1. Edge
WWE.comPerhaps nobody paid the price for ladder matches more so than Edge, who was forced to retire from wrestling in 2011 at the age of 37. Edge was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, which is a narrowing of the spinal canal. The condition can result in paralysis, or even death, thus it was impossible for Edge to receive clearance from a doctor to continue wrestling. The stenosis was most likely brought on by chronic neck injuries suffered throughout his career, most notably resulting in neck fusion surgery that Edge underwent in early 2003. To date, Edge has participated in more ladder matches than anyone in WWE history. His first ladder match performance in the WWE, an all time classic that he and Christian fought against the Hardy Boys in 1999 is what really put him on the map as a superstar. In the years after that famous match at No Mercy, he (alongside Christian) went on to revolutionize the tag team ladder match in the WWE. These classic bouts, often times TLC matches, resulted in Edge becoming one of the most popular wrestling superstars of the 2000s. However, as we have seen throughout this countdown, wrestlers often pay the price with their bodies in these exciting ladder matches. For Edge, the price came in the form of long term injuries rather than one, specific injury suffered in a single ladder match.