AEW's Adam Copeland Recalls Thinking He'd Never Work With Christian Cage Again

Adam Copeland is set to step into the ring with his longtime friend Christian Cage this Saturday night at AEW Full Gear 2023. The "Rated-R Superstar" will team up with Sting and Darby Allin against the reigning AEW TNT Champion, Luchasaurus, and Nick Wayne in a six-man tag team match. Ahead of that bout, Copeland spoke with the New York Post and was asked about working with Cage in WWE in 2011 before he was forced to retire from the ring due to injury.

"What was strange about that time was we started teaming again leading up to WrestleMania 27," Copeland said. "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." 

Copeland, who came out of retirement in January 2020, also spoke about whether he thought his interaction with Cage during the men's 2021 Royal Rumble match was their last chance to work together.

"Absolutely. I really thought, 'OK, that was our moment.' That was the only chance we were gonna get to have to celebrate this thing," Copeland explained. "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."