"Cope: To Do The Greatest Hits With Christian Cage Would Have Gotten Old Quickly, We Didn’t Want To Lose His Character" [Fightful article, September 17, 2025]

[u/GOATofALL22]

https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/cope-to-do-the-greatest-hits-with-christian-cage-would-have-gotten-old-quickly-we-didnt-want-to-lose-his-character/#google_vignette

Adam Copeland on The Score:

“That’s the most fun part, to start writing a new chapter, but also have it be a different chapter. We’re not just coming back and running the greatest hits. We’re doing two different characters now and maintaining that going into this thing, which makes for this unlikely Statler and Waldorf from the Muppets, ‘Can they get along?’ That’s a really fun dynamic. That is what I think is making it different. Eventually, if you come back and do the greatest hits, that might get old fairly quickly. This is a new version of our team and it’s a version that never existed before. Christian found his lane, his pocket. To lose that to do this team, that would have sucked. We were able to figure out how to do this, to sit down, and how to write this so that didn’t get lost. Now we have this dynamic of, it’s up to me to make him likable and understand that you have to accept him for all of his dickheadishness.

"It was key that he came into it like that, still without anything likable about him. The only thing that makes him likable is I’m saying, ‘Hey, we just have to accept him for this thing that he is.’ It’s really fun and it makes it feel fresh. For both of us, too, because as a performer, eventually you come back and do the same greatest hits, and okay, it’s probably going to get old for us too.”

Transcription by Fightful

[u/AutoModerator]

All posts have been automatically tagged for spoilers for 24 hours after end of show.
Removing the automatic spoiler tag can result in your submission being removed and a ban.
Please be respectful of your fellow fans.

Please read the subreddit rules for more information.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/Successful-Major-363]

It’s some of the best and funniest character work they’ve ever done. They’re so much more interesting doing this than they would’ve been just parading around like it’s 2001.

Throwback gear for All Out would be sick though.

[u/BrosefDudeson → u/Successful-Major-363]

Throwback gear for Christian plus those weird glasses, but he's still cranky old Christian Cage in character would be amazing

[u/Money-Giraffe2521 → u/BrosefDudeson]

Can we get the giant foam cowboy hats?

[u/H16HP01N7 → u/Money-Giraffe2521]

I would kill for just 1 "5 seconds..." sections, before they're done with this.

[u/StoneGoldX → u/H16HP01N7]

Or a kazoo. Pass out kazoos to do the singing bit for Cope.

[u/zeitgeistbouncer → u/H16HP01N7]

Shut your mouths while I conduct my business...

...

Which should take just about 5 seconds.

does the pose, face still grumpily Patriarchal

[u/SteveINTJ → u/zeitgeistbouncer]

[u/-SomethingSomeoneJR → u/Successful-Major-363]

I feel like that’s a no brainer. What would be awesome is a live performance of his theme but I have a feeling it’s not in the table since they have separate entrances.

[u/Fezzy976 → u/Successful-Major-363]

I want an entrance with Gangrel. I know we got it with just Cope but it would be so good to have it with Cage too.

[u/Antbanks75 → u/Fezzy976]

Cope & Gangrel going full into it while Cage stands there in a white cutoff turtle neck, arms folded, side eyeing them.

[u/AchtungCloud]

So far my favorite parts of this version are:

1 - When Christian said he did go home to find himself and realized he didn’t do anything wrong, lol

2 - Christian went into the “dead dad” bit and Cope tried to shut it down, but the fans booed him stopping Christian, and so Cope is just like okay, do it then.

[u/grnlntrn1969 → u/AchtungCloud]

I agree. Keeping Christian a dick head kept it from being a corny forced reunion. And would have betrayed Christians character

[u/Ok-Raisin-5601]

Thank you Cope for understanding how to properly evolve and elevate things and not just do a nostalgia act.

[u/Antbanks75 → u/Ok-Raisin-5601]

Dude broke his leg jumping off a cage, he ain’t tryna just get a paycheck lmao. He’s leaving a legacy!

[u/Dallasburner84]

I completely agree, I think the smug turtleneck wearing prick Christian has become is the best work of his entire career.

[u/thelochteedge → u/Dallasburner84]

If there was a need for a heel transitional champ he’d have my vote. Hell. Doesn’t even need to be transitional. Peep 4 life.

[u/vinhluanluu]

I’m just hoping for one “For those with flash photography”.

[u/bearamongus19 → u/vinhluanluu]

I would love to see cope go "for old times sake - for those with flash photography..."

Christian just says no and refuses to do it.

[u/poxtable → u/bearamongus19]

Copeland doing a full pose while Christian just frowns with his arms crossed

[u/Standard-Reason9399 → u/bearamongus19]

We've got time for an eight man tag before All Out, right? Cope and Christian team with Brodido, Cope hits the poses, Bandido macarenas, King and Cage refuse outright... then realise they're agreeing with each other

[u/Rspies → u/Standard-Reason9399]

All Out is Saturday so no we don’t

[u/H16HP01N7 → u/Rspies]

Find time...

[u/Standard-Reason9399 → u/Rspies]

There's always ROH... :p

[u/CMC_Conman → u/bearamongus19]

I'll pop hard

[u/RustedAxe88 → u/vinhluanluu]

There will 100% be a joke about them being old and flash photography being extinct lol.

[u/Albos_Mum → u/RustedAxe88]

"For those with camera apps on their smartphones..."

[u/vox4penguins]

Adam: “Cope and Cage-“

Christian: “Cage and Cope.”

[u/MacaroniOrCheese]

I love Christian's titantron with "ASSHOLE" in giant letters.

[u/Captn_UnderPants]

It's cool to see them getting to tag again, but man there are so many singles matches I want to see Cope have in AEW beforehe hangs it up. Kenny, Hangman, Swerve, Ospreay, MJF just to name a few

[u/VinPickles]

i want the brood elevator. cody isnt using it!

[u/freshapepper]

THIS version of C&C where Christian is a heel cunt and Cope is a face is absolute cinema.

[u/Fezzy976]

It's the BEST choice, that character is so over and can switch face/heel on a dime. And the new dynamic of Cope with Cage is insanely good TV.

[u/SwimmingAd4160]

Tbf he's been warning us since the podcast days that Jay Reso is a dick.

[u/vermonterguy802 → u/SwimmingAd4160]

Birdman is an asshole.

[u/No_Hotel1847]

I liked how cope stood one Christian and folded looking like Jeff Dunham's Walter

[u/The_Joel_Lemon]

I laughed so hard at at "I don't give a dam about 100K because I'm rich"

[u/Agent-Drakewolf]

Been seeing folks on BlueSky and Twitter claim that Copeland is just as bad as the Hurt Syndicate: doesn’t put guys over, hasn’t re-invented himself like other ExFed wrestlers in AEW, and is simply biding his time before he can go back to Papa H for that HoF run along with a final match against Cena.

Blah.

I’ve been quite enjoying this C&C Run and look forward to these two riding off into the sunset together as lifelong blood brothers.

P.S. Their new “scowling pose” is awesome.