Edge Returns at the Royal Rumble, Will Be an Active Wrestler Going Forward

Edge made his return to a WWE ring for the first time since his retirement in 2011 tonight at the Royal Rumble.

Edge entered at #21, getting a big pop from the Houston crowd. He eliminated three men (AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Randy Orton) and lasted until the final three along with Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre before being eventually eliminated by Reigns.

There was talk that Edge may have been preparing to return to the ring for the past few months. He recently signed a new contract with WWE and had also reportedly received interest from AEW. According to WrestleVotes, it’s a three year deal.

At SummerSlam last year, he gave Elias a spear, which was his first in-ring action in a WWE ring since his retirement. After that, he said on the E&C podcast, “To be perfectly honest, I think I could do a match tomorrow. And I might be blown up, but I’d be okay. It’s just from what I know with the WWE medical staff, they won’t allow it.”

In October, PWInsider reported that Edge was in Pittsburgh for “WWE business,” possibly meeting with the head of WWE’s medical staff, Dr. Joseph Maroon, about getting cleared to return to the ring.

After those reports, Edge tweeted an apparent denial, saying, “No I’m not and no I’m not.” After more reports of a possible return surfaced in December, he tweeted again, “Still not and still not. Period.” Those tweets were obviously meant to keep his return as a surprise.

Edge was forced to retire in 2011 when he was diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis and WWE doctors wouldn’t clear him to compete because of the risk of paralysis. This stemmed from a neck injury he suffered after taking a frog splash from Eddie Guerrero while he lay on a ladder in 2002. He underwent surgery and was able to wrestle for several years, but later began to feel numbness in his arms and tests revealed the then-career-ending diagnosis.

Active Wrestler

Edge has obviously been officially cleared to compete by WWE wrestlers and will be an active wrestler going forward. According to PWInsider, he likely won’t wrestle on a weekly basis, but will be more of a “special attraction.”

Edge was flown into Houston for the Rumble on a private plane and was hidden away until it was time for his entrance, PWInsider says.