WWE has quietly trademarked the name "Edge," opening up speculation that Hall of Famer Adam Copeland may be returning to the company after his latest stint at AEW.
According to a USPTO Trademarks report, WWE has registered "Edge," officially describing it as "EDGE™ trademark registration is intended to cover the categories of wrestling exhibitions and performances by a professional wrestler and entertainer rendered through broadcast media including television and via the internet or commercial online service; providing wrestling news and information via a global computer network; providing information in the fields of sports via an online community portal."
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This could be an indication that WWE is trying to woo Copeland back to the fold by seizing the rights to his more famous name. Copeland debuted at WWE under the name Edge all the way back in 1998, but gave up the name in 2023 when he left the company to wrestle for AEW.
Copeland stated in a 2022 interview with Fox that he had originated the name, saying, "I actually came up with Edge. I would have preferred Adam Copeland, but that wasn't the way it really worked then, right? I was doing dark matches, and Don Callis and I were driving and the radio station, it was in Albany and it was 'Edge 1-0-something,' and growing up in Toronto, Edge 102 was always one of my favorite stations."
WWE now has the legal rights to the name, regardless of who originally came up with it. It is the company's standard practice to trademark wrestling monikers, which has been argued is a way to maintain control over its stable of athletes.
Copeland made his debut in AEW after the WrestleDream pay-per-view event, appearing under his real name and the "Rated R Superstar" persona. He came to the aid of Sting and Darby Allin, rescuing them from an assault by Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, and Nick Wayne. During the post-event media scrum, it was announced that Copeland had signed a multi-year, full-time contract with AEW.
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However, Copeland is currently recovering from a fractured tibia he sustained during his match with Malakai Black at the Double or Nothing event in May, when Copeland jumped off the top of a steel cage. Following the injury, he underwent successful surgery, during which doctors inserted five screws and a plate to stabilize the fracture.
That has knocked him out of active competition for AEW for at least the time being, which may have promoted WWE to do some place-setting to woo back the former World Heavyweight Champion. Only time will tell.
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