"He is a lifer there" - Jim Ross says RAW Superstar made the right decision by choosing WWE over AEW
During his time as WWE's Head of Talent Relations, Hall of Famer Jim Ross helped bring many amazing stars to the company. Among many others, Edge is just one example of a performer who thrived during JR's tenure. Though The Rated-R Superstar remains with WWE, Ross now works for AEW. With this in mind, the legendary broadcaster recently explained that WWE is Edge's "home."
Injuries forced Edge to retire in 2011, but he memorably returned to the ring in 2020. As he prepared to compete again, various rumors suggested that the Hall of Famer was in talks with All Elite Wrestling before he decided to return to WWE. In hindsight, JR believes The Rated-R Superstar made the right choice.
During this week's episode of "Grilling JR," Ross admitted that he would have loved to have seen Edge join the AEW roster, but understood why the Hall of Famer picked WWE. The veteran announcer described how Edge had a fantastic relationship with Vince McMahon and stated that WWE was home to the legendary wrestler.
"He has got a brand established in WWE," said Ross. "It's home for him. He is comfortable there. He's got a really open, established communication with Vince, which is crucial. Would I have loved to have had him in AEW? Hell yeah! Are you kidding? Absolutely. But I just think that WWE for him, after all these years, was home."
"He is a lifer there (WWE)," Ross continued. "Would I like to see Adam Copeland have a match in AEW someday? Of course, I would....Is it going to happen? Unlikely. Highly unlikely, perhaps. But that would have been kind of cool if he had come and worked for us. But I understand why he did, and I think he made the right decision."
Thanks to some fine folks on Twitter for reminding that 20 years ago today this young, hungry, hairy, guyliner wearing kid debuted on @WWE television. https://t.co/PK1KvqmFAr
Ross also noted that, when he first signed Edge, he knew the young star had always dreamed of working for WWE. By continuing to compete for the company, The Rated-R Superstar is making this dream a reality.
Edge had negotiations with AEW before he re-signed with WWE
Reports of Edge having serious talks with AEW first surfaced in January following his return to the ring at the 2020 Royal Rumble. Edge confirmed the rumors a few months later and disclosed what happened behind the scenes leading up to his comeback.
He described how he wanted to directly speak with Vince McMahon about the situation due to their extensive history with each other. Edge had been one of WWE's major stars before he retired, and this success came under McMahon's management.
YOU THINK YOU KNOW HIM!?!?!?!?!
@EdgeRatedR IS BACK AND IN THE #MensRumble!!!!!!!!!!!! #RoyalRumble https://t.co/iHLfhpa6Wh
Additional reports revealed that the WWE Chairman offered Edge a "ridiculously high number" that went above AEW's offer. The 11-time world champion ultimately put pen to paper on a lucrative WWE contract; since then, he has experienced a phenomenal run in the company. Edge was recently drafted to the RAW brand, and it's fair to expect that he'll continue to shine there.
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