Adam Copeland fka Edge explains why his epic match against Randy Orton was a no-win situation for anyone

The current AEW star and WWE HOF'er Adam "Edge" Copeland recently pondered over an iconic clash he had with Randy Orton at Backlash.

Adam Copeland fka Edge explains why his epic match against Randy Orton was a no-win situation for anyone

Adam Copeland and Randy Orton at Backlash 2020 [via- WWE]

In the summer of 2020, two career-long rivals, Adam Copeland, fka Edge, and Randy Orton, collided in what was dubbed by WWE as The Greatest Wrestling Match Ever. Both men pulled out all the stops to live up to its billing and went on to have a great showdown. But was it actually what the tagline said?

Copeland recently opened up on it while speaking to Kenny McIntosh of Inside the Ropes. The 51-year-old veteran called his Backlash contest against Orton a no-win situation. The Rated-R Superstar also lamented the lack of a live crowd, as the match was held behind closed doors in front of barely 20 Performance Center recruits.

Edge said he’s extremely proud of everything he and The Viper were able to do despite the adverse circumstances. The AEW star was pedantic about how their bout was advertised in that echelon of greatest ever before it even happened, which to Cope was ridiculous. The worst part of it was the ending, where The Master Manipulator tore his triceps.

It forced him to undergo surgery and sidelined The Ultimate Opportunist for months. The only pet peeve that Edge might have from his WWE run was the fact that he and Orton could never wrestle a singles match in front of a packed arena due to the state of the COVID-19 pandemic at that point in time.

After that initial feud with The Apex Predator, Copeland segued into a storyline with Roman Reigns. They were supposed to main event WrestleMania 37 with The OTC’s Universal Championship up for grabs. However, Bryan Danielson, fka Daniel Bryan was eventually added to the storyline to make it a triple threat.

What was Randy Orton’s take on Backlash match against Adam Copeland?

Not only Adam Copeland, but also Randy Orton thought that their match’s labeling was a stressful situation. In 2021, The Legend Killer got candid about getting that opportunity against his former tag team partner. Orton told Steve Austin on his Broken Skull Sessions podcast that wrestling The Rated-R Superstar in front of an NXT crowd was kind of a prideful experience.

Randy Orton vs. Adam Copeland
Randy Orton vs. Adam Copeland [via- WWE]

The Apex Predator was grateful to have shown those budding wrestlers of tomorrow how it’s actually done. Orton even said that it was one of the best matches he’s had in his career. The two rivals previously wrestled in a Last Man Standing match at WrestleMania 36, in which they fought all over the Performance Center.

After the crowds made their return to the arenas, the former Rated-RKO members didn’t get to cross paths. But until WWE was within the confines of its Thunderdome concept, Orton was one of the main characters keeping the product alive. He had quite a physical rivalry with Drew McIntyre over the WWE Championship.

Can Randy Orton stun John Cena with hometown advantage?

This weekend in his hometown of St. Louis, Randy Orton has a shot at history. He’ll lock horns with yet another of his great rivals in John Cena. The latter would be hoping to negate the pressure of a hostile audience, which is primed to back its local hero, Orton. If the latter pins or submits Cena, he’ll become a 15-time World Champion.

John Cena and Randy Orton
John Cena and Randy Orton [via- WWE]

If that happens, the 45-year-old will overtake Triple H in the list of names with most world title reigns in WWE, only behind Ric Flair and Cena. After suffering the wrath of a couple of RKOs since WrestleMania 41, The Cenation Leader will appear on this week’s SmackDown to let his final words be known to the fans. It’d be interesting to see if Cena would get third-time-lucky against The Apex Predator.

Their clash is being dubbed as ‘One Last Time’ by WWE. A number of fans were hoping Orton to be The Franchise Player’s last-ever opponent. However, it seems like the company wants to reserve that spot for Cody Rhodes, who unjustly succumbed to the Peacemaker actor at WrestleMania 41.

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