Edge: Why He May Be the Most Underrated Star of Our Generation

In what is becoming a yearly post-WrestleMania tradition, another one of the most recognizable names in WWE walked away from the ring last night.

This time, it was the Rated-R Superstar, Edge. And his circumstances were just a bit different than those surrounding Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair.

Edge was essentially forced to walk away from the ring due to injury, an injury very similar to the one that ended the career of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.

Adam Copeland's place in WWE history has been a hot topic over the last 18 hours. The most popular question seems to be: Is Edge a Hall of Famer?

The answer is a no-brainer. The only question that should be asked is: How quickly will he be inducted?

Since his WWE debut in June 1998, Edge has been one of the most revolutionary professional wrestlers to compete in any promotion. It is safe to say WWE would not be where it is today if it weren't for Edge.

His resume is as stacked as any you might find. Edge is an 11-time world champion, a 14-time tag team champion, a five-time Intercontinental Champion, the 2001 King of the Ring, the winner of the 2010 Royal Rumble, and the first-ever Money in the Bank winner.

He is one of only two men (the other being Kurt Angle) to hold every active championship he is eligible to compete for in WWE. He holds the record for most World Heavyweight Championship reigns (seven) and most World Tag Team Championships (12) held in a career.

His biggest contribution to professional wrestling may be taking the ladder match to new heights, along with his storyline brother and real-life close friend, Christian.

Shawn Michaels is largely credited for popularizing the ladder match, and for good reason. He did. But Edge took the ladder match and helped make it the spectacle it became. He and Christian helped make tag-team wrestling cool during the Attitude Era.

The type of professional Edge was is echoed by the outpouring of kind words for the Rated-R Superstar. Wrestlers from promotions big and small are praising the work he did both in and out of the ring. Legends such as Bret Hart and Kurt Angle, as well as a litany of others, have wished the best to one of the most important wrestlers of this generation.

And Edge is just that: One of the most important wrestlers of this generation. He is as accomplished as just about anyone. He's been through a serious injury and come out improved. He has been involved in some of the most memorable feuds of the last 15 years, with the likes of Matt Hardy, John Cena, and the three-way feud between he and Christian, The Hardys, and the Dudleys, which spawned the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match.

It is always sad to see a wrestler (or any athlete, for that matter) forced to retire instead of going out on their own terms. Such was the case for 37-year-old Adam Copeland, better known as Edge. With the likes of Triple H, Undertaker, Sting, and Kurt Angle competing into their 40's and beyond, it is safe to surmise that Edge's career still had something left. Unfortunately, an injury changed the career of one of the greatest overall competitors of the last 25 years.