Adam “Edge” Copeland spoke with the Toronto Sun about joining the WWE Hall of Fame, his decision to retire, how he views his character and his upcoming DVD. Here are some highlights:
His reaction about going into the Hall of Fame: “Finding out (I was going into the Hall of Fame) was really surreal. I’m not going to lie. I had big reservations. It was: ‘This year? Really? Why not next year or five years from now? Is it too soon?’ Then I started getting texts from guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels. They were the first. And if these guys were OK with it, then I had no problem with it. Looking back at where I have been … this is so awesome.”
About his decision to retire: “Having doctors make the decision for me actually made it easier,” he said. “I didn’t have to hem and haw over it, I didn’t have to stew about it. Thankfully, I was already emotionally and mentally preparing for it. I wanted to make it to the top and I made it to the top. All that I did, it was selfish, but I needed to get there to make it work.”
“I grew up in front of people. And yes, I was emotional when I was forced to retire. I never became my character. I was always able to say: ‘I’m Adam and I’m playing the character of Edge. I was never going to be 55 and still wearing trench coats, trying to be a rock star. It can be hard playing a character for 20 years that that character doesn’t become you. It didn’t for me. I can’t imagine Johnny Depp walks down the street and has people saying: ‘Hey, Jack Sparrow … What’s going on?’ ”
Comparing himself to John Elway: “As a fan, I’m loving it. I’ve been watching Triple H and Undertaker and Rock and Cena. Would it be fun to be in their shoes? Sure. But I will sit up in a box with my family and enjoy the show. There will be no pressure, no dangerous bumps and no mid-air spears from Jeff Hardy. Sure there will be moments that I wish I was in there. I’m sure it was the same with Brett Favre and John Elway where they were watching football and thinking: ‘I wish I had made that play.’ ”
His upcoming DVD: “I’m in an amazing, amazing place. For me to have college buddies and guys that I trained with … To see them in a WWE DVD is cool for me. And I’m not going to lie, you want to hear what other guys say about you.”
