10 Wrestlers Who Gambled On A New Character

7. Edge: The Benchmark

CM Punk
WWE.com

Right, imagine this.

You're reading a WhatCulture article titled '10 Greatest Wrestlers Ever'. It's written by the author you're reading right now. Kenny Omega is ranked #1. The copy reads "From atop a mountain of omnipotence, Kenny Omega surveys mere mortals on the ground".

Pretentious b*llocks, right?

So why is it "a great new direction for Edge" when he comes out with that try-hard intelligent sh*te?

Edge's new character is that he thinks he's God. He bathes himself in blue light - to mirror the coldness of his soul or something, presumably - and arrives to the ring with a new entrance theme. "You think you know me? Ha, ha. You never did."

This isn't quite Vince Russo-level bad, but there is a swerve in his sting.

He speaks as though he has become a God; in addition to that sh*tty "mountain of omnipotence" line, Edge when seeking heat reveals that he will "grant" the crowd "mercy" for failing to comprehend his intelligence. The delivery is very good, and when Edge isn't trying very hard, he knows what he's doing. He put over AJ Styles and accounted for his not-great win/loss record in a way that didn't just disregard continuity.

Still, the Dictionary Swallower is not quite the Rated R Superstar.

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!