AEW might have committed a major mistake with Adam Copeland after his return, thinks WWE veteran (Exclusive)

AEW made one of its biggest signings yet when Adam Copeland joined the company right after wrapping up his WWE career. Now known as Cope, the Canadian legend underwent a significant change before returning from hiatus, and that has not sat well with fans and insiders. Now a key veteran has made a very interesting point about Cope's future.

The Rated R Superstar brought that nickname with him to Tony Khan's company, but he was not legally able to use the Edge name in AEW. Copeland reignited his lengthy history with Christian Cage upon debuting and was mounting momentum until suffering brutal injuries at Double Or Nothing 2024. The WWE Hall of Famer returned at Worlds End to close out the year, then kicked off 2025 with a name change, doing away with his full name, shortening it to just Cope.

Wrestling veterans and fans have shared negative reactions to the Cope name, for the most part, it seems. Speaking to Dr. Chris Featherstone on Sportskeeda's WrestleBinge, Vince Russo has also spoken out on why he thinks the name change was a bad idea. The former WCW World Heavyweight Champion noted that he gave Adam Copeland the Edge name in WWE, and wondered how the change will impact his drawing power in retirement:

"Bro, when you're talking about unhinged, bro... I'm just not thinking of a guy in his mid-40s. I'm just not. 50s, whatever... Darby Allin? OK, I get it, but man, bro... that's why I'm saying, if I was in my late 40s or 50s, bro, at that point I want to go with my name because think about it, you talk about branding? You know he's not gonna have another name after this, so wouldn't you want to retire with your real name? Because once you hang up the boots, you're gonna want to be known as Adam Copeland," Vince Russo said. [From 7:10 to 7:55]

Rated FTR has feuded with The Death Riders as of late, with a rumored Cope vs. Jon Moxley match for the AEW World Championship on the horizon. Adam Copeland defeated PAC on last week's Dynamite in a first-time-ever match.

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Adam Copeland pays tribute to Sweet Daddy Siki

Wrestling legend Sweet Daddy Siki passed away at the age of 91 on Tuesday, December 31. The industry paid tribute to the Texas native, who settled in Toronto, Ontario, Canada years ago to further his career.

Siki was instrumental in training Adam Copeland for his pro wrestling career. The U.S. Army veteran trained Cope and Christian Cage at Sully's Gym in Toronto. As seen below, the former Edge of WWE recently appeared on Up Close with Stephen Brunt to pay tribute to Siki.

Siki was a top talent for various Canadian promotions in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a 2-time champion for Stu Hart's Stampede Wrestling. Siki was inducted into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2016, and the International Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2023.