On Wednesday night’s AEW Dynamite, Adam Cole made his triumphant in-ring return after over 400 days away from the ring. He suffered an unfortunate ankle injury that required surgery and intense recovery in order for him to walk again let alone step foot in the ring. Fans welcomed Cole with open arms and cheered on his call-out of former AEW World Champion MJF, currently filming several Hollywood projects. When he returns, however, that “Better Than You Bay Bay” storyline looks as if it will finally come to a close.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Cole wrestled against the House of Black’s Buddy Matthews and he didn’t look like he missed a beat at all. During the match, he appeared to “tweak” his ankle which Matthews obviously used to his advantage, but despite that, Cole still walked out of Cleveland, Ohio with the victory. Since Cole’s debut in 2021 fans haven’t really had the fortune of seeing him booked to his full potential because he’s been plagued with injuries. Even so, he’s shared a promising update about his future in wrestling and it’s one that most AEW fans will rejoice over.
“Yes, yes [it is my goal to end my career in AEW]. I believe so. Of course, like we say in pro wrestling, obviously never say never,” Cole told the Stick to Wrestling podcast. “You never know what’s gonna happen but I love AEW with all of my heart. I love our crew, I love our boss, I love our fans. I absolutely love it here and have no real plans of leaving.”
[RELATED: WWE Hall of Famer Held “Secret Meeting” With MJF About a Retirement Match]
Cole rose to prominence on the independent wrestling scene in the 2010s and was soon scouted by WWE. His time in the black and gold era of NXT is one that many look back on fondly, as he was one of the bright spots spearheading the next generation of stars. Of course, he’d choose to put his eggs in AEW’s basket instead, reuniting with his then longterm girlfriend Britt Baker and his best friends in The Elite. Cole explained in the same interview that at one point, he believed he was in line for the AEW World Championship.
“So, do I know for sure that I was gonna be in line to becoming the AEW World Champion? I’m not totally sure but that’s certainly where it seemed like we were going,” he expressed. “That’s certainly the direction that I think very possibly could have happened had I not been injured which really did add to the mental anguish of the entire process but again, there are constant roadblocks thrown our way all the time. We gotta adapt, we have to pivot, and I still have a lot of my wrestling career left so I certainly hope the AEW World title is in my future in the future.”
