Adam Copeland remembers The Young Bucks catching his attention long before they became one of AEW’s signature tag teams.
Copeland and Christian Cage will defend the AEW World Tag Team Championships against Matt and Nick Jackson at AEW All In on August 30 at Wembley Stadium, marking the first-ever meeting between the two decorated teams.
Speaking with Forbes ahead of the match, Copeland recalled first becoming aware of The Young Bucks during their run as Generation Me in TNA in 2010.
“It was probably the Generation Me stuff with TNA, and I realized, okay, there are some cool ideas. And really, my wrestling viewing, especially when I was out (retired), didn’t take place too much,” stated Copeland. “So it would have to be accidental, almost, if I stumbled across newer talents.”
Over the years, however, Copeland became increasingly familiar with the Jackson brothers and developed an appreciation for what they brought to tag team wrestling.
“But then I saw them by watching everything over the years and seeing clips here and there, and then talking to the guys, meeting the guys and just having an appreciation for what they bring to the table, because we’ve talked about it. It felt like there have been ideas to kind of keep the flame alive.”
Copeland also pointed to the stylistic differences between The Young Bucks and FTR, comparing the dynamic to some of the great tag teams of previous generations.
“I love watching them and FTR because they’re so opposite, and I like that. Back to the Brain Busters versus the Rockers, and I feel like maybe we’re the Hart Foundation of that equation, maybe.”
As for his own upcoming showdown with The Young Bucks, Copeland believes the fact that it has never happened before is enough of a selling point without adding any additional stipulations.
“But yeah, it’s just one that we’re looking forward to. One that we truly thought, if that could ever happen, just imagine. And to be able to do it, especially in Wembley Stadium at the biggest show of the year.”
Copeland continued, arguing that immediately adding a stipulation would amount to overbooking the long-awaited first encounter.
“I know some people are expecting stipulations, but it’s the first match between these two teams. You don’t need to start throwing stipulations and stuff and overbooking it. Just let us go. It’s the first time ever and a match that I assumed would never happen.”
Asked more directly about potentially facing Matt and Nick Jackson in a stipulation match, Copeland described doing so for their first meeting as “bad booking.”
The WWE Hall of Famer also used comparisons from the NFL and NHL to illustrate how he views the generational significance of Copeland and Cage finally sharing the ring with The Young Bucks.
“It’s just one of those instances where you can see the Steelers from the ’70s play the Cowboys from the ’90s, or you can see the Patriots during their run against the Chiefs in their run. That’s kind of what this is here.”
“Or you can use a hockey analogy. You use the (Montreal) Canadiens from the ’70s and the (Edmonton) Oilers from the ’80s. That’s what these two teams represent to their eras, and the fact that we’re all somehow in a place to be able to make this match happen, and again, to do it in Wembley Stadium at our biggest show.”
For Copeland, part of the intrigue is that nobody knows exactly what will happen when the contrasting styles finally collide.
“Sometimes all the dominoes fall in the right place, and this was one of those instances where it’s like, okay, I think this can work. I think we can get to All In with this. Who knows how our styles mesh, anything like that.”
“Again, it’s the first-ever match, so there are so many questions going into it, and that’s fun. When you have questions going into a match, you want answers.”
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 8/30 for live AEW All In: London Results coverage.
