In April 2002, Edge and Kurt Angle engaged in a heated feud that began when Edge poked fun at the Olympic gold medalist, encouraging fans to chant "you suck" when he entered arenas across the country and debuting a new shirt with the same phrase printed across the front. It frustrated Angle and led to a singles bout between them at Backlash. On a show with several hard-fought contests populating the undercard, it was their battle that left fans buzzing and served as Edge's coming-of-age performance. Despite his loss to the former WWE champion, Edge proved that he could hang with his main event opponent and rapidly ascended the ranks in WWE. Weeks later, at the Judgment Day pay-per-view, the two would again meet, this time with more than just personal pride on the line. Both Edge and Angle put their hair on the line, meaning that the loser would not only suffer the indignity of having their shoulders pinned to the mat or tapping out but also having their heads shaved bald in front of an international viewing audience. The match featured a number of reversals and counters as the fans in Nashville watched with great enthusiasm. Ultimately, it was Edge who would score the win off a small package rollup and, later in the evening, leave Angle with a chrome dome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yd9NGvcKJn8 Throughout the remainder of the year, Angle and Edge would do battle as two of the premier stars on the SmackDown brand. In singles and tag matches, they cemented their status as two of the best in the entire world in numerous Match of the Year candidates. Angle rode the wave of momentum to another WWE title reign by year's end while Edge established himself as the future of the business.
Erik Beaston is a freelance pro wrestling writer who likes long walks in the park, dandelions and has not quite figured out that this introduction is not for Match.com. He resides in Parts Unknown, where he hosts weekly cookouts with Kane, The Ultimate Warrior, Papa Shango and The Boogeyman. Be jealous.
