What keeps Adam Copeland motivated?
He’s already done it all. He’s won numerous world championships, he’s headlined WrestleMania on multiple occasions, and he is already in the WWE Hall of Fame, as is his wife, Beth Phoenix.
But although he is nearing the age 50, Copeland is embarking on a full-time run with AEW.
However, Copeland doesn’t possess any delusions about where he is in his career. He is fully aware that he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning. He understands that his role in AEW is to help the promotion take steps forward, which goes beyond selling tickets and merchandise.
He also knows that his job as a wrestler comes secondary to the job of being a dad. Because of that, Copeland is looking to get the most out of this run with AEW, which is likely to be his last.
“I really wanted to really try to maximize what little time I did have left and try and squeeze the stone for as much as I could,” Copeland said during an interview with Wrestling Junkie ahead of AEW’s show in Philadelphia on Oct. 25.
“I feel like I have more of an opportunity to do that here, and in turn, hopefully, just help more.”
Since joining AEW, Copeland has taken an active hand in helping other members of the roster develop as performers. Whether that is in the ring, pre-taped interviews or just general advice, Copeland relishes being in the role of mentor.
“It’s a really fun process,” he said. “I really love watching a young talent kind of have a light bulb go off.”
The role isn’t foreign to Copeland, as he was a veteran voice in WWE’s locker room before he was forced to retire in 2011. Fortunately for Copeland, he was able to make his triumphant return to wrestling in January of 2020 as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble. He looked like he never missed a beat.
But things changed in Copeland’s life during the nine years he was away from the ring. In 2013, he and Phoenix welcomed their first child, Lyric. In 2016, the pair welcomed their second child, Ruby, and were married by the end of the year.
While these are cherished milestones in Copeland’s life, they also changed his mindset when it came to his first love, professional wrestling.
“Now your first thought isn’t about you, it isn’t about your career, and this can be a very you-centric industry,” Copeland admitted. “It kind of has to be at times. You have kids and suddenly that all changes and in a good way.”
“But now every decision I make, everything that I choose to do, it’s a family decision now,” he added. “It’s not just me deciding because there’s nothing else at stake. Now there is.
“Before matches now, I do have a little bit of nervousness, but it’s not a nervousness of performing, it’s not a nervousness of living up to some expectation. The only expectations I care about are my own. But there is that stress of, I gotta be safe because I gotta come home and I gotta be able to still help with drama club and help coach my girls’ basketball team. There’s bigger things.”
What keeps Adam Copeland motivated? Simply being the best Adam Copeland he can be.
“The way I look at it is that I came back from something no one has ever come back from, so right away, the minute I walked out at the Royal Rumble, it was a success in my mind,” Copeland said.
“Anything else after that? Great. Sure. Cool. But just getting back and kind of conquering that challenge … already a success for me.”
