John Cena is currently in the final leg of his retirement tour. While Cena fans and the professional wrestling community are, in general, disheartened by the kind of decimation witnessed at the hands of Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza, it looks like there is finally some good news for his final 5 WWE appearances. The first optimistic news for Cena was the official declaration by Triple H of the highly anticipated clash between John Cena and AJ Styles at Crown Jewel 2025.
The second, however, was totally unexpected. In an astonishing development at All-Elite Wrestling (AEW). Adam Copeland, popularly known to the WWE fans as Edge, decided to leave AEW to protect his family after the brutal attack on Beth Phoenix. Fans are now speculating that Edge may return to the WWE and get involved with John Cena to become his final opponent before the ‘never seen 17’ hangs up his wrestling boots forever.
Edge Takes an Indefinite Break From AEW After FTR Attacks Beth Phoenix
The trigger point behind Edge’s departure from AEW is the attack on his wife, Beth Copeland, better known to the WWE universe as Beth Phoenix. The Rated-R Superstar’s wife made her debut on AEW All Out 2025 on September 20, 2025.
Beth Phoenix entered the ring to help her husband and his long-time tag partner, Christian Cage. Her intervention did turn out to be meaningful for them as they outperformed FTR. But the real drama unfolded after the match.
FTR, consisting of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, could not stand being defeated and attacked Christian, Edge, and most importantly, Beth Phoenix. She tried to retaliate and save herself, but it was too late for that to happen. The FTR unleashed their wrath on Beth Copeland and handcuffed Edge on the ropes, forcing him to watch as they delivered a Spike Piledriver to Edge’s wife.
Edge had evidently had enough from that moment onwards. Fans witness a backstage segment where an emotional Rated-R Superstar was preparing to leave the locker room. He told his partner, Christian Cage, that he needs to take care of his wife and daughters back home, which is why he cannot continue their partnership. Christian understood and supported his decision.
Last Saturday at #AEWAllOut, after the disgusting actions by FTR toward Beth Copeland, @Christian4Peeps urged @RatedRCope to focus on his family!
Watch #AEWDynamite LIVE on TBS & HBO Max pic.twitter.com/BDX0w39q46
The timing of Edge taking a break is interesting. The former World Heavyweight Champion decided to take a hiatus from AEW right around the time when John Cena was gearing up for the final leg of his retirement tour.
John Cena vs Edge as Part of the Retirement Tour Seems Like a Real Possibility Now
Edge is still very much part of AEW. The Rated-R Superstar signed a multi-year contract with the Tony Khan-led brand in October 2023. According to an interview Edge gave to Chris Van Vliet in May 2024, he still had a year-and-a-half left in his AEW contract. This meant that his contract with AEW is set to expire in the latter part of 2025.
Thus, Edge has a small window of possibility to be available for facing John Cena for the last time on or before December 13. Because Edge is still a great performer inside the ring, a release from Tony Khan is out of the question.
Thus, AEW head may sign a fresh contract with Edge a few weeks or months after his existing one expires. This can give Edge enough time to focus on facing his arch-rival, Cena, for the final time in his career.
In all likelihood, the ball is in Tony Khan’s corner on this one. And it seems like the manner in which he determines the future of Edge, which could dictate if Cena will face his greatest enemy all over again or not.
Do you think Edge should face John Cena for the final time in his wrestling career? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
