Revisited Rivalries: Edge vs The Undertaker
Throughout 2008 the featured headline feud on the SmackDown brand was between Undertaker and The Rated R Superstar Edge, but the seeds of their rivalry were planted one year earlier which featured some of the Deadman’s best matches of his illustrious career.
At Wrestlemania 23, The Undertaker defeated Batista to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At the same event, Mr. Kennedy won the annual Money in the Bank Ladder match to capture the briefcase that allowed the holder a shot at the WWE Champion at any point. Unfortunately, Mr. Kennedy lost his briefcase in a match against Edge on Monday Night RAW. On the following episode of SmackDown, Edge successfully cashed in the Money in The Bank briefcase after The Undertaker had successfully defended his championship. The ultimate opportunist had once again become the new World Heavyweight Champion.
Shortly afterwards in the summer of 2007, Edge vacated the championship due to injury and as the year approached Survivor Series, The Undertaker was challenging Batista, who had once again regained the championship. This time, the match between the pair took place inside Hell in a Cell to main event the Survivor Series event. With the match almost won, The Undertaker whilst pinning Batista after delivering a tombstone on the steel steps, the referee was pulled out of the ring by Edge who appeared dressed as a cameraman. Edge attacked Undertaker and then performed the con-chairto to The Deadman on the steel steps. Edge placed Batista on top of The Undertaker to retain the WWE Championship thanks in part to the interference of Edge.
On the SmackDown after Survivor Series, the show opened with SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero screaming at Edge for his interference at Survivor Series. As punishment, she announced that Edge would challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship the following week. Edge and Guerrero then laughed and start kissing, revealing they were a couple. Later in the evening, Edge hosted his talk show Cutting Edge where his guest was Batista. Batista stated that their relationship made him sick and attacked Edge. As Edge and Batista fought up the ramp to the entranceway, the lights went out in the arena. When they come back on, an enraged Undertaker was in the ring alone with Vickie and he delivered a tombstone to Guerrero to end the show.
The following week, Edge faced Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship, but The Undertaker got involved. Edge narrowly escaped as The Undertaker delivered a chokeslam on Batista. Teddy Long, acting as SmackDown General Manager in Guerrero's absence, booked a triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon.
At Armageddon, Edge managed to defeat The Undertaker and Batista to win the World Heavyweight Championship due to assistance from the debuting ‘Edgeheads.’ Formerly The Major Brothers, the duo were rechristened as ‘Edgeheads’ under the names of Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins. In the Triple Threat, Ryder and Hawkins appeared dressed as Edge featuring similar physics and hairstyles, accompanied by matching tattoos. It was difficult to tell the difference and taking advantage of the distraction, Edge pinned Batista to become the new champion.
In the next edition of Smackdown, Edge was due to defend the championship against Batista in a rematch, but Vickie Guerrero returned in a wheelchair after Undertaker's attack. Guerrero turned the match into a handicap match in an effort to screw Batista out of the championship again.
Edge successfully retained the World Heavyweight Championship at Royal Rumble and No Way Out against Rey Mysterio. Also, at No Way Out, The Undertaker won an Elimination Chamber match to earn a shot at Edge and his championship in the main event of Wrestlemania 24.
Edge, along with his girlfriend and Smackdown General Manager Vickie Guerrero, formed their very own stable called La Familia. Members included Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins and they were also joined by Chaco Guerrero, who the group helped win the ECW Championship. Bam Neely also later joined the group, which is a name often forgotten.
On the road to Wrestlemania, Edge predicted that the Undertaker's 15-0 Wrestlemania undefeated streak would come to an end. La Familia even held a mock funeral, including a casket at ringside, in which The Deadman surprisingly emerged from.
Edge had spoken about the idea of being pitched that he should be the one to break The Undertaker’s streak and retain the championship.
“In the lead-up to it, I was asked, ‘What do you think about ending The Streak’ and I said no,” Edge said. “Adamantly no. I don’t think it ever should’ve ended until what we knew was his final WrestleMania, and then even no. I just didn’t think it was right.”
“I also didn’t think at that point in my career I needed it,” Edge said. “I think that that should have been saved for someone who you want to strap the rocket to and you know and you trust”
The Undertaker emerged victorious in the main event of Wrestlemania XXIV, defeating Edge even after interference from Ryder and Hawkins. Desperate to win back his Championship, Edge was granted a rematch at Backlash. Fellow La Familia member, Chavo Guerrero lost his ECW Championship at Wrestlemania, losing to The Undertaker's brother Kane. Using her power, Vickie Guerrero granted Chavo a rematch at Backlash for the ECW Championship.
At Backlash, Kane retained his ECW Championship by defeating Chavo while The Undertaker also retained his World Heavyweight Championship. Taker survived attacks from Zack Ryder and Curt Hawkins and applied the submission move known as Hells Gate on Edge to win by submission. After the match, The Undertaker refused to release the hold and kept it locked in. Once the Deadman finally released the hold, Edge required medical attention and was stretchered out of the ring.
The following SmackDown, The Undertaker was set to defend his championship against The Great Khali but Vickie Guerrero came out to stop the match. She stated that The Undertaker's submission hold, Hells Gate, had caused too many injuries, so officially banned the move. She also announced that due to his actions at Backlash that she was stripping him of the World Heavyweight Championship. An irate Deadman put The Great Khali in the Hells Gate until he passed out. Vickie announced that The Undertaker would get a chance to reclaim his championship against a winner of a Number One Contender Battle Royal, which was won by Edge.
At Judgement Day, The Undertaker defeated Edge by count-out. Vickie Guerrero appeared and announced that even though Undertaker won the match, you cannot win the World Heavyweight Championship by count-out, leaving the title vacant.
On the May 23rd episode of SmackDown, Vickie Guerrero announced that at One Night Stand she would crown a new World Champion when based on the winner between Undertaker and Edge in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs Match. She also added the stipulation that if The Undertaker were to lose, he would be banished from WWE forever.
Their match at One Night Stand was a gruelling contest with Edge emerging victorious by defeating The Undertaker in the TLC match with help from La Familia. With the loss, The Undertaker was banished from WWE.
With Edge back at the top with the championship, he was blindsided on the June 30th episode of Monday Night Raw when CM Punk cashed in his Money In The Bank Briefcase to win the World Heavyweight Championship.
Annoyed with his loss, Edge demanded that he receive another Championship opportunity. Vickie Guerrero then scheduled Edge to face WWE Champion Triple H at The Great American Bash, who had been drafted over to the SmackDown brand. In the build-up to their WWE Championship match, Edge and Vickie were getting married.
On the July 18th episode of SmackDown, Vickie and Edge held their wedding reception throughout the episode with the wedding ceremony transpiring before the show started. Throughout the evening, we saw segments where Edge and Vickie were introduced for the first time by best man Chavo. We also saw the first dance and the throwing of the bouquet. The conclusion of the evening saw La Familia all in the ring celebrating the wedding when Triple H came out with a gift. His gift was a video that showed Edge and their wedding planner, Alicia Fox, passionately kissing. The show closed with Vickie attacking Edge and screaming with tears. Vickie discussed working with Edge throughout the whole storyline and Vince is thinking about the first time they are seen together.
Vickie would elaborate on working with Edge.
“Edge was such a gentleman. He taught me so much about the ring and the psychology of the storyline. He was on board. I had that fear because here I was, Eddie Guerrero's wife. I was green and I had no talent. This is not what I did in my career. I was at home with the girls and the only reason I was there was because I was Eddie's wife and I had a lot to prove to everyone. So to be entrusted to Edge and Dolph Ziggler, for them to say 'hey, you're gonna work with Vickie Guerrero', that's something that really scared me and I had a lot of fear because I didn't want to insult their legacy. This is Edge who was this amazing wrestler, talented, he has his own legacy and now they're asking me to manage him and I'm like 'oh my god, this is insane'. When Vince put us together, I think the first they saw Edge and I on TV together, I was lecturing him about what a bad job he did. I was kind of doing the General Manager role. So when Vince McMahon said, 'we're going to show some unity with you and Edge tonight' I was like okay, great, how can that even be? What's he thinking?
When Vince said 'you and Edge are going to make out and we're going to show that fans that you are actually behind the scenes conspiring against the whole roster' I was like, I'm going to romantically kiss Edge, we're going to have this romance and it's going to be awesome. When I was thinking about it, Vince was like 'no, I want you to grossly slobber, disgustingly kiss him so the fans can get even more upset with you all'.
At The Great American Bash, Triple H retained his championship after Edge accidentally speared Vickie Guerrero, who was at ringside. On SmackDown, Edge attempted to apologize for his actions and tried to win back Guerrero, but Vickie instead announced that she had reinstated The Undertaker and the two would square off at Summerslam in a Hell in a Cell match.
The following week, Edge hosted the Cutting Edge with special guest Mick Foley. Foley urged Edge to dig deep and rediscover the ruthless Edge if he wants to survive Hell in a Cell. Edge claimed that he understood Mick’s advice, but attacked him anyway and put him through a table.
The Hell in a Cell match at SummerSlam was a brutal bout that spent a good portion of time on the outside. The conclusion of the match was a fantastic call back to Survivor Series where their feud began. The Undertaker exacted revenge by delivering a con chair to Edge then issued more punishment as he delivered a chokeslam from a ladder through the ring canvas. The show closed with The Undertaker down on one knee as the flames began to rise from under the ring and JR shouted that ’Edge has been sent straight to hell’.
The Undertaker and Edge feud is 18 months’ worth of storytelling that entwines other matches and rivalries through the various chapters. It delivered a brilliant heel love relationship and created a new faction that was universally hated. Zack Ryder, Curt Hawkins and Chavo Guerrero were officially elevated by being featured weekly on television while also enjoying title reigns.
There is no denying that evil exists in this world and while it’s traditionally the light that conquers the darkness, it was the darkness that ultimately consumed those in its path in the form of good.
