After months away, Adam Copeland, AKA Edge, AKA Cope, has finally returned to the AEW ring and he's already kicked off a new feud with a rival he is comparing to the legendary "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
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In a recent interview with "The Takedown on SI," Cope reiterated his desire to bring a "throwback" vibe to the squared circle and compared his primary foe, current AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, to legendary wrestlers like Piper and Terry Funk.
"I look at [Moxley] as a throwback," Cope said. "He reminds me a little bit of, you know, Terry Funk. He's got a little Roddy Piper to him, he's got, like, that throwback feel but with a modern take."
Piper (who passed away in 2015) was known for his brash, in-your-face persona and was a master of trash talk and mind games, often blurring the line between reality and performance.
With his signature kilt, bagpipes, and fiery temper, he became a top antagonist in WWE, where his "Piper's Pit" segments sparked some of the most memorable moments in wrestling history.
Piper was never afraid to speak his mind, earning both admiration and scorn, and he remains a beloved legend for his contributions to the industry and his unmatched charisma. For Cope to describe his biggest rival in those terms is a pretty huge statement.
Cope has previously talked up his desire to revive a "kicka**, old, grinding, gritty NWA World Heavyweight Title matches type vibe and it appears that he feels that Moxley is the ideal competitor to make that happen.
"I'd love to just get in there and just have it be a gnarly fight, a gnarly, you know, grappling wrestling," Copeland continued in the interview. "Just a hard-hitting heavyweight match between two dudes who are over 230 pounds and are just gonna take each other's heads off — that sounds like a good night."
Copeland, who retired from professional wrestling in 2011 after a career-threatening neck injury, made an unexpected return to the ring in 2020 at the Royal Rumble, sending shockwaves through WWE and thrilling fans worldwide.
However, in an even more jaw-dropping turn, Copeland stunned the wrestling world in 2023 when he debuted in AEW following the WrestleDream pay-per-view.
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Since his return to AEW, Copeland has made waves, culminating in his last in-ring appearance at AEW Double or Nothing 2024, where he defended the AEW TNT Championship in a brutal Barbed Wire Steel Cage match against Malakai Black.
Following his return, Copeland has hinted at a bold and "egotistical" plan to face Jon Moxley in a match unlike anything fans have seen before.
"Look, it may sound cocky, but when it's true, it's just confidence," the WWE Hall of Famer said. "My plan is to go after Jon Moxley in a match where two of the best in the business go out there and do what we do — create a gritty, old-school NWA World Heavyweight Title match-type vibe. That's what I'm after, and it's coming sooner rather than later."
In his first match since his injury at Double or Nothing, Copeland made his debut under a new ring name: "Cope."
The change was immediately apparent, with Justin Roberts introducing him as "The Rated-R Superstar, Cope," and both the on-screen graphics and commentary referring to him exclusively as "Cope" throughout the match. His official name on the AEW has also since been updated.
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