The future of Adam Copeland is up in the air.
Oh wow, that sounded ominous, didn’t it? Yikes.
Okay, so Edge had a match that’s said to possibly be his last, especially in WWE. After this last ride started by his return in the 2020 Royal Rumble, The Rated-R Superstar (at the time of writing)might be happy leaving his career where it’s at. After triumphing over Sheamus on an August 18 episode of Smackdown, Edge had an emotional celebration in the ring and after the show went off-air, he informed the crowd that he’s yet to make a decision.
At the end of the day, he’s going to do what he wants to do.
And that’s a caveat I must emphasize right now, right here in this article. As my fingers meet the keys on my laptop, he’s likely still discussing what his future is. There are so many things outside of wrestling he could do, namely acting. He for all intents and purposes does not need to step back into the ring again. Nothing is set in stone; anything can happen.
He has until the end of September to make that decision. Maybe even after, if he feels like it. I don’t know his life.
But before then, I’ll ask the question he asked of himself when he contemplated returning to wrestling: “What if?”
Well, there are still some matches I’d have loved to see him have in WWE. Gunther, Bron Breakker, Ilja Dragunov, Carmelo Hayes, Drew McIntyre, Sami Zayn…the list goes on and on.
While those sound so deliciously tantalizing, that’s not where the juice of his stories could be squeezed from. Besides, he’s done all he needs to there. He’s done almost everything in his career, except put a cap on things that would strike the best narrative beats that would culminate in his twilight.
With that in mind, where do we start? Well, keep reading (obviously).
Over on All Elite Wrestling, Edge’s legendary tag team partner is putting in some of the best work in his career, under his name outside of WWE – Christian Cage. Yes, ol’ Captain Charisma is on Tony Khan’s bankroll, putting in some reprehensible work as a heel, mocking dead fathers and dead sons while having the audacity of wearing a sleeveless turtleneck. He does this all while still managing to churn out some great performances.
Currently, Cage is co-TNT Champion with Luchasaurus, dealing with the likes of Darby Allin, Wardlow, CM Punk, etc. mostly on AEW Collision. It’s an entertaining act, but one I feel has a shelf life. It’s an admittedly creative way to keep him involved and have him participate in matches while holding gold while not forcing him to defend it so often that it will wear on his body, already worn by time itself.
Now, if Adam were to join Jay “Christian” Reso on AEW, I trust that the pair and the company would do their own thing as it suits them, far from what I could imagine, or something close to what I imagine. As such, I won’t be mad if none of, or only some of this comes to be. It’s the nature of the game and I am but a storyteller, and in this instance, a hypothetical-maker. That’s a word I declare as existent now, even if Grammarly tells me to go screw myself.
To start this off, there’s the elephant in the room as to Edge’s AEW identity. While copyrights would likely mean he would have to eschew the Edge name, he’d likely have to go with either Adam Copeland (his real name), Damian/Damon Striker in WCW, or Sexton Hardcastle (his indie name). Whatever the case, they’ll likely choose whichever sticks.
As to what the team could do with the loose end that is Luchasaurus when Edge & Christian were gaining momentum during the Attitude Era in WWF/E, they had the benefit of an animalistic, beastly Rhyno on their side. Why not have the ancient reptile be their heavy?
Of course, while that would enhance the dinosaur’s comedic chops beyond the roaring and snarling, I personally prefer the veteran team that reeks of awesomeness to go through it by themselves. I’d imagine getting there, they’d be heels that would turn against Luchasaurus, breaking his ancient little heart after being promised leadership, possibly to turn back to Jack Perry, or go through a single’s push.
Alternatively, Luchasaurus could serve as a betrayer to Cage and rejoin Perry. Edge could then make the save, embracing his best friend as they revel in being the miscreants they are. Either way, this would leave Adam and Christian to collide with others, wrestling the matches we’d like to see from them in tag team competition. This would honestly be a fitting way to close out the Ultimate Opportunist’s career – he rose primarily as a tag team talent in the late 1990s/early 2000s, meaning this would be poetic if this is the route traveled.
How would the duo be presented in this era? Well, since the product of AEW is a love letter to almost all of wrestling, there is merit in borrowing from the past and making it fresh.
Once upon a time, Edge and Christian were annoying menaces. Trumping the Hardy Boyz, Dudley Boyz, and pretty much anyone who set their sights on the pair would snarl their upper lip and wish they weren’t dealing with this. They weren’t getting paid enough. That’s the energy I could see fitting in well with AEW.
This would be weird though if it were a total rehash with the goofy Y2K sunglasses and aesthetic. They’d honestly fit in better as goofy dads (though they could bring it back on occasion). The idea of them on the mic as they seem on the surface as corny old dudes who don’t get modern pop culture only to fluidly speak in current slang and pop culture references would be something hilarious, subverting expectations. Or, they could fully lean into it, going so far as to make outdated references.
For those familiar, this could be done in backstage skits akin to the material they made on the Edge & Christian show, seen on the WWE Network (or Peacock if you’re tragically American like I am).
The comedy antics and chemistry of the tag team felt natural, reflecting their real-life longtime friendship that made the over-the-top antics believable. Adding these things today might resemble a modern progression of their characters, leaving a nice wrinkle in what is, and what could be. The years of knowing each other would make each roast of their opponents hilarious, whether it speaks to Generation X, millennials, or Generation Z, and that’s where the charm of what they were could work now.
This could reflect well on the roster. It is easy to see the two getting under the skin of teams like FTR, Blackpool Combat Club, and the Butcher and the Blade whilst playing off well with the likes of Young Bucks, 2point0, and The Gunns. The tag team action would better serve both men, as they could work explosively enough without tearing up their bodies like with singles action.
If this sounds like I’m pitching a 90’s stoner buddy film to you, then that’s probably what I’m imagining. This has all the appeal of Wayne’s World, Cheech & Chong, Beavis & Butt-head, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, but with age and understanding of what works and what doesn’t.
Speaking of age, there is humor and money in their “sex appeal”. I mean, both men are in good shape despite their old age. There are certain demographics that would be interested in that, so capitalizing on that would be gold as both men tout themselves as “DILFs” to really rub salt in the wound of fans who can’t achieve that look as easily in their own advanced age. That’d be some heel or anti-hero chicanery that would make for excellent television.
Adam and Christian ending their careers together feels like a no-brainer should the former sign on some Elite ink, because so much was deprived of that when WWE didn’t re-sign the latter in 2021 following his Royal Rumble appearance. With tag team wrestling inherently being an important part of All Elite Wrestling, having this team in Tony Khan’s pocket would solidify that vitality.
To end this run, a route that could be taken is one betraying the other and having that final match serve as the bookend to whichever career ends first, but there could be a better story in ending it in a tag team competition, either against younger talents or maybe The Hardyz for narrative purposes. Maybe even combine it – have some fresher talents and the legendary teams battle in a TLC match, back to where it all began. It doesn’t have to be super complicated: have the Attitude Era teams work a more grounded approach and let the youth shine. The reason Adam, Jay, Jeff, and Matt shouldn’t put their bodies on the line in such a wild degree is simple – the fact that they jeopardized them during one of wrestling’s hottest eras has damaged their bodies. Allow the next generation to hold the torch.
However this route would go, I’d embrace it. And if not, I wholly accept that. There’s nothing to prove. This would only be a final, nostalgic ride before the boots are hung for good.
Admittedly, this article has been written in a fit of excitement at something I’d been curious about as far back as both men’s returns to wrestling, and as a result, I feel this would be a great opportunity to share. As someone who grew up watching them, I’d like to see an end to this chapter. Wrestling is fun when imaginations run wild and with the unpredictable nature of the industry in 2023, such creativity is worth the adventure.
Tag team wrestling would be in a different place had it not been for Edge and Christian, and I’d like to see one last chapter in their legacy, if fate and choice permit it.
