Eric Bischoff Explains What Surprised Him About Adam Copeland's Arrival In AEW

While Adam Copeland's arrival in AEW has generated lots of excitement, it's also come with a lot of Copeland's act from his time as Edge in WWE. That includes his nickname, "The Rated R Superstar," and his theme song, "Metalingus" by Alter Bridge, which Copeland was able to keep due to WWE's trademark of the former expiring, and the rights to "Metalingus" remaining with Alter Bridge, who are real-life friends with Copeland.

On "Strictly Business," Eric Bischoff discussed Copeland maintaining those key elements of his presentation, and that while it caught him off guard, it's a major positive as Copeland tries to establish himself in a new company. "That surprised me," Bischoff said. "That really surprised me, because it was in use prior. Look, I'm not Mike Dockins, the gimmick attorney, so I'm not a trademark expert. But at that one, I was ... surprised. And I want to follow through with that, because ... to have 'The Rated R Superstar,' which you only recognize it because it was a part of his character in WWE ... To be able to take that with him, I found that to be interesting, that's the best way to say it."

"And I think the fact that he's brought his music with him is going to help substantially because he's no longer Edge. He's creating a new character, which is exciting, don't get me wrong," Bischoff explained. "It can be a really, really fun challenge. But it can also be a bit of an uphill climb because you're re-establishing a character. And to be able to bring back some of that IP, some of the things that people recognize you for, whether it's 'Rated R Superstar,' or his music or whatever, is helpful. Very much so."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Strictly Business" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.