely honest on the mic, calling out rivals and turning on allies in his never-ending pursuit to reign atop WWE. The Ultimate Opportunist’s madness often gets the better of him, but Edge is always worth listening to.

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With the volcanic eruption in Europe stranding the majority of the Raw roster, WWE’s flagship show is going blue. Even as the cast of the film MacGruber takes the reins as special guest hosts for the potentially cataclysmic show in East Rutherford, N.J., Triple H prepares to share the ring with several top SmackDown Superstars.

Although Raw is trapped in Belfast, Ireland, the SmackDown Superstars were able to arrive in Newark by charter early this morning, after traveling through the night by bus to get to a place where they could take off.

Can the cast of MacGruber control the molten-hot situation that could erupt on Raw? Find out tonight at 9/ 8 CT only on USA Network.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that we will be seeing Edge tonight on Raw!

In honor of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, WWE.com presents its all-Superstar and Diva Winter Olympics Team. From the all-star men’s curling team of John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Undertaker, to women’s speed skating standouts Gail Kim and Eve, find out which Superstars and Divas we think would take home the gold in this year’s Winter Games.