Adam Joseph Copeland was born October 30, 1973 in Orangeville, Ontario, Canada. He is better known by his ring name Edge and he is a Canadian professional wrestler presently signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), assigned to the Smack Down brand.

Copeland initially was raised through the ranks as one half of the tag team Edge and Christian, alongside his real-life childhood friend and storyline brother Christian. He is noted for being one of the most decorated tag team champions in wrestling history, winning a record 12 tag team titles in WWE.

Copeland is a 5 time world champion, having won the WWE Championship twice and the World Heavyweight Championship 3 times. In addition, he won the 2001 King of the Ring and the 2005 Money in the Bank ladder match. Aside from professional wrestling, Copeland has appeared in Highlander: Endgame and made guest appearances in television shows, including The Weakest Link, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, and Mind of Mencia.

Adam Joseph Copeland began watching wrestling at a very young age. His favorite wrestlers included Mr. Perfect (Curt Hennig), Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea), Ricky Steamboat (Richard Blood), Shawn Michaels (Michael Hickenbottom) and Bret Hart, all of whom he admired. Adam won an essay contest in which he would have the opportunity to be trained by Sweet Daddy Siki (Reginald Siki) and Ron Hutchinson.

Throughout the 1990s, Copeland wrestled on the independent circuit in Ontario and the Great Lakes region of the United States under the name Sexton Hardcastle. He became a part of the tag team Sex and Violence with Joe Legend (Joe Hitchen). During 1997, Sex and Violence became part of a larger stable known as Thug Life, made up of Legend, Hardcastle, childhood friend Christian (Jason Reso).