Adam Copeland on Potential Backstage Role in AEW After In-Ring Retirement, Darby Allin Bringing Up His Flaming Table Spot When He Talked To Him To Tone Down Crazy Bumps, Loves Lio Rush Going All In for His “Blackheart” Character in AEW

Westwood One Sports held a recent interview with Adam Copeland. One of the topics discussed included Copeland’s thoughts about his interest in working in a potential backstage role in AEW after his retirement from his in-ring wrestling career.

“That’s up to Tony and what he may need. That’s stuff that I don’t know. Where would you need me? Then I think we’d just discuss it at that time and go ‘Okay, well yeah, that sounds like fun’ or ‘I just want to sit on my deck or go jet skiing or kayaking or something.’ I don’t know. But I’m a creative person and I know that no matter what, I’ll need to scratch that creative itch. Whether that’s just purely acting or maybe it’s helping with creative in AEW and still continuing in acting. I don’t know, but I do know in terms of the workplace, I love going there. It wouldn’t be like twisting my arm to keep me around.”

Copeland also gave his thoughts about how he had pulled aside Darby Allin one time and encouraged him to slow things down for the amount of crazy bumps he was doing for matches and how Allin responded back bringing up his famous flaming table spot with Mick Foley in a match.

“So, we’ve had this conversation because I pulled him aside and I was like, ‘Hey man, you’ve only got so many of those.’ Man, he was like, ‘Oh yeah? Were you thinking that when you speared Foley through the flaming table?’ Touché, young man. Touché. I was like, ‘I can’t say anything. I get it.’

But there is a toll and there is no way around it. At the same time, you get somebody who is wired that way and it’s tough to talk him off that ledge. It really is. I know because I’ve been that guy. He’s out there doing what he loves and I don’t know, it’s tough to sweat people that are doing that.”

Copeland also gave his thoughts about how he loves that Lio Rush has been going all in for his “Blackheart” character in AEW.

“Especially with the climate of wrestling characters now — if The Undertaker were to come out now, would it work? I don’t know. I still truly believe that if you fully commit to something as a performer and you go all in, then there’s no questions at least. Then you can go, ‘Right, I went all in on this thing and I tried to make it work.’ What I love about Lio is you can tell he’s going all in. Truly, that’s the way it’s going to work is if you just throw it all at the wall. Whatever sticks, whatever doesn’t, okay cool, I’ll just throw some other stuff up there and see if that sticks. I got all day for people who are going to try and recreate themselves.”

Copeland also gave his thoughts about why he prefers to rely on gradual shifts for his own character in wrestling.

“From my personal standpoint, I’ve always tried to make it more of a gradual character shift. It is more of a shift than a [sudden] change because the one time I did that was the creation of Judgment Day. It was too fast, it was too much, too soon, too too too.  I was a babyface that they saw fight back from a neck surgery he’s not supposed to fight back from. Then, I’m working AJ, who’s just turned babyface. It was a recipe for meh. I realized that’s why I usually do the gradual shift on character. The circumstances were what they were and I had no choice, but that further taught me to kind of gradually do it. But that’s for me, right? Lio, I feel like he goes, ‘Okay, I’m at bat, I got to just start swinging and swinging big.’  You got to appreciate that.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1, 2, & 3