For The Record 05.03.09: Will Edge Turn FACE?

Edge has been very successful as a heel. In the past three years he’s won nine world titles. He has headlined pay-per-views and competed in two straight Wrestlemania World Heavyweight Championship matches.

Edge is a traditional heel. He’s cowardly. He can’t defeat main event opponents without cheating. And his character has no redeeming qualities.

There’s no reason why any fan would want to emulate Edge. He’s compulsive, paranoid, and obsessed. The Edge character is one of vice, devoid of temperance. One would think that a character like that would be impossible to cheer. However…

Edge could be a top “face” in short order. Despite his villainous qualities, Edge is very charismatic. He’s got a personality that fans respond to. And over time, WWE may discover that the “Rated R Superstar” can draw louder cheers than boos.

To put it plainly: Edge is “cooler” than those he feuds with. For starters, Edge is given one of the best entrance songs in wrestling. The intensity of the music is not one to draw a chorus of boos. His music demands a loud, emotional reaction.

But besides the entrance music, Edge is also easy to cheer because though he’s unethical, he’s still a winner. However, before we go on, a point of clarity is probably in order. Edge might not be the first choice as a top face for younger WWE audiences. They still cheer for John Cena and Rey Mysterio because they’re both virtuous and ethical. But for the older, more sophisticated (or jaded) fans, Edge is the “cool” anti-hero.

Let us recall again that Edge is a nine-time world champion. All of those title wins were the result of luck. Edge didn’t earn those belts in the kayfabe sense. He seized those titles in underhanded fashions. But thanks to Eddie Guerrero, Edge’s actions aren’t quite so despicable.

Eddie Guerrero popularized the wrestling mantra of “lie, cheat, and steal.” Guerrero made no allusions of the fact that he was willing to use shortcuts to get ahead. And while his approach was far from heroic, the fans loudly supported Guerrero nonetheless. Edge’s strategy to winning titles is merely a variation of Guerrero’s. Therefore, why would fans be angered by Edge’s dishonesty when they were excited about Guerrero’s? Guerrero made it possible for fans to support a guy like Edge.

But besides the fact that Edge is somewhat Guerrero-like, let us also recall that…

Edge’s title wins have been very creative. Just look at how he’s won titles the past six months. At Survivor Series, he snuck into the Triple H-Kozlov match and won the WWE Championship after Vickie Guerrero made it a triple threat match. Edge lost the title at Armageddon, only to win it back at the Royal Rumble after the Matt Hardy heel turn. Edge then lost the WWE Championship match at No Way Out, only to sneak into the closing World Heavyweight Championship match and win the title. Edge would go on to lose his championship at Wrestlemania, only to win it back at Backlash.

Edge has been involved in world title changes in six straight pay-per-views… a WWE record. Edge has been involved in many relevant and fresh WWE moments over the past year. He’s one of WWE’s movers and shakers that always finds a way to capture the spotlight. Fans enjoy wrestlers that give them shocking moments, whether the grappler is a face or not.

In Conclusion

Veteran wrestling fans seem naturally predisposed to cheer for a wrestler like Edge. If used correctly, Edge could make WWE a lot of money off of the older audience.

Edge is already a popular wrestler that, if given the opportunity, could move tons of merchandise. He is very marketable, and has reached a level where he could sell a pay-per-view based on his main event status alone.

The irony of Edge and John Cena’s positions in WWE is that both may be more effective in opposite roles. Cena could become WWE’s best heel in over a decade if he turned. And Edge could become WWE’s best face since the Attitude Era. We’ll just have to see what happens. Perhaps over the next few years, WWE will pull the trigger on an Edge face turn. It would be a decision that WWE would not regret.