Adam Cole’s return to the AEW ring will now rely on how quickly he recovers from a recent concussion; it is claimed that he won’t be having surgery for his torn labrum.
Since suffering a concussion at the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view, where he participated in a Fatal 4 Way match alongside “Hangman” Adam Page, Kazuchika Okada, and the winner, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Jay White, Cole has been sidelined from competitive action. When that match came to a close, Okada attempted The Rainmaker on Cole, who dodged the clothesline and fell to the ground. White, who had been standing outside the ring, entered again and struck Okada with The Bladerunner. White then turned Cole over in order to keep the pin. Following the match, AEW medics checked Cole as the AEW World Tag Team Champions The Young Bucks and Kyle O’Reilly came to the ring, stared down Page, then tended to Cole. It was later reported that Cole suffered a concussion in the match.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Cole has apparently chosen against having surgery to fix his torn labrum. Instead of surgery, he will receive physical treatment for the injuries.
The exact date Cole will return to the ring is unknown at this time, however it was mentioned that it will depend more on how quickly he recovers from the concussion. According to reports, Cole is “faring better” in that regard.
Heading into Forbidden Door, Cole hadn’t wrestled since May 29, when he defeated ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe in the finals of The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament at Double Or Nothing. He was supposed to compete in a ten-man match on the pay-per-view that followed Double Or Nothing, but he was forced to withdraw because of an unspecified injury.
Early in June, it was mentioned that Cole is “banged up” and has been for some time. The rumor at the time was that, although Cole doesn’t have a specific significant injury, he is coping with a number of minor problems simultaneously and has been dealing with those problems for some time, particularly the labrum injury that dates back to March.
Cole is still active on social media, but he has been relatively quiet about his situation. On Twitter earlier this month, he did express gratitude to his followers for their support, writing, “Thank you so much for all the love, support, and kindness. It means the world. [folded hands emoji]”
Thank you so much for all the love, support, and kindness. It means the world. ?
— Adam Cole (@AdamColePro) July 3, 2022
