When Did Adam Cole Suffer Career-Threatening Injury?

Adam Cole may never wrestle again.

At AEW’s biggest show of the year, Adam Cole was due to defend the TNT Championship against Kyle Fletcher. However, shortly before the show began, it was revealed that Cole was being forced to vacate the championship.

With Cole out, Fletcher, Sammy Guevara, Dustin Rhodes, and Daniel Garcia battled in a Four-Way Match to decide a new champion.

But before the match began, Cole came to the ring to address his future. The star was clearly emotional from the moment he made his entrance, and he admitted that he may never wrestle again, although he didn’t want to formally retire.

The TNT Championship was eventually won by Texas’s own Dustin Rhodes, who claimed his first singles championship for a major promotion since being crowned WWE Hardcore Champion in 2002. Prior to that, he became a three-time Intercontinental Champion in 1999.

More Details Emerge On Adam Cole

As reported by Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Radio, Cole suffered the injury while teaming with Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong against Kyle Fletcher, Rocky Romero, and Trent Beretta on the July 10 edition of Collision.

Alvarez noted that Cole suffered an injury while taking a lariat during the match.

During the Four-Way Match for the TNT Championship, the commentary team suggested that Kyle Fletcher was the one who caused the injury. It’s unclear whether this is legitimately the case or something of a storyline explanation, as Fletcher was Cole’s scheduled opponent.

Following All In, Tony Khan revealed that the decision to pull Adam Cole from the event was taken just hours before the show went on the air. He added that it’s unclear when Cole will be back on television.