Above: Edge reacts in horror to his new (temporary) rating.

(Los Angeles, CA) -- The Motion Picture Association of America, which serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries, has said that it may force World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Edge to remove his "R" Rating.

Edge (real name Adam Copeland) is a former WWE Champion who has been with the company since 1998. He recently has taken to dubbing himself "The Rated R Superstar". However, the American watchdog has said it will be the judge of whether the athlete warrants such a rating.

"Producers, distributors and even professional wrestlers do not have the right to assign themselves appropriate ratings," MPAA Chief Executive Officer Dan Glickman said during a press conference here today. "Our system is second to none, and should be cherished like a Mid-Atlantic Television Title, not cheapened like the WCW World Championship."

Glickman says there is precedent for such a move, and points to a similar incident in 1996, when the association forced wrestlers Wolfie D and J.C. Ice to change their team name from PG-13 to AA. The undersized duo resigned from The Nation of Domination shortly thereafter.

An "R" Rating, according to the MPAA's website ( http://www.mpaa.org), may include "strong language, violence, nudity, drug abuse, other elements, or a combination of the above, so parents are counseled in advance to take this advisory rating very seriously."

During the MPAA's preliminary investigation, the regulator has discovered that Edge's actions may have "crossed some lines."

"First, there was the whole Lita thing," Glickman said, reading from a 15-page executive summary of the group's initial findings. "Having a 'live sex celebration' in the middle of the ring? That's a strict defiance of the MPAA's codes of conduct.

"If that had happened on, say, TNA Impact, we'd turn the other cheek, because no one's watching that show anyways," the CEO continued. "But because it's on Monday Night Raw, we have to take a closer look."

The report also criticizes Edge's use of tables, ladders and chairs in a recent match with Nature Boy Ric Flair, as well as the usage of flaming tables and barbed-wire baseball bats during in-ring confrontations with Mick Foley.

For some reason, the document also notes a scene where Edge "spits worms onto the body of a prone John Bradshaw Layfield," although we're pretty sure they must just be confused there.

Glickman's announcement was met with support by the local chapter of MAWTUFRFN, or Mothers Against Wrestlers That Use Film Ratings For Nicknames.

"Enough is enough," MAWTUFRFN said in a prepared statement. "And it's time for a change. Whoo!"

This is not the first time the 2001 King of the Ring has attracted controversy. Early last year, it became common knowledge that Edge had an affair with Lita, who was the girlfriend of Matt Hardy. Lita (real name: Amy Dumas) was married at the time to Kane, who in turn was still seeing Tori on the side. This eventually became a WWE storyline. Okay, maybe not the Lita-Kane-Tori triangle, but you see where we're going with this.

As well, the Canadian-born grappler has also been accused of stealing the catchphrase of a prominent online wrestling columnist. And we're not talking about Dave Meltzer, either.

In preparation for a potential name charge, World Wrestling Entertainment has trademarked "The Rated NC-17 Superstar". They have also looked into the following names to satisfy the company's international tours: "The X18 Rated Superstar" for Australia; "The KNT Rated Superstar" for Belgium; "The Rated 18 Anos Superstar" in Brazil; "The Rated K-18 Superstar" in Finland; and in Malaysia, "The Rated 18PL Superstar".

When reached for comment in a make-believe backstage arena hallway, Edge began tearing his hair out and screaming.

"This is completely bogus and you know it's bogus!" Edge fumed. "They're just trying to screw with me because I cashed in my Money In The Bank title shot."

In a related story, the MPAA have reviewed the rating of WWE superstar John Cena, and have decided to keep it at "G".