Edge's neck surgery confirmed; out for one year

[Guest bravesfan]

MONTREAL – Feb. 23, 2003 -- Bad news for Edge-Heads: Edge found out earlier this week that he’ll need spinal-cord-fusion surgery which will keep him out of the ring for a full year.

 

The operation is set for March 10 in San Antonio, Texas, and will be performed by Dr. Lloyd Youngblood.

 

“He’s in the best hands,” Stone Cold Steve Austin said. “Lloyd Youngblood is a phenomenal surgeon.”

 

The 29-year-old Toronto native joins the Who’s-Who list of Superstars who have already had a similar procedure by Dr. Youngblood: Austin, Chris Benoit, Rhyno, Lita, Scotty 2 Hotty and Bob “Hardcore” Holly.

 

All of those Superstars have either recovered or are on the path to do so, leaving Edge optimistic about his chances of being able to return to the ring next year, although there are no guarantees.

 

“That’s what I’m gunning for,” he said. “To get back by (next year’s) WrestleMania.”

 

He’ll be having his C6 and C7 vertebrae fused.

 

Edge is one of the most well-liked Superstars backstage, and his peers say coming to work won’t be the same without him.

 

“Edge is a motivator in the locker room,” Kurt Angle said. “He’s a guy who leads by example in the ring, and he’s somebody who everybody gets along with in the locker room. He’s always had good chemistry with everybody, as far as the office and the boys. So we’re going to miss him. He’s one of the smiling faces in the locker room that you can always go to if you need help. It’s going to be kind of difficult to go on without him. But other guys are going to have to step up and take Edge’s place for the next year. Now’s their opportunity to try to step in there and prove themselves the way Edge did. Hopefully, they can.”

 

In interviews over the last year or two, Edge openly discussed the fact that he could already feel the sports-entertainment business taking its toll on his body – having participated in several Ladder Matches, Cage Matches and Tables, Ladders and Chairs Matches. It’s no exaggeration when Jim Ross says that TLC Matches are “career-shorteners.”

 

“I’ve said that since we did them,” Edge said. “They took years off my career. It’s just showing up now.”

 

Over the last six years, Edge added, “If there’s a show, I’m on it, and I think for a while now, my body’s been saying, ‘Hey, can we take a break?’”

 

The injury bug has bitten Edge especially hard over the last year. “It’s weird,” he said. “It’s been my best year wrestling-wise and my worst year injury-wise. And I think they go hand in hand.”

 

First there was a shoulder injury that didn’t end up requiring surgery, but did require rehabilitation, and continues to do so. Then, in December, he tore his MCL, an injury that would sideline a football player for six to eight weeks. Edge continued to wrestle with the bad knee for three weeks until he was finally given a minor reprieve – he was taken off non-televised “house shows” (he missed a total of five), but continued to wrestle at SmackDown! tapings and on pay-per-views.

 

“I was so worried about tweaking my knee … I didn’t pay attention to anything else,” he said.

 

While his neck injury is the result of 11 years of in-ring action, changing the way he “bumped” from mid-December until now has expedited the process dramatically. To avoid landing on his knee, Edge began jumping higher and, for dropkicks, landing on his back, like Rey Mysterio.

 

“One night, I felt (my neck area) and I go, ‘That kind of hurt,’” he said. “But I didn’t think anything of it.”

 

Two weeks ago, Edge wrestled Angle at a non-televised event in Milwaukee. The Olympic gold medalist gave him a German suplex – a move Edge has taken hundreds of times. But this one was different. Edge recalls, “I looked at the referee and said, ‘That one hurt.’”

 

Soon Edge started feeling numbness in his left hand, and then pain down his left biceps. He figured he had a pinched nerve. In a subsequent match, he was hit with a forearm to the back and he felt a jolt down both arms.

 

“That’s how I knew something was up because I never felt that before and I’ve taken harder (shots to the back),” Edge said. “But of course I still tried to (continue to wrestle and not think about it).”

 

While working out in San Francisco two weeks ago, Edge said he was unable to do more than four repetitions of curls, using 25-pound dumbbells, with his left arm.

 

“The next day at SmackDown! in Bakersfield (Calif.), I sat down with Benoit and just asked him what he went through and if it was similar at all,” Edge said.

 

Benoit gave him some advice: “He basically said, ‘Get in (to the doctor’s office). Don’t wait. Get an MRI tomorrow.” Edge talked to Rhyno, who said the same thing.

 

The danger in waiting to have surgery is that the muscles in his left arm would atrophy. So Edge took their advice and got an MRI in Tampa, Fla., then flew to San Antonio to see Dr. Youngblood. The doctor originally thought that Edge had three vertebrae that would need to be fused, in which case, Dr. Youngblood told Edge, “You’re career’s over.” But it was eventually determined that only two discs were harmed.

 

“I’m happy it wasn’t three,” Edge said. “That’s the way I’m looking at it.”

 

Edge has remained remarkably upbeat for someone about to have career-threatening surgery. The Canadian heartthrob says he’s grateful to have a loving family and wife -- Alanah, who has also been extremely optimistic -- to support him. Edge says he and Alanah will use this time to take a long-delayed honeymoon, and to try to start a family. He also says he plans to read, watch a lot of hockey and maybe take up the guitar. One thing he said he’d prefer not to do, however, is to appear on WWE television while he recovers, in a non-wrestling role like an announcer or manager.

 

“I would rather not be ‘Announcer Edge,’” he said. “I’m a wrestler, I’m not an announcer. I would rather be gone and come back. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I’d rather let it heal and come back 100 percent. I want to come back with a whole lot of momentum.”

 

Edge said he’s scheduled for Tuesday’s SmackDown! and the subsequent South African tour before returning stateside for the surgery. While in San Antonio, he said he’s promised to have coffee with Shawn Michaels and dinner with Funaki. Stone Cold has also said he’ll visit him at the doctor’s office.

 

“I told him I’d come down and say hi to him,” Stone Cold said. “I remember when I was doing it, ol’ J.R. came down to say hi to me, and I appreciated it.”

 

Austin added, “Sometimes you take these breaks – the little hiccups in your career – and you might come back stronger than you were before. And I believe that with Edge. I think he was just fixing to come over the hump and be a top guy -- he’s the next guy that I see doing that. This’ll set him back a little bit, but when he comes back, he’ll be stronger than he was before. He’s very talented, and he loves the hell out of the business, so when he comes back he’ll rise higher than he was this time.”

 

So many Superstars have had to have surgery from Dr. Youngblood over the past two or three years because they’re taking too many risks, Edge said.

 

“The fact that seven of us have been in there shows that we have to slow down a little,” he said, “because you’re going to have a generation of crippled wrestlers.”

 

Austin agreed, saying, “It’s just moving too fast. It’s not smash-up derby. It’s professional wrestling.”

 

 

Damn.

[Guest Downhome]

Oh my God, Kurt Angle is a monster out to kill I tell ya, A MONSTER! God, that moron should be demoted, fired, and should NEVER return. On top of that, we should all hate him now for taking out Edge, and should NEVER realize it was an accident, and we should blackball him forever.

 

Yeah.

[Guest CanadianChick]

The danger in waiting to have surgery is that the muscles in his left arm would atrophy. So Edge took their advice and got an MRI in Tampa, Fla., then flew to San Antonio to see Dr. Youngblood. The doctor originally thought that Edge had three vertebrae that would need to be fused, in which case, Dr. Youngblood told Edge, “You’re career’s over.” But it was eventually determined that only two discs were harmed.

 

Thank god it was two.

[Guest Choken One]

Wow. Career Ender? It was pretty close there...Hope Angle doesn't get the blame here...

[Guest bravesfan]

This is to basically to shut up those posters who've hung their "blame" on A-Train or other workers they despise.

 

Geez, even the most seasoned veterans and safer workers can cause these types of injuries, so maybe in the future, we won't be so quick as to jump to conclusions.

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

True, very true.

 

Hell, I got a trivia question for you all:

 

Who was Rhyno's last opponent before he needed neck surgery?

[Guest chirs3]

Well damn, this sure does suck...

 

Hope he gets back into working order ASAP.

[Guest creativename]

Well, in Angle's defense, this doesn't really appear to be anything like the injuries where one guy gets the blame.

 

Goldberg stiff-kicking Bret, Owen breaking Austin's neck, Benoit dropping Sabu on his neck, Angle breaking Holly's arm, D'lo and Droz, Angle and Rhyno miscommunication; all of these were pretty much blown spots. This appears to be a case of Edge landing properly on the spot, but getting injured despite this in a fluke. That's what the article made it sound like, anyway.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

While in San Antonio, he said he’s promised to have coffee with Shawn Michaels and dinner with Funaki.

 

This is probably the worst thing that can happen to Edge, as he was on the verge of Main Eventing, but at least he'll get a dinner with funaki out it it.

[Guest El Psycho Diablo]

I don't think it's so much Angle's fault as it is the WWE style taking a toll. Guys take a lot of neck bumps, and it's strange because they try to avoid all the "unsafe" moves.

 

Safe. Yeah. Right.

 

Me? I blame the chairshots.

[Guest Mindless_Aggression]

No one wrestler is to blame for an injury unless it's a complete fuck up by that one person that causes the injury (Like say Rodney Mack driving Snow onto his head, if Snow was crippled from that then yes, it was Mack's fault) In most injury cases it's just wear and tear like this one. Not Angle's fault, not A-Trains, not anyones. Just a shitty mishap.

[Guest Mulatto Heat]

Well, in Angle's defense, this doesn't really appear to be anything like the injuries where one guy gets the blame.

Of course, I agree with you.

 

But things like this happen to the best of people. I'm not going to go back to the long thread that announced Edge's injury but I wouldn't be surprised if there was blame thrust towards the A-Train or what not.

[Guest bravesfan]

To echo sentiments of a few months ago:

 

EASE UP ON THE GERMANS!

 

 

 

Edit: Re-worded.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Angle broke bob hollys arm too...

 

THE MAN WILL DESTROY US ALL! CAN'T YOU SEE THAT!?

[Guest Human Fly]

Has there ever been a time where an injury has been so common as neck injuries are now?With all the precautions they have taken to try and avoid these type of injuries it seems to have done nothing to slow them down.

 

So what now? Are even more moves banned? If so, what are the candidates to go now? Maybe the WWE realizes that no matter what these injuries will occur and they let people do piledrivers again?

[Guest Downhome]

Wow, Angle seems to be more of a threat than Bill "Career Ender" Goldberg.

 

As said above, NO injury is to be blamed on a single person, unless it's blatantly obvious that it's because of one person. For moves to be done the right way, in most cases, BOTH guys (taking and giving), must move the right way, be in the right place. What would happen even with a simple punch, if the person taking it didn't pull back a bit, as well as the person giving didn't pull back?

 

The only moves as far as I'm concerned that can be blamed on someone, are those which have the person taking the move, TOTALLY out of posistion to do anything. Meaning, those moves where the person doing the move, has the other guys life in his hands.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Goldberg showed no regard for his opponents well being when he delivered a kick with full force. Angle's injury causing moves were more so on positioning.

[Guest Downhome]

Goldberg showed no regard for his opponents well being when he delivered a kick with full force. Angle's injury causing moves were more so on positioning.

Who is to say that Bret was not where HE should have been? Who is to say that both Bret, and Goldberg, did not pull back as they should have?

 

That was an injury that both could be for blame, and we'll never know all of these small details to say one way or another. Besides, that kick didn't end Bret's career (Bret HIMSELF even says so), his being forced to wrestle AFTER it, taking chairshot after chairshot, is what ended his legendary career.

 

I think I sometimes appear to be anti-Bret when I say all of this, but it is not true. He is in my top 10 for favorite wrestlers of all time, I loved the guy, but I am not going to blame one single person on his injury, when many were to be blamed. I'm like this for any injury, I don't really think Angle is to blame here.

 

Accidents do happen also, there is no way around it.

[Guest Human Fly]

Goldberg showed no regard for his opponents well being when he delivered a kick with full force.  Angle's injury causing moves were more so on positioning.

Yeah, you can't equate Angle with Goldberg, or 3MW for that matter.

 

Edge got hurt by Angle doing a simple move, a mistake in timing or a fluke whatever the reason it wasn't really anyone's fault.

 

Goldberg, and 3MW on the other hand kicking people like they were trying to knock down a brick wall is a little different.

[Guest SP-1]

I still don't see where that German Suplex itself did the damage. From the way I understood the article, it seems like Edge was simply saying that when he took that he really felt the problem heavily for the first time. The discs could have been damaged before and that landing simply jolted them into a more painful position or something. But I didn't see where it appeared as if the move itself had much to do with it.

 

It almost seemed more like they were trying to get across that it was the product of an 11 year career littered with TLC and ladder matches and such.

[Guest Downhome]

I still don't see where that German Suplex itself did the damage. From the way I understood the article, it seems like Edge was simply saying that when he took that he really felt the problem heavily for the first time. The discs could have been damaged before and that landing simply jolted them into a more painful position or something. But I didn't see where it appeared as if the move itself had much to do with it.

 

It almost seemed more like they were trying to get across that it was the product of an 11 year career littered with TLC and ladder matches and such.

You speak the truth with wisdom, he could have had a problem. Hell, the injury COULD have began after a wild night of twangin' his woman, that darn monster woman BAH GAWD!

 

Oh yeah, Goldberg only hurt one person, ONE, other than the normal bruises and whatnot that everyone gives and takes, hehhehhehhehhehheh.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

Goldberg is sloppy, you can see that in every one of his matches. Injuries are merely a case of 'when' with him.

[Guest Vitamin X]

“Edge is a motivator in the locker room,” Kurt Angle said. “He’s a guy who leads by example in the ring, and he’s somebody who everybody gets along with in the locker room. He’s always had good chemistry with everybody, as far as the office and the boys. So we’re going to miss him. He’s one of the smiling faces in the locker room that you can always go to if you need help. It’s going to be kind of difficult to go on without him. But other guys are going to have to step up and take Edge’s place for the next year. Now’s their opportunity to try to step in there and prove themselves the way Edge did. Hopefully, they can.”

 

take that Anglesault

 

also want to point out with the Kurt Angle deal, is everyone should realize that Angle is essentially as much of a rookie as a lot of these guys. He's only been wrestling for what, 4 or 5 years? that's nothing compared to how long Jericho, Benoit, hell even Edge, Christian, and the HARDYS have been in the business (OMEGA~!). So being out of position for him can be easily excused by him just not being as much of a veteran as a lot of these guys. Example: Al Snow. When he took that move from Rodney Mack, his veteran awareness I'm SURE helped to avoid what would probably have been a career-ender.

 

Sucks to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

[Guest Downhome]

Goldberg is sloppy, you can see that in every one of his matches. Injuries are merely a case of 'when' with him.

Ok, so even though he's obviously not a threat (after being in hundreds of matches, against all different types of styles), by not hurting but ONE person, you still decide to write him off as a danger? I just don't get that, the facts show that he is not some sort of threat and whatnot.

 

Tell me you hate him for another reason, but I just don't get the excuse of him being a threat.

[Guest Coffey]

Maybe when he comes back he'll be fresh and have people already him to get his over the speed bump that he is currently stuck on. I'm all for Edge main eventing in the future, but everyone whom is capable of moving him upward is doing other things right now.

[Guest Downhome]

Maybe when he comes back he'll be fresh and have people already him to get his over the speed bump that he is currently stuck on. I'm all for Edge main eventing in the future, but everyone whom is capable of moving him upward is doing other things right now.

I think this injury to Edge, will end up being the best thing that's ever happened to him. It was time for a change, time for him to really become his own self, and with his return he can leave beind his goofyness, and really evolve past that.

[Guest Coffey]

Maybe turn heel too.

[Guest XdojimeX]

"This is to basically to shut up those posters who've hung their "blame" on A-Train or other workers they despise."

 

*rolls eyes*

 

"Geez, even the most seasoned veterans and safer workers can cause these types of injuries, so maybe in the future, we won't be so quick as to jump to conclusions."

 

What are you talking about? Thats not even the point here. Angle gave him a routine bump, his spine was already nuked by that point. Read the article, you dont suppose Edge laying off on his knee with the constant ADD "run the ropes-bump the back" style of the WWE had anything to do with it? Not to mention those stupid ass TLC matches. If I ever see another TLC match again it'll be one too soon.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I don't "hate" Goldberg. I think his is an amazing athlete with a natural charisma about him. But his outlook on wrestling is reflected in the way he works in the ring. He sees wrestling as a job and nothing more - he doesn't respect the craft and he doesn't aspire to be a great worker. Hence an unwillingness to work safer. Look at his matches, he is sloppy. Whether he hurts someone is an inevitability. The majority of those 'hundreds of matches' were 3 minute long squash-jobs which involved 10 moves tops. And even then, I bet a lot of guys were sore after the matches.

[Guest THE MIGHTY THOR]

Angle "the American Crippler", he is a dangerous wrestler like RVD , first it was Hardcore Holly now is Edge, when is this rampage going to end???Somebody better tell Trips about Angle.