Edge's Wrestling Announcement Leaves Fans Questioning WWE Retirement

WWE Hall of Famer Edge (née Adam Copeland) was in action Friday night (Aug. 18) on WWE's "Friday Night SmackDown" program, beating former WWE Champion Sheamus in the main event. The show coincided with the 25th anniversary of his WWE debut, which took place back in the summer of 1998. After the match and the show went off the air, an emotional Edge addressed the crowd, saying it could be his "last one in front of y'all," possibly teasing his possible retirement.

Edge's emotional showcase had fans talking on Twitter, with some wondering if this was the end of his career overall, or if this might only be it for his run in WWE. Some fans are also wondering if he is possibly bound for the rival wrestling promotion, AEW.

After the FOX Network broadcast went off the air, the Toronto native addressed his hometown crowd. He stated, "What I can say is that this is my last one in front of y'all. I don't think I can make it another full run to get here again for a match. I'm just being honest with you, but don't let that be a downer because man, what an experience you all gave me. I will never forget it. I will never forget it. When I'm 84 years old, and I don't remember much, I'm damn sure going to remember this. Thank you." You can see footage of Edge's off-air comments that surfaced online below:

https://twitter.com/reigns_era/status/1692720104771920284

Edge's real-life wife, former WWE Superstar and fellow Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix, and his daughters were also present and watching the spectacle ringside. There have been many questions surrounding Edge's future in wrestling in recent weeks. Ahead of "SmackDown," the 49-year-old former WWE Champion confirmed to ET Canada that his match on tonight's show was the last one on his WWE contract.

After the show went off the air, Edge addressed what might be next to the crowd, saying, "I don't know what the future holds. I really don't. I go to sit home this week, lick my wounds, talk to my family, and see what they want me to do. But what I can say Toronto is thank you."

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1692718283445739723

https://twitter.com/WWE/status/1692736686021603585

Previously in 2011, Edge's career came to a premature end after he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis. As a result, he was forced to take a nine-year hiatus from the ring. He made a miraculous comeback and return in early 2020 at WWE's "Royal Rumble" event, competing in the men's Rumble match after he received medical clearance to return to action.

Over the course of his illustrious career, Edge has become a four-time WWE Champion, a Class of 2012 inductee into the WWE Hall of Fame, and a headliner of multiple "WrestleMania" shows. Most recently, he headlined "WrestleMania 37" in 2021, challenging Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan in a losing effort in the final match of the two-day extravaganza. Earlier this year at "WrestleMania 39" at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Edge was victorious in his match on the second night of the two-day show, beating rival Finn Balor in a "Hell in a Cell" match, with a video introduction by none other than Oscar-winner Russell Crowe as part of a promotional sponsorship with "The Pope's Exorcist."

Edge's possible "last match" in WWE drew a lot of attention and immediately started trending on social media. Many fans were happy to give their kudos to Edge for his long and illustrious career that started 25 years ago:

https://twitter.com/AJMMA_/status/1692722592979849576

https://twitter.com/butwhyalyssa/status/1692365773996785667

https://twitter.com/MeltzerSaidWhat/status/1692747237674172837

https://twitter.com/NoLongerWuv/status/1692525063285694775

https://twitter.com/Pmacuidhir/status/1692735467169497364

https://twitter.com/AJ_Bourne25/status/1692220336090067397

https://twitter.com/Latino_Legend48/status/1692677509874122924

Meanwhile, some fans are suspicious while this might be it for Edge in WWE, the wrestler Adam Copeland might resurface in rival wrestling organization, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Edge's longtime friend and former tag team partner, Christian Cage, is currently part of the AEW roster, signing with the promotion in 2021.

Some users also pondered Edge potentially being an unrestricted wrestling free agent following tonight's show possibly showing at AEW's upcoming stadium show, AEW All In, slated for later this month at Wembley Stadium in London. Per WrestleTix, the show has sold more than 80,000 tickets, and it's slated to be a huge pay-per-view event. With such a huge show and crowd, many are wondering if AEW CEO and President Tony Khan will open up the coffers to sign some big names for surprise debuts for the show, such as WWE Hall of Famers Bill Goldberg and now what appears to be Edge as well.

https://twitter.com/Rayones4444/status/1692290561124729183

https://twitter.com/MOSportsE/status/1692305410466996703

https://twitter.com/ItsWrestleWorld/status/1692212107587072260

https://twitter.com/BackupHangman/status/1692252953669722517

https://twitter.com/Kamiorra/status/1692213194066997387

https://twitter.com/WrestlingFan91_/status/1692251476326789471

Edge's future in wrestling after his big win in Toronto over Sheamus remains to be seen. One thing that is certain is that Edge will be appearing in the upcoming new live-action episodic series, "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," based on the book series, later this year on Disney+. Edge will guest star in the series as Ares, the God of War, in the streaming TV show. He makes a brief appearance as Ares, toting a giant sword, in the newly released teaser trailer.

https://youtu.be/nK0HytQwrw8

The show will also feature the late Lance Reddick as Zeus, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hermes, Megan Mullally as Alecto/Mrs. Dodds, Toby Stephens as Poseidon, and Virginia Kull as Sally Jackson. The series stars Walker Scobell as Percy Jackson, Leah Sava Jeffries as Annabeth Chase, and Aryan Simhadri as Grover.

During his in-ring hiatus, Edge began a prominent acting career. He was a series regular in such shows as "Haven" and "Vikings." So, he looks to be getting back to more of that again with "Percy Jackson."

"Percy Jackson and the Olympians," featuring Adam Copeland as Ares, will debut on Disney+ on December 20.