Adam 'Edge' Copeland Discusses Wanting This WWE Star To Be The Hogan To His Piper

Adam "Edge" Copeland's WWE run as "The Rated R Superstar" saw him soar to new heights after a few setbacks. Back in 2002 though, many of WWE's future stars slowly began to step into the spotlight, and according to Copeland in an interview with "Notsam Wrestling," guys like John Cena changed the trajectory of his career. Copeland initially felt confident he'd be leading the pack when the new generation of stars walked into WWE, because he simply was far more seasoned than any of them. But, this coincidentally was around the time he had his first neck injury, and upon returning a year later, things had drastically changed.

"There was an entirely new scenario in front of me. 'Cause in that time, these guys have made those leaps. Randy, Dave, John, Brock, damn!" Upon analyzing the roster, Copeland realized there was no room left for him to become a top babyface, and that he should focus on becoming a hated heel. "Now the crowds are booing me because I didn't change anything. Then, real life adds to that, and I went right, I want to be the Roddy Piper of my generation. I want to be the Macho Man of my generation."

At the time, Cena was the biggest of the babyfaces, and after clicking with "The Champ," Copeland wanted him to become the Hulk Hogan to his Piper. "John trusted me, I wanted him to be Hulk Hogan. And I wanted to be Roddy Piper. There can't be a Hogan without a Piper, so this ain't a bad place to be." Unfortunately, his role as a top-level heel meant more bumps as a main-eventer, which ultimately put more strain on his neck, leading to his first retirement.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Notsam Wrestling" and provide Wrestling Inc. with a h/t for the transcription.