On The Edge of Greatness
By Anthony Cali
In a hard-fought match at Vengeance, Edge defeated Randy Orton for the Intercontinental Championship, leading many to believe that the former tag team specialist had broken out and secured his place in the upper echelons of the RAW roster. Before he could savor his success, a giant monkey wrench was thrown into Edge’s plans.
A few weeks ago, while competing against Chris Jericho at a WWE live event, Edge took a bad fall and severely tore his groin muscle. The injury isn’t career threatening, but is enough of a hindrance to not only sideline Edge and cause him to forfeit his Intercontinental Championship.
“Well that’s just it,” Edge said backstage at Seattle’s Key Arena, “It’s my Intercontinental Championship, so giving it up felt like crap – that pretty much sums it up. It sucked. Any time that you’re not involved – especially when it’s because of injury – it doesn’t feel good at all. That should have been me in that Ladder Match. That should have been me climbing those rungs and grabbing my belt back. You know I have a problem saying it’s anyone else’s belt, because I never lost it.”
During the thrilling Ladder Match at Portland’s Rose Garden Arena, Edge leaned on a large yellow case, and watched a small monitor while Christian and Chris Jericho put their livelihoods on the line to capture the vacant title. Edge had a vested interest in the contest, but didn’t have a clear-cut favorite.
“Who was I pulling for?” Edge said while scratching the blonde hairs on his chin. “I wasn’t pulling for anyone. As a matter of fact, if they took each other out, it would have been even better, but it didn’t work out that way, so it really didn’t matter to me who won, because when I come back, I’m just gonna beat whoever has it.”
Edge hopes to return in three to four weeks, depending on how quickly the tears heal. He’s undergoing therapy four times a week – five when possible – depending on his schedule, and the frequent hurricanes that have been taking their toll on his home state of Florida.
“The therapy’s been going good,” Edge said. “I’ve been walking around pretty good, not using a wheelchair like I was the first day, and the only time I feel it is when I’m not conscious about it, or when I’m asleep. I’ll go to roll over, and it wakes me up real quick, because it feels like I’m being torn in half. But I would think I’m going to recover ahead of what the doctors estimate.
Edge’s torn groin muscle is just one of a few injuries that have nagged the former Intercontinental Champion since he returned earlier this year from major neck surgery. In fact, even while Edge was training for his in ring return, he fractured his hand, and was forced to wear a soft cast.
“All of these injuries have frustrated me, but they haven’t gotten me down or anything,” he said. “I’m a pretty confident person, but for a little while there, I was wondering if someone had a voodoo doll with my face on it. However, that which doesn’t kill me only makes me stronger, and the way I look at it, this could have been a complete tear, which would have required surgery. So I avoided that, and that’s how I have to look at it.”
With a positive attitude, it’s only a matter of time before Edge is fully healed, and back in the hunt. After Monday night’s battle between Jericho, Shawn Michaels, Christian and Tyson Tomko, Edge will have his work cut out for him as he tries to recapture his Intercontinental Championship.
“My next order of business is to win back my championship,” a determined Edge said. “And when I do, I’m gonna use it as my springboard to the World [Championship] – that’s all I have left to do. I’ll say that until I’m blue in the face and everybody’s sick of seeing it, but that’s what I’m gonna do.”