Adam Copeland, famously known as Edge during his time in WWE, has made a shocking move by signing a contract with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The announcement was made during the WrestleDream Pay Per View event on October 1, 2023.
This signing has been heavily anticipated and speculated about throughout the professional wrestling industry with most saying it wasn't so much an "if" but a "when". Copeland, a multiple-time world champion and one of the most loyal and beloved figures in WWE history, had been retired for several years due to a career-ending injury until his WWE return at the 2020 Royal Rumble event. He went on to have numerous memorable matches with the likes of AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and Roman Reigns before finishing up his run with a victory in his home down.
Tony Khan, known for its groundbreaking signings, has been stacking AEW's roster with the best talent in the business and the addition of Copeland to their roster is a major coup for the promotion, as it adds another top-tier talent to their already impressive lineup.
Copeland expressed that he felt "Free" during his debut
“Thanks for having me. Part of coming here is that I wanted to contribute,” Adam Copeland said. “I wanted to help, and 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 to me, as a person who’s driven by challenges, that for me was the biggest thing.
“I’ve been in the 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. Then I see a guy like Nick Wayne, or I see Swerve. There’s just so many possibilities here. For me, at this stage in my career, that is so enticing. That is so exciting.”
“Out there tonight, I felt free,” Adam Copeland said. “It felt fun, and I felt almost like the same feeling I would have when I’d come out for my indie shows, back when I was 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.
“That, at this stage of my career, that’s special. 31 years in and to feel that way, that’s a gift. This is all I ever wanted to do, and this feels like an opportunity to come in and not just come in every three months. I’m gonna be there every week. I’m a full-time guy. I want to do that for as long as that is possible because I feel like that’s how I can help the most. More than anything, that’s what I’m here to do.”
Tony Khan further commented that Adam Copeland will be full-time with AEW
“I’d like to announce Adam Copeland has officially signed with AEW,” Khan said. “Congrats on being All Elite. It’s something I’m really excited, it’s something I think is going to set this apart, and something that got me even more excited about Adam being here is, this is full-time. Adam’s gonna be with us every week.
“He’s a full-time part of the AEW roster. I think it’s been a long time since anybody’s seen Adam Copeland as much and at the level he’s been in AEW. He’s already been doing great stuff. He’s wrestling at the highest level in recent years. He’s gonna be here on a weekly basis, and it’s something I’m so excited about. It’s great news for us in AEW.”
What I know is this is AEW's most significant signing to date and this will be an exciting journey for The Rated R Superstar as he looks to close out his career on his terms and have the most fun he can while he can still go!
One thing is for sure, ANYTHING can happen in the world of professional wrestling and I'm here for an Adam Copeland AEW run!
From The Desk of…
As some of you may now know, I’m no longer with WWE. My new home is AEW. I’m excited. Whole new roster. Some familiar faces that I wanted to work with again and a whole set of first ever matches. New challenges, and if you’ve followed my career, you know that’s what I’ve always been driven by.
But first and foremost I want to address my 25 years with WWE. I love WWE and appreciate everything the company did for me. Always have, always will. They put me on the map, gave me amazing opportunities and through hard work on both ends, I’ve been supplied with a wonderful life. Hell, WWE helped me meet the woman I’d start my family with. Sometimes relationships just grow apart and I feel the WWE and I have just outgrown each other. I wanted to do more. They didn’t have much more for me to do. Simple as that. And that’s ok. I’ll still be watching and still be supporting all of my friends there.
I don’t buy into this odd mentality of one company or the other. It’s weird. If you took offense to that, take a walk, get some fresh air and soak up some sunshine. It’s wrestling. An amazing gig. But still, it’s wrestling. Relax. It’s supposed to be fun.
And it’s just a segment of the fans, not most fans, and definitely not the performers. Within the industry we all know that more choices is better for everyone and pushes us all to be better. As a wrestling fan, which I still am, it’s exciting that there’s viable companies providing wrestling on national and worldwide platforms. If you’re actually a fan of wrestling, and not acronyms, that should make you happy too.
I guess what I’m trying to say is this, if you’ve appreciated my work, you still can, no matter what the initials are. Because I’ll still be bustin my ass everytime I’m out there. This ride isn’t over just yet. Just try to have fun, like it should be. Because trust me I’ll be having fun everytime I’m out there in an AEW ring.
Let’s go!
