The Evidence
• Edge vs. Owen Hart at Breakdown in 1998
Edge's
match against Owen Hart is an interesting battle to kick off this collection,
and although the Rated-R Superstar still looks a little insecure at times, he
delivers a series of visually pleasing maneuvers that keep the entertainment
factor of this 9-minute battle at a decent level. Near falls are abundant and
surprises remain scarce, but this matchup marks a solid start.
• Edge & Christian vs. New Brood at No Mercy in
1999
Wow, this one sure delivers first-class wrestling entertainment. It's
a ladder match with $100,000 suspended over the ring, and whoever grabs it first
wins the match and the cash prize. Hardcore matches without any rules are always
fun, and this fast-paced 15-minute battle between Edge & Christian and the
Hardy brothers features plenty of solid ladder action with impressive high-risk
maneuvers.
• Edge & Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz at
WrestleMania in 2000
This one is even more entertaining than the
preceding hardcore match. This triangle ladder match is for the Tag Team
Championship, which means this time, the titles are suspended above the ring,
and the first wrestler to grab a hold of them wins it for his team. At 23
minutes, this is just a crazy battle, complete with awesome high-risk dives and
other fast-paced moves that all somehow involve ladders or/and tables. All three
teams show off their incredible flexibility, and it's plenty of fun to
watch.
• Lance Storm vs. Edge at SummerSlam in 2001
This
one's for the Intercontinental Championship, and neither Storm nor Edge shy away
from showing off their skills via a variety of powerful kicks and risky
maneuvers. A pretty ridiculous twist (keep an eye on the referee) messes up the
ending a bit, but that's the only complaint I have about this otherwise
entertaining matchup.
• Edge vs. Test Survivor Series in 2001
In this
Championship Unification match, Test and Edge deliver a series of interesting
maneuvers that keep the fight fast-paced enough despite an absence of surprises
or high-risk stunts. It's by no means a bad matchup, but let's just say it may
be a little bit more boring than others. It's pretty long at 11 minutes as
well.
• Edge vs. Mr. Perfect at Sunday Night Heat in 2002
Clocking in at only 3 minutes, this one is short but entertaining to watch. Some
moves we get to see are not as well-coordinated as others, but both wrestlers
put on a decent enough show.
• Kurt Angle vs. Edge at Judgment Day in 2002
Edge's
match against Angle at Judgment Day is a Hair vs. Hair match, which means
the loser will have all his hair shaved off. Despite this ridiculous rule
though, the 15-minute battle these two athletes deliver boats first-class pro
wrestling action with a bunch of powerful moves and strong kicks and punches.
Very entertaining indeed.
• Kurt Angle vs. Edge at SmackDown in 2002
It's time
for a steel cage match! Edge and Kurt Angle already proved they have what it
takes to offer audiences a great show, and this battle is no different. At 15
minutes, this cage match features some impressive dives and plenty of steel
action, complete with a nice surprise and a decent enough finish. It's certainly
not the best match on this disc, but it's definitely a great addition to this
collection.
• Edge & Hollywood Hulk Hogan vs. Billy & Chuck at
SmackDown in 2002
It's always good to see Hogan in action, and in
this Tag Team Championship match, he certainly turns up the heat and helps Edge
delivering a solid fight against Billy & Chuck. Nine minutes is just the
right length for this kind of battle, and although this one is predictable and
slows down a bit in the middle, it picks up a lot of pace towards the ending,
giving viewers exactly what they want to see.
• Edge vs. Eddie Guerrero at Unforgiven in 2002
This
match starts out quite slow, with both Eddie and Edge using mostly kicks,
punches and a series of submission maneuvers. The last half of this 14-minute
brawl is more fun to watch, with both wrestlers opting for more risky moves
before wrapping it all up in style. That concludes Disc One.
• Edge vs. Randy Orton at Vengeance in 2004
Even
though this is an Intercontinental Championship Match, the show Orton and Edge
offer us is not that memorable. The battle lasts for 25 long minutes, and both
athletes engage mostly in slow-moving submission holds while only pulling off a
few interesting high-risk maneuvers. This one's too boring or my taste.
• Shawn Michaels vs. Edge at Raw in 2005
Edge faces
Shawn Michaels in a Street Fight, which means there are no rules in this
matchup, and the wrestlers can take the action anywhere they want. If you enjoy
hardcore battles, you'll like this 15-minute battle. From sticks to chairs and
ladders, the two athletes use everything they find around the ring to deliver a
bloody, decent enough show.
• Kane vs. Edge at Raw in 2005
Clocking in at 11
minutes, this is a decently entertaining match, even though neither Kane nor
Edge show they audience what they are really capable of. The wrestling action is
fast-paced enough though, and that's what matters in the end.
• Matt Hardy vs. Edge at Raw in 2005
We're in for
another Street Fight, and this time, it's Edge versus Matt Hardy. This is a much
more intriguing and fast-paced hardcore match than the previous one, with both
Edge and Hardy delivering a variety of impressive stunts. Even the ridiculous
ending is kind of fun to watch.
• John Cena vs. Edge at New Year's Revolution in 2006
Edge goes head to head with John Cena for the WWE Championship, but believe
it or not, the battle between these two superstars is a joke. At 3 minutes, this
is one of matches that fail miserably from start to finish. What the heck were
the WWE writers thinking?
• Mick Foley vs. Edge at WrestleMania 22 in 2006
Hardcore fans should definitely be pleased with this 15-minute blast of a match
at WrestleMania. Foley, as usual, takes plenty of risks to give his fans
exactly what they want, while Edge, who's had a series of decent hardcore
battles before, proves he's got what it takes to wrestle at this level. This may
be a brutal fight, but it sure is darn entertaining as well.
• Terry Funk, Tommy Dreamer, and Beulah vs. Mick Foley, Edge, and
Lita at ECW: One Night Stand in 2006
Want more extreme wrestling?
You got it. While I don't consider this 6-Person Tag Team Match to be one of
Edge's personal best, I admit it's still a solid battle. At 18 minutes, the six
athletes get enough opportunities to show off their hardcore skills, using
plenty of damaging gadgets to make the matchup look that much more dramatic.
Very entertaining indeed.
• John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Edge at Raw in 2006
The WWE Championship is on the line in this Triple Threat Match, and Cena, Edge,
and Van Dam start off very strong with plenty of hard kicks before moving on to
a horde of impressive high-risk maneuvers that keep this 7-minute battle
exciting until the very end. That's it for Disc Two.
• John Cena vs. Edge at SummerSlam in 2006
For a WWE
Championship Match in a pay-per-view, this battle between Edge and John Cena is
decent but not mesmerizing. We get to see a couple of solid moves and submission
holds, but overall, something's missing in this one. Too bad, because it could
have easily been a great one.
• Rob Van Dam vs. Edge at Raw in 2007
I always enjoy
watching Van Dam wrestle because he's someone with great flexibility who
delivers a bunch of crazy moves. Heck, he even makes simple kicks look
impressive. His fight against Edge is a highly entertaining one, despite its
more or less disappointing ending.
• Randy Orton vs. Edge at Raw in 2007
Clocking in at
14 minutes, this match between Orton and Edge doesn't include any major
surprises, but if you're a fan of table action, you won't be disappointed with
this one.
• Undertaker vs. Edge at SmackDown in 2007
I really
don't know what this mess is doing on this disc. At one minute only, I can't
even call it a real matchup. Anyway, this one certainly is a missed
opportunity.
• Batista vs. Edge at Vengeance in 2007
This World
Heavyweight Championship comes with a twist that spices things up a bit during
the second part of the matchup, but other than that, Edge's battle against
Batista is standard but still solid wrestling entertainment. It's not Edge's
best championship match, but it's definitely intriguing enough to be featured in
this collection.
• Rey Mysterio vs. Edge at Royal Rumble in 2008
Mysterio and Edge both deliver a strong PPV performance in this World
Heavyweight Championship matchup, which is rather short compared to others but
still includes enough variety to keep the crowd engaged until the bell
rings.
• Undertaker vs. Edge at One Night Stand in 2008
With extreme rules in place, this Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match for the
World Heavyweight Championship delivers the goods. Edge and the Undertaker use
many of their available props and put on a solid show in the attempt to grab the
title, turning this main event into quite an electrifying duel.
• Undertaker vs. Edge at SummerSlam in 2008
It's
Undertaker versus Edge one more time, and this time, they go head to head in a
Hell in a Cell Match. At 27 minutes, both wrestlers put on a solid show,
delivering some tough moves in and outside the ring. To make it more diverse,
they also bring all sorts of gadgets into play, including tables, ladders,
chairs, and even a camera. Amusing indeed.
Overall, this is a pretty solid collection with tons of awesome matches and
plenty of Edge. Diehard fans of the Rated-R Superstar should have no trouble
enjoying these nine hours of wrestling action to the fullest extent. Disc Three
features a couple of mediocre battles, but all in all, the good surpasses the
bad in Edge—A Decade of Decadence.
Picture quality and audio transfer on all three discs works just fine. Some
earlier matches obviously don't look as sharp as the most recent ones, but
considering the nature of this material, I have no complaints as far as the
technical aspects of this collection are concerned.
Interestingly, this set features more special features than you usually find
on WWE releases. Besides a 5-minute piece showcasing the best of Edge and
Christian backstage and during interviews, the set also includes two bonus
matches. One of them is a dark match from 1997, during which Edge competed
against Christian. The second one is an Intercontinental Championship Match
against Jeff Jarrett in 1999. Although neither of these matches are impressive,
they are quite useful if you want to track Edge's evolution as a wrestler in the
WWE over the past ten years.
