After watching CM Punk deliver a scathing, anti-AEW interview on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani in the lead-up to WrestleMania 40, Tony Khan decided to start off the final episode of Dynamite before the “Showcase of the Immortals” in a very unusual way, with Adam Copeland marching out into the ring to cut a promo designed to raise morale and get fans excited for a fantastic few hours of professional wrestling.
Now granted, since that promo, which was largely well received by fans, AEW has maybe taken things a bit too far for some, with the subsequent episode of Wednesday night's flagship show featuring three different segments taking shots at WWE, Triple H, and the “Second City Saint,” but Copeland's moment was far more of a morale booster than a shot at his former employer, which means it's aged much better as a result too.
Discussing the promo in an interview with Mo Amir, Copeland was asked if he watched the entire CM Punk interview and was compelled to punch back as a result, to which the “Rated-R Superstar” gave a very interesting response that just so happens to reference the “Best in the World's” favorite wrestler of all time: Bret Hart.
“I didn't, no. I just saw clips. I have better things to do. I really do. I have kids. I don't really care what anybody really has to say. However, what I will say is, from the small clips, I realized that our locker room needed a good message. So, last week, I went out and spoke to that,” Adam Copeland explained to Mo Amir via 411 Mania.
“It's a young locker room, and it's a young locker room that, for me, because it's a different time, we try to support each other. I came in to locker rooms where it was everybody for themselves and it was a bunch of great whites. I never subscribed to that. I always subscribed to the Bret Hart school of, ‘You can help.' You can help young people and try and be positive and show that you don't have to be a d**k. I don't know how else to put it. For me, I try to focus on the positives. There are so many negatives in the world today. They are both there to find. Why not look for the positives? For me, our young locker room needed to hear the positives. That's why I went out and did what I did last week. I don't need to search out the other stuff. I have better things to do, I have kids to put to bed. I have the Maple Leafs to watch.”
Did Copeland purposefully choose to reference “The Hitman” because Punk is one of his most famous fans? Eh, it's hard to say; while that would be a pretty solid dig at the “Best in the World,” Copeland famously used Hart as the template for his career and even asked him a question on a talk show before he signed with WWE as a teenager. Either way, the sentiment is a solid one, and AEW would be wise to commit to it long-term, as being pro-AEW is much more fun than anti-WWE.
Adam Copeland is proud of his match with Penta El Zero Miedo.
Speaking of giving back and building up AEW through the performers already in the locker room, Adam Copeland took to social media to discuss his in-ring efforts against Pena El Zero Miedo, the former AEW Tag Team Champion who challenged for the TNT Title at on Collision.
While Copeland has wrestled plenty of performers over his career, including some of the best luchadors of all time, even he was moving slowly after a match with Penta, as his chops are legendary in the industry.
“13 years ago today, I was forced to retire from pro wrestling. Only job I ever wanted. 13 years later, I've been back in wrestling for 4 years, and I'm with AEW as the TNT Champion,” Adam Copeland shared on Instagram. “Anyone who comes to our house or knows me, knows how much I respect and admire Lucha Libre. Last night I got to lock horns with a Lucha legend in Penta El Zero Miedo, I'm moving VERY slow today. Like, VERY slowly. That dude is GOOD. But what a blast to be able to get in with him and trade styles. 6 years ago, this match wasn't a reality. Until it was. If we use the spirit we're all given, I truly believe we can manifest dreams.”
Considering Gunther has previously called Penta the hardest chopper in the business, it's safe to say Copeland was afforded a very physical evening in Charleston, West Virginia. Still, after his first reign came to an end after a few short minutes, the “Rated-R Superstar” can still firmly call himself the TNT Champion, which is a nice benefit for a performer who is still going strong 31 years into his professional wrestling career.
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