How many times can you say goodbye? Adam Copeland, better known as Edge, must be wondering that right now. In almost a perfect scenario for his farewell match (if he could have chosen, then Edge would have preferred to wrestle his best friend Christian at a WrestleMania in Toronto), he defeated Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 27 to retain his World Heavyweight Championship with Christian in his corner. Eight days later, he announced his retirement on Raw due to a career ending neck injury. The next day, he vacated his World title at the Smackdown tapings and had an unexpected post taping tribute where the whole roster came out and gave him a standing ovation. Shouldn't that have been enough goodbyes to last a lifetime? Apparently not, as since then Edge has been booked to interrupt a disingenuous retirement party held in his honour by Del Rio on the Smackdown that aired on April 22nd, helped Christian win the World title he previously held at the Extreme Rules PPV on May 1st by distracting Christian's ladder match opponent Del Rio, and had one final angle with Christian at SummerSlam. Now, tonight's Smackdown TV taping in Toronto is being billed as Edge Appreciation Night and he's also being advertised for next week's Smackdown tapings too to help cross-promote his final appearance on Haven, the show that currently follows Smackdown on Syfy.
Indeed, as Edge humbly told theScore's Arda Ocal (video after the jump), all these goodbyes are getting a bit much for him with the Edge Appreciation Night taking the biscuit:
"Every time I hear it, I kind of cringe. It's like, 'Ugh, really, an appreciation night?' I don't know, it seems kind of embarrassing. It's just too much. Like come, say bye, thanks, I appreciate it, love Toronto, but I don't even know what an appreciation night is, I guess that's why. I'm worried they're going to get my high school English teacher or my girlfriend from the seventh grade or do something, like 'Edge, This Is Your Life.'"
Though Edge wouldn't mind continuing to appear on WWE television on a very rare basis, like once a year, he's clearly ready to move on from being a regular character on WWE programming and would like to find a new outlet for his creativity. In fact, he even told Ocal that his last WWE appearance at SummerSlam gave him a feeling of closure:
"It was good for me SummerSlam because what was going on inside my mind was like "If I never hear this again I'm good, I think I'd rather be home". So I think I'll be OK with it. I am thankful that I'm getting to come out in front of Toronto, that's important to me, but if this was the last time you ever see me again I'm cool with that. I never have to be called Edge again, I will be absolutely okay with that."
Unfortunately, for as long as Edge is under WWE contract, he may not be allowed to let the wrestling business go as he so obviously wants to. WWE will keep giving him the call whenever they need him for an angle or to help boost attendance in his hometown Toronto market and it will be difficult for him to keep saying no. WWE management were lucky this time that the Toronto show coincided with a Pearl Jam concert Edge wanted to attend, so Edge didn't put up much of a fuss. Next time they might not be so lucky!