Adam Copeland has been written off All Elite Wrestling television, leading to a wave of online speculation, including a rampant but false rumor about a potential match with John Cena in WWE. On the September 24 episode of AEW Dynamite, a backstage segment aired showing an emotional conversation between Copeland and his long-time friend and tag team partner, Christian Cage, following their victory over FTR at the All Out pay-per-view.
Copeland expressed that the escalating, personal nature of their feud was affecting his family and that he needed to leave, uncertain of when or if he would return. While the on-screen explanation left his future unclear, a report from PWInsiderElite.com has confirmed the real reason for his hiatus and debunked the WWE rumors.
The report from PWInsiderElite.com confirms that the rumor of Copeland leaving AEW to wrestle John Cena on his retirement tour is “not even remotely true” and that Copeland is not doing so with AEW’s blessing. Instead, his departure from AEW storylines is to accommodate his acting career. Production for the latest season of the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians is set to ramp up next month, and Copeland has a recurring role on the show as Ares, the God of War. Copeland has appeared in the last two seasons of the popular series, and his commitment to the filming schedule is the legitimate reason for his temporary exit from AEW TV.
In the emotional backstage segment that aired on Dynamite, Copeland and Cage reflected on their victory over FTR. Copeland told Cage, “This is getting to my family… I gotta go. I don’t know if I can come back.” Christian responded by saying he no longer has a family, and urged Copeland to take care of his. The segment ended with the two friends shaking hands, providing an on-screen justification for Copeland’s absence while also adding another layer to the complex, personal story between the two Canadian legends. The storyline with FTR had become intensely personal, involving not only the four men but also Copeland’s wife, Beth Phoenix, who got physically involved at the All Out event.