WWE Hall of Famer Adam Copeland, now wrestling for AEW, has shared his memory of Vince McMahon’s infamous double quadriceps injury at the 2005 Royal Rumble.
Speaking on Inside The Ropes, Adam Copeland, then performing as Edge in WWE, recalled the closing moments of the match, which ended with Batista and John Cena being eliminated at the same time instead of the planned single winner. Vince McMahon made his way to the ring to restart the finish, but tore the quadriceps muscles in both legs as he entered, leaving him sitting on the mat while issuing instructions to officials and the wrestlers involved.
Copeland said he was heading backstage after his own elimination when he noticed McMahon’s unusually intense walk to the ring. He joked that McMahon looked like “a newborn colt on ice”, adding that while the former WWE Chairman is strong and known for his weight-training, he would not view him as athletic.
“I’m still walking to the back and I just see [Vince McMahon’s] pompadour come power walking out. Vince has a power walk anyway but this was like, a next-level power walk. This was like a Thanos power walk, like, eating worlds. I just went, ‘Oh no, oh good Lord.’ Now, Vince is not the most athletic man in the world, he’s kinda like a newborn colt on ice. You can just tell he’s strong, he can lift weights, but I wouldn’t put him in a basketball game.”
The incident remains one of the most memorable and unexpected moments in Royal Rumble history and is still widely discussed almost 20 years later.
When Was Adam Copeland Last In AEW?
Adam Copeland has not been seen in AEW since the September 24, 2025, episode, where he told Christian Cage that he needed to take time away to be with his family.
The real reason for his hiatus was so that he can film his part in the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
