Amid news conferences in New York, a press junket for the MTV Video Music Awards and wrestling shows in Alabama and Georgia, WWE heavyweight champion Edge planned one minor detour.

``I'm going to fly to Toronto for a night,'' Edge said in a recent interview. ``I get to see my dogs and my mom, and then turn around and fly right back out and hit the road again.''

A hectic schedule hasn't kept the Orangeville, Ont., native from spending time with friends and family, even as the main man for the company he dreamed of joining as a teenager. Edge, whose real name is Adam Copeland, has had few breathers since capturing the title for a second time on the July 3 edition of Monday Night RAW.

He'll defend his championship Sept. 17 in Toronto at Unforgiven, WWE's next pay-per-view card.

So how is life as a two-time heavyweight champ?

``Busy,'' Edge said from New York. ``Busy and hectic, but in a good way. ... This is where I always wanted to get to. It feels really, really good. It feels satisfying.''

The 32-year-old, known for his flowing golden locks and trademark maniacal scowl, is just the fourth Canadian wrestler to hold a heavyweight title in the WWE, joining Bret (Hitman) Hart, Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho. Edge admitted the reality of his place in wrestling's hierarchy hasn't fully sunk in yet.

``With this championship, people do treat you differently, and I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing,'' said Edge, who was trained by Hart and his father Stu in the early 1990s.

``When I look at the history of the championship, and the guys who have held it, that's when I kind of go, `Whoa, this is something special here.' ''

While Edge plays the role of villain to perfection _ he admits to wanting ``every fan in every building to hate me'' _ he'll likely face a much warmer reception when he defends his championship on Sunday. He'll battle former champion John Cena in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match _ meaning all of the above implements are legal, and very much encouraged.

Edge isn't expecting many boos to be directed his way at Air Canada Centre _ and not just because he's a proud Canadian.

``Toronto always goes against the grain, they always have and they always will,'' said Edge. ``If the world is cheering for something, (Toronto) does the opposite. I think it's going to be pretty difficult to get them to hate me there, so I'm not going to bother trying.''

With a pro-Canadian crowd and momentum from previous victories over Cena, a title defence at Unforgiven could be the springboard to a lengthy run for Edge as WWE champion. But he isn't so sure.

``I honestly don't know,'' Edge said. ``I'd like to think so. I think, if anything, I've proven that you can go to me, and it's going to work. If it ends in Toronto, it ends in Toronto, but I'd get (the title) again.''

Returning home to wrestle means plenty of attention for Edge, and with the title belt around his waist, he expects the buzz surrounding Unforgiven to be unprecedented.

``It gets pretty crazy,'' said Edge. ``A lot of people come out of the woodwork. I always try to keep it to the people I always get tickets for, because they've always wanted to be there. My mom's gonna be right there.

``I tell my mom to take care of it all. Let me worry about how many tables I end up breaking.''

The timing of Edge's championship run couldn't have come at a better time for Canadian fans who are now dealing with a sudden shortage of home-town content. Benoit left the company to rest up and spend time with family. Jericho abandoned wrestling altogether to further his music and acting careers. Jay Reso, known as Christian, bolted WWE for Total Nonstop Action, a rival wrestling promotion.

Edge and Christian grew up together and broke into the business at the same time, and Edge admitted he was stunned when his good friend left the company.

``I was, because we hadn't talked about it,'' said Edge, who added that he and Christian still talk regularly. ``I think everyone assumed I knew, but I didn't know, either. He didn't tell anybody.''

While Edge understands the size of the Canadian flag he now carries, he hopes to avoid suffering the same fate as Benoit, Jericho and former Olympic gold medallist Kurt Angle, all of whom left wrestling feeling emotionally and physically drained. Edge himself missed over a year while recovering from neck and hand injuries in 2003.

``(Burning out) has crossed my mind,'' said Edge. ``There have definitely been nights where I've been just dying to get back to the hotel room. There are different parts of my body right now that are in constant pain, but it always has been that way. That's what I'm used to.''

Edge attributed the increase in mental and physical breakdowns to the increased demand from fans.

``I think it's a matter of the speed of things now, and the impact, and the different style,'' said Edge. ``There came a point when you were seeing a ladder match or tables match every week on TV, and I'm partly to blame for that because I helped create the thing.''

Known as the Rated `R' Superstar for some risque on-air performances _ including a simulated in-ring sex scene _ Edge has undergone a remarkable transformation from his early WWF days, when he played the part of the brooding loner. But don't mistake Edge's character for the real deal _ away from the ring, he's still the guy hanging with his friends, either human or canine. And he doesn't see the title ever changing who he is.

``I've never had a problem with that,'' said Edge, who made his WWF debut in 1998. ``What does keep me sane and does keep me from getting burned out is going home and seeing my dogs, and taking them for a run. I go to the same diner that I always did.

``I still look at it as: I run around in tights for a living. I don't take myself too seriously. And I think that's the key to not becoming an arrogant jerk.''

And what if his ego did start to swell out of control?

``I don't think my mom would let me get any other way,'' he joked. ``She'd bring me back down to earth pretty quickly.''