Backstage News On WWE’s Plans For Edge
Plans for Edge's return to WWE programming appear to be in a state of flux.
The former 11-time world champion was reportedly set to make his return during this past Monday's "Raw" at New York's Madison Square Garden, according to PWInsider. His wife, Beth Phoenix, was also set to appear. However, plans were changed shortly after Vince McMahon's exit from the company, including his role as WWE's Head of Creative.
The original plans for Edge and Phoenix also reportedly included them appearing during WWE SummerSlam weekend. However, with plans now changing, it's unclear if that will still happen or if their returns are being pushed back to a later date. WWE has been teasing the Edge's return for weeks through a series of cryptic vignettes. Edge is expected to readopt to his "Rated-R Superstar" persona once he's back — new merchandise was already being prepared ahead of his return.
Edge has been out of action since the June 6 episode of "Raw". That's when Damian Priest, Finn Balor, and Rhea Ripley betrayed and attacked Edge, booting him from The Judgment Day faction he founded. Since then, Balor and Priest have turned their attention toward Rey and Dominik Mysterio. Balor and Priest spent weeks trying to recruit Dominik to join their ranks, eventually forcing him to agree to join them while threatening his father on a recent episode of "Raw". However, that only led to another attack on Dominik, with Priest telling him, "That's not how it works." The two teams are set to clash in a No Disqualification Match at SummerSlam.
Ripley, meanwhile, was set for a title match against "Raw" Women's Champion Bianca Belair at the Money in the Bank event earlier this month. However, she was abruptly pulled from the match due to medical issues, including head injuries. Ripley also shared a picture of herself wearing a heart monitor during her time away. Ripley returned to WWE programming during this past Monday's "Raw", helping Balor and Priest ambush the Mysterios during a pair of backstage segments.