10 Wrestling Matches Which Quickened Edge's Retirement

3. Edge Vs. Jeff Hardy (Extreme Rules 2009)

Edge Jeff Hardy Extreme Rules
WWE.com

By the time 2009 came around, there was a sense that Edge and Jeff Hardy had long-since exhausted their bank of ideas for ladder-based matches. That didn't stop them from contesting a great scrap, but a lot of the bumps and spots were noticeably recycled from previous altercations.

Just a few months before he'd injure his Achilles tendon against the same man (ironically in the relative safety of a straight singles clash), Edge looked in visible pain as he stormed his way through a TLC Match at Extreme Rules 2009. There's a very good chance that the excitement of working with someone he had experience with allowed adrenaline to push him through the contest. 

Both men actually fell through a ladder, breaking it with their bodies in one notable major spot. The death-defying antics were thankfully kept to a minimum, which actually helped the match in general. By the end, Edge looked like he had been through the wars, taking an RKO/Diamond Cutter style move from Hardy in mid-air as he went for a Spear likely didn't help. 

At this juncture, it was looking more and more like Edge didn't have too many of these daredevil-style bouts left in him.

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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.