Hall of Fame Wrestler Edge Explains Move to AEW: ‘The WWE and I Have Outgrown Each Other’

WWE Hall of Famer Edge (whose real name is Adam Copeland) is All Elite.

The “Rated R Superstar” made his AEW debut this past Sunday at the pay-per-view event WrestleDream, where he saved Darby Allin and Sting from an attack by his ex-tag team partner Christian Cage, Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne.

Fans will recall that he wrestled his final WWE match against Sheamus on the Aug. 18 edition of SmackDown, getting the pin on his Irish opponent in his hometown of Toronto, Canada.

Following that brief WrestleDream appearance, Edge took to X (the app formerly known as Twitter) to acknowledge his new company.

“As some of you may now know, I’m no longer with WWE. My new home is AEW,” the wrestler wrote. “I’m excited. Whole new roster. Some familiar faces that I wanted to work with again and a whole set of first ever matches. New challenges, and if you’ve followed my career, you know that’s what I’ve always been driven by.”

He went on to address his 25-year relationship with WWE, expressing his love for the company that gave him “amazing opportunities” and helped him “meet the woman I’d start my family with.”

“Sometimes relationships just grow apart, and I feel the WWE and I have just outgrown each other,” the former WWE Champion noted. “I wanted to do more. They didn’t have much more for me to do. Simple as that. And that’s OK. I’ll still be watching and still be supporting all of my friends there.”

His WWE accomplishments include the WWE Championship (4x), World Heavyweight Championship (7x), Intercontinental Championship (5x), World Tag Team Championship (12x) and WWE Tag Team Championship (2x). Additionally, he’s won King of the Ring (2001), the inaugural Money in the Bank (in 2005) and the Royal Rumble (2010 and 2021).

Turning his attention to the intense rivalry among WWE and AEW fans, Edge urged them to dial it down. “I don’t buy into this odd mentality of one company or the other. It’s weird,” he shared. “If you took offense to that, take a walk, get some fresh air and soak up some sunshine. It’s wrestling. An amazing gig. But still, it’s wrestling. Relax. It’s supposed to be fun.”

He then clarified that it’s “just a segment of the fans,” not the majority, and “definitely not the performers.”

Edge concluded his statement with a special ask for his supporters: “If you’ve appreciated my work, you still can, no matter what the initials are. Because I’ll still be bustin’ my ass every time I’m out there,” he added. “This ride isn’t over just yet. Just try to have fun, like it should be. Because trust me, I’ll be having fun every time I’m out there in an AEW ring.”

Outside of wrestling, Edge has appeared in numerous big-screen projects, like the 2000 action-fantasy film Highlander: Endgame and 2020’s Money Plane.

In the TV realm, he played the Atom Smasher in a Season 2 episode of The Flash, and recurred on the historical drama Vikings as well as the supernatural drama Haven. He will next portray the Greek god Ares in the upcoming live-action Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which premieres this December.

What did you think of Edge’s AEW debut? Are you excited for this new chapter in his career? Sound off below!