How Edge Became the WWE World Heavyweight Champion

When I wrote my story about knowing today's WWE stars, one reader asked "What about Edge?" I'm supposed to be an expert on pro wrestling, and I literally wrote the book on announcing, so I should probably tell Erin Snap and all of you about the current World champion.

Edge (Adam Copeland) has worked hard over the last nine years to rise from the WWE's training program to become a full-fledged main event star. He is the current World heavyweight champion, which makes him the top star on Smackdown (Friday nights at 8 on The CW).

Edge was trained in his hometown of Toronto by Ron Hutchinson. He used to wrestle in the Detroit territory as Sexton Hardcastle. Christian Cage and Rhino also came from that area.

The WWE noticed Edge's potential and signed him to a developmental contract. He trained for his debut under former NWA World champion Dory Funk Jr. in a class that included Test, Christian, Val Venis and Kurt Angle.

Edge made his debut in 1998 as a "tortured soul" loner. He would enter the ring through the crowd. Edge feuded briefly with a vampire named Gangrel over who would control Christian, who was portrayed as Edge's brother. Ultimately, they all teamed together as a gothic group called The Brood. They had the coolest entrance in wrestling, rising up on a platform through a ring of fire.

After the Brood briefly served as the Undertaker's minions in the Ministry of Darkness, Edge and Christian set out on their own as a tag team. I was there in Cleveland at No Mercy 1999 for their groundbreaking ladder match against Matt & Jeff Hardy.

Edge & Christian lost, but they and The Hardy Boyz became stars from that night's insane display of daredevil wrestling. The Dudley Boyz joined in for a three-way match at Wrestlemania 2000 featuring tables, ladders and chairs. Edge & Christian won that night and at the rematch at SummerSlam.

Edge went on to rack up 11 tag team titles - seven with Christian and one each with Lance Storm, Rey Misterio, Randy Orton, Chris Benoit and even Hulk Hogan.

Edge's talent and work ethic led the WWE to start using him as a singles wrestler, and he beat Kurt Angle in a hair-vs.-hair match. That propelled him up the ladder, but still he needed to do one more thing to put himself over the top.

That thing was to steal Lita away from Matt Hardy - in real life. Hardy and Lita were sweethearts for several years, but news of the Edge-Lita affair rocked the wrestling world. Matt Hardy blasted Edge on the internet and found himself bounced out of the WWE.

Vince McMahon didn't become a billionaire by ignoring opportunities to make money. He gave Edge the character of the "Rated-R Superstar," with Lita as his manager.

In the ring, Edge became a sleazy opportunist. He won the first Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania 21, giving him the chance to gain a title shot whenever he wanted one. So, Edge waited until John Cena had been through a brutal Elimination Chamber match and decided it was time for his big match. Two minutes later, Edge was the new WWE (Raw) champion.

His title reign lasted just three weeks, but Edge had arrived as a major player in the WWE. He put Mick Foley through a burning table at Wrestlemania 22. Later in the year, he won the WWE title from Rob Van Dam. Two months later in his hometown of Toronto, Edge lost the title to Cena again.

However, Edge still wasn't through. He had never lost a match at Wrestlemania until this year's Money in the Bank match. However, in one week's time, he won the Money in the Bank briefcase from Mr. Kennedy and cashed it in to beat The Undertaker for the World title. Like his first title reign, Edge pounced on a champion who had been through a grueling title defense.

Edge is now the top star of Smackdown, and fans can look forward to title defenses against Batista, Rey Misterio, Matt Hardy and Mr. Kennedy.