Adam Copeland has criticised WWE’s creative process towards the end of his time with the company, describing the product as “over-produced” and “over-rehearsed”.
Adam Copeland spent nearly two decades with WWE across two separate runs before leaving the company in 2023 and signing with AEW. He is currently a tag team champion alongside Christian Cage and has previously held the TNT Championship.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Copeland reflected on the differences between working for WWE and AEW, particularly the creative freedom given to performers. The WWE Hall of Famer also addressed comments he made during a 2024 episode of Dynamite, when he spoke positively about his experience in AEW and said he was having fun with the promotion.
Copeland explained that he understood part of his role upon joining AEW would involve using his experience to help provide leadership within the locker room.
“I knew, in being hired, that at some point one of my jobs would be to try and dial in a locker room,” Copeland said. “I’ve been put in a position to lead before and have success. I assumed that was one of the reasons to bring me over as well.”
Copeland believes AEW has made significant progress over the past year, with the locker room increasingly working towards the same goals.
“Right now, this last year has turned the corner in terms of everybody pulling in the same direction. Once you can do that and get a few creative elements of the show that start to hit, everything gets dialed in.”
Adam Copeland Explains Why AEW Reminds Him Of The Attitude Era
When discussing AEW’s creative environment, Adam Copeland compared the freedom available to wrestlers with what he experienced during WWE’s Attitude Era.
“What’s amazing about AEW now is the freedom to explore and try things. It’s much more like the Attitude Era in that regard,” he said.
Copeland contrasted that approach with the environment he experienced during the final years of his WWE career.
“My experience by the end of WWE was over-produced, over-rehearsed, over-everything. It kept handcuffs on you to where you couldn’t really explore too much.”
He added that he doesn’t feel the same restrictions in AEW, describing the opportunity to experiment creatively as one reason he continues to enjoy working for the promotion.
“That’s not the case with AEW. It’s fun.”
Adam Copeland originally retired from professional wrestling in 2011 due to a neck injury. After nine years away from the ring, he made a surprise WWE return in 2020 and remained with the company until his contract expired in 2023.
He subsequently joined AEW, where he has continued his in-ring career alongside taking on the leadership role he believes the promotion expected of him.
