5 moments that prove Edge is one of the best villains in WWE history

After his return to WWE at the 2020 Royal Rumble, the audience was firmly behind Edge for the most part. It was difficult, even for the most fickle fan, to turn on a legend who had returned from a career-ending injury. The 11-time world champion soaked up the adulation of the fans and was a tremendous babyface.

However, Edge has done some of his best work as a heel and is arguably one of the best villains in WWE history. On the February 28 episode of Monday Night RAW, The Rated-R Superstar returned to his villainous roots when he assaulted AJ Styles after The Phenomenal One accepted his open challenge for WrestleMania.

Here's a look back at five moments where Edge demonstrated that he was truly one with the dark side:

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#5 The rivalry with Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy and Edge square off

After returning from a year-long layoff in 2004, Edge was drafted to RAW and pushed as a singles act. The Canadian was an incredible performer, but something was holding him back from being embraced as a top star. All of this changed after he aligned himself with Lita.

Edge's on-screen partnership with the former women's champion soon became a real-life romance. This didn't go down well with Lita's boyfriend at the time, Matt Hardy.

WWE took the opportunity to tap into real-life emotions and booked a feud between the aggrieved Hardy and Edge. This program played a massive part in elevating The Rated-R Superstar.

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#4 Spearing Mick Foley through a flaming table

While he was part of some of the most memorable moments of the last three decades, Mick Foley's biggest contribution to WWE was helping to build stars such as Triple H and Randy Orton. The Hardcore Legend understood the intricacies of professional wrestling and put younger stars over in matches that elevated their stock.

At WrestleMania 22, Edge received the honor of taking on Foley in a hardcore match. The two legends walked into the bout with chips on their shoulders and assaulted each other with steel chairs, barbed wire and thumb tacks. The finish saw The Rated-R Superstar spear The Hardcore Legend through a flaming table.

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#3 Edge sneaks into the Elimination Chamber

Edge attacking Kofi Kingston

Edge walked into No Way Out 2009 as the WWE Champion and was set to defend the title inside the Elimination Chamber. However, Jeff Hardy eliminated him after three minutes with an inside cradle. Still relatively fresh, The Rated-R Superstar decided that his night wasn't over.

Before the main event of the night, Edge laid out Kofi Kingston with the con-chair-to and proceeded to take the former Intercontinental Champion's place in the second Elimination Chamber match of the night. The bout was being contested for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Edge patiently bided his time and walked away with the big gold belt after last eliminating Rey Mysterio, cementing his reputation as The Ultimate Opportunist.

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#2 Assaulting John Cena's father

In the build-up to his clash with John Cena at SummerSlam 2006, Edge decided to take an uninvited tour of the West Newbury native's family home. The Rated-R Superstar trashed some of Cena's belongings, including sports memorabilia from different teams.

As the Canadian star made his way to the family room, he was confronted by The Franchise Player's father, John Cena Sr. After an exchange of words, Edge proceeded to slap the elder Cena and left him laying. This angle garnered a tremendous amount of heat heading into SummerSlam 2006.

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#1 Cashes in the first Money in the Bank contract to win the WWE Championship

Edge celebrates his first WWE title

Edge won the first-ever Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania 21. He held the briefcase for almost nine months before cashing in on then WWE Champion John Cena at New Year's Revolution 2006. The latter had just defended the strap in an Elimination Chamber match against five other contenders.

A helpless Cena could do nothing as Edge connected with two spears and pinned him to win the title. The Rated-R Superstar didn't hold the title look back from this point. He proved to be a reliable ratings draw and cemented his spot as a main eventer.