5 more dream matches for Edge outside of WWE

Edge is a wrestler who has aged like wine, having put on consecutive classics since his return in 2020. His rivalry with Seth Rollins has been a stellar highlight of WWE programming and has delivered on every front.

It's not just his rivalry with Rollins that has shone since his return; Edge has been a paramount fixture for WWE.

His work with Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan (Bryan Danielson) for WrestleMania was deserving of the main event billing, and his vendetta with Randy Orton brought out the best of Edge's intense in-ring and character work.

Although Edge will continue to deliver instant classics in the WWE, there remains a plethora of opportunities elsewhere for the Rated R Superstar. With his birthday nearing on October 30th, let's once again take a look at 5 dream opponents for Edge. See our previous list here.

#5 Edge vs CM Punk

Much like Edge, CM Punk is currently in the midst of a fairytale return to pro wrestling. And like Edge, Punk is currently running a gauntlet of superb matches, facing the likes of Darby Allin and Bobby Fish.

While their absences were for entirely different reasons, both of their returns were heartwarming and sent shockwaves through the wrestling landscape.

In many ways, CM Punk represents AEW's Edge moment. Edge returned to WWE when it was almost a certainty that he would never be back. CM Punk returned when it was feared his professional wrestling career was over.

Punk and Edge have faced off before in WWE, however, their collisions came before CM Punk's meteoric rise following his infamous pipebomb promo. CM Punk is now at the point where he can be considered a wrestling legend, sitting at a similar level as Edge.

If the two faced off now, it would be a colossal event, and the whole world would tune in.

#4 Edge vs Matt Cardona

Many remember when Edge attempted to end Undertaker's streak and keep his World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 24. What people often forget is the backing he had during the match from "Edgeheads" Zack Ryder (Matt Cardona) and Curt Hawkins (Brian Myers).

Despite having such an A-list affiliation with Edge, Matt Cardona had a rollercoaster ride of a tenure with WWE, with each step forward necessitating two steps back.

Having since departed the company, Matt Cardona has produced some of the best work of his career with Impact and GCW, among appearances in Free The Narrative and AEW.

Cardona's character speaks of someone frustrated with the way they have felt held back, and finally free of the ties that bound him.

Defeating Nick Gage for the GCW world title in a brutal deathmatch was a prime example of the grittier character change for the former Intercontinental Champion.

Edge helped catapult Cardona into the public eye, and has been attributed by Cardona as a driving factor in his success.

Master vs Apprentice is always a captivating plot point. The storyline can write itself, the apprentice making use of the wisdom and coaching imparted by the master in order to break free from the shadows.

Matt Cardona vs Edge could be a passing of the torch, or it could show why the Rated R Superstar was the master.

#3 Edge vs Matt Hardy

Rivalries help make careers. Building a personal and deep feud requires investment from the fans and that will only occur when there are compelling characters and storylines.

It helps when rivalries feel real, intense and atmospheric. Sometimes when wrestling mimics real-life, it creates a solid foundation for workers to craft their story.

At the time, there was no rivalry more heated in WWE than the one between Matt Hardy and Edge. The raw animosity between the two made the WWE Universe question what was real and what wasn't.

Although Edge has carved out a legendary career in WWE littered with championships and accolades since his clash with Matt Hardy, the best of Hardy's singles success has come outside the company.

He has displayed an endless desire to evolve his character, such as his embracing of the abstract with his "Broken" Matt Hardy gimmick. And although he has lost a step in the ring, he remains an exceptional talent within the business.

So much has happened since they last shared a ring together, and both men have gone through so much on their own that there is something poetic about them meeting again.

Their earlier feud set them on their way to being huge names in the business and one final dream match (maybe a ladder match) would be the perfect closing chapter of their story.

#2 Edge vs Jon Moxley

Edge's return has seen the Ultimate Opportunist target both Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins to great effect.

Reigns and Rollins are two of the best talents that rose to the top in Edge's absence, owing to their run as part of SHIELD.

Lest we forget, however, there is a name from the same faction that has thus far managed to escape the wrath of Edge.

Jon Moxley left WWE in 2019 to bring his unadulterated carnage to AEW and NJPW and has since brought his talents to GCW too.

And since his arrival on the independent scene, Moxley has seen his star power rise above the ceiling he had in WWE.

Unlike Rollins and Reigns, a match between Edge and Jon Moxley would be a brutal reminder of the lengths both men will go to to get their win.

Moxley's deathmatch pedigree is well-known, but fans shouldn't forget the WrestleMania 22 battle between Edge and hardcore legend Mick Foley. Edge is more than capable of working without rules and even since his return displayed his own masochism in his Last Man Standing match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 36.

Moxley would be the final member of SHIELD for Edge to face, and potentially the Rated R Superstar's most dangerous clash to date.

#1 Edge in the G1 Climax

Cheating a little? Probably. But at the same time, who doesn't want to see Edge put his undeniable wrestling talent to the test against the very best of NJPW?

The G1 Climax is the Japanese promotion's tournament to pit the very best of its roster against one another for opportunities to go down in history and challenge for the IWGP world title at Wrestle Kingdom.

It has been a playground for dream matches and collisions for years, planting seeds for iconic rivalries and helping raise the profile of lesser-known talent from around the world.

While the discussion of dream matches usually pulls in singular names, New Japan has been blessed with such a deep and expansive roster of talent, all capable of comprising a list of dream opponents for Edge.

The G1 Climax is like the UEFA Champions League for professional wrestling, complete with big-names, star-making performances and the potential for massive upsets.

The list of names who have worked the G1 reads like a Hall of Fame compilation, and would afford Edge the ability to work with insanely talented wrestlers outside the WWE umbrella.

Although Edge could be considered to be entering his final years in wrestling, his work rate seems to have stood the test of time as he refuses to put on a bad match.

Edge outside the WWE is an exciting prospect; Edge in the G1 Climax would facilitate dream matches otherwise never considered. A long shot, sure, but the stuff of dreams nonetheless.