Adam Copeland knows what it takes to walk away from WWE and enter a completely different wrestling environment. After making that jump himself in 2023, the Rated-R Superstar has one blunt piece of advice for anyone considering the same move: stop second-guessing yourself.
During an interview with Rob Wolkenbrod of Forbes, Copeland was asked what he learned while adjusting to AEW and what advice he would give talent thinking about leaving WWE for Tony Khan’s company.
Copeland said wrestlers shouldn’t obsess over every possible difference between the two promotions. His approach is to trust the experience that got him this far, take the risk and accept that not every idea will work.
“I’d say just don’t think too much. Just do your thing. That’s what I’ve always kind of leaned back on. It’s like, I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know what I’m doing. I’m not going to second-guess myself at this stage. If something doesn’t work, then it didn’t work. Worth a shot.”
“And I’d rather be the guy taking chances than the guy talking about other people taking chances. More than anything, just do the thing that got you here and sort it out as you go, because there are different elements to the audience, for sure.”
“I guess it’s a different audience, but at the same time, come out to Mexico and it’s just like, okay, clearly they watched my entire career.”
Copeland spent most of his wrestling career working inside the WWE system, making his decision to leave one of the biggest gambles of his professional life. Instead of remaining somewhere comfortable, he signed with AEW to chase fresh matches and experiences that weren’t available to him before.
His message doesn’t guarantee that every WWE wrestler will thrive in AEW. It does make his position clear: anyone who makes the move needs to trust their own instincts instead of allowing fear or outside criticism to control what they do.
Copeland took that chance and is now preparing to compete at Wembley Stadium alongside Christian Cage. Whether other WWE stars follow his path remains to be seen, but he’s already given them the formula he believes works—show up, do what made you successful and figure out the rest along the way.
Which current WWE wrestler do you think would benefit most from making the jump to AEW? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
