Adam Copeland Warns Against Wrestling Monopoly
Adam Copeland has explained why a wrestling monopoly isn’t a good idea.
In 2001, WWE ended its bitter rivalry with WCW by purchasing its biggest competitor. The move led to a seismic shift in the wrestling industry, with WWE becoming the only game in town for wrestlers who wanted to compete on the global stage. Many have argued that this was unhealthy for the business both behind the scenes and in front of the camera.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Adam Copeland – who left the company after 25 years to join AEW in 2023 – explained why a monopoly is never good, not least because of the lack of choice left to consumers.
“Any time there is more than one place to ply your trade, that’s good for everyone who is part of that trade. A monopoly is never a good idea. That goes for me as a consumer, too.
“As a consumer, I want more choices. That doesn’t mean you have to choose one over the other. You can choose them all. I remember growing up and dying to be able to get my hands on NWA tapes. It didn’t air where I lived, where there was WWF. I found International Wrestling from Montreal. I found All Star Wrestling from Vancouver. I found all these other shows, and I loved that.
“I’d get little snippets of guys I’d only seen in magazines. Then the show Pro Wrestling Plus with Ed Whalen, who was the announcer for Stampede, started, and I finally got to see wrestlers from the NWA and Continental. I just thought, give it all to me.”
The Rated-R Superstar finished by praising AEW for presenting “different wrestling.”
“That’s why AEW is great. It’s so cool to see different wrestling. This is really special, and I’m having a blast being here.”
Adam Copeland Gives His Take On Christian Cage’s Heel Run
During the same interview, Adam Copeland explained why Christian Cage is such a good heel. For Copeland, it’s all about how committed The Patriarch is to his role, right down to wearing a cut-off turtleneck as part of his ring gear to make sure he isn’t seen as “cool.”