Tag: Adam Cole

Tony Khan Provides Insight on Adam Cole’s Absence, Says In-Ring Return Would Require “The Right Situation”

Adam Cole’s status has been one of the bigger question marks in AEW over the past several months, and Tony Khan has now offered a clearer—though still cautious—update on where things stand.

Cole has been away since AEW All In: Texas, where he vacated the TNT Championship after informing Khan he wasn’t well enough to compete. Reports since then have suggested his latest setback is tied to concussion-related issues, adding another layer to a long road of injuries that already included the serious ankle injury that sidelined him for over a year.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Khan opened up about the situation and made it clear that Cole’s health is the priority. According to the AEW President, getting the call on the morning of All In was “incredibly difficult,” especially given how hard Cole had battled back from previous injuries to rebuild momentum in 2025 and reclaim a top spot as TNT Champion.

Khan emphasized that Cole’s ankle injury alone could have ended his career, noting the pain and recovery process were far more serious than many realized. Cole’s comeback had been one of the more inspiring stories in AEW before this latest setback forced him to step away again.

As for an eventual return to the ring? Khan didn’t shut the door, but he made it clear that AEW will only consider it if every factor—medically and situationally—lines up. He expressed that Cole will always have a place within the company, even if wrestling isn’t in the immediate picture. Cole has already contributed as a commentator and show host, and Khan believes those avenues remain open whenever Cole feels ready to resume regular work.

Khan stressed that anything involving head injuries has to be treated with caution, and AEW would only move forward if it can ensure the safest possible environment for Cole and everyone involved.

For now, the message is simple: Adam Cole’s health comes first, and AEW is leaving the door open—but not rushing anything.

Credit to The Ariel Helwani Show

Tony Khan Opens Up on Last-Minute Decision to Pull Adam Cole from AEW All In 2025

AEW All In: Texas featured plenty of big moments, but one of the most emotional came when Adam Cole walked to the ring — not to wrestle, but to announce he wasn’t medically cleared to compete. Even more concerning, Cole hinted through tears that his wrestling career might be hanging in the balance.

Cole’s AEW journey has been a frustrating one, plagued by a string of injuries and setbacks. Just when it looked like he was about to regain his footing, another issue would knock him off course.

During the post-show media scrum, AEW President Tony Khan shed some light on the difficult decision to pull Cole from the card — a move that came together at the last minute.

“Somewhere between late last night and early this morning, we talked, and he wasn’t feeling well,” Khan revealed. “That’s the unpredictable nature of these kinds of injuries. It’s important that Adam Cole takes the time he needs to get right. Right now, there’s no timeline on when he’ll be able to wrestle — or even speak publicly again.”

Khan admitted the change caught him off guard. Up until the night before the show, Cole was still set to defend the TNT Championship against Kyle Fletcher.

“We had everything lined up for the pay-per-view. The plan was Adam Cole versus Kyle Fletcher for the TNT Title,” Khan confirmed.

For Cole’s fans, it’s been a tough stretch — one filled with hope, only to be met with more bad news. At this point, the focus may be shifting from when he’ll return to the ring to simply hoping he regains his health and quality of life beyond wrestling.

Adam Cole Forced To Vacate AEW TNT Title, Fatal 4-Way At All In.

Tony Khan forced TNT Champion Adam Cole to vacate title ahead of today’s AEW All In Texas PPV, stating Cole is not medically cleared to compete.

There will be a Fatal 4-Way match to determine a new Champion. Kyle Fletcher will be one of the four in the match along with Dustin Dustin Rhodes. Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia.

Adam Cole Required Donor Bone For Ankle Surgery

Adam Cole sustained a devastating ankle injury at AEW Grand Slam 2023, developing fractures in three separate areas.

Previously unknown details about Cole’s injury have now come to light, revealing that the AEW star required a bone from another person during surgery after his ankle completely shattered.

During a recent appearance on “The Takedown on SI” podcast, Cole, who recently confirmed his breakup with Britt Baker, mentioned that it wasn’t until after his first surgery that he learned just how extensive the damage truly was. What was expected to be a one-hour operation ended up taking three times longer.

Cole discovered that his ankle was in much worse shape than anticipated and would need an additional surgery only a week later. This meant he would require not only more screws in his ankle but also a bone from a donor because part of his ankle had entirely disintegrated.

During the second surgery, the doctors chose to use cadaver bone rather than a metal plate, which can limit mobility.

Cole expressed his appreciation to the donor and their family, acknowledging that this choice is likely better for his rehabilitation. He noted that he can feel a noticeable difference between his left ankle, which received the donor bone, and his right one, but he understands that this is part of the recovery journey.

Cole said, “The first piece of news that I heard was, your ankle is way worse than we anticipated. You have to get another surgery in seven days. So, not only did I have to get double the amount of screws in my ankle, but also, I had to get someone else’s bone put into my ankle because the bone piece within my ankle just completely disintegrated. Incredibly thankful to [the donor] and the family,” Cole said. “It’s certainly a better option. I definitely notice a difference in my left ankle as opposed to my right one, but I think that comes with the territory.”

At WrestleDream 2024, Cole returned to AEW television and targeted MJF.

Adam Cole Not Returning To The Ring Anytime Soon

Fightful Select has provided an update on the status of Adam Cole who has been out of action for several months due to an ankle injury.

According to the report, Cole is not expected to return to the ring anytime soon.

The reason for Cole’s absence from AEW TV was reportedly due to concerns that it was slowing down his recovery progress.

Cole broke his ankle in September 2023 and there is currently no specific timetable for his return to the ring.

However, Cole can still make appearances on TV, although they may be less frequent.

Before his injury, Cole was a prominent figure on AEW TV and was revealed as the leader of The Undisputed Kingdom, who caused chaos and contributed to MJF losing the AEW World Title to Samoa Joe at Worlds End 2023 on December 30.

Source: eWn

AEW’s Adam Cole Underwent Ankle Surgery This Week

Adam Cole is recovering from a broken ankle he suffered during the AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam special.

He was injured while running to the ring during the World Title match between MJF and Samoa Joe. Cole jumped off the entrance ramp to the floor at ringside and began limping.

Cole has remained on AEW television doing segments with Roderick Strong at Strong’s home. Pwinsider is reporting that Cole underwent the first surgery on his broken ankle yesterday.

During a Twitch stream, Cole mentioned that he would need two surgeries, eight screws and a plate in his ankle.

Source: eWn

Adam Cole To Undergo Surgery

Adam Cole has revealed that he suffered a broken ankle on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.

On Wednesday night’s edition of Dynamite, Cole revealed that he broke his ankle in three different places on last week’s show. This led to him tearing multiple ligaments, which is going to result in surgery.

Due to the surgery, Adam Cole will be unable to compete at AEW WrestleDream. So the ROH World Tag Team Championship match will now see MJF defending the titles against The Righteous in a handicap match.

Injury Updates On Adam Cole & Jon Moxley After AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam

Adam Cole and Jon Moxley are both believed to have suffered injuries on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam.

Fightful Select is reporting that Cole was admitted to the hospital following the show and was last seen using crutches. He is said to have injured his ankle when jumping off the ramp during the main event of Dynamite.

Moxley, who is believed to have suffered a mild concussion, was deemed “okay” after his match.

Moxley was checked on by AEW President Tony Khan and others after leaving under his own accord.

The Wrestling Observer is reporting that Moxley wasn’t hurt during the finish of his AEW International Title defense against Rey Fenix, but actually in the opening minutes of the match.

AEW had originally planned for Moxley to retain the International Title, which Fenix eventually won.

As the match progressed, Moxley realized he wasn’t feeling well and informed Fenix mid-match that he was going to triumph.

While the former AEW World Champion had asked the referee to count him out, it didn’t immediately happen after the piledriver.

Moxley was reportedly doing better later in the night and was said to have been “fine” backstage.

Source: eWn

Adam Cole Was Pulled From Forbidden Door Due To Illness

Adam Cole has hit yet another unfortunate bump in the road yesterday as, due to illness, he was not able to compete at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event. Tony Khan announced the news on Twitter that the match between Cole and NJPW Strong star Tom Lawlor is officially canceled.

Cole’s match against Tom Lawlor was made on Friday’s episode of “AEW Rampage,” when Lawlor and Royce Issacs attacked Cole during the Owen Hart Tournament winner’s segment with AEW World Champion MJF. The soon-to-be partners in AEW’s upcoming Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament remained at odds, and when Team Filthy went after Cole in the ring, MJF took his time to “aid” his unlikely partner in the ring.

This is not the first mishap for Cole when it comes to the annual AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door event, with last year’s show seeing the former ROH World Champion suffer a concussion during his fatal-four-way match against Kazuchika Okada, “Hangman” Adam Page, and Jay White for White’s IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

Cole’s absence also means that Tom Lawlor is unfortunately unlikely to be featured on the show in any capacity. The former UFC fighter has been a focal point of the American branch of New Japan Pro-Wrestling since NJPW Strong began in 2020. After his reign as the inaugural NJPW Strong Openweight Champion ended at the hands of Fred Rosser in May 2022, Lawlor went on to compete in the G1 Climax 32, ending with a 3-3 record to claim six points in block competition. 

Source: Wrestling Inc.

Adam Cole Is Back Bay-Bay

Adam Cole is back bay-bay. On the January 11 “AEW Dynamite,” Cole made his surprising return after six months out of action due to a serious concussion sustained at the AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling event Forbidden Door. Cole came down to the ring after a brief introduction by Tony Schiavone and promised the audience good news and bad news.

Cole spoke about how much the outpouring of support from fans over the past few months has meant to him, and the passion it invigorated him with for wrestling. And then the bad news, as Cole put it, was for the AEW locker room. The news was that he is back and ready to compete.

Heading into the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June, Cole was already working through a torn labrum. During the four-way match against “Hangman” Adam Page, Kazuchika Okada, and Jay White, Cole suffered a concussion that hastened the match’s finish. Since then Cole had been undergoing physical therapy for his arm injury as opposed to getting surgery.

The major factor that has kept Cole out as long as he’s been out has been the concussion. There was some fear that Cole may never compete again, stemming from speculation made on “Wrestling Observer Radio” in October.

After Forbidden Door, AEW CEO Tony Khan made clear that Cole would not be competing again until he was 100 percent. Before his injury, Cole had been heavily featured across AEW programming following his surprise debut at the All Out pay-per-view in September 2021.

Source: Wrestling Inc.

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