Adam Copeland announced on Wednesday’s Dynamite that 2027 will be his final year in professional wrestling. The news came after he defeated Josh Alexander to earn a spot in the Clockwork Carnage match for the AEW World Championship at WrestleDream.
Copeland said the past few weeks had been difficult, mostly because of the serious injuries Christian Cage suffered in the TLC match at All Out. He revealed that Cage broke three ribs and suffered a collapsed lung in the match, which led Copeland to reflect on the risks of continuing to wrestle.
Copeland addressed his age and acknowledged that his career is nearing its end.
“I’m aging out, and that’s okay. It happens to everybody. […] 2027 will be my last year in professional wrestling.”
The decision marks a change from Copeland’s previous comments about his future. In a May interview with ClutchPoints, he said the time he missed because of injuries and acting projects had been added to his AEW contract, leaving him unsure when the deal would expire.
Before he retires, Copeland aims to win the AEW World Championship. WrestleDream, scheduled for Saturday in Orlando, Florida, will give him his first shot at the title since March 2025.
Will Ospreay is set to defend the title against seven opponents, giving Copeland a chance to become AEW World Champion for the first time before the end of 2026.
Don Callis responded to the announcement by interrupting the promo and saying Copeland might not even make it to WrestleDream. Members of the Don Callis Family attacked Copeland until Konosuke Takeshita, Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong came out to make the save.
Copeland also has a goal in Japan for the final stretch of his career. Dave Meltzer recently reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that Copeland still wants to wrestle at the Tokyo Dome, pointing to a possible appearance at Wrestle Kingdom 21 in January 2027 as a chance to make that happen.