AEW Capitalizes On Viral Meme From Cope & Ricky Saints Incident
AEW is capitalizing on the recent resurgence of Adam Copeland’s “Aw Dude” meme with a new piece of merchandise.
The meme stems from a December 2023 episode of AEW Collision, when Copeland responded to a heated promo from Ricky Saints — then known as Ricky Starks — with the simple phrase, “Aw, dude.”
Clips and images from the exchange have recently started making the rounds again on social media, with fans turning Copeland’s response into a meme.
Several wrestlers have since joined in on the fun, including Saints himself and AEW star Kyle Fletcher.
AEW has now gotten in on the act as well.
On September 16, Shop AEW unveiled a new “Aw Dude” T-shirt featuring Copeland’s memorable response.
The description for the shirt also references Saints’ “over the edge” remark from the original Collision segment.
“Go places in style with this new shirt that will really set your look over the edge.”
Go places in style with this new Adam Copeland – Aw, Dude t-shirt that will really set your look over the edge. Available now on ShopAEW.https://t.co/5zFoRuXLaO pic.twitter.com/jDgRItnUSj
— ShopAEW.com (@ShopAEW) September 16, 2026
