WWE had big plans for Damian Priest in farewell match against WWE legend

Sheamus shares details about Adam Copeland’s final WWE match, revealing Damian Priest was initially planned as the opponent.

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WWE had big plans for Damian Priest in farewell match against WWE legend

Sheamus has disclosed that Damian Priest was originally scheduled to face Adam Copeland in his final WWE match before being replaced. The match took place on the August 18, 2023, edition of SmackDown in Toronto, during Copeland’s 25-year celebration special.

During an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Sheamus shared insights about the match’s development:

We talked about it. I remember we talked about doing an angle together, a storyline together for a while. We came up with a storyline, it was shot down for whatever reason and then it just happened. I just got a call, I think it was because we did a promo the week before, and then we did the match the week after. Edge’s contract was coming up. No one knew if he was going to stay or go. No one really knew. I didn’t know. I thought he was going to stay, because we’re talking about doing something after that as well. But yeah, it was just a situation.

The Celtic Warrior then revealed the original plans:

I think originally Damian Priest was penciled in, but then it just turned to me. So I don’t know however it happened, but I was really surprised that did happen. Both excited about it too, because me and Edge have never had a one-on-one match. Me and Rey [Mysterio] still haven’t had a one-on-one match.

Copeland debuts new ring name in AEW

Wrestling veteran Bill Apter has provided insight into Adam Copeland’s recent name change to ‘Cope’ in AEW. On Sportskeeda’s Wrestling Time Machine podcast, Apter explained:

That was his nickname. When I was backstage a lot, a lot of the guys, not at AEW, back in WWE, a lot of the guys, ‘Hey, Cope, how you doing?’ So, it’s probably, yeah.

Dutch Mantell shared his thoughts on the name change during his Storytime podcast:

I don’t like it already, Cope. Put an ‘S’ in front of it, could be ‘Scope’… I wonder if they could get the ‘S’ to mean anything. Scope… Cope… [laughs] Yeah… Sullivan Cope, what the hell? Dr. Sullivan Cope? We’ll come up with something if we keep throwing it around.