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While telling stories through the art on one's body is not a new concept, Edge's story differs vastly from some of what we've seen in Superstar Ink. There have been tattoos dedicated to family with Rey Mysterio and Robbie McAllister, lost friends or family with Balls Mahoney and Shannon Moore, life's hard lessons with MVP and spiritual connections between the earth and the human soul with Jeff Hardy.
But Edge's doesn't touch on any of those topics -- his uncover the layers of his life in sports-entertainment.
"Every tattoo on my body symbolizes a phase in my career," Edge revealed. "For me, body art is all about expression; it's a lifestyle and can serve as a reminder that when my career is done, I'll have a story to tell on my body. And it will be my story of my life on my body."
He continued, "My tattoos are the story of my adult-professional life without saying ‘Edge' or ‘The Rated-R Superstar' anywhere. My tattoos cover the time from when I was 17 until now."
At age 17, Edge got his first tattoo. Don't bother looking for it now though; he's since replaced it with the black sun that's spread across his left shoulder.
"Two friends and I decided to get tattoos of different animals," he explained. "My one friend got a bulldog, my other friend got a bull, I think, and then I got a shark. Two years later there was a cartoon called Street Sharks and by happenstance it looked eerily reminiscent of my tattoo. Actually it was identical."
After being sidelined with a severe neck injury in 2003 -- which required surgery to repair -- Edge decided it was time to ditch the shark.
"What I did was have the sun that was on my tights and boots for the first half of my career replace the shark; I guess the sun represents what I did back then -- look toward brighter days," he said with a shrug.
The cross on Edge's forearm stems from his time with The Brood, a faction of three members that formed in 1998 and dispersed in 1999.
"That cross is a throwback to the beginning of my WWE career," said Edge. "It was also the design on my first T-shirt."
The thick, black star on his right shoulder should look familiar to the three-time World Champion's fans (and foes). That's how Edge portrayed his transformation into one of the most opportunistic and egotistical Superstars in WWE -- the Rated-R Superstar. Shortly after the addition of the star, two Mexican skulls with flowers and hearts adorned on the insides were added.
"I wanted something that reminded me of an old school, classic tattoo, which is why I had the roses and hearts put in there," he said. "It was something I haven't seen and it's exactly how I portray the Rated-R Superstar phase of my career. I've always said I'm the Guns N' Roses of wrestling and this tattoo embodies that."
There may be more tattoos in Edge's future. He wouldn't give a timeframe for when or if they'll come, but he did hint that if he does in fact get one, it will be more personal than professional.
"The last one, I'm thinking, would be a banner that reads ‘Persevere,'" he said. "It's my stance on how I deal with things in life. Every time I get an injury or suffer from a personal setback that's exactly what I do, I persevere. It's either that or ‘Rise Above,' as opposed to persevere through it."
