Adam Copeland has finally arrived in AEW. The former Edge made his highly-anticipated debut for Tony Khan’s promotion at the WrestleDream pay-per-view event on October 1, 2023. Copeland arrived following the vicious 2-out-of-3 falls match between defending TNT Champion Christian Cage and challenger Darby Allin.
It is worth mentioning that Copeland brought his iconic “Metalingus” theme song and “Rated R Superstar” gimmick with him to AEW. Per reports, WWE had abandoned the nickname in 2020. This allowed the 49-year-old veteran and his new employer to trademark the term for the purpose of entertainment.
As to why he signed with AEW, Adam Copeland has explicitly stated he joined AEW to take on all up-and-comers. He mentioned people he never worked with in WWE as well as people he’s never worked with in the ring before.
Having said that, let’s look at the five best opponents for Adam Copeland in AEW.
Ethan Page needs a program with Adam Copeland
Ethan Page can pull off any gimmick he’s given. That’s just how good he is. He can be the obnoxious heel or the goofy babyface with more than enough moves in his arsenal to pick up a convincing win on any given day. His pairing with Stokely Hathaway during the Matt Hardy-Private Party storyline was entertainment gold.
Being the capable wrestler and entertainer he is, Page deserves a noteworthy feud and what better way to turn his career up a notch than by putting him in a program with AEW’s newest acquisition. The pair can potentially have a short-term feud on television leading up to an outing at Dynamite or Collision.
Nick Wayne got a taste of the Rated R chair shot
Nick Wayne shocked the world when he turned heel on his best friend Darby Allin in the final moments of the 2-out-of-3 Falls Match. Turns out, it was a set up by Christian Cage all along. He took the young Wayne under his mentorship, much to the shock and dismay of Mama Wayne.
The 18-year-old high-flyer was one of the two victims of Copeland’s chair shot, the other being Luchasaurus, after the Rated R Superstar arrived inside the AEW ring. Wayne versus Copeland is bound to happen in light of the veteran’s assault on the upstart.
Wayne is already off to a huge start in AEW. He has been able to hone his craft under the watchful eye of Christian, Sting, and now Edge. It remains to be seen if the budding performer will take on the Copeland on free TV or a PPV event.
Swerve Strickland
Swerve Strickland had a terrific outing against Hangman Page at AEW WrestleDream. The Mogul Embassy’s main man defeated The Elite member after an extremely physical match in front of a red-hot Seattle crowd at the Climate Pledge Center.
Adam Copeland namedropped Strickland as one of his potential opponents during the post-show scrum with Tony Khan. “… Then I see a guy like Nick Wayne, or I see Swerve,” the Rated R Superstar noted in regards to the virtually endless list of opponents that exist for him in AEW.
He continued, “There’s just so many possibilities here, and for me at this stage of my career — that is so enticing, that is so exciting, that is so… I said it out there, after the fact when I came back out there tonight, I felt free. That’s just the word that popped — I felt free. And it felt fun.” (H/T Cageside Seats)
Samoa Joe was namedropped by the former Edge
Samoa Joe is arguably the most feared and revered name that comes to mind when you think about all the ROH greats that are currently signed to AEW. Joe is a bona fide legend of the industry with countless five-star classics and multiple world title reigns under his belt. Fans love to see him showcase his incomparable craft inside the ring.
Samoa Joe was one of the several names Adam Copeland mentioned during the scrum. The Rated R Superstar has never been in the ring with the Samoan Submission Machine. That could all change in just about a year or several months from now. Ideally, AEW would book this feud for one of their big PPVs.
Adam Copeland & Christian Cage are destined to fight in AEW
Eric Bischoff said if Adam Copeland were to ever sign with AEW, he would do this out of his love for his childhood best friend Christian Cage. The prediction came true as the two longtime friends came face-to-face at the WrestleDream PPV event this past Sunday.
Cage was shocked to see his former nemesis. He still handed him the steel chair, only for the master of the con-chair-to to swing it on Nick Wayne and Luchasaurus. The TNT Champion was smart enough to get out of the ring before all hell broke lose.
Christian completely dismissed Edge’s AEW debut at the post-event scrum before boasting his accomplishments as the TNT Champion. There’s no doubt that fans are going to get this feud at a future AEW event. It remains to be seen if Captain Charisma will bring Adam Copeland’s personal family history into their soon-to-become heated rivalry.
Also read: Adam Copeland Tried To Stay Hidden, Got Spotted At A Burger Joint Prior To AEW Debut
