The future of Adam Cole is uncertain following an emotional in-ring address at AEW All In: Texas, where he was forced to relinquish the TNT Championship. The announcement drew reactions from across the wrestling world, including from his former partner, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D.
Hours before the pay-per-view on July 12, AEW President Tony Khan announced that Cole was not medically cleared to compete and, at Khan’s request, would vacate the title to focus on a full recovery. This raised immediate concerns, given Cole’s history with severe injuries, including major concussions and a significant ankle injury that required multiple surgeries between 2022 and 2024.
Later in the night, a tearful Cole appeared in the ring at Globe Life Field to address the crowd, confirming he would be away from wrestling for “a while.” While stopping short of an official retirement, the gravity of the situation was clear.
“I don’t even want to think about talking about retiring because I am not in the right headspace, but I wanted to have this opportunity to come out and talk to you all, if this is indeed goodbye,” Cole stated.
Following the speech, Baker, who was in a relationship with Cole for eight years until their separation was confirmed last year, posted a simple but poignant reaction on X/Twitter, sharing a broken heart emoji and the phrase “#BayBay.”
The decision to vacate the championship, rather than name an interim titleholder, has fueled speculation about the severity of Cole’s health issues. His scheduled match was subsequently changed to a fatal four-way bout between Kyle Fletcher, Daniel Garcia, Sammy Guevara, and Dustin Rhodes to crown a new, undisputed TNT Champion.