Waller hyped the appearance as Edge having a special announcement, but Edge was confused as to what Waller was talking about.
Instead of making an announcement, Edge reflected on his PLE debut at SummerSlam 1998 in Madison Square Garden. Waller then stated that Edge's announcement is that he's retiring.
Edge said that someone sees something in Waller because he's stood in the same ring as John Cena and now him. Edge went on to state that he wasn't retiring, but instead he would be having a match against Waller.
BREAKING: @EdgeRatedR will go one-on-one with @GraysonWWE live at @TheGarden TONIGHT on #SmackDown! pic.twitter.com/y1GVrLkBZa
— WWE (@WWE) July 8, 2023
Later on WWE SmackDown, Edge defeated Waller in singles competition.
The finish saw Edge counter Waller's summersault stunner with a spear to score the pinfall.
After the match, Edge said Waller "swam."
THIS IS AWE-SOME! ---- ------@EdgeRatedR @GraysonWWE #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/p1iTCbIm6M
— WWE (@WWE) July 8, 2023
This marked Edge's first appearance since the May 12 episode of WWE SmackDown when he competed against AJ Styles and Rey Mysterio in a triple threat match as part of the WWE World Heavyweight Title tournament. Styles was victorious in the bout.
This was Waller's first bout on the main roster. He revealed on June 27 that he suffered a broken leg on the April 25 episode of NXT when he faced Carmelo Hayes.
Fans can find Fightful's coverage of WWE SmackDown by clicking here. Check out the post-show podcast for a full review of all the action by clicking here.