Adam Cole is once again facing an uncertain future in wrestling after it was confirmed he suffered a concussion during an AEW Collision trios match this past Thursday. The injury forced him to be pulled from his scheduled TNT Championship defense at All In on Saturday.
The confirmation was first reported by Fightful and subsequently verified by Bryan Alvarez, who noted the injury occurred from a lariat by Kyle Fletcher. Cole was slated to defend his title against Fletcher at the event. In the post-show press conference, AEW President Tony Khan explained that the match was still planned as of Friday night. However, after conversations late Friday and again Saturday morning where Cole reported not feeling well, Khan made the call to remove him from the card.
This marks a significant setback for Cole, who was previously out of action for nearly nine months between June 2022 and March 2023 with a severe concussion suffered at Forbidden Door.
During an emotional in-ring segment at All In, Cole addressed the live audience, stating he wasn’t in the proper headspace to consider retirement but wanted to thank the fans in case this was his final appearance. Following the announcement, the TNT Championship was vacated, with Dustin Rhodes winning a four-way match later in the night to become the new champion.
The severity of this latest concussion is not yet known, and there is currently no timetable for Cole’s return to the ring.