The reason why Edge left WWE to join AEW

WWE's star wrestler, Adam Copeland, known by his ring name Edge, stunned the WWE Universe when he appeared at All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) pay-per-view event, AEW WrestleDream, on a Sunday (October 1) in Seattle, US.

At a time when the WWE Universe was content with Edge's appearances, the Rated-R Superstar left the company.

Edge is now the fifth WWE Superstar to sign with WWE's rival firm, AEW. Before him, several superstars like CM Punk, Jeff Hardy, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, Dean Ambrose, and Cesaro had joined Tony Khan's new wrestling venture after becoming disillusioned with WWE.

However, Edge didn't leave the company on sour terms and instead provided a compelling reason for his departure. But there is more to the story than meets the eye.

Watch Edge's debut at AEW:

What Edge said about his exit from WWE?

In Edge's words, his relationship with WWE had "outgrown" itself, and there weren't many opportunities left for him. In a lengthy social media post, Edge explained that he wanted to do more, but the company didn't have much left for him to do, leaving him with no other option.

From The Desk of…

As some of you may now know, I’m no longer with WWE. My new home is AEW. I’m excited. Whole new roster. Some familiar faces that I wanted to work with again and a whole set of first ever matches. New challenges, and if you’ve followed my career, you know…

— Adam Copeland (@EdgeRatedR) October 2, 2023

"Sometimes relationships just grow apart, and I feel WWE and I have outgrown each other. I wanted to do more. They didn't have much more for me to do. Simple as that. And that's okay. I will still be watching and supporting all of my friends there," Edge said.

The reasons behind Edge's departure from WWE

• Edge is past his prime at 49, and although he still has the fire in his belly, the company didn't want him to put more strain on his body.
• WWE has a surplus of wrestlers on the roster, including Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, and Sheamus, whom they can feature in main events.
• Edge is undoubtedly a huge draw for the crowd, but as the company has significantly changed its booking approach after merging with UFC, several wrestlers have been released in a recent shuffle, including talented performers like Mustafa Ali and Matt Riddle.
• Additionally, there are reports suggesting that Edge demanded a substantial sum for his contract extension, which WWE declined.
• Tony Khan, owner of AEW, agreed to meet Edge's demands, leading to Edge's decision to join AEW.
  Edge's farewell match in WWE was highly anticipated but concluded with a final appearance on SmackDown against Sheamus.
• Edge himself acknowledges that at 49, he doesn't have much time left in the ring, but he believes he has a few more years of wrestling left in him and wants to give it his all before retiring.

Edge's remarkable career at WWE

• Edge enjoyed a fruitful 25-year stint with WWE, holding the WWE Championship 31 times.

• He retired in 2011 due to a neck injury but made a triumphant return to wrestling in 2019 at the Royal Rumble, which he won for the third time in his career.

• Upon his return, Edge had a memorable run, facing off against Seth Rollins, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Damien Priest, and Finn Balor.

• Having debuted in 1998 during the Attitude Era, Edge was consistently a top performer who drew crowds, even when John Cena was the face of the company for more than a decade.

• In 2012, Edge was inducted into the Hall of Fame after his retirement due to a neck injury.

• Edge acknowledges that WWE did everything they could for him as an employee, as he mentioned in his farewell post.
  Currently, Edge is with AEW, and fans can look forward to seeing him wrestle on October 10, 2023, against Luchasauras.