Adam Copeland opens up on controversial promo, discloses reason he came to AEW

WWE Hall of Famer Adam Copeland (fka Edge) joined AEW on October 1, 2023. Since debuting at the WrestleDream pay-per-view, The Rated-R Superstar has rejuvenated his career, won the TNT Championship twice, and established himself as a positive figure in the young promotion.

However, some fans have wondered whether the 50-year-old legend is stirring the pot in terms of tribalism among fans. Amid a wave of negativity surrounding CM Punk's recent interview on The MMA Hour, Adam Copeland took to the mic on the April 3rd episode of Dynamite to defend the promotion and inject some positivity into the locker room and fanbase.

Speaking with Justin Barrasso for SI FanNation, The Rated-R Superstar explained his intent behind the promo:

"People can be so negative," said Copeland. "That’s people who are wrestling, and that’s also among our fan base. There are people who have this super rigid ‘I’ll only watch and celebrate this one thing.’ For us in the industry, it’s completely different. We want each other to succeed. It’s an awesome way to make a living, don’t get me wrong, but it’s a tough way, too. When more than one company is flourishing, that’s a positive for all wrestlers. But there is this strange outlier of fan who looks at things from a different perspective. So I wanted to address that, and I wanted our locker room to hear it, too."

Adam Copeland also discussed Bret Hart's influence on him and the veterans who helped him throughout his early career. He claimed he wanted to pay it forward, and with AEW's intriguing roster, he has the perfect stage to close out his career on a high note:

"This roster is really intriguing for me," said Copeland. "That’s the reason I came to AEW. I can get in there with someone new almost every week. I love that."

---

Adam Copeland reveals when he might retire

At 50 years old, Adam Copeland is enjoying a career renaissance in All Elite Wrestling. However, nothing lasts forever, and The Rated-R Superstar is looking at hanging up his boots after his current run.

Considering that the former Edge was already forced to retire once, the fact that he's currently wrestling almost every week on television is more than many fans could have hoped for. And although he's in the twilight of his career now, he still has plenty of gas in the tank.

Speaking to Brandon Walker on Mostly Sports earlier this month, Adam Copeland claimed that he has another year and a half left in him:

"I don’t want to be that guy who sticks around to the point where a young guy looks at the sheet and goes, 'Ah, okay, I have to wrestle him tonight.' I don’t want to be that guy. I want young guys to still be excited if they’re going to hop in there with me. I figure maybe I have a year and a half left, give or take. Hopefully, I’ve gotten all the 'yeah, yeahs' out by that point."

The Rated-R Superstar certainly isn't taking it easy in AEW. Since joining the promotion, he's competed in brutal street fights and title matches. After suffering his first clean defeat at AEW Dynasty on Sunday, however, his path forward has become a bit more murky.