How Close Adam Copeland (Edge) Came To Retirement Before Joining AEW

AEW

Adam Copeland (fka Edge) has opened up about his in-ring future, revealing how close he came to retirement ahead of joining AEW.

Following Copeland’s final WWE match, against Sheamus on the August 18 edition of SmackDown, the Rated-R Superstar noted that he didn’t know what the future holds for him .

Copeland wasn’t a free agent for long, with his contract expiring at the end of September, and the former ‘Edge’ appearing at the October 1 AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view.

Speaking with CBS Sports, Copeland noted that retirement was a ‘very, very real’ option towards the end of his WWE deal.

Recalling his final night on WWE TV, Copeland said:

“As I got closer to the end of the deal, retirement was a very, very real option. It was not off the table… I really sat with the idea of retirement because I truly thought like, ‘Man, WWE gave me that night. I don’t know how that gets topped.’ And that’s still in my brain.

“But I guess now it’s like, ‘OK, how can I try and top it in this new environment.’ Honestly, that Toronto show was a send-off of that character and it was the perfect way for that character to go out.

“Wrestling a guy that I’ve never wrestled that I always wanted to. It was just so much fun in there. That night, I’ll never forget it. I’ll always have that night with me. I told Sheamus that too.

“That will be one of the most special nights in my career, always.”

Explaining how his AEW deal came to be, he noted:

“It was really, really quick to get everything done and get everything dialed in. Figuring out so many things like getting with Alter Bridge and getting the music and doing all of those things. There were nine or 10 days.

“I didn’t know immediately, but I thought that’s where I wanted to go. I really thought that working with Jay again was what I wanted to do and how I pictured it in a perfect world.

“Beth said, ‘What’s your perfect world? ‘I was like, ‘My perfect world is that I end my career with Jay (Christian Cage).’ So suddenly that perfect world looked like it could be there. It’s tough to pass that up.”

Wanting to make the most of the time he has left in the ring, he said:

“I want to try and maximize what I still have left. If that’s one year, if that’s two years, I want to do it as much as I can while I still feel like I can.

“I know that’s going to be hard and I know that’s going to take a lot of work physically. I know there’s a different fallout now, but I know all of those things and I really just want to weigh the glory of this thing as much as I can.”

Bryan Danielson is another star who only has a limited time left as a full-time wrestler, with Danielson indicating that he’ll only be with AEW full-time one more year.

Danielson has now named the stars he wants to face before retirement, which you can read more about right here.

Want to know more about what goes on outside the ring? WrestleTalk proudly presents Wrestling Unmasked, a new book that explores the untold stories, the politics, and the endless drama that unfolds behind the scenes. It’s time to experience wrestling like never before! Buy your copy here!

• Adam Copeland
• retirement
• Edge
• AEW

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