In a move that screams “We’re not bitter, YOU’RE bitter,” WWE has filed to revive the trademark on the name “Edge” — days after officially letting it expire and sending it off like a Viking funeral for legal property.
The name, famously tied to Adam Copeland, aka the “Rated-R Superstar,” aka “The Guy Who’s Now in AEW Wielding Chairs and Nostalgia,” was thought to be abandoned by WWE following its expiration on April 22. But as of May 1, the TKO-owned conglomerate has resuscitated it with the gusto of a desperate ex refreshing their DMs.
According to filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, WWE isn’t quite ready to let go of its favorite three-letter word that isn’t “RAW.” The application has been kicked back into the legal process, likely on a stretcher carried by two paralegals in referee shirts.
This comes just as Adam Copeland — now legally fighting crime and midcarders as simply “Cope” in AEW — has made it very clear he’s not interested in dusting off the Rated-R trench coat and hopping back to Titan Towers. Still, WWE’s not taking any chances. Because if there’s one thing Vince McMahon’s former empire hates, it’s letting someone else have fun with their toys.
While Copeland has made the “Rated-R Superstar” nickname his new brand in AEW (complete with legally distinct pyro), WWE seems determined to ensure “Edge” stays exactly where they left it: trademarked, unused, and emotionally unavailable.
This is just the latest in WWE’s Trademarkmania 2025, which has included grabbing names like referee Jessika Carr’s alter ego “Kalyx”, tag team Fraxiom, and presumably future superstars like Zandor Blitz, Ricky Multiplex, and Big Ham Sammy (okay, not really, but give it a week).
So, what does this all mean?
Nothing. Or everything. Or a quiet, passive-aggressive attempt to remind Adam Copeland that WWE still owns his ring name — even if they don’t own his heart.