You think you know what he’s going to do next?
After months of rumours, Adam “Edge” Copeland made his shocking debut at the AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view event on Sunday night in Seattle.
Copeland confronted a stunned Christian Cage, who was about to hit wrestling legend Sting with a “Conchairto.”
This came moments after Cage retained his TNT Championship in a hellacious two-out-of-three falls match against hometown hero Darby Allin, who was seeking his third TNT title.
The first fall was all Cage, who was gloating to the fans for the majority of the action. Allin was able to surprise Cage by pulling his turtleneck ring gear over his head and pin him with a jackknife to win the first fall.
Allin has pinned Cage three times with that very move since their feud began earlier this year.
Incensed, Cage threw Allin to the outside shortly after before spotting young 18-year-old Nick Wayne’s mom at ringside. Wayne, the protégé of Allin, has been at the forefront of mental torture and manipulation by Cage for weeks.
Cage flirted with Wayne’s mom before she threw a drink in his face.
Allin attempted to win the second fall with his signature Coffin Drop, but was unable to connect with the second after Cage got his feet up and countered.
Cage rolled out of the ring and pulled the steps towards the apron. He threw Allin to the outside before awkwardly slamming him not once, but twice onto the steel steps as Allin’s body crumpled in half.
Cage scurried into the ring as referee Bryce Remsburg disgustedly counted Allin out with a 10 count and the second fall was awarded to Cage with the match tied at one a piece.
Allin was seemingly unable to continue in the match, as ringside doctors called for a stretcher. While this was happening, Cage removed the padding on the ring, exposing the wooden planks that are underneath the mat.
The TNT Champion took advantage of the incapacitated Allin on the stretcher by hitting him with a frog splash before bringing him into the ring and hitting him with his signature Killswitch on the exposed wood.
Allin kicked out at two.
The hometown favourite was being willed on by the fans as he hit the champion with his mentor Sting’s iconic Scorpion Death Drop and a Coffin Drop connected, however Cage got his shoulder up.
Cage set up Allin for a spear, however Allin dodged and the referee was inadvertently hit with the move before being hit with a low-blow.
The self proclaimed “Father of the Year” grabbed his title and was about to hit Allin before Wayne came out and stole the belt. Cage chased him around the ring before getting in the ring and realizing he was outnumbered by Wayne and Allin.
With Cage pleading to Wayne to not hit him with the belt, Wayne turned his back on the person who helped train him into professional wrestling.
Wayne walloped Allin with the belt, stunning both the crowd and his mom.
The Seattle faithful showered Wayne with boos as Cage covered Allin to get the three count and retain his title.
Wayne and Cage celebrated, as Cage hugged and kissed him on the head, seemingly becoming the “father” Wayne has missed.
After Wayne, Cage, and the right hand of the TNT champion, Luchasaurus, continued to beat up on Allin after the match, an enraged Sting came down to the ring to try and even the odds, which led him to becoming quickly overwhelmed.
Right before Cage had a chance to put down the legend, the lights went out, a video was played on the screen before the iconic “you think you know me?” played around the arena to a thunderous ovation.
The showed faded to black Alter Bridge’s classic “Metalingus” roaring over the speakers as Copeland shook Allin and Sting’s hand with Cage bewildered at his friend’s arrival to the company.
Cage, who won seven tag titles with Copeland in WWE, are childhood friends. Both have a chance to finish their careers in All Elite Wrestling together.
Copeland said his daughter told him to “go be with Uncle Jay (Christian) and have fun.”
“I thought I could really try and help here,” said Copeland. “In turn, that helps the entire wrestling industry, which is the thing I just love.”
Tony Khan announced in a press conference after the event that Copeland is signed on “full-time”, and will make appearances at both AEW Dynamite and AEW Collision this week.
Copeland recently competed in his final match with WWE on August 19 against Sheamus in his hometown of Toronto, which many thought could have been his last match of his Hall of Fame career.
Instead, the 11-time world champion brings over 25 years of veteran leadership to a company that is about to celebrate its fourth year anniversary of being on national television.
His first match in AEW will take place on October 10 against former TNT Champion Luchasaurus.
AEW WrestleDream Card Results:
- Christian Cage (c) def. Darby Allin in a two out of three falls match for the TNT Championship
- FTR (c) def. Aussie Open to retain AEW World Tag Team Championship
- Konosuke Takeshita, Sammy Guevara and Will Ospreay def. Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho and Kota Ibushi
- Bryan Danielson def. Zack Sabre Jr.
- Ricky Starks def. Wheeler Yuta
- Swerve Strickland def. “Hangman” Adam Page
- The Young Bucks def. The Lucha Bros, The Gunns and Orange Cassidy and Hook
- Kris Statlander (c) def. Julia Hart to retain TBS Championship
- Eddie Kingston (c) def. Katsuyori Shibata to retain both ROH World and NJPW Strong Openweight Championships
- MJF (c) def. The Righteous in a two-on-one handicap match to retain ROH World Tag Team Championship