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Adam Copeland has been a mainstay of AEW television since debuting back at WrestleDream and he has been a babyface all this time. He continues to put on bangers every week and has now revealed when he plans on retiring.
Copeland has had an impressive resurgence in his career since returning to professional wrestling. After a nine-year hiatus due to a neck injury, Copeland made a surprise return at the 2020 Royal Rumble in WWE, marking a major comeback.
Now in AEW, Copeland has made it clear he still has a lot left in the tank. While speaking to Brandon Walker on Mostly Sports, Adam Copeland discussed the differences between his initial run and his return to professional wrestling. He noted that living a fuller life during his nine-year retirement allowed him to develop a deeper emotional and psychological toolkit, which he can use to enhance his performance in the ring.
“I’ve lived a lot more life. As strange as that sounds, it actually does add to your utility belt out there. As a performer, any kind of performer, they have to dip into a place to pull the character off. It’s the same with wrestling. That, more than anything, is what I’ve noticed coming back. Some of the skillset I got in the acting I did during those nine years off, I did over 100 episodes of television when I was retired.”
Copeland drew on his acting experience during his time away from wrestling, participating in over 100 episodes of television. This experience has contributed to his ability to add depth to his wrestling persona. He acknowledged that his physical speed might not be what it used to be, but he believes he has improved mentally, drawing a parallel with athletes like Tom Brady who value their mental sharpness and game awareness.
”You kind of pull those things back with you. I feel that’s the biggest difference. I might not be as fast as I used to be, but I feel mentally I’m better than I’ve ever been. That is why a guy like Tom Brady goes, ‘Yeah, well, mentally, I’m better than I’ve ever been. I see the game better than I’ve ever seen it.’ I think that’s the struggle. That’s kind of how I feel, but I’m also a realist.”
Copeland aims to strike a balance between staying relevant and not overstaying his welcome in the industry. He wants to ensure that younger wrestlers are still excited to work with him and not feel that he’s holding them back. He estimated that he has about a year and a half left in his wrestling career, during which he hopes to accomplish everything he set out to do before retiring for good.
”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.”
Adam Copeland also doesn’t think he can be heel anymore. Nonetheless, we will have to wait and see how he will continue to be booked as the TNT Champion, as fans want him to wrestle as much as possible till his retirement.
Who do you think should be Adam Copeland’s final opponent in AEW? Sound off in the comments section below!