Edge had a lengthy, successful, and well-respected career within the world of professional wrestling. Debuting in June of 1998 as a sort-of tormented loner, Edge was an intriguing character and talented performer, despite only being 24 years old. Throughout the years, Edges character underwent a great deal of change as he continued to climb the proverbial ladder within the WWE. By January of 2006, Edge had captured his first WWE Championship and cemented himself as a main event superstar. With his new Rated-R Superstar gimmick, he had become one of the most hated men in the company. By 2011, however, Edge had won back the affection of the WWE Universe, as he was engaged in a feud with Alberto Del Rio over the World Heavyweight Championship. At that years WrestleMania, Edge successfully defended his title against Del Rio. However, the victory soon turned sour as the Rated-R Superstar announced his sudden retirement the next night on Raw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCX92s4VU0Q Edge had suffered a neck injury in 2003, which had sidelined him for nearly an entire year. By 2011, he had begun to experience numbness in his arms, and it was determined after further testing that Edge was risking paralysis or death by continuing to compete. As such, he made the decision to retire from the world of wrestling in order to preserve his health. While the career-ending decision came as a shock to many fans, it did have a small sliver of a silver-lining -- Edge retired as World Heavyweight Champion.
Douglas Scarpa is a freelance writer, independent filmmaker, art school graduate, and pro wrestling aficionado -- all of which mean he is in financial ruin. He has no backup plan to speak of, yet maintains his abnormally high spirits. If he had only listened to the scorn of his childhood teachers, he wouldn't be in this situation.
