Despite rampant speculation and fan desire, there were never any official talks between WWE and AEW regarding an Adam Copeland appearance during John Cena’s retirement tour last year.
In an interview with Unlikely with Adrian Hernandez, AEW President Tony Khan addressed the rumors that the “Rated-R Superstar” might cross promotional lines to honor his historic rival. Khan reaffirmed comments he made previously to Ariel Helwani, stating clearly that WWE never approached him with a request to use Copeland.
When asked what his answer would have been had the call come, Khan pointed to Copeland’s busy schedule outside the ring as a decisive factor.
“Adam’s in England filming a huge Hollywood movie,” Khan responded, characterizing the hypothetical answer as a likely “no” due to logistics.
Copeland has been absent from AEW television since September 2025, when he and Christian Cage defeated FTR at All Out Toronto. Following that match, Copeland expressed uncertainty about his future in the ring. In addition to his role in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, Copeland was recently cast in the action sequel The Beekeeper 2 alongside Jason Statham, a project that has kept him occupied overseas.
The lack of communication puts to rest one of the biggest “what ifs” of Cena’s farewell tour. When Cena announced the “Last Time is Now” tournament, he teased the participation of wrestlers from outside WWE, leading many to hope for one final encounter between Cena and Edge. However, between Copeland’s filming commitments and the lack of a formal inquiry from WWE, the reunion never materialized.
