Adam Copeland Has a New AEW Ring Name

Adam Copeland has returned to AEW with a hunger to take down Jon Moxley and, apparently, a new in-ring name.

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At last night's AEW Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen, Copeland made his highly anticipated return to the ring, teaming with FTR to take on Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta of the Death Riders.

This was Copeland's first match since suffering a broken tibia at AEW Double or Nothing in May 2024, where he defended the AEW TNT Championship in a brutal Barbed Wire Steel Cage match against Malakai Black.

The match took a tragic turn when Copeland attempted a high-risk leap from the top of the cage, resulting in a severe leg injury and months of recuperation.

EDMONTON, CANADA - May 8, 2024: AEW TNT Champion Adam Copeland enters the ring in a white coat before facing Brody King on AEW Dynamite. Lee South/AEW

In a notable shift, Copeland's in-ring persona underwent a rebranding. While fans had gotten used to calling him by his real name after his WWE career, AEW officially introduced him under the new moniker "Cope."

Ring announcer Justin Roberts introduced him as "The Rated-R Superstar, Cope," and the on-screen graphics and commentary followed suit, consistently referring to him as "Cope" throughout the match.

However, the official AEW roster webpage still refers to the wrestler as "Adam Copeland," so it is unclear exactly how official this new name is or how long it will last. It is entirely possible this is a test run for the name to gauge fan reactions.

The battle between trios was intense, with both teams putting on a hard-fought display. In the final moments, Copeland speared Moxley through the barricade after escaping an attempted slam onto the broadcast table.

Jay White then interfered, taking out Yuta with a Blade Runner, while FTR hit the Shatter Machine on Yuta. Copeland secured the win by pinning Yuta, marking a victorious return to action.

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This event also marked a significant milestone for AEW, as it was the first to be simulcast on AEW's new streaming platform, Max. Company founder Tony Khan has been talking up the massive new deal AEW has inked with Warner Bros. Discovery to stream content on the platform, which is now directly competing with WWE's deal to do the same with Netflix.

The show, which raised funds for Western North Carolina residents affected by last year's hurricane season, was a fitting stage for Copeland's comeback, solidifying his new chapter in AEW.

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