— In the latest edition of WWE’s “30 Years of WrestleMania” podcast, Adam “Edge” Copeland spoke about numerous topics, including his retirement and providing some insight on the events that led up to it.
On his match with Alberto Del Rio at WrestleMania 27, Copeland told host Renne Young that “there were some issues that day” and obvious concern surrounding his neck injury:
“I see in hindsight now that they were more concerned than I realized. And, I was doing strength tests because I knew there were issues with the neck. I was having issues, but I just assumed that I could take a break, come back and see my contract through, and ride off into the sunset (one year later).”
Copeland mentioned that WWE trainers were all watching the backstage monitor during his World Title defense vs. Alberto Del Rio, which turned out to be his final match in the business.
“By the entrance, I think I knew something was different. This feels like if it’s not the last, it’s one of the last,” Copeland recalled.
He went on to say that the next day he underwent an MRI and had a suspicion that his career was over earlier than he had anticipated. He received a phone call the Thursday following WrestleMania and subsequently announced his retirement on the next Raw show. On the decision, Copeland said:
“I didn’t have to stew about it like Shawn (Michaels) did. How do you walk away when you’re there (at the top level)? I didn’t have to do any of that. That was taken out of my hands. I had no choice. I was told I would never be cleared again”
Following his retirement, there was an interesting discussion on WWE’s own website about the brutal schedule. Copeland offered his own opinion on that:
“When you stop, when you’re not immersed in the deep end of the pool, you realize how deep it is, and how tired you are and how crazy the schedule is and how beat up you actually are.”
Copeland followed up by saying it took 6 months for him to get his body back into normal condition, or what was left of it, after shedding his “wrestling bumping skin,”
Other Interview Highlights:
* He was driven by anger when deciding to give Mick Foley a shirtless spear through a flaming table at WrestleMania 22. He said:
“I was very angry, stubborn, I had a chip on my shoulder. I thought I should have been in the main event. I was that guy that year. So, it was ‘I’ll show you, I’ll dive into a flaming table with thumbtacks in my back,'”
* Was not initially a fan of the Money in the Bank match concept when it was pitched to him before WrestleMania 21. Said he was tired of ladder matches and believed he was being pigeonholed with Jeff Hardy, Christian and Chris Jericho. He eventually bought into the concept, acknowledging it was new and different.
* Said his match vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 24 was the best moment of his career because he was in the main event and felt like he finally had arrived.
* If he could have one more match, he said it would be vs. Christian at WrestleMania. “Just a straight-up match,” Copeland added.
* Finally, on the subject of dream opponents, he picked Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and the Rock as WrestleMania dream opponents. He also said he never got to be in the ring with Bret Hart or Steve Austin.
