On January 11th, Adam Cole made a shock return to AEW television.
After Dynamite’s opening match Tony Schiavone introduced Cole to a monster ovation from the crowd in Los Angeles.
The former NXT Champion had been absent from AEW for a number of months and hasn’t wrestled since the Forbidden Door event in June 2022. At the time Cole was given time off to deal with a shoulder injury and a concussion, which came just weeks after another head injury.
During his promo on Dynamite, Cole opened up about his struggles away from the ring, including barely leaving the house for months. The star ended by putting the rest of the AEW locker room on notice as he set his sights on rising to the top of the company.
Tony Khan Says It’s A “Dream Come True” To Have Adam Cole Back
During an appearance on the In The Kliq podcast, AEW boss Tony Khan said that Cole is getting closer and closer to getting back in the ring.
“Well, I don’t think he ever [ruled out returning to the ring]. Certainly, it was a very challenging recovery, and they were points where, I’m sure, he had to question if he was going to make it back or, you know, what he was putting himself through because, like he said, he didn’t leave the house to do anything but brain therapy,”
“He wanted it so bad. He wants so bad to come back to AEW, to get back in the ring and wrestle for the fans on Wednesdays on TBS, and Fridays on TNT. That’s his dream. For us, it’s a dream come true having Adam Cole be a part of the AEW roster. It’s very exciting that he’s getting closer and closer to making a comeback. It’s a really inspirational story, and people don’t even know the half of it yet. I’m excited for people to find out more about what Adam Cole has been through.”
H/t to Fightful