The infamous John Cena vs. Edge feud remains vivid in the memories of ardent WWE fans. Adam “Edge” Copeland escalated the feud to a personal level when he invaded John Cena’s home and slapped his father. Despite its provocative nature, this disrespectful act was part of the WWE storyline, a creative decision that might not have been a favorite of WWE co-founder Vince McMahon.
Edge’s actions unfolded just days before SummerSlam 2006. This incident set the stage for a brutal high-tension match between John Cena and Edge. Edge narrowly emerged victorious in this match, but Cena made him pay at Unforgiven 2006, which took place a month later.
Edge Slapped John Cena Sr. Days Before SummerSlam 2006
The rivalry between Edge and John Cena began when Edge cashed in his ‘Money in the Bank’ contract, defeating Cena and claiming the WWE Championship in January 2006. Although Cena reclaimed the championship at Royal Rumble, he later lost it to Rob Van Dam after an interference from Edge. Edge then won the championship from Van Dam in July in a triple-threat match involving Cena. This led to a SummerSlam showdown between the two.
On August 14, 2006, just days before SummerSlam, Edge unveiled a video where he invaded the Peacemaker star’s home and trashed his personal items. At the end of the video, he confronted Cena’s dad, who demanded he leave the house and threatened to call Cena. The Rated R Superstar went on to slap John Cena Sr. before leaving the house.
While the slap was part of a scripted storyline that unfolded with Cena Sr.’s consent, Edge revealed in an Inside The Ropes video that he smacked Cena’s dad really hard. WWE co-founder Vince McMahon, upon viewing the footage, was shocked by the slap. Edge, mimicking McMahon, shared his reaction in the interview with Inside The Ropes:
“God damn! This is the worst thing I have ever seen. Oh my god, this is horrible! Bruce [Prichard], you produced THIS! What the f**k?!”
McMahon refused to air the clip as is and forced Edge to ad-lib live commentary over the footage. However, the incident brought significant mileage to the SummerSlam fight. In a brutal match where both Cena and Edge endured their fair share of bumps, Edge emerged victorious, thanks in part to his then-girlfriend Lita. Lita handed him a pair of brass knuckles, which he used on Cena to clock him and retain the WWE Championship.
John Cena Got His Revenge At Unforgiven 2006
John Cena retaliated against Edge in a match format and arena of Edge’s choosing. Cena faced a hostile crowd in Toronto but successfully executed an FU at the end of the match, slamming Edge through two tables off a ladder in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs (TLC) match. Not only did he win the WWE Championship, but he also went on to retain it for another 380 days.
Off-camera, both John Cena and Edge shared a great friendship. In a tribute video dedicated to Edge, Cena expressed that Edge is a “gifted, caring, and amazing” person and a “great human being.” Cena was moved to tears in his tribute to Edge. Cena Sr. also harbors no hard feelings towards Edge, stating that he participated in “a hall of fame slap.”
Also Read: James Gunn Stays Mum On John Cena’s Peacemaker Season 2 But Gives Major Update On Another DCU Series
John Cena Moved On To Films While Edge Continues To Wrestle
John Cena’s foray into movies began with the support of WWE Studios, which produced his first few films, starting with The Marine in 2006. Cena’s rise to film stardom gained momentum with roles in comedies like Trainwreck, Ferdinand, Daddy’s Home 2, and Blockers. Cena ventured into big franchise roles, first appearing in Bumblebee in 2018 and later portraying the villain Jakob Toretto in the 2021 film F9.
Cena also made his mark in the DC universe as Peacemaker in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad and later reprised the role in the eponymous miniseries. He is only a part-time wrestler currently, as opposed to Edge. After his WWE contract expired in 2023, Edge moved on to wrestling for their rivals, All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Edge is also active in television series, with his most popular role being Ketill Flatnose in Vikings.
Edge is set to make an appearance as Ares in the successfully running Disney+ show, Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
