When I was a kid, I used to watch wrestling pretty much weekly. I’ve fallen out of love with it, and more or less keep up with it when I remember it’s still kicking around. It’s not a big part of my life anymore, nowhere close to the astronomical levels it was at when I was younger. Listening to the occasional podcast or YouTube clip, the occasional article here or there was about as much as I could muster up for the sports entertainment I used to love. Adam Copeland, otherwise known by his in-ring name, Edge, was by far my favourite as a kid, so to hear he was returning to the ring was a bolstering of the nostalgia, a real kick to my interest in wrestling. Edge: The Second Mountain documents this miraculous return, after a decade away from the business after being forced to retire in 2011.
It’s as crisp and well-made as you would expect. WWE-made documentaries are often a hallmark of quality, they have unprecedented access behind the scenes and the abundance of archive footage they’ve held onto over the years is an impressive notion of belief in the talent they produce. Seeing Edge discuss his retirement and lack of urge to return to the ring is nicely documented. It looks to be rather happenstance, his big return at the Royal Rumble one of the rare occasions where a return is kept under wraps until the very last moment. Copeland and other interviewees muse on this briefly, the rise of social media and leaking has led to secrecy becoming an impossibility. Returning stars are announced, or leaked, on Twitter or news articles, and, according to Copeland, it ruins the magic.
Edge: The Second Mountain has a lot on its plate, balancing it well throughout a documentary that stretches just across the hour mark. Detailing Copeland’s acting career, the balance he has with family life and training, and his desire to return to the ring. It’s rather impressive to see how well these moments are documented, enough time to flesh them out as entertaining or insightful, but not lingering around for too long.
Short, sweet, to the point and a real treat for anyone with even the slightest bit of nostalgia for the Rated R Superstar. Edge: The Second Mountain is a solid documentary that details a truly unlikely comeback in as much detail necessary. Interviews with Copeland, his family, friends, and those in the business, reactions from fans, and a rare look behind the curtain of WWE’s development and writing process. A treat for fans of the business, or those looking to rekindle that love for the world of wrestling they thought they had lost years ago.
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