Adam Cole has been withdrawn from the AEW All In event due to injury and has consequently been stripped of the AEW TNT Title, announced on Saturday by AEW President Tony Khan. Cole is not medically cleared to compete following his match in Thursday’s trios bout on Collision, prompting the decision for him to take time for proper recovery.
Vacant TNT Title to Be Decided in Four-Way Match
With the TNT Championship now vacant, AEW has scheduled a four-way match to determine the new titleholder. The contenders include Kyle Fletcher, Dustin Rhodes, and former TNT Champions Sammy Guevara and Daniel Garcia. Guevara and Rhodes will also appear earlier on the Zero Hour pre-show. Originally, Fletcher was set to challenge Cole for the belt, while Garcia was not previously announced on the AEW All In card.
Adam Cole’s Recent Injury History and Title Reign
Cole’s current reign as TNT Champion lasted 97 days, during which he successfully defended the title three times. This injury setback adds to a history of absences caused by serious injuries. From September 2023 to October 2024, Cole was sidelined for more than a year due to a severe ankle injury that required two surgeries. Prior to that, he missed nearly nine months after sustaining a concussion at Forbidden Door in June 2022.
Updated AEW All In Match Card for Arlington, Texas
AEW All In features several high-profile matches along with the TNT Championship bout. The event includes:
- Texas Death Match for AEW World Championship: Jon Moxley defends against Hangman Adam Page
- AEW Women’s World Championship: Toni Storm defends against Mercedes Mone
- AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada versus AEW International Champion Kenny Omega in a winner-takes-all bout for the AEW Unified Championship
- AEW Tag Team Champions Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin versus Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey versus Christian Cage & Nick Wayne
- Kyle Fletcher versus Sammy Guevara versus Dustin Rhodes versus Daniel Garcia for the vacant TNT Championship
- AEW Trios Champions Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata & Powerhouse Hobbs versus Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta & Gabe Kidd
- Men’s Casino Gauntlet match to earn a future AEW World title shot
- Women’s Casino Gauntlet match to earn a future AEW World title shot
- Will Ospreay & Swerve Strickland versus The Young Bucks
Additional Matches Scheduled for Zero Hour Pre-Show
The Zero Hour pre-show will feature:
- FTR versus The Outrunners
- Big Boom AJ, Tomohiro Ishii, Hologram & Kyle O’Reilly versus Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero, Lance Archer & Hechicero
- Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor, The Infantry & Lee Moriarty) with Anthony Ogogo versus Dustin Rhodes, Sammy Guevara & The Von Erichs with Kevin Von Erich
Assessing the Impact of Adam Cole’s Absence
Adam Cole’s removal from AEW All In and the vacating of the TNT Title significantly alters the event’s dynamic, creating new opportunities for several wrestlers to claim the championship. This situation underscores the unpredictability of professional wrestling due to injury risks and highlights AEW’s readiness to adapt. The scheduled four-way match provides an intense contest among talented competitors, promising a new chapter for the TNT Championship. Fans will be watching closely as this high-stakes encounter unfolds in Arlington, Texas.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Did Adam Cole apologize to Pat McAfee?
A. McAfee criticized Cole’s time as NXT Champion and commented on his height, among other things. These remarks provoked Cole to angrily push a microphone to the floor and shout at McAfee. He even pushed McAfee’s co-host before angrily leaving. Today, Cole apologized on social media, expressing regret and embarrassment over his response to McAfee’s remarks.
