In a blog post for The Kingston Whig Standard (Kingston, Ontario), Tommy Dreamer provided a heartfelt personal tribute to 2012 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Edge.
In the article, entitled Here’s to Edge: a terrible singer, an amazing talent and a great friend, Dreamer discusses having a similar background to Edge as a pro wrestler who first got hooked as a fan growing up:
As a boy, I went to many shows. I was at the inaugural WrestleMania in New York, cheering on Hulk Hogan. I saw an ad in a newspaper seeking people wanting to be in a movie, playing a professional wrestler, no less. I auditioned, didn’t land the part, but I did meet WWE Hall of Famer Johnny Rodz — the man who would become my trainer — there and the rest is my hardcore history.
The only other person I know whose story is similar to mine is that of newly elected WWE Hall of Famer — Canada’s own Edge. As a young boy, Adam Copeland got hooked watching wrestling. His favourite superstar was Hulk Hogan. He, like me, attended many shows, including WrestleMania Vl in Toronto, where he cheered on Hogan. He saw an advertisement in the Toronto Star about an essay contest in which the winner would receive free wrestling training. He won the contest, met his trainers — Sweet Daddy Siki and Ron Hutchison — and, well, the rest is his Rated R Superstar history.
Dreamer also documents their first meeting at an LA Indy show in 2001 which led to a years-long friendship that still sticks today:
Edge and I first met in 2001 in Los Angeles at an independent show. Edge and his tag-team partner, fellow Canadian Christian, were under contract with WWE and working for a small company at its big yearly show. I was also brought in to help raise the attendance.
We were both tired and hungry. I said “Hey I saw an IHOP down the road. You guys want to go?” Before the food even came to the table, we had hit it off. We discovered we had many mutual friends — most notably Rhino and The Dudley Boys — and talked about working with them, made fun of them and had a very fun meal.
We dressed in same small locker room later at the show. The show concluded and we said our goodbyes. Later that year, I joined WWE. In the years that followed, Edge and I would share many days and nights travelling the world together, sharing laughs, heartaches and becoming family. In all of that time, Edge and I never had an argument.
While traveling together, Dreamer said he and Edge would simply tell stories most of the time, but Tommy also noted that Edge could have been a rock star except he couldn’t sing.
Tommy then explores the injuries that Edge suffered over the years, including the one that ended his career:
Edge’s marvellous career was cut short by a neck injury … It came down to this: he was told if he took one more fall or bad move, he could end up paralyzed or worse — dead. He went out too soon, but he went out on top of the industry.
Later, Dreamer paints a picture of a beat up Edge who never let the camera see how much pain he was in:
I would help him carry his luggage to rooms because he had little to no strength in his arms, yet night after night, he continued to go into the ring and do what he most loved doing since he was a kid.
And of Edge’s Hall of Fame induction and their ongoing friendship, Dreamer concludes:
I am very proud to see him being inducted in WWE Hall of Fame this year, but even more proud to call him my friend.
To this day, he randomly sends me text messages: “You miss me?” I always say of course, because I truly do.
So I take this opportunity to say congratulations, Edge. You not only achieved all of your personal goals, you exceeded them. You made your country proud and you will receive the highest honour that can bestowed upon a career in this business. And nobody deserves it more than you.
