The AEW World Tag Team Championship match at All In: Texas ended with retained champions, but the aftermath saw a stunning betrayal and the shocking return of Adam Copeland.
In a chaotic three-way match, The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) successfully defended their AEW World Tag Team Championships against JetSpeed and The Patriarchy. The end came after FTR appeared, distracting Christian Cage and allowing Lashley to hit a spear for the pinfall victory. Following the match, Cage was brutally attacked by his own protégé, Nick Wayne, with Kip Sabian joining in on the assault. Nick Wayne’s mother, who was at ringside, slapped Cage repeatedly before they set him up for a con-chair-to.
Just as Wayne was about to strike, the music of Adam Copeland hit, and the WWE Hall of Famer sprinted to the ring to make the save. Copeland cleared the ring, delivering spears to Nick Wayne, Kip Sabian, and both members of FTR. In a tense and emotional moment, Copeland then helped his former friend and rival, Christian Cage, to his feet. Instead of offering a hug, Copeland looked him in the eyes and said, “Go find yourself,” before leaving a stunned Cage alone in the ring.
This marks Copeland’s first appearance in AEW since he was taken out of action by Malakai Black in a brutal assault on an episode of Dynamite this past April. His return adds another volatile element to the landscape of AEW and the future of Christian Cage.