A notable comparison has been made by veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter regarding Beth Copeland’s recent debut in All Elite Wrestling. Speaking on The Wrestling Time Machine podcast, Apter drew a direct parallel between Copeland joining her husband, Adam Copeland, on-screen in AEW and the ongoing WWE storyline featuring CM Punk and his wife, AJ Lee.
Now wrestling under her married name, the former Beth Phoenix made her first appearance for the promotion at the All Out pay-per-view. Her debut saw her come to the aid of Adam Copeland during an attack from FTR and Stokely Hathaway.
Apter suggested the timing of the two angles was connected, framing Beth Copeland’s re-emergence in the context of WWE’s current creative direction for its own high-profile wrestling couple.
“Well I think it’s uh, it’s the timing that CM Punk and his wife are now teaming, kind of what they based it on,” Apter said. “But, to see Beth Phoenix, Adam Copeland’s wife back now, um, helping Adam after his attack by FTR and Stokely Hathaway. I think eventually Beth Phoenix is gonna get involved with the lady in the Patriarchy.”
The WWE storyline Apter referenced began earlier this month and culminated in AJ Lee’s first match in nearly a decade. On September 20, 2025, Lee teamed with her husband, CM Punk, to defeat Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins in a mixed tag team match at the WWE WrestlePalooza event in Indianapolis.