Adam Copeland Says WWE’s Live Sex Celebration Still Makes Him Uneasy

Adam Copeland, formerly known as Edge in WWE, didn’t have much of a say when he was told he’d be part of one of the most controversial segments in wrestling history. On the January 9, 2006, episode of WWE Raw, just one night after winning the WWE Championship, Copeland and Lita were placed in the middle of the ring for a live sex celebration—a moment that still has fans talking almost two decades later.

Speaking with Stephen Brunt on Up Close, Copeland admitted that the whole situation was thrown at him without much explanation. “You’re gonna have a live sex celebration,” he recalled being told. “Really? What does that mean? What is that? What are you talking about?”

It wasn’t Vince McMahon’s idea, but the segment still got the green light. At that point, Copeland felt like he had no choice but to roll with it. “I just won the world title, this is really what I wanted to accomplish in the industry, because that’s when you feel like, ‘I did it.’ They’ve gone this far with me now, I made this bed and now I have to lie in it and make it work. On live television.”

Now, years later, with a family of his own, Copeland admits there’s one thing about the segment that makes him uneasy. “Now that I have two kids, just dreading the day that pops up.”

Despite the awkwardness, he understands why WWE went in that direction. “Okay, it’s a character. If you watch an action movie, there is probably going to be a sex scene. It is there in other forms of entertainment. In that regard, why can’t it be in wrestling? I would have preferred if it wasn’t me.”

Adam Copeland may have gone along with it, but looking back, it’s clear he wasn’t thrilled about the situation. Even though it helped solidify his Rated-R Superstar persona, the segment remains one of the most infamous moments in WWE history.