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On April 11, 2011, Adam Copeland, known best by his professional wrestling moniker "Edge," announced his retirement on World Wrestling Entertainment's (WWE) Monday Night Raw. Here's (part of) what he said:
"I started in WWE when I was 23. I've been doing this for 19 years. 14 of them with WWE. My first match was May 10th, 1996 at Hamilton's Copps Coliseum. I was 23 years old, and I feel like I've grown up in front of all of you. I feel like I've made a whole lot of mistakes in front of you. I've learned from them, and I've become a man in front of you.
"I've come from being the silent guy running around the streets of New York with a trenchcoat that was way too small for him, to a pseudo vampire in The Brood, to one of the funny goofy guys along with Christian, posing for the benefit of those with flash photography.
"I became one of the most despised guys in the history of WWE. As a matter of fact, I got thrown in the Long Island Sound. I had a live sex celebration. Thankfully, with Lita and not Vicki Guerrero.
"And I would hope that through it all, I've earned the respect of everyone in that locker room. And I hope that I've earned all of your respect. Because no matter what, no matter what, I came out here and tried to give you guys as much as I had every single night. And in turn you guys gave it right back to me."
"The Rated-R Superstar" was suffering from symptoms of neuropraxia as a result of stenosis of the spine, stemming from his active competition in the years following his spinal fusion surgery. In short, he was told if you continue to wrestle, you may end up paralyzed -- or even dead.
Watch him say goodbye, right here:
Where do you rank Edge among the all-time best, if at all?
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And now, from the desk of our Assistant to the GM & CSS Senior Editor; for your viewing pleasure we bring to you, additional posts dusted off from the --
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11 April 2012
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11 April 2011
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11 April 2010
Just when you thought TNA & Spike TV had settled on their programming schedule... by Keith Harris Apr 11, 2010 10:22 AM CDT
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