At the conclusion of AEW’s WrestleDream pay-per-view, Adam ‘Edge’ Copeland debuted for the company and sided with Sting and Darby Allin to fend off Luchasaurus, Nick Wayne and TNT Champion Christian Cage.
Copeland is now full-time with All Elite Wrestling and while speaking to CBS Sports, he told the outlet that it’s safe to say that his AEW run will be his last as a full-time performer.
I think that’s a very safe thing to say because I know how much work it’s going to take to be able to pull it off. I know that. I’m not in any way trying to fool myself into thinking I’m just going to trot through this whole thing. It’s going to be hard. It’s going to be a lot of hard work. I enjoy hard work. I always have. It’s how I’m wired. It’s what I was born with. It’s in my DNA. So that’s super fun. But I’m also a realist and I understand that I’m not going to be able to maintain it for a super long time.
Copeland is scheduled to appear on the four-year anniversary episode of Dynamite on 10/4, Collision on 10/7 and his first match is going to be against Luchasaurus on Tuesday night Dynamite on 10/10.
My interpretation of this is that when he is done with AEW he likely signs with WWE for one final feud/match at mania that is built up as his last match. I just can’t see a 25+ year career in WWE ending with a match on SD against Sheamus.
Hopefully his body can hold up going full time in AEW, I’m excited to see whats ahead of him!
I think the idea of talent having one last moment in WWE is going to change over the next five years.
Edge’s history is with a company that, for all intents and purposes, no longer exists. The history somebody had with the McMahon’s is going to slowly disappear with the new organization.
I think Copeland represents a potential for a ton of people. I think it’s fair to say that the future isn’t written and nobody truly knows where these people will end up for their last runs.
Exactly. This is now an Endeavor company. No loyalty to the McMahons and even less interest in bringing back old guys who cost a lot of money when younger and cheaper talent can do the same for less.
I agree for the most part. I think as time goes on, the awe of WWE is going to fade a bit and allure of AEW will rise when it comes to new talents in the industry.
I think when it comes specifically to Edge, a guy who was with WWE from 1997 - 2023, he will want a send off with WWE. You are obviously correct though, nobody knows for sure.
I believe you’re not a big sports guy, but in sports it happens all the time where a player plays for a team most his career, at some point leaves, and then returns for one more season or sometimes even just a 1 day contact to retire for that team. I get wrestling is different, but I think to a degree that still applies. I don’t think its even so much about the ownership or the brand/team, I think its about the fan base. Yes, in wrestling there is a lot of crossover between the fanbases, but I do think for some, they want to end with the company that made them who they are.
For the record, this isn’t exclusively a WWE thing. I think the same thing about Cody. I’d be shocked if he didn’t go back in AEW at some point to finish his career off his career with the company that made him into a main event level talent. I’d also say the same thing for AJ/Impact.