In the main event of the January 22nd episode of AEW Dynamite, Cope continued to build momentum against the Death Riders when he defeated PAC. On the titantron though, the faction was shown attacking the Rock N’ Roll Express. Claudio Castagnoli hit Ricky Morton with a Con-Chair-To and Robert Gibson was laid out as well.

The Death Riders make a gruesome statement to COPE with the Rock 'N Roll Express!

Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on @TBSNetwork & @SportsOnMax@RatedRCope | @JonMoxley | @ClaudioCSRO | @BASTARDPAC | @WheelerYuta | @MarinaShafir | @RealRickyMorton | @RockNRollXpress pic.twitter.com/aphb0QY5mj

— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) January 23, 2025

Not finished with their violence, the Death Riders then attacked Cope. While Jay White tried to make the save, he was outnumbered by the Moxley-led gaction. The group left Cope laid out before walking away.

This isn’t the first time that the legendary Rock N’ Roll Express has run afoul of the Death Riders. During the January 4, edition of Collision, the first show of its kind in 2025, Morton and Gibson were tied up backstage. Cope and FTR freed the two wrestling legends but the Death Riders had already fled by then.

Cope returned from injury at AEW Worlds End and immediately set his sights on Moxley and his goons. While a match isn’t confirmed yet, fans can expect a World Championship showdown between the two in due time, perhaps as soon as Grand Slam: Australia next month. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Cope’s feud with the Death Riders and how he plans to retaliate after the assaults handed out on the latest episode of Dynamite.

Dax Harwood Defends Cope Over Criticism Of Steel Cage Injury

Tiffany Stratton has at long last cashed in her Money in the Bank contract and waited until the first three-hour edition of WWE SmackDown to do so. Stratton toppled Nia Jax to capture the WWE Women’s Championship but is hardly the first Superstar to cash in on the Blue Brand:

2007: Edge (May 8, 2007)

Mr. Kennedy claimed he’d wait a whole year to cash in Money in the Bank, but would in fact lose the briefcase to Edge in May 2007. Not wanting to make the same mistake as Kennedy, Edge cashed in days after winning the briefcase to win the World Heavyweight Title from The Undertaker.

2010: Jack Swagger (April 2, 2010)

After winning the Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania 26, Jack Swagger attempted to cash in on the following Raw. When that didn’t work out, Swagger took advantage of a downed Chris Jericho, who had just taken a spear by Edge, to win the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown.

2017: Baron Corbin (August 15, 2017)

The only failed cash-in to take place on SmackDown, Baron Corbin tried to claim the WWE Championship that was held by Jinder Mahal at the time. The interference of John Cena (ironically the first man to fail a Money in the Bank cash-in) ended the match in a DQ and Corbin would never hold World Championship gold in WWE.

2018: Carmella (April 10, 2018)

The first-ever Miss. Money in the Bank, Carmella had to win her briefcase a second time on the June 27 episode of SmackDown, due to James Ellsworth’s interference. After waiting 287 days, the Staten Island Princess cashed in on April 10, 2018, SmackDown to win the SmackDown Women’s Title from Charlotte Flair.

2025: Tiffany Stratton (January 3, 2025)

After months of being dismissed and put down by her ‘friend,’ Tiffany Stratton got her revenge by cashing in Money in the Bank on Nia Jax. This win marks Stratton’s first title on the main roster, and the end of Jax’s reign as Women’s Champion that had begun at SummerSlam 2024.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on Tiffany Stratton and her reign as the brand-new WWE Women’s Champion.

John Cena’s retirement tour is set to begin in just a few days, with several dates already confirmed and culminating in December 2025. The WWE icon will begin his farewell during WWE Raw’s debut on Netflix, with fans excited to see what the 16-time World Champion has in store.

Few opponents are as closely associated with Cena as Cope (formerly Adam Copeland/Edge), who shared countless battles with him during their storied WWE careers. In a recent interview with Screen Rant, Cope shared his reflections on Cena’s retirement.

“He’s an intelligent man, so, I’m sure he has already come to terms, and I think he’s been coming to terms with it for a long time.”

While Cena may have accepted his retirement, Cope believes it will be far more difficult for fans to do the same.

“I think it’ll be harder for the fan base to come to terms, which usually ends up being the case.”

Several wrestlers have already expressed their desire to be part of Cena’s farewell tour. CM Punk has voiced interest in teaming up with Cena one last time, while The Miz hopes to secure a rematch after headlining WrestleMania 27. Bron Breakker is ready to defend his Intercontinental championship against the WWE legend, targeting one of the few accolades Cena has yet to achieve—the Grand Slam.

Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest on John Cena’s farewell from in-ring action, as WWE is bound to give one of its biggest stars a proper sendoff.

Cope, formerly known as Adam Copeland, delivered an emotional message to the Asheville crowd following this week’s AEW Dynamite: Fight For The Fallen. In the main event, Cope debuted his new ring name and teamed with FTR to defeat The Death Riders.

Cope With It: Times Wrestlers Had Their Names Shortened

The show doubled as a fundraiser for those affected by Hurricane Helene, which tore through Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas in late 2024. After the show, Cope took the mic to express his pride in being an Asheville resident and praised the city’s resilience.

“I live in the 828. Here in the 828, we’re tough sons of b****es. We don’t let a hurricane keep us down, do we? No, we don’t. We pick ourselves up, we dust ourselves off, we dig out, and we all come and have a good time. I cannot say enough about this community.”

Dax Harwood, also from Asheville, reflected on how far the town has come since Hurricane Helene, as he added:

“Last time I was in this building, it was bleak. We had just about 1,000 people. But tonight, you packed it out to see Rated FTR, and we love you guys. Thank you very much

Closing the post-show segment, Cope led the crowd in a spirited “828” chant, fostering a sense of unity among those affected by Hurricane Helene. Last week, he shared that his own family had been impacted by the storm, revealing they had been without clean drinking water for months and had relied on bottled water.

The Rated-R Superstar will be in action this Saturday on Collision, when he and FTR battle the Learning Tree. No matter where his journey in wrestling takes him, however, Cope will always be grateful to those in Asheville and is proud to call the town home.

On the latest episode of AEW Dynamite, Adam Copeland returned to action, but is now going by the name ‘Cope.’ The WWE Hall of Famer is just the latest wrestling star to have his name shortened, but he isn’t the only one.

Here are some times wrestlers had their names cut short, for better or worse.

The Undertaker

One of wrestling’s most iconic names, The Undertaker originally debuted as “Kane The Undertaker” during a 1990 WWF Superstars taping. By the time of his official TV debut, the “Kane” portion was dropped but would resurface seven years later for Glenn Jacobs.

GUNTHER

Before reigning as WWE’s World Heavyweight Champion, GUNTHER was known as WALTER. In early 2022, WWE rebranded him as Gunther Stark, but quickly shortened the name to avoid controversy, as “Gunther Stark” was also the name of a Nazi naval officer.

Cody

When Cody Rhodes left WWE in 2016, he competed simply as “Cody” due to WWE’s trademark on the Rhodes surname. In November 2020, “The American Nightmare” successfully reclaimed the Rhodes name, which he now proudly carries as the reigning Undisputed WWE Champion.

Sheamus

The Celtic Warrior debuted in WWE’s developmental system as Sheamus O’Shaunessy. By the time of his main roster debut on WWE ECW in 2009, the name was shortened to Sheamus. The streamlined moniker didn’t hinder his success, as he ended the year as WWE Champion after defeating John Cena.

Riddle

Originally known as Matt Riddle, WWE shortened the Original Bro’s name in 2020. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the change was influenced by Riddle’s MMA background and his association with marijuana.

Carlito

The Judgment Day star has been wrestling as Carlito, fans may have forgotten that he debuted in 2004 as Carlito Caribbean Cool. It wasn’t long before WWE ditched two-thirds of the former U.S. Champion’s name, and Carlito has gone by one moniker ever since.

The Rock

Perhaps the most successful example of a name change, “The Rock” was born from the transition of Dwayne Johnson’s initial persona, “Rocky Maivia.” The shift not only marked a turning point in his career but also cemented his legacy. To this day, even non-wrestling fans recognize “The Rock” as a cultural icon.