Adam Copeland’s AEW role post CM Punk makes perfect sense

Welcome to the weekly Rumor Look Back, where we look at the rumors from six months ago and see which played out as originally stated. Let’s jump right to it.

October 2, 2023

• BWE claims the men’s tag team titles will be defended at Fastlane and the challengers will be coming from Monday Night Raw this week.
• That’s accurate on both accounts. It was the Judgment Day challenging Cody Rhodes & Jey Uso announced that Raw. (2/2)
• For whatever it’s worth, Dave Meltzer said in his Daily Update that Tiffany Stratton was “the talk of the show in a lot of circles” coming out of NXT’s No Mercy event this past weekend.
• She impressed on the main roster very early too.
• According to Fightful Select, Jon Moxley is pushing hard for AEW to sign Sami Callihan.
• They’re buds, but that didn’t end up happening.
• Fightful also says it was a “late decision” to have Saraya win the women’s championship at All In London.
• That’s surprising - I assumed that was the way it would go as soon as the match was announced.
• On Pat LaPrade’s podcast, PCO said Impact Wrestling has already discussed trying to sign Matt Riddle, Dolph Ziggler & Mustafa Ali.
• Ziggler and Ali are with TNA. Riddle is not. We do not know when those internal discussions started.
• In an interview with BBM Sports, Keiji Muto (aka WWE Hall of Famer The Great Muta) teased the possibility of WWE and Pro Wrestling NOAH working together now that both company’s shows air on ABEMA in Japan.
• That has not happened. (0/1)

October 3, 2023

• A “longtime AEW talent” told Fightful Select that while Adam Copeland (Edge) was talking internally about helping out behind the scenes at AEW, he spoke about “filling the gap that CM Punk left behind, in that he’ll be helpful and not cause any issues internally.”
• I agree with this sentiment. He’s a well respected veteran who isn’t known to cause problems. He’s not going to move the needle like Punk, but I’m sure he’s an asset backstage. And as far as we know, he hasn’t choked out Jack Perry.
• The site also reported the backstage reaction to Copeland joining AEW has been “unanimously positive”.
• That’s not surprising. And it’s not surprising he was the one who was used to defend AEW post Punk interview.
• On Oct. 1, Copeland filed trademarks for “Ledgend,” “The Iconoclast,” “The Rogue,” and “Cope”. Sadly, Wrestling Observer notes that no trademarks have been filed for “Sexton Hardcastle”.
• He refers to himself a Cope in the “Cope Open” but none of the others.
• Fightful also says their NXT sources weren’t happy about Mustafa Ali’s release. They had plans for Ali on the brand running through next year’s WrestleMania season.
• Given he was in an upcoming title, that’s not surprising.
• Bryan Alvarez added on Wrestling Observer Radio that those plans didn’t include beating Dominik Mysterio for the North American title in the Ali/Mysterio match that was originally planned for No Mercy. That led to speculation Dom will quickly win the belt back from Trick Williams, a possibility set up for tonight’s NXT on last night’s Raw.
• Dom Dom did win the title back this very night. (1/1)
• Raw’s GUNTHER vs. Tommaso Ciampa Intercontinental title main event was at one point planned for Fastlane, per BWE.
• They’ll often move a PPV match to the main event of Raw or SmackDown in order to keep the PLE’s shorter, something I generally appreciate.
• Mariah May finished up with Stardom over the weekend. She teased that her next destination might not be her home in the United Kingdom, turning up the volume on talk she could debut for AEW soon.
• She is in AEW as Toni Storm’s fan/assistant/lackey. (1/1)

October 4, 2023

• For what it’s worth, BWE has teased that WWE is making subtle hints at CM Punk during promos/interviews on WWE television, like during the Seth Rollins interview this past Monday night.
• They did do that, but at the same time, the word is the deal came together very last minute so these may not have been a planned harbinger of CM. In Punk’s interview with Ariel Helwani, he noted he was surprised to see those things since no deal was done.
• BWE also claims “a few names discussed” regarding potential men’s Royal Rumble winners early next year while there are “two solid winners” on the women’s side.
• I assume Cody, Drew, and maybe even someone like LA Knight at this time were considered for the Rumble. While on the women’s side, you probably think Becky and Bayley were the “two solid winners.”
• Per PW Insider, Jade Cargill is expected to be on the Monday Night Raw roster when she debuts for WWE, which could happen by the end of the month.
• She’s on SmackDown. He debut wasn’t until the Rumble also. (0/2)
• They also say she will be at the Fastlane event in Indianapolis this coming weekend, though it’s unclear if that means she’ll be making an appearance on the show.
• She was not on the show, though could have been backstage.
• Fightful Select notes that Sami Callihan’s Impact Wrestling contract was supposed to be up in December 2022 but the company extended it due to a leg injury.
• Promotions will do this.
• Johnny Gargano’s return on Raw this week to reunite with Tommaso Ciampa was a “late WWE Creative decision,” says PW Insider. They note “plans were locked towards the end of the weekend.”
• They’re having a decent, but not spectacular, tag run.

October 5, 2023

• On Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said “several” AEW contracts will be up at the end of the year and WWE will looking to sign all of the “key ones”. He also talked about WWE’s big plans for Jade Cargill, which have been deemed important since, “she’s not going to be the last person” to change companies.
• I wonder who else is coming.
• Ricky Starks would likely be a “key one”. It’s not clear when Starks AEW deal is up, but BWE told a follower they think there’s a 75% chance Ricky will join his friend & mentor Cody Rhodes in WWE whenever he can.
• I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
• Back to Cargill, Haus of Wrestling’s sources say her name has never come up when discussing NXT creative. That like means she won’t appear next Tuesday when NXT goes head-to-head with AEW Dynamite, and is yet another sign Cargill will go straight to the main roster when she debuts.
• She did go straight to the main roster in general, thought it took awhile. However she did have a parking lot roll out cameo on that NXT episode. (1/2)
• That site also asked about Brian Pillman, Jr. possibly debuting next week and was “given the impression that no real plans for the second-generation star have been discussed beyond his buzzy vignettes.”
• He debuted pretty soon after.
• Asked about a reunion of The Way after Johnny Gargano returned to help his old DIY partner Tommaso Ciampa on this week’s Raw, BWE replied “Yes soon”.
• Doesn’t seem that way with DIY doing their thing while Candice turns heel. (0/1)
• Contrary to a rumor earlier this week, Fightful Select heard that prior to Mustafa Ali’s release he was planned to win the NXT North American title at No Mercy. It would have happened in a Triple Threat set-up by Ali interfering in Dominik Mysterio’s defense against Dragon Lee on the Sept. 25 Raw.
• Dueling rumors from before. (1/2)
• Julia Hart & Lee Johnson will be taking some time off from AEW/ROH for their upcoming wedding & honeymoon, per Fightful.
• Julia is having a good run as TBS champion currently.

October 6, 2023

• Wrestling Observer Radio’s Dave Meltzer said it “feels like” WWE is heading towards a John Cena vs. Roman Reigns match at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia next month. [Editor’s note: Not so fast... more on this here.]
• It was John vs. Solo. (0/1)
• Before Matt Riddle was fired by WWE, the company had “significant plans” for his tag team with Drew McIntyre, including merchandise designs with the team name “McRiddle.” That comes from the WrestleVotes account, which also emphasizes that “This is not a joke.”
• Drew kind of got lucky with that one.
• Fightful Select says Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa were originally supposed to reunite as DIY on the June 19 episode of Raw. The idea was for Ciampa to answer Seth Rollins’ open challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, the Judgment Day would ruin the finish, and Gargano would make the save. The planned angle was dropped after late changes were made to the show.
• They got there eventually.
• Hulk Hogan told Chris Van Vliet the story about Shane McMahon asking him to wrestle a match together at WrestleMania 39. This time, though, Hogan said they discussed having his son Nick wrestle in his place because Nick “was in Rikishi’s school for a couple years” and “had it figured out.” The idea never went anywhere though because Nick “blew both his shoulders out” and Shane hurt his quad.
• Yes, Hogan’s son at WrestleMania would be a real thing that would happen.
• Fightful spoke to a source connected to WWE who said there is “no way” The Hulkster’s story is true. Nick Hogan’s name was never seriously brought up in any creative conversations in WWE.
• That sounds more accurate. (1/2)
• The site also claims there was a lot of frustration in AEW regarding TBS’ recent technical issues and the incorrect DVR listing that likely hurt Dynamite’s viewership this week.
• That’s gotta be real frustrating.

This week: 7/15 - 47%

Overall: 5,025/8,754 - 57.4%

Have a great week, everyone!