The Rated-R Superstar is the newest AEW superstar.
Adam Copeland (formerly Edge in the WWE) debuted at the WrestleDream event Sunday night coming to the aid of Darby Allin and Sting and thereby making enemies of Luchasaurus, the newly-turned heel Nick Wayne and his old pal Christian.
“Part of coming here is that I wanted to contribute. I wanted to help. I just felt like here I’d really be able to do that and have the opportunity to do that. I look at an entire fresh roster of faces and so many talent that I’ve never laid hands on before. That for me was the biggest thing. I’ve never been in a ring with Samoa Joe. I’ve never stood in a ring with Sting before tonight. After 31 years in the industry that’s never happened! I see a guy like Nick Wayne or I see Swerve Strickland, there’s just so many possibilities here. For me at this stage of my career that is so enticing! That is so exciting!” said Copeland at a press conference after his debut sitting beside Tony Khan.
Copeland explained that tonight brought back the feelings and emotions he had years ago when he was working the indies in Canada as Sexton Hardcastle.
“When I came back out there tonight, I felt free! I felt free and it felt fun! It felt almost like the same feeling I would have when I’d come out for my indie shows back when I was either Adam Impact or Sexton Hardcastle or something. It was this brand new thing that I always wanted to do. That feeling, I felt it out there tonight and that at this stage of my career to feel that, that’s special! Come on 31 years in and to feel that way? That’s a gift,” he said.
Copeland then described working on video shoot recently with Darby Allin and having to hold onto a cameraman while hanging out the back of muscle car going 50 mph down a shady alleyway.
“It was disgusting and awesome at the same time!” chuckled Copeland.
Examining the list of AEW talent available to work with he cannot wait to get in the ring with so many of them and some for the very first time. Copeland will be more than just wrestling in AEW. He wants to help out behind the scenes and improve any talent that he can.
“I’ve never faced Samoa Joe. That’s really exciting to me! I’ve never faced or been in the same ring as Jon Moxley. Highly interesting to me! Claudio Castagnoli and I have never been in the ring but there’s so many different people here that I have a lot of respect for…Kenny Omega, like that’s never happened. I just met him! We never met before! (laughs) There’s a lot here to challenge myself with. My entire life has been built on challenges,” he said.
To keep his debut a secret Copeland says he sequestered himself in his hotel room but he did have to sneak out for some food and that almost gave the big surprise away.
“There was this one kid, bless his heart. I’m at this burger joint and I just really wanted a cheeseburger because I hadn’t eaten for 14 hours. I just want to get a cheeseburger,” said Copeland who looked up from his book at the restaurant to see a kid who recognized him immediately. Copeland put his finger to his lips and the kid shook his head in the affirmative.
Copeland also addressed one crucial question: Will his wife Beth Phoenix be joining him in AEW?
“I don’t know about the possibilities of that in the foreseeable future,” he said slyly but maintained that she is always his sounding board.
Khan chimed in that going forward Copeland would be part of the full-time roster, appearing every week on AEW television. He will be on Dynamite and Collision this week. He also has his first match already booked. He will be taking on Luchasaurus at the October 10th Dynamite and Rampage tapings in Kansas City.
“This is best gig in the world. It really is. I’m a kid from Southern Ontario and this is all I ever wanted to do. If you had told me that 98 per cent of what would happen to me throughout my career would happen, I’d say, you’re crazy,” Copeland laughed.
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