10 Most Heart-Breaking WWE Moments Of The 2010s

3. A Rated-R Retirement

A popular performer throughout his tenure with WWE, Edge went from a tag team innovator to a solid midcard act to a bona fide main eventer and was eventually inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2012.

Edge was a multi-time world champion and had been World Heavyweight Champion for 55 days when he came down to the ring on an episode of Raw in April of 2011. However, this was not your standard in-ring promo.

Edge gave a long and heartfelt speech about the cruel truths of wrestling; how his body was battered and bruised and how, after almost twenty years in the business, it had finally given up on him.

Edge revealed that he had been diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis, a condition that meant that a single bad fall or bump could paralyse or even kill him. As a result of this, he announced his retirement from professional wrestling.

This announcement came out of nowhere, Edge had defended his championship just eight days earlier at WrestleMania XXVII, which made the loss of one of WWE's most beloved performers even harder to swallow.

With news that Edge may be making a return to the world of WWE soon, this moment might not be viewed with as heavy a heart, but for now, it remains one of the saddest moments in company history.