Following a nine-year absence from the squared circle, Edge made a shock return to WWE last night as part of the Royal Rumble match.The "Rated R Superstar" entered the 30-man match at number 21 to a thunderous ovation from the crowd - and made it to the final three, before being eliminated by eventual runner-up Roman Reigns.Fans were delighted to see the former 11-time world champion back in action - and it was clear to see that the 46-year-old had certainly put in a great deal of work in the gym in advance of his comeback.Last night's appearance was the Canadian's first outing in the Royal Rumble match since he won the bout back in 2010. On that evening, Edge also returned from injury as a surprise participant, entering at number 29 to eliminate John Cena and take the victory.Edge would only spend a total of under eight minutes in the ring on route to his win and, owing to health issues, looked physically far from his best.
The marked disparity between Edge's physique in 2010 and that on display in 2020 is startling - as can be seen by comparing photos uploaded to Twitter of each event. There are, however, some noteworthy factors behind the transformation.
The real-life Adam Copeland was forced to retire from in-ring competition back in April 2011, having been diagnosed with cervical spinal stenosis.
Doctors feared that there was a high risk of neck-down paralysis should he continue to compete and he was subsequently advised to quit the ring with immediate effect.
These issues had been long-standing and would have placed great limitations on his ability to train leading into his 2010 Royal Rumble return. It is understandable, therefore, that his physical appearance would have suffered.
Nine years of healing - and a change in the stance of his medical professionals - meant that Edge was eventually cleared to return to action.
Rumours of potential comeback began to surface after he appeared at SummerSlam 2019, spearing Elias during a segment on the pre-show.
Speculation would increase further once it was announced in December 2019 that Edge had agreed a new multi-year deal with WWE. It seems by that point, however, that Edge had already decided to step back into the ring - and had likely been training for several months in preparation for his return.
Given the fanfare that he returned to on Sunday, it appears that Edge is back for more than just a cameo appearance.
Whilst he was not successful in winning the Royal Rumble match for a second time, there are still several big events on the horizon in which Edge could play a key role.
WWE are scheduled to return to Saudi Arabia to host a show at the end of next month, before staging both the Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania pay-per-view events in the weeks that follow.
Edge is back - and he is in shape! Fans look set to be treated to some highly intriguing matches involving the Hall of Fame superstar very soon.