Adam Copeland joined AEW in October 2023 after his contract with WWE expired. The "Rated R Superstar" was a major addition to the promotion following the acrimonious exit of CM Punk earlier in the year. Copeland has already begun making a big impact for AEW, earning praise for his in-ring work and how he handles cutting promo to push storylines forward.
Of course, AEW knew what they were getting. Copeland is a WWE Hall of Famer for a reason. They also knew that his run with the company wouldn't be a long one. He returned to wrestling at the 2020 Royal Rumble following a nine-year retirement due to neck injuries. Since then, Copeland has been on a mission to go out on his own terms.
When speaking to Sam Roberts of "Notsam Wrestling," Copeland noted that the timer on his career is ticking down. He sees himself calling it quits within the next two years.
"Even though it's been four or five years back now, it's not like I got another four or five in front of me, I know I don't," Copeland said. "We're looking at like a two-year window here to be able to get as much done as I can get done, tell as many stories as I can, try and help talent along the way with that."
Two years in wrestling is a long time. There's no offseason. There are major pay-per-view events at every turn. And with AEW's programming schedule, Copeland has his pick of 208 live shows if we exclude Ramage, which is usually recorded after Dynamite.
Copeland will have ideas on how he wants his career to go over the remaining years in his career. AEW will also have their own plans for him, too. However, for AEW to maximize their partnership, they need to use the veteran's status as a star in the industry to help get some of their younger talent "over."
AEW can't continue waiting for stars to drop out of WWE so they can pick them up for the twilight of their careers. They need more success stories like MJF, and they have enough young talent to make that happen. Copeland joined the company at the perfect time. They needed a big name to help steady the ship after CM Punk's exit. They also needed somebody who could help nurture and elevate talent.
Copeland's next two years will be huge. Both for how he chooses to end his career and the impact he has on AEW as a whole. He's talented enough to do it all; he just needs to be given the freedom and opportunity.
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With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit into the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability, and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts, and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
Right-handed slugger Mark Vientos is in his fourth season with the New York Mets after making his debut in 2022. The 24-year-old emerged as a rising star for New York last year, playing 111 games and posting career highs with a .266 batting average and an .837 OPS. He also elevated his performance in the 2024 postseason, batting .327 with 18 hits, five home runs, 14 RBIs and eight runs scored in 13 games, leading the Mets to an NLCS appearance. Vientos recently recovered from a right hamstring strain that sidelined him for a few weeks in June, but since then he has really struggled to return to form and regain his production at the plate. Ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the San Francisco Giants, the Mets decided to bench Vientos (the second time in the last three games). The decision to leave him out of the lineup came after Bob Nightengale reported that the Chicago White Sox require Vientos to be involved in any trade for center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Mets general manager David Stearns recently said the Mets will be “engaged” when it comes to possibly adding a center fielder, so addressing that outfield need and Vientos losing playing time may push the organization to part ways with him. In 2025, Vientos is hitting .226 with a .638 OPS, six home runs and 27 RBIs, a steep drop-off in production after his breakout year. He will remain under team control for five more seasons after 2025 and will not hit free agency until 2030.
The Vancouver Canucks have an interesting prospect group, and now Braeden Cootes and Wilson Bjorck are invited to a top NHL Summer Showcase. Braeden Cootes was a top pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2025 NHL Draft, and quickly he's become a fan favourite, with the team inking him to a three-year Entry Level Deal shortly after being drafted. Now, he's catching attention around the league, as he, along with Wilson Bjorck, a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft have now been invited to the NHL's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Cootes, a native of Alberta will continue to make his case for a spot on the Team Canada 2025 World Juniors squad, while Bjorck is firming as an intriguing piece for what could be a highly competitive Swedish squad at the tournament. Last season, Cootes had 63 points in 60 games played for the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds, and given the two-way game that he brings to the ice, he could be a very valuable piece for Canada at the tournament, with the Canucks already valuing him highly as a potential middle-six centre of the future. As for Bjorck, he went highly underrated in the draft process this year, and after putting up 67 points in 43 games for Djurgardens Jr. last season, if he can continue to develop physically, he is certainly a piece for the Canucks fans to watch moving forward. Ultimately, this just goes to show what a promising prospect group the Canucks have been building in recent years, and if the duo of Cootes and Bjorck among others from this draft class pan out, the future remains very bright in Vancouver.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' signing of quarterback Aaron Rodgers was an immediately polarizing move that did not sit well with large portions of the fan base. It also did not sit well with one of the team's all-time greatest players, four-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Bradshaw initially referred to the signing of Rodgers as a "joke" and that he should "stay in California and go chew bark" in reference to Rodgers isolating himself in a darkness retreat last year. On Saturday, Rodgers finally had a chance to respond to Bradshaw and did so with a combination of taking the high road, and also trying to make light of it. “I whisper to the gods every single day. I’ve known Terry for a long time, being a part of Fox. Terry’s a legend. He’s an absolute legend. He won four Super Bowls. He’s had a legendary career in the media. But Terry, like a lot of people, doesn’t know me. And so, he’s got an idea of what he thinks about me based on what I’ve done, the documentary, what I’ve said, darkness retreat, whatever the hell you want to talk about. I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level. I feel like if he gave me a chance to get to know him, then we’d have a good friendship." He ended the answer by saying, "So, I’d love to get to know Terry on a deeper level if he’s open to it. And maybe we can go chew some bark or whatever the hell he’s talking about together.” The Steelers were in a pretty desperate quarterback situation this offseason after completely overhauling the position for a second year in a row. They missed out on the chance to re-sign Justin Fields, let Russell Wilson walk, missed out on every other veteran who changed teams and passed on the opportunity to select a quarterback near the top of a weak quarterback draft class. (They ultimately selected Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round.) The whole Rodgers saga has been quite a soap opera for the Steelers as they waited around for months while he decided on whether or not he wanted to play this season, and if he wanted to play for the Steelers. Add in the fact he has had a tendency to cause some off-field distractions with his comments and weekly "Pat McAfee Show" appearances, as well as the fact he will turn 42 years old this season and hasn't been a top-tier quarterback in three years, and a lot of Steelers fans — and former players — were put off by the idea. The only thing that will matter in the end, however, is how Rodgers plays on the field. He has said all of the right things since joining the team, and his new teammates have all spoken highly of him so far, but it will still come down to results on the field. The Steelers have not won a playoff game in eight years and are facing added pressure each year to end that drought. They are hoping Rodgers has one more good year in him to help them advance in the postseason.
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