AEW President Tony Khan has officially addressed the unexpected removal of Adam Cole from his advertised TBS Championship bout at AEW All In: Texas, confirming that the decision was made just hours before showtime due to Cole not feeling well.
Cole was originally slated to go one-on-one with Kyle Fletcher for the vacant TBS Championship. However, fans were surprised when the match was pulled from the card at the last minute. During an appearance on Good Karma Wrestling, Khan explained that Cole approached him before the event, voicing concerns about his health.
“It was a tough conversation,” Khan admitted. “But I’m really glad he was honest with me. He told me he hadn’t been sleeping, he didn’t feel right, and just wasn’t in a good place physically to wrestle. After hearing that, I completely agreed—we needed to put his well-being first.”
Khan emphasized that Cole personally wanted to break the news to the fans at Globe Life Field, and the two agreed it was important for him to speak directly to the crowd.
“It meant a lot to Adam to come out and talk to the fans from the heart,” Khan added. “Even though we’re all disappointed he couldn’t compete, it was the right thing for him to do. He’s going to be taking some time away from the ring now, and hopefully, we’ll see him back in some form when he’s ready.”
With Cole officially out, the TBS Championship match was restructured into a Fatal 4-Way bout. In a hard-fought contest, AEW veteran Dustin Rhodes emerged victorious, capturing the vacant title.
As of now, there is no confirmed timeline for Cole’s return, but AEW has made it clear that his health is the top priority moving forward.
