The 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble match was one of the better matches in recent memory. While some have issues with how the first half of the match was booked, the second half was memorable for all the right reasons.
Probably the biggest example of that would be the number 21 entrant into the Rumble match. With Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, Karl Anderson and Drew McIntyre waiting in the ring, the clock began to count down from 10 as they do every year for every entrant in the match. The almost 43,000 strong crowd in Minute Maid Park could not have predicted who would be next as the iconic intro to Edge’s theme song hit. It was an almost surreal moment as the music hit and Edge sprinted out from behind the curtain. The crowd would produce one of the loudest pops of the 20s so far.
We would get very little clean footage of Edge as he initially made his entrance, with a large amount of smoke billowing in the entrance way. While many are quick to condemn Kevin Dunn’s direction, this is one of his best moments. Edge would emerge from the smoke, his chest heaving with emotion. Edge looked almost on the verge of tears as the crowd would continue to cheer him to the ring.
At the time there were whispers of Edge possibly being cleared, but many fans were sceptical and for many, this return would stun so many. The crowd shots of the moment back that up as each one featured fans in a state of eurphoria. Edge would go on to make it to the final 3 before being eliminated by Roman Reigns, but had a great showing, proving that he could still go.
The reason for this euphoria is the same reason why Bryan Danielson, Saraya and Christian’s in ring returns: fans never expected them to wrestle again. The four stars all announced that they were forced to retire due to a variation of neck and concussion issues, but all have safely returned to the ring with no catastrophic injuries. Edge in particular was coming off a nine year retirement where the only physicality he had partaken in before that was a spear to Elias at SummerSlam 2019.
When he retired in 2011, it was due to requiring triple fusion neck surgery with Edge emotionally retiring on an episode of Monday Night RAW post retaining his World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 27.
Personally, when Edge’s music hit during the match, I shot up from where I was sitting and couldn’t stop myself from shouting “holy shit” at almost 4am here in Ireland. It was that kind of moment and it will forever go down in history as one of the greatest moments in Royal Rumble history.
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