Cope Begins Hunting Death Riders Following AEW Trios Title Defense On Collision
TNT Champion Daniel Garcia, "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard, and "Cool Hang Ang" Angelo Parker recently crossed paths with the Death Riders on the February 8 episode of "AEW Dynamite," and tensions between the six men have lead to an AEW World Trios Championship match. On Saturday's episode of "AEW Collision," the Death Riders defended their trios titles against Daniel Garcia and 2point0, and while Pac, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli retained the titles, a post-match altercation with AEW World Championship challenger Cope left the champions in shambles, with world champion Jon Moxley watching in horror.
Parker and Yuta began the contest, with Parker getting in some swift offense onto Yuta before attempting an early two-count pin. Yuta quickly tagged in Castagnoli, and The Death Riders efficiently split the ring as PAC also delivered some shots onto Parker. The tide briefly shifted when Parker managed to tag in Menard, who laid some similarly quick blows onto PAC for a two-count pin cover. 2point0 worked magnificently with Garcia as the three men fought valiantly against the Death Riders.
The Death Riders did not find completely find their footing until the last moments of the match. After much interference from Garcia and 2point0, the Death Riders isolated Parker. Castagnoli struck Parker with an uppercut, and Parker was forced to tap when PAC cinched in the Brutalizer immediately after.
Cope's post-match beatdown left the Death Riders distraught.
In typical Death Rider fashion, the champions proceeded to beat down Garcia and 2point0 before the Undisputed Kingdom arrived to make the save. Adam Cole and Garcia had a brief stare-down before Cole Superkicked PAC. By the time Cope arrived with the company of two chairs, the Death Riders had retreated to the crowd, leaving PAC to the Undisputed Kingdom. Moxley watched with a dissociative stare as Cope laid PAC out with a Con-chair-to. Medical staff quickly attended to PAC's lifeless body as the Death Riders' horrified expressions closed out the segment.
Saturday's title defense marks the Death Riders' sixth AEW World Trios Championship defense in their 182-day reign. The Death Riders won the titles back at All In 2024 in a London Ladder match. While PAC, Yuta, and Castagnoli's next challengers remain to be seen, Cope's post-match run-in is part of his hunt for the Death Riders and Jon Moxley's AEW World Championship. Cope and Moxley are due to clash for Moxley's title in two weeks' time at "AEW Revolution."