Wrestling fans have made a lot of noise about missteps in AEW’s use of stars. Whether it was not pushing Malakai Black or Miro sufficiently, or exhibits of how up and comers like Penta, Ethan Page and Blake Monroe have arguably been featured much better in the WWE system, there certainly are cases worth critiquing.
However, AEW’s handling of Adam Copeland has highlighted a number of real strengths. Where as all indications were WWE was happy to feature Edge as a part-time special attraction, Cope seems happy with his time in AEW, and he has been used in diverse and fulfilling ways.
Cope And Christian Cage Finally Had Their Proper Feud
In WWE, Edge and Christian feuded on and off, with their issue most prominently taking centerstage in 2001, during the Invasion angle after their tag team had formally split up. The uncomfortable truth is that while they had a handful of free TV matches and two PPV showdowns, their matches never felt like they realized their potential. An Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match at No Mercy 2001 was probably as close as they got to a banger.
Both Adam Copeland and Christian Cage have probably been, by any objective measure, past their physical primes for their AEW runs. Nonetheless, their collective experience and wisdom, not to mention enhanced credibility made fans take notice when they clashed in AEW. Across a series of bouts, they elevated the TNT Championship, with their first free TV encounter, the No DQ bout at World’s End 2023 and I Quit Match to blow off their feud all extremely well received and paying off all the potential fans long saw in a feud between them.
Cope Worked Fresh Opponents
A highlight of any legend working a run in the twilight of his career is seeing fresh matchups materialize opposite younger talents. Cope’s AEW resume includes bouts with the likes of Malakai Black, Penta, Daniel Garcia, Minoru Suzuki, Claudio Castagnoli, and PAC to name a few.
While Adam Copeland’s comeback tour in WWE also included new matchups, he also had a tendency to get bogged down working the same opponents like Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Finn Balor on repeat. Not to take away from the quality of the resulting matches, but it has been refreshing to watch Cope work a range of talents on TV and PPV alike in AEW.
Cope Worked The Main Event
No Adam Copeland run would be complete without him venturing into the main event picture. Cope vs. Jon Moxley was a solid world title feud that lent Mox and The Death Riders a more than credible top face to fend off in the heat of their time on top. While the Revolution 2025 main event under-delivered by most standards, Cope vs. Mox in a Street Fight on Dynamite made up for it.
Cope did well in the AEW main event scene. Importantly, he also didn’t overstay his welcome. After coming up short against Mox, The Rated R Superstar continued to feud with The Death Riders, but away from the title, before transitioning to his current issue with FTR.
The Cope And Christian Reunion Is Coming
Cope feuding with FTR signaled to a lot of fans that a tag team reunion with Christian Cage may well be on its way. Cage’s own falling out with his Patriarchy allies has edged him toward a babyface turn, which seems to solidify where this pair is headed.
A proper Cope and Christian reunion looked like it may have been in the works in 2011 when the two allied against Alberto Del Rio and Brodus Clay, before Cope’s neck issues forced him into retirement. A feel-good story still followed, with Christian finally capturing a world title as his best friend cheered him on, but their tag team reunion came across as one of the many things about Copeland’s pro wrestling career that hadn’t had a proper chance to resolve.
Cope and Christian may not have a long run as a tag team in AEW given their collective age. But even just seeing them work FTR—not only one of the best tag teams in the world, but close friends to Copeland behind the scenes—has all the makings of something truly special. Any other encounters—against Patriarchy alumni, The Death Riders, The Young Bucks, The Hurt Syndicate could all just be gravy before an all-time great tag team and one of wrestling’s most likeable bromances rides off into the sunset.
From the feud Cope was meant to finally, properly have, to fresh matchups, to a main event stint, to the reunion everyone wants, Cope’s AEW run has checked every box fans realistically could have hoped for. Not unlike how Sting got a proper sendoff, working fulfilling programs in protected tag team contexts to finish off his in-ring career, Cope is also illustrating how AEW can get things very right in using legends to their full potential.