5 underrated singles matches of Edge in WWE

Since his WWE main roster debut in 1998, Edge has been a constant when it comes to main event matches, whether those main events have been on Raw, Smackdown, Backlash, SummerSlam, or even WrestleMania.

In April of 2002, Edge's singles career began to kick-start after a series of pay-per-view matches with WWE Hall of Famer, Kurt Angle. Following his matches with Angle, Edge was seen by fans and WWE management as a Superstar with all of the potential in the world due to his unique look, creativity, youth, and ability to have a great match with nearly everyone.

Upon Edge's return from his first triple spinal fusion in 2003, he returned to Raw in 2004 and picked up right where he left off, and began to have more classic singles matches with the likes of Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, and Matt Hardy.

Furthermore, Edge is known to never have the same match twice, and every encounter has had different forms of storytelling, psychology, innovation, and athleticism. Whether Edge was facing a WWE legend like Ric Flair, or facing a speedy underdog like Rey Mysterio, each match had its own story that was perfromed to perfection.

Moreover, the Ultimate Opportunist is one of the rare performers that has faced nearly everyone from his era on pay-per-view, from the likes of The Undertaker, Randy Orton, Triple H, Eddie Guerrero, Kurt Angle, John Cena, Chris Jericho, Kane, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, and many more.

Let's take a look at five Edge matches that are tremendously underrated!

---

#5 Edge vs Chris Jericho (C): WrestleMania XXVI

Edge and Jericho

In mid-2009, Edge had been sidelined with a torn achilles tendon while teaming with Chris Jericho, as they were the Unified WWE Tag Team Champions. Following the injury Edge sustained, Chris Jericho went on to cut a couple of promos on his tag team partner, seemingly ridiculing him for his injury, and replacing him with Big Show.

However, it was reported by WWE that Edge would miss up to fourteen months of in-ring action due to the injury he sustained in early July 2009. After nearly eight months, the Rated-R Superstar made his return during the 2010 Royal Rumble match as the 29th entrant. Following a huge ovation, Edge stormed into the ring and nailed spears on John Cena and Shawn Michaels; then, he went right for his former tag team partner and eliminated him, gaining retribution.

Following Edge's 2010 Royal Rumble win, Chris Jericho won the World Heavyweight Championship in the Elimination Chamber match, and the match was set for WrestleMania XXVI - Chris Jericho vs Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship.

In the WrestleMania match, the psychology was excellent, with Jericho attempting to attack the achilles tendon as much as he could. In addition, the in-ring prowess was excellent and the near falls were believeable. The Spear off the table through the barricade should have been in the match, not after. Otherwise, the result was quite surprising, as Y2J bested the Ultimate Opportunist.

#4 Edge vs The Undertaker: One Night Stand 2008

Edge and Undertaker

The story of Edge and The Undertaker lasted over a year: from May of 2007 all the way until August of 2008, but there was never a dull moment between those dates. In May of 2007, Edge cashed in his newly won Money in the Bank contract on a beatdown Deadman and won the World Heavyweight Championship.

Then, the Rated-R Superstar cost The Phenom the World Heavyweight Championship inside Hell in a Cell against Batista by hitting him with an HD camera, thus igniting the feud once again and costing The Undertaker the World Heavyweight Championship for a second time.

Following a defeat at WrestleMania XXIV, Edge once again lost at Backlash and failed to re-capture the prize at Judgment Day, so, it seemed like One Night Stand was a last ditch effort. The Ultimate Opportunist and The Deadman went to war in a TLC match for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship.

The two veterans told a simple, yet legitimate story that Edge had to reach another level of lunacy to keep the dead from rising up. Edge splashed The Phenom through a table and used every weapon at his disposal. With a little assist from The Edgeheads, the former World Heavyweight Champion once again became the top champion once again by pushing The Undertaker off a ladder and through a stack of tables.

#3 Edge (C) vs Jeff Hardy: Extreme Rules 2009

Edge and Hardy

In the year of 2009, the meteoric rise of Jeff Hardy had reached its peak when he became the number one contender for Edge's WWE World Heavyweight Championship. There was indirect psychology between the two World Heavyweight Champions as both of them competed in the first ever Triangle Ladder Match nine years earlier at WrestleMania 16.

Now, nine years later, the two were facing each other in a ladder match under singles match stipulations for WWE's top prize.

Both men put each other through the ringer, and Jeff Hardy did everything in his power to prove to Edge he was World Heavyweight Championship material by physically hurling him through every ladder he could possibly find. At one point in the match, both men fell off the same ladder and crashed through the other ladder that was placed on the ring apron and barricade.

Near the conclusion of the match, Edge found himself trapped between ladder beams and couldn't escape to retrieve his title. The match told an underrated story of Edge being the arrogant and overconfident champion that didn't take his opponent seriously, and ended up getting caught off guard.

#2 Edge vs Chris Benoit: Backlash 2005

Edge and Benoit

Prior to WrestleMania 21, Edge and Chris Benoit began to engage in a feud that fans would have likely thought concluded in a singles match at WrestleMania 21. On the other hand, WWE had other plans as they implemented the inaugural Money in the Bank ladder match with both men being key participants.

During the Money in the Bank ladder match at the Showcase of the Immortals, the Rated-R Superstar swung a chair at Benoit's bad arm, which caused him to tumble off the ladder. As a result, Edge won the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match at Benoit's expense.

The following night on Raw, the Rabid Wolverine picked up a victory over the newly crowned "Mr. Money in the Bank" with a shocking roll-up, which caused a rift with Edge. Eric Bischoff later sanctioned a Last Man Standing match for Backlash, where both men would have to beat each other to a pulp to gain the victory.

The war at Backlash began fast as the former World Heavyweight Champion ran into the ring and took down Edge right from the get-go. During the match, the two Canadians hit each other with everything they had; for example, the Canadian Crippler went for a middle-roped dive and was hit over the head with a trash can lid.

In addition, Chris Benoit hit Edge with a German Suplex from the top of the ladder, and then executed a Diving Headbutt to nearly win the match. In the end, Edge proved to be the Ultimate Opportunist by hitting a couple of Spears, and using a brick that he hid in the Money in the Bank contract to keep The Rabid Wolverine down for the ten count.

The match had all of the innovation and storytelling you could expect from a blood feud, as Benoit would not stay down.

#1 Edge vs Kurt Angle: Judgment Day 2002

Edge and Kurt

In 2002, Edge and Kurt Angle had a competitive rivalry where they attempted to outdo each other in every single match they contested in. In their first pay-per-view match at Backlash, The Olympic Hero bested Edge with an Angle Slam. Following Backlash, a Hair vs Hair match was made for Judgment Day the following month.

At Judgment Day, the match stole the show as it had plenty of great sequences and a ton of believeable near falls, including Edge kicking out of Angle Slams and everything the Olympic hero had to offer. In a rare visual, Edge out-wrestled the Olympic Gold Medalist and secured a roll up victory to ensure Angle was shaven bald.

Fopllowing the match, Edge executed the Edgecution and chased Kurt Angle all over the arena. Finally, Edge managed to get Angle in the barber's chair and shave his head completely bald. From that point on, the Olympic Gold Medalist has embraced being bald, just like the American bald eagle, even eighteen years later.