Adam Copeland's AEW Debut, Why WWE Must Ace Jade Cargill Booking, More Quick Takes

From stars swapping companies to unforeseen storyline developments, it's an exhilarating time to be a fan of both the WWE and All Elite Wrestling products at the moment.

AEW produced one of its strongest shows ever with WrestleDream on Sunday, capping off the evening with the highly anticipated arrival of Adam Copeland. The artist formerly known as Edge has entered uncharted territory and now has a fresh batch of top talent to work with.

Former AEW TBS champion Jade Cargill also made headlines with WWE officially announcing her as its newest acquisition earlier in the week. Lofty expectations have been set for her upcoming run considering how heavily her signing has been touted, but she should have no issue meeting—if not outright exceeding—them.

How will their respective debuts further alter the current wrestling landscape? Who else has seen their stock skyrocket in the last seven days?

This installment of Quick Takes will analyse the importance of Copeland and Cargill's career choices, the adverse effect Adam Cole's injury will have on AEW, Dragon Lee being main roster-bound, and more.

Adam Copeland in AEW Creates Endless Opportunities and Provides Fresh Coat of Paint

In a surreal turn of a events, Adam Copeland is now "All Elite," and it's arguably a win-win situation for all parties.

The WWE Hall of Famer immediately made his presence felt at the end of WrestleDream by coming to the aid of Darby Allin and Sting and confronting Christian Cage.

Sliding right into a storyline with his longtime friend and foe is the perfect introduction of The Rated-R Superstar to the AEW audience.

His near-four-year return run with WWE was exceptional overall, filled with first-ever encounters and stellar storytelling.

The 49-year-old could have continued to coast until going out on top again, this time on his own terms, but there's an incredibly deep roster of AEW talent he has yet to work with as well as new goals to strive for, all while on a full-time schedule.

The jump to the rival promotion gives him a much-needed coat of paint and a new lease on life of sorts.

Copeland has proved he still has so much to offer in a variety of roles and that he can be as integral to AEW's future as he was to WWE's past.

Swerve Strickland Ready for Next Level Following Huge Win over Adam Page

Swerve Strickland getting lost in the shuffle soon after his AEW debut in early 2022 caused fans to worry he'd continue to be underutilized in the same way he was in WWE.

His heel turn and betrayal of Keith Lee got him back on track, and his recent rivalry with Darby Allin allowed him to show the world what he could do. He's had a handful of strong showings in AEW, but none more special than his match with "Hangman" Adam Page at WrestleDream in his home state of Washington, Seattle.

Their excellent contest was made that much more memorable by Strickland's clean defeat of Hangman. It should be the catalyst for a significant singles push for the 33-year-old that sees him elevated to the next level.

His character and mic work, combined with his above-average matches, have made him one of AEW's few standouts as of late. Beating Page was exactly what he needed to cement himself among the promotion's premier heels right now.

The AEW World Championship may not be in his imminent future, but a shot at some sort of gold should be. Strickland has been a steal of a signing so far for AEW, and the best is yet to come.

Dragon Lee's Move to WWE Main Roster Must Be Imminent

If Dragon Lee wasn't already earmarked for a WWE main roster call-up in the foreseeable future, he most definitely should be coming off his breakout performance against Dominik Mysterio last Monday on Raw.

The odds of him capturing the NXT North American Championship so close to NXT's No Mercy event were slim to none, but it was more a matter of how good he'd look in defeat. Ultimately, the two had a terrific match, and Lee won over the audience with ease.

He went on to appear on Tuesday's NXT, Friday's SmackDown and at No Mercy. He'll wrestle Austin Theory this week on the blue brand and will likely team with the Latino World Order against Bobby Lashley and The Street Profits at Fastlane on Saturday.

That can't be considered anything but a positive sign for his future on the main roster. He has yet to win "the big one" in NXT, but his string of awe-inspiring outings have afforded him the opportunity to leave a lasting impression.

Lee is experienced enough that his stay in NXT shouldn't last much longer, and he would be a welcome addition to Raw or SmackDown.

Can MJF-Adam Cole Storyline Sustain Momentum Through Injury?

Adam Cole revealed last week that his ankle injury will keep him out of action indefinitely, and the timing couldn't be worse.

He and MJF have been the highlight of AEW programming these past four months and still had so much story left to tell as Ring of Honor world tag team champions.

That isn't to say their angle is entirely dead in the water, but the potential severity of Cole's injury could make it almost impossible for it to be on hold until he's ready to return.

MJF has been AEW world champion for nearly one year already. If the ultimate plan was for Cole to betray his friend and beat him for the belt in an All In rematch, AEW may have to change course and start looking for someone else to dethrone The Salt of the Earth instead.

Once Cole undergoes surgery, there's a chance he can continue to appear regularly on TV in a non-physical role, which has been a big part of their act anyway. The key will be keeping things interesting and moving the storyline along without it losing its luster.

If anyone can accomplish such a task, it's MJF. And perhaps the new direction will end up being more compelling than what AEW originally had planned.

Successful Jade Cargill Run Can Pave Way for Other Potential Signees

In many ways, Jade Cargill is a fantastic fit for WWE and her move there despite only ever having wrestled in AEW shouldn't be all that shocking.

However, it's the fact that the 31-year-old was a homegrown AEW talent that makes her signing extremely important in terms of what it could lead to.

It would be difficult for WWE to fumble Cargill. She has the aura of a star and is already decent enough in the ring, so it's safe to say she'll be involved in the main championship mix on Raw or SmackDown within the next year.

If so, her success could send the message to other homegrown AEW talent such as Wardlow, Ricky Starks and MJF that sometimes the grass can be greener on the other side. They can be confident in their chances of being booked properly if they did switch companies.

Cody Rhodes had history in WWE, but there was no guarantee he'd be anything other than a midcarder again once he returned. Sure enough, the company rolled out the red carpet for him at WrestleMania 38, and Cargill told ESPN that he factored into her decision to make the jump as well.

This could mark the beginning of a game-changing trend if WWE plays its cards right.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.