Before becoming the moody enigma that showed up on WWF screens in 1998, Adam 'Edge' Copeland went under names as utterly cringeworthy as Sexton Hardcastle and Damon Striker. The latter is especially generic, sounding like a character from some terrible beat 'em up video game from the early-90's, or a discarded character from Mortal Kombat production meetings. Copeland would only make a few appearances under the guise, mainly on WCW 'B' and 'C' shows such as WCW Pro, and was the very definition of jobber. It's been said that everyone has to start somewhere, which is true, but the guy showed little of the potential he would eventually display in abundance, and there was absolutely nothing to suggest he'd go on to become one of the biggest stars in wrestling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aiMHJPEPBA It's awesome to look back at clips such as these, even more so when fans realise they're watching a guy who would go on to headline WrestleMania against The Undertaker. Much like many others on this list, the future Edge wasn't quite ripe enough as a performer to succeed in WCW, and the timing simply wasn't right.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
