FTR Explain Their Betrayal of Adam Copeland – FTR addressed their controversial actions from AEW Dynasty during the April 12 edition of AEW Collision, where they turned on Adam Copeland following their AEW Trios Championship loss to the Death Riders. Standing in the ring, the former AEW Tag Team Champions explained their reasoning and left no doubt about their current mindset.
Cash Wheeler spoke first, reflecting on what he described as a difficult and emotional decision.
“What happened Sunday, that wasn’t an easy decision for me. And despite what you might think, it wasn’t premeditated. Copeland has been one of my best friends and a mentor for 15 years—before I even knew Dax. But the more Dax talked, the more sense it made, and the more sense it made, the more it pissed me off.”
Cash went on to explain that he initially hoped Dax Harwood was wrong about Copeland’s intentions, but over time realized he agreed.
“I wanted Dax to be wrong, but I was wrong. The more I watched the moves Copeland made, he only cared about Copeland. He held down FTR and our careers to raise his own. When I saw Dax sitting there and Copeland laying here, in that moment, it just clicked, and I knew what had to happen, and I had to be the one to do it. Adam may have helped me when I was a young kid, but he still saw me as that helpless kid—and I’m not that anymore. He didn’t respect me as a man, and if you don’t, you must pay. We are living legends.”
Dax Harwood followed with a more aggressive tone, mocking the fans and dismissing criticism.
“The cool thing to do is to boo you when you’re talking. In 2025 it’s cool. You didn’t reach your dreams so you make your own. But I’ve got something important to say. Last week, I saw a sign that said ‘WHY FTR WHY?’ Well, why not? Instead of asking why, you should be thanking us!“
He accused Copeland of using FTR to maintain his own relevance in 2025.
“He was begging for relevancy in 2025 at the expense of the best team in the world, and we gave it to him. I asked some idiot how I sold out when I didn’t make any money from it. I don’t care if anyone agrees with me—what we did was right. We don’t owe anyone an explanation, but let’s have some fun. For four months, we were completely irrelevant. The only thing for us was to be Adam’s new Edge-Heads. We put our careers on hold so he could win one more title and hold to the sliver of hope that he was still the man. Adam, we’ve won 10 world titles over five world brands, and you want us to take a backseat? You’re selfish!”
Dax then turned his attention to Tony Schiavone, who had criticized FTR earlier in the week on AEW Dynamite. Dax invited Tony into the ring to repeat those comments to their faces. Schiavone reluctantly accepted.
Tony reminded FTR that the fans were booing for a reason and acknowledged their success, but brought up Dax’s daughter in his criticism.
“You should be proud of her for being a straight-A student. But I wanted to know how the other kids would treat her knowing her dad turned on his best friend?”
That remark triggered FTR, who cheap-shotted Tony and prepared to escalate the situation. Nigel McGuinness tried to intervene from the apron, but Daniel Garcia entered the ring from behind to stop them, as Dax turned around and shoved him down. After a tense moment, FTR appeared to show remorse and hugged Garcia before leaving the ring. Garcia, confused by their gesture, checked on Tony as the segment came to an end.
FTR Explain Their Betrayal of Adam Copeland
