Adam Copeland’s Biggest Worry Before Disastrous AEW Cage Dive

Adam Copeland never imagined he’d get injured at Double or Nothing.

At AEW Double or Nothing, Adam Copeland put his TNT Title on the line against Malakai Black in a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match. Copeland has been at war with the House of Black for months, and the violent extravaganza seemed a perfect way to end the feud once and for all.

During the match, Copeland jumped from the top of the cage in an effort to drive Black through a table. However, the star landed almost on his feet as he hit Black, and shortly after the event, it was revealed he’d suffered a broken tibia.

Speaking in a new interview with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, Copeland said in the seconds before his jump he was more worried about trying not to injure Black, rather than protecting himself.

“My biggest concern when I got up there was, ‘How do I not crush him?” said Copeland. “I didn’t even consider getting injured. My take was if I jumped to the side, landed on my feet, and hit him with my arm but not my body, then the table would break just because of the sheer height. It happened exactly how I planned it.”

Adam Copeland Didn’t Realise He’d Broken His Leg

Despite suffering what turned out to be a significant injury, Copeland finished the match as planned. Reflecting on the moments after he came off the top of the cage, the veteran said he thought he’d maybe sprained his ankle, but never imagined he’d broken his leg.

“The albatross of always feeling like you can pull it off, it’s a blessing and a curse,” said Copeland. “That’s something I could have pulled off when I was 35. My brain is still telling me I’ve got this. ‘Just land and roll backwards,’ I told myself, which I did, but from 15-feet high, my 50-year-old tibia didn’t agree.

“When I landed, I knew it wasn’t the Achilles. So I thought, that’s good. I thought maybe I sprained it or it was a bone bruise. I got up and I ran, and I finished the match. I just didn’t realize I was doing it all on a broken leg.”

In the days after the event, Adam Copeland shared footage of himself working out, just 12 hours after undergoing surgery.