AEW Star Adam Copeland Reacts To Criticism Of Griff Garrison Match

During his short time so far in AEW, Adam Copeland has become a supporter of one Griff Garrison, even saying he'd like to recruit him into a possible stable. Despite that, fans were polarized by what occurred at "AEW Collision" this past Saturday when Garrison answered Copeland's open challenge and had a competitive performance before losing to "The Rated R Superstar."

Copeland addressed the criticism the match received while appearing on "Busted Open Radio" Tuesday morning, explaining he wanted the match to be competitive because he wants to help out younger talent like Garrison, the same way veterans like Rick Martel, Bret Hart, and Michael Hayes helped him early in his career.

"If I can get in there with Griff Garrison, what is a 30-second match going to do for Griff Garrison?" Copeland said. "But suddenly now, you get a couple [of] 'Wow, you almost took that thing.' Alright, well, now you add in the element of the story of 'Okay, Copeland took this kid maybe a little lightly.' And there's something to him. It's also an opportunity for him to get on a microphone. It's an opportunity for reps in front of an audience that will have eyes actually watching because there's a character in there that they know. 

"That, to me, is all that needs to be said. If he can get in there and we have five minutes of time in there, I feel like he can learn more in that five minutes than he would in probably 200 matches with people of the same experience. And I know that sounds kind of cocky and egotistical, but that's the way it was for me when I was his age. And that's what this is."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription