Adam Copeland thought third chance to write final chapter with Christian ‘was gone’ before AEW

For Adam Copeland it is a third opportunity to end things the right way for him and Christian Cage.

His longtime best friend and tag partner — now on-screen adversary — are getting the unique chance to write their wrestling ending together in AEW after Copeland’s retirement and Cage’s departure twice robbed them of that in WWE.

The two will have a true match together for the first time since 2011 at the AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view at the Kia Forum on Saturday (8 p.m., Bleacher Report).

The 49-year-old Copeland — formerly Edge in WWE —  will team with Sting and Darby Allin against Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne after Cage rebuffed his on-screen attempt to reform their legendary tag team.

Before the big match, Copeland took time for some Q&A with The Post’s Joseph Staszewski 

Edited for clarity and length. 

Q: Now that you’ve had a chance to settle into AEW, what’s struck you about the company and the way things work there?

A: What I’ve noticed is the creative process and some of the freedom that comes along with that and I think that’s been really fun. Not that I haven’t had creative freedom, I’ve been very lucky in that regard over the years. But it’s different when there are not shareholders and it’s different when there is a different structure in that regard.

Q: You have mentioned freedom a lot. What do you hope to do with the freedom in AEW?

A: Tell stories and I think have more input into those stories, too. That to me is what I always thought we are is storytellers. To be able to have more of a voice in that regard is exciting. That’s not to say that I didn’t have that to a degree. Twenty-five years in a place (WWE) you are gonna have that trust and all of those things, but I also understood it’s a different animal. There’s more to answer to. With this, it feels like maybe just a few more chances taken in order to see what is gonna stick to the wall. Sometimes some isn’t gonna stick. It’s exciting the process to see what does. To sit down with a guy like Jey, with Christian and kind of start mapping out this story when we are at this stage of our careers, it’s just fun.

Q: You’ve made it a point to be full-time with AEW, where you are working multiple shows a week. It felt like at the end of your WWE run, you become more of an attraction. Was full-time something that was important for you to get back to and was the something WWE didn’t give you?

A: I think from their perspective and I see their perspective entirely, if we bring you out too much then it’s not special anymore. I get that. I really do. So it was for limited dates. With that though, you can’t really get into a proper story. You can’t really dive into what this thing could be. For me looking at it, it’s like I’m 49. I got a very, very limited time to capitalize on what I have left. Because three months off, that’s three months where I could have done some stuff. And I know it sounds great on paper and don’t get me wrong it wasn’t a horrible place to be. But, if I’m gonna do this man. I want to do it. I want to try to craft some stories and do what I can while I can. So limited time, yeah, because I’m far closer to the end of my career than I am to the beginning. But still think I got some good stories that I can tell and a whole new roster of people who I’ve never touched before. 

Q: The last time you and Christian had any serious screen time together prior to this was 2011 in a tag match on SmackDown and I think you retired two weeks later. What do you remember about time? At that point, you might have thought that was the last time. 

A: What was strange about that time was we started teaming again leading up to WrestleMania 27. I didn’t know I was gonna have to retire in the next month. I had no idea. We didn’t know what was gonna be it. And our last singles match against each other was in Toronto on Raw in I think 2010. We had the opportunity (to be in the ring together) at Royal Rumble 2021 in front of no one. Him coming back after seven years, me a year into coming back after nine and we didn’t get to feel that moment like we would have wanted.

So to get this chance now and to get it in completely fresh surroundings. There is no other way to put it, it’s just super fun. All of this from 2020 on is just a bonus for me and I think from 2021 on for him it’s all a bonus because we were both told we’d never do this again. 

Q: Was there any concern that Rumble moment might be it, too?

A: Absolutely. I really thought, ‘OK, that was our moment.’ That was the only chance we were gonna get to have to celebrate this thing. I thought that was gone. I was super happy for him watching him in AEW and watching what he was doing. To watch him finally, without any kind of governors on him see and show people what exactly he brings to the table. Then I realized there’s a possibility here that I can go join him and the counterpoint to that. Then trying to incorporate other characters into the story in Luchasurus and Nick Wayne and Sting and Darby.

Q: You and Chrsitian are probably going to get your first in-ring moment of this story on Saturday. What do you think that’s going to be like for you guys and fans?

A: For me, to not only perform in the Forum for the first time, which is a building that I always held in high regard. There’s the Lakers, but then I think about all the concerts over the years, the Kings, Wayne Gretzky all the history. Then I’m getting to team with Sting, who I never before Collison this week had the opportunity to share a ring with. Darby Allin, who I can’t say enough about that guy and what think he brings to the table. He’s crazy but he’s good crazy.

Then I get to stand opposite Christian. Very, I don’t know if surreal is the right word but just getting an opportunity to stand in a ring together again with an audience after we’d both been told we’d never do this again and to be involved in a story that has this momentum. This story feels like it’s clicking and that’s a fun thing to be a part of at this stage of our careers. It’s just doesn’t make sense sometimes.    

Q: Why do you think Christian has always been a little underrated and do you think this freedom has helped him allow something that may have been held back before to come out?

A: I don’t know why. If you ask any wrestler in the industry, who steps in there with him, they’re like, ‘Wow, I didn’t fully understand until. I think Moxley was like, ‘I thought I was good until I got in there with Christian.’ What he does best and maybe this explains it. He makes everyone around him better. Sometimes that can be a curse because you get the ‘good hand’ attached to you. But no matter who he’s in there with, watch the matches, that performer is nine times out of 10 better than they are in any other match. He just has that ability. The way his mind works to build strengths for his opponents. Sometimes in building those strengths that means he doesn’t show his strengths and that’s a giving performer. 

I feel like in this instance, this last chance, this last kick of the can he’s realizing, ‘OK, hold on a second I’m gonna do some stuff here that gets my character over and really go for it in that regard and take some chances and say something on the microphone, like what did he just say?

Q: I know your daughters said to go to AEW and have some fun with Uncle Jey. Are they even allowed to watch this version of Uncle Jey and if so, what do they think of him?

A: Only a couple of things. They don’t like him. They don’t like him. They really like Darby and Sting though.      

Q: You have mentioned you and Sting have a relationship because of your similar neck injuries. How did it start and how would you describe your friendship? 

A: When I heard about some of his neck issues I reached out and then we maintained contact and became friends, just periodically check up on each other over the years. ‘How’s it going?’ ‘How you doing? I’d see something and go, ‘Are you OK after that?’ and I think vice versa.

I said this to him in the ring and he didn’t know it was coming. I truly know after being in the same locker room with him, can’t say enough not only about the performer. Everybody knows that. He’s part of the reason like 100 percent of us got into the ring. But then as a man, how he conducts himself. He’s one of the good ones. 

So to get this chance at the tale end of both our careers, when there are limited dates for both of us at this stage and for Christian it’s very cool to be able to try to pass on some of that to Nick Wayne to Lucha’ to Darby Allin and have then do their own thing while still being in there with us. That’s what you get into this business for, for moments hopefully, we have on Saturday at Full Gear.

Q: One of the projects you have outside of AEW coming out is ‘Percy Jackson & the Olympians’ on Disney+. Aries just feels like such a fun character to play. How did you sink your teeth into that where it’s one of these legendary mythical characters?

A: Well, I didn’t think of that pressure before I did it. I didn’t put any weight on it, which I learned you have to do with auditions. Once you do it, you just have to pack it and there it goes.

For me with this though, the instant I read the sides I’m like, ‘I know this guy. I know him. I think I got this (character). I think I’m in tune with what this is.’ I did it and I never do this, but for some reason, I said, ‘I’m gonna wear one of the vests I wear to the ring.’ It’s all dystopian looking and looks like a biker. I shaved my own head to make a pseudo mullet and everything. That’s where the mullet started with my shaving it. Then I just kind of found the humorous beats in there.  I had a lot of fun doing it. Even (my wife) Beth (Phoenix), who was reading for me, she said, ‘You had a lot of fun with that.’ I’m like, ‘Yea, I did.’ It was such a fun experience, just to get to work on a Disney production.