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by Phil Speer
DETROIT - July 21, 2002 - Long before he took on the name "Edge," Adam Copeland often went to the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto to see Hulk Hogan perform. Rumor has it that Copeland once fell over the steel barricade when he reached out to try to touch his Hogan.
Many years later (but not that many), Copeland got to spend three weeks as champion with his boyhood hero. Unfortunately for him, the reign ended tonight when Edge and Hollywood Hogan lost to Christian and Lance Storm.
"These three weeks have been the most fun I've had in my career," Edge told WWE.com after the match. "And I've had a lot of fun in my career. I know I can speak for (Hogan when I say) we both had a hell of a time out there.
"I can look back now and watch tapes of this 15 years down the road, and still smile."
Edge added that teaming with Hogan has helped solidified his status.
"Everybody says that I got a nice rub from working with Kurt (Angle), and I did," Edge said. "The next step (was that) I got elevated by Hogan, just being his tag team partner. He hasn't really gotten any credit for that."
Hogan said he doesn't see it that way.
"I don't even think in those terms," he said. "I don't think, 'Hulk Hogan goes out there helping other people become stars.' I think, 'Thank God these guys are young and enjoy pulling the load.'"
Hogan said Edge did 70 percent of the work in the match, which he said was unnecessary but was appreciated and is a testament to Edge's work ethic.
"He's giving me life after death," Hogan said. "If anything, he deserves props for that."
While Edge was celebrating the fact that he was a legend's tag-team partner, Christian and Storm were ecstatic to earn a victory over a legend, and to be the new WWE Tag Team Champions. It's the first WWE Tag Team Title for Storm. He says he loves the fact that his name is now in the record books alongside legendary duos like the British Bulldogs and the Hart Foundation. Storm said he was also happy to see a smattering of pro-Canadian signs in the crowd, seeing as Detroit is so close to the Canadian border.
"To have a section of the crowd cheering for you when you're in there against Hulk Hogan, that's an accomplishment," Storm said. "That shows you're doing something right."
This is Christian's eighth reign as Tag Team Champion. The first seven, of course, were with Edge.
Christian also grew up watching Hogan and said defeating his team for the Tag Team Titles tonight is a career highlight for him. It was only the second time that Storm and Christian had stepped in the ring with the Hulkster; the first was last week on SmackDown!
"To be out there with Hogan," he said, "is a dream come true."
* Credit WWE *
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