WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix Stuns AEW Crowd in Toronto AEW Debut — Helps Copeland & Cage Before Brutal Post-Match Attack

AEW All Out 2025 opened in blockbuster fashion Saturday afternoon in Toronto with what Tony Khan himself billed as a “dream match” — Adam Copeland & Christian Cage vs. FTR. For Cope and Cage, it marked their first tag team outing together in their hometown in over two decades.

The buzz was palpable even before the bell. Earlier in the day, fans saw a very Canadian-style segment where Christian couldn’t resist trolling a fan in a Green Bastard costume — staying true to his trademark sarcastic edge.

Cena Tribute Shocks the Crowd

Midway through the match, Adam Copeland pulled out a shocking tribute. Channeling John Cena, who is currently on his retirement tour in WWE, Cope unleashed the full “five moves of doom” sequence. The crowd roared, instantly recognizing the nod to Cena’s career — a touching mirror moment given Cena recently used Cope’s own spear in a WWE ring.

The Beth Phoenix Factor

When it looked like FTR might steal one after hitting the Shatter Machine, the match took a wild turn. Stokely Hathaway tried to insert himself into the fray to protect his team, but fans erupted when Beth Phoenix (Beth Copeland), Cope’s wife and WWE Hall of Famer, stormed down to the AEW ring. Phoenix laid out Hathaway to a thunderous ovation, marking her first official involvement in AEW.

Moments later, Copeland sealed the win with a spear, giving the hometown heroes a massive feel-good victory. But the celebration was short-lived.

Brutal Post-Match Assault

The Patriarchy emerged after the bell, and shockingly, FTR aligned with them in a post-match ambush. Copeland was handcuffed and left helpless as his wife stood bravely in the ring. In one of the night’s most emotional moments, Beth kissed her husband on the cheek before fighting back with everything she had.

The fight didn’t last long. FTR caught Phoenix and delivered a vicious spike piledriver as Copeland was forced to watch. The scene left fans stunned — the dream match may have ended in victory for CNC, but the war between these teams is only just beginning.

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AEW played this opener perfectly. The Cena tribute gave the match mainstream crossover buzz, Beth Phoenix’s surprise appearance created a viral-worthy AEW debut, and the post-match attack planted seeds for months of storyline potential. The spike piledriver angle instantly raised the stakes and made this more than just a “dream match” nostalgia pop — it turned into one of the most talked-about AEW moments of the year.

Look for this feud to intensify heading into AEW’s fall schedule. With Phoenix now in play, the Copeland family story could become one of AEW’s most emotional arcs.

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