Adam Copeland, Christian Cage attacked backstage before Forbidden Door

During an episode of AEW Collision on October 14, 2023, Adam Copeland and Ricky Starks engaged in a heated promo exchange, with Copeland calling Starks a “vanilla midget version” of The Rock. Copeland later clarified he was not in an angle with Starks, saying, “I’m not in an angle with him.”

A few weeks later on AEW Dynamite, Copeland and Christian Cage were assaulted backstage by The Dogs—David Finlay and Clark Connors. The attackers used a can of hairspray to blind them and a cable to choke Copeland, delivering a violent statement ahead of the duo’s scheduled AEW World Tag Team Championship defense against The Dogs at the upcoming Forbidden Door pay‑per‑view.