AEW Stars Allegedly Don’t Call Their Own Finishes

Adam Copeland is letting fans behind the curtain on how things really work in AEW—and it turns out, the talent isn’t calling all the shots.

The WWE Hall of Famer turned AEW star has been at the center of a brutal feud with The Death Riders—Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, Marina Shafir, and Wheeler Yuta. After falling short in a chaotic AEW World Title match at Revolution (thanks to Christian Cage cashing in and Moxley choking him out), Adam ran it back with Moxley on the March 19 episode of Dynamite. That match didn’t end clean either, with interference once again muddying the waters.

But it’s not just the in-ring drama that has fans talking. In a new interview with TV Insider, Cope addressed the AEW creative process—and dropped some serious insight about who’s really steering the ship.

“I don’t factor in where I end up. I always say, ‘Where do you need me? You want me to go in this direction? Cool, I’ll start putting together some ideas,’” Cope said. “It’s a collaborative effort, but I really enjoy that. I enjoy piecing together stories. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t come up with the finishes.”

The former World Champion made it clear—he’s not chasing titles or demanding wins. “I always just ask where do you need me? Point me in whatever direction you need me, and I’ll get to work.”

He also touched on why AEW wanted him back so soon after an injury: “On coming back, it felt like, ‘Okay, you want me here because I’m coming back from an injury, I’m nominated for an Emmy and we want to capitalize on that buzz. Cool, let’s do this.’”

Adam’s return was part of a larger plan to build momentum for The Death Riders, and Cope was happy to be the piece that helped push them forward. “Then we would try to do a cohesive story with the Death Riders and try to get them some momentum going forward,” he explained.

Whether you love AEW’s current creative flow or think it’s too chaotic, one thing is clear—Cope is showing up, putting in the work, and letting the story take the lead.

Do you think AEW’s creative process works better when it’s collaborative? Or should stars like Cope have more control over their finishes? Drop your take in the comments and let us know how you’d book it.