Adam Copeland isn’t retiring without getting his hands on Will Ospreay first. AEW has already started teasing a match between the two, and the current belief is a World Championship showdown is coming. In fact, he thinks the company could pull the trigger as soon as Full Gear.
Speaking on the October 19, 2026 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer addressed what happened between Ospreay and Copeland at AEW WrestleDream and the backstage interaction that followed. According to Meltzer, AEW is making it pretty clear that these two are eventually going to fight over the company’s biggest championship.
The situation started at AEW WrestleDream on October 17, where Ospreay successfully defended the AEW World Championship in the eight-man Clockwork Carnage Match. Copeland came incredibly close to winning the title, but Ospreay pinned him in the closing seconds to retain. Copeland wasn’t happy afterward and shoved Ospreay, but things eventually cooled down and the two shook hands. Meltzer believes that moment was no accident.
“Yeah. So, you know, at the end of the pay per view, they did the thing where Osprey and Copeland shook hands. It was pretty clear that they’re going to do that match.”
AEW then released additional backstage footage involving Ospreay and Copeland. Ospreay brought up Copeland’s plans to retire in 2027 and wanted him to save a date for a match before he calls it a career. Meltzer believes that could happen sooner rather than later, and he even threw out Full Gear as a possible destination.
“So it would not shock me if that was the full gear main event.”
While he isn’t certain about the timing, Meltzer sounded convinced that AEW is building toward Ospreay defending his championship against the former WWE Champion.
“Ospreay and Adam Copeland are going to be doing a championship match at some point.”
And there’s another reason AEW may want to get this match done soon. Copeland has already announced that 2027 will be his final year in professional wrestling. Ringside News previously covered how AEW hasn’t finalized plans for Copeland’s retirement match, meaning there’s still plenty of room to book major matches before his career ends. Of course, some have questioned whether Copeland can keep up with someone as athletic as Ospreay at this stage of his career. Meltzer isn’t buying that argument. He believes Copeland is smart enough to put together a great match without having to wrestle the same style as Ospreay.
“Will Ospreay is one of the best wrestlers in the world, if not the best. Adam Copeland is very smart. He works his ass off. He’s very good.”
Meltzer also pointed to Copeland’s recent matches as proof that he can still deliver when it matters. He specifically praised Copeland’s ability to structure matches and said he has no concerns about the two working together.
AEW hasn’t officially announced Ospreay vs. Copeland, and there’s no confirmation that it’ll happen at Full Gear. But between their confrontation at WrestleDream, the handshake afterward and the backstage tease, the company certainly isn’t hiding the possibility. Copeland has a limited amount of time left before retirement, and Ospreay is sitting at the top of AEW with the World Championship. If the company wants to give Copeland another major title match before he walks away, this looks like the fight they’re setting up.
Do you think Adam Copeland should get a one-on-one AEW World Championship match against Will Ospreay at Full Gear, or should AEW save it for a bigger event? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
