Edge Opens Up About His In-Ring Career Winding Down

Following a series of neck serious injuries, "The Rated R Superstar" Edge was forced to retire after his WrestleMania 27 match against Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship. Nine years later, the WWE Hall of Famer shocked pro wrestling fans when he entered the 2020 Royal Rumble, marking his official return to the ring. In the few years following, Edge recaptured the magic with some old foes like "The Viper" Randy Orton, and tackle some new competition, most recently against The Judgement Day's Finn Balor.

Following his performance against Balor at Extreme Rules last month, Edge opened up about his in-ring future. "I think we all understand that it's a pretty limited window. It's closing, more and more every second," he told "Leafs Morning Take."

This past August, Edge returned to his hometown of Toronto, Ontario for "Raw." After the show went off the air, he revealed his hope to retire when WWE returns there next August. This time, retirement would be on his terms. "That's the key. The first time I was told, 'You gotta hang it up. That's it, you're done.' It was WrestleMania [27], and I retired as world champ, and that sounds 'Cinderella,' but I just didn't know [ahead of time]," he said.

Despite the abrupt, life-altering decision, Edge eventually accepted his fate, later starting a family with fellow Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix, and ventured into the acting world, before returning to in-ring competition in 2020. Upon his return, the former world champion didn't aim to win more championships, but rather "come back and tell a hell of a story for three or four years."

Edge later reiterated that the window for his in-ring career "is not open for long," but officially retiring in Toronto is the "last thing to kind of check off."