12 WWE Face & Heel Turns That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
6. Edge Shelves Sympathy For Judgment Day (2022)
In his pomp, Edge was the "ultimate opportunist". He was the kind of sick, twisted dude who'd steal your girl then flash a toothy grin after bagging yet another World Championship. In short, he was one of the best heels in the biz for a long, long time. Then, injuries claimed another career and he was forced to retire from the ring in 2011. A 9 year absence (sort of - Edge still showed up in non-wrestling spots) followed.
All of the pain and misery washed away in a heartbeat once Alter Bridge blared out at the 2020 Royal Rumble and the beloved 'Rated-R Superstar' made one of the best comebacks ever in the #21 slot. Visibly emotional, Edge himself could scarcely believe that he was back in the saddle doing his thing, and therein lies the problem with his unwanted 2022 heel turn.
Fans could never truly despise him after everything he'd been through or those tears in 2020. They were too real, and everybody knew the sort of insane damage Adam Copeland had done to his body after decades of big bumps and memorable moments. He was a firm sentimental favourite, so garnering authentic heat was going to be impossible.
Edge formed Judgment Day with Damian Priest and Rhea Ripley before being dumped out of the group just as Finn Bálor joined. It was hollow, unsatisfying and frankly second-rate to then see him limp back into a babyface gig like nothing had happened. Current AEW star Cope might've yearned to do something different before hanging up the boots on his own terms, but this wasn't it.
That was evident straight away after he ambushed AJ Styles pre-WrestleMania 38.