New AEW Double or Nothing Match Further Fulfills Adam Copeland's Initial WWE Return Promo

Copeland first flirted with a match against Malakai Black in January 2020.

By Liam Crowley

Adam Copeland is in year five of his unprecedented professional wrestling comeback. After spending nine years retired due to a series of neck injuries, Copeland returned to the squared circle at WWE Royal Rumble 2020, competing under his long-time ring name of Edge. The following night on WWE Monday Night Raw, Copeland first explained how his comeback was made possible, noting that nearly a decade of no physicality allowed his neck to heal to a level that was good for wrestling again. Now with a new lease on wrestling life, Copeland then prophesied about what awaited him in his in-ring future. 

"So I found myself in the Royal Rumble. I saw some familiar faces. I saw some new faces," Copeland said. "Randy Orton. Roman Reigns. AJ Styles. Seth Rollins. Kevin Owens. Aleister Black. Matt Riddle. The list goes on and on, and boys, hopefully I see you down the road."

As it would turn out, Copeland would meet nearly every name on that list in a WWE ring. He battled Randy Orton at WWE WrestleMania 36 and WWE Backlash 2020. He feuded with Roman Reigns throughout early 2021, eventually fighting him one-on-one at WWE Money in the Bank 2021. AJ Styles stood opposite Copeland at WWE WrestleMania 38 and WWE Backlash 2022. A trilogy of contests with Seth Rollins went down in Fall 2021. Kevin Owens was locked inside a steel cage with Copeland at a December 2021 WWE live event.

The final two names have escaped Copeland thus far. Black departed WWE in Summer 2021, joining AEW as Malakai Black within a month of his exit. Riddle was fired by WWE last fall and has spent his time competing in New Japan Pro Wrestling and across the independent circuit.

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Later this month, Copeland will get the chance to mix it up with one of those two remaining names. Wednesday's AEW Dynamite confirmed that Copeland will defend his AEW TNT Championship against Black at AEW Double or Nothing in a barbed wire steel cage match. This will be the first singles bout between the two. Copeland has been feuding with Black over the past couple of weeks, successfully defeating the remaining members of the House of Black in Buddy Matthews and Brody King.

As for fully realizing that prophetic promo and wrestling Riddle, it's possible that that match could go down as soon as this June. Copeland currently holds AEW's television title while Riddle reigns as NJPW WORLD Television Champion. If AEW plans to pit champions of equal level against one another at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Copeland vs. Riddle is a natural fit.

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