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Ex-Champion Announces Hiatus & Teases Retirement At AEW All In: Texas

By Ahmed Hamdy • Published Jul 12, 2025 16:42 EDT
Adam Cole AEW LOGO BLUR

A 36-year-old major AEW star made a heartbreaking career announcement at All In: Texas.

Adam Cole was scheduled to defend the TNT Championship against Kyle Fletcher tonight at All In: Texas. However, the match was scrapped due to Cole being medically unable to compete.

Instead, the 36-year-old had to vacate the championship as a four-way title match was announced between Fletcher, Dustin Rhodes, Daniel Garcia, and Sammy Guevara to crown a new champion.

Adam Cole Is Stepping Away From AEW

Before the match, Adam Cole headed to the ring to address the AEW fans, disclosing that he will have to step away from the ring for a while due to health issues. He seemingly teased the possibility of retiring, saying he can’t think about it before bursting into tears.

Cole also thanked the fans for always supporting him and for making the promotion what it is. The former TNT Champion was then joined in the ring by Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly as they hugged and shared an extremely emotional moment.