Tony Khan knew Adam Copeland was planning to call it a career in 2027 before fans ever heard the news. Copeland had already told the AEW president that next year would be his last as a wrestler, and Khan wasn’t about to stand in his way.
Speaking during the AEW WrestleDream media call, Khan opened up about Copeland’s retirement announcement from the October 14 episode of Dynamite/Collision. He confirmed that the big reveal was planned ahead of time and wasn’t something Copeland suddenly decided to announce in the ring.
According to Khan, Copeland came to him and made it clear that 2027 would be his final year as a professional wrestler. Khan accepted that decision, but there’s still one detail even he doesn’t seem to know yet — exactly how long Copeland plans to stick around next year.
That means fans know the finish line is coming without actually knowing where it is. Copeland could wrestle deep into 2027 or decide to wrap things up much earlier, and Khan isn’t putting a date on his final match just yet.
Copeland dropped the retirement announcement after beating Josh Alexander in a WrestleDream Clockwork Carnage qualifier on October 14. He also revealed that his brutal TLC match with Christian Cage at AEW All Out left him with three broken ribs and a collapsed lung, injuries he claimed happened within the first five minutes of the match.
Despite everything his body has been through, Copeland isn’t planning to simply coast through his final year. He has already made the AEW World Championship a major target, giving him one huge goal to chase before he finally hangs up his boots.
So while the retirement announcement may have shocked fans, it clearly didn’t shock Tony Khan. Copeland had already told his boss that 2027 was the end, but exactly when that final goodbye happens is still very much up in the air.
How far into 2027 do you think Adam Copeland should wrestle, and should AEW give him a World Championship run before he calls it a career? Let us know in the comments below.
