"You can't go back" - Wrestling legend on how he would book Adam Copeland and Christian Cage
WWE Hall of Famer Adam Copeland (fka Edge) made his shocking AEW debut at the WrestleDream pay-per-view on October 1. Many fans expected the legendary star to team up with his real-life best friend Christian Cage, but Copeland instead beat down Cage's underlings in order to save Sting from their assault.
On the most recent episode of AEW Dynamite, The Rated-R Superstar attempted to turn the villainous Christian Cage to his side, but the TNT Champion rebuffed him with a three-word expletive, making clear that he would follow his own path of domination.
Speaking on a recent edition of his Story Time podcast, wrestling legend Dutch Mantell addressed the situation and explained how he would book Copeland and Cage moving forward.
"I don't keep them separate. I would keep Christian on the periphery of the angle. He's there, but he could jump in at any time, but he doesn't. So you keep teasing that and teasing that and teasing that, and sometimes he's there, sometimes he's not. And then, as you go, you have to – and that's the beauty of being an experienced booker; you interject him when you might need him. But he could be interjected at any time. In an angle like that, you can't put the wagon in front of the horse because then you can't go back," said Mantell. [From 0:23 to 01:15]
Mantell further explained that AEW needs to take its time to book the angle between the two:
"I'd rather them take their time with this than just throw it to you right off the bat because I think that hurts both of them. I mean, who wants to see Moxley and Adam Copeland? Because they've done nothing. You gotta do something first. So let's see what they do." [From 01:25 to 01:44]
Adam Copeland and Christian Cage draw big numbers on social media
Adam Copeland's debut in AEW was expected by some but was still surreal for many. The WWE Hall of Famer arrived with a bang at WrestleDream and kept the energy going on last week's Dynamite, generating big reactions from fans.
The reactions have been even bigger on the internet, where The Rated-R Superstar's debut and segment with Christian Cage have drawn huge numbers.
As of now, the video of Copeland's debut has topped five million views on YouTube in less than a week. The promo segment between the former Edge and his lifelong best friend on Dynamite has nearly reached three million.
It will be interesting to see where AEW goes with the two former partners and how much business their angle generates.
How would you book the feud between Adam Copeland and Christian Cage? Let us know in the comments section below!
When using quotes from this article, please credit Story Time with Dutch Mantell and give a h/t to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.