The All Elite Wrestling locker room has been put on notice. Adam Cole made his surprise return to AEW programming last Wednesday, thanking the Los Angeles crowd as well as the fans watching at home for supporting him through his recovery. While Cole’s promo seemed to be going in the direction of a retirement announcement, the Panama City Playboy swerved the audience by revealing his “bad news” was for the roster, as he is back and is intending on cementing himself as the best wrestler in the world. A return match for Cole has yet to be announced, but AEW President Tony Khan revealed that that day is getting “closer and closer.”
“It’s very exciting that he’s getting closer and closer to making a comeback,” Khan told In The Kliq podcast (h/t Fightful). “It’s a really inspirational story, and people don’t even know the half of it yet. I’m excited for people to find out more about what Adam Cole has been through.”
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Despite Cole’s promo hinting that he was considering hanging up his boots, Khan believes that Cole was always going to wrestle again.
“Well, I don’t think he ever [ruled out returning to the ring]. Certainly, it was a very challenging recovery, and they were points where, I’m sure, he had to question if he was going to make it back,” Khan continued. “Or what he was putting himself through because, like he said, he didn’t leave the house to do anything but brain therapy.”
Khan’s belief that Cole was always destined to wrestle again comes from seeing his desire to do so firsthand.
“He wanted it so bad. He wants so bad to come back to AEW, to get back in the ring and wrestle for the fans on Wednesdays on TBS, and Fridays on TNT,” Khan said. “That’s his dream. For us, it’s a dream come true having Adam Cole be a part of the AEW roster.”
Cole’s comeback story has only released one chapter thus far. His intention to become the best wrestler in the world indicates that he will eventually pursue the AEW World Championship again, but there’s no telling who his first feud back will end up being. AEW World Champion MJF is on a collision course with Bryan Danielson, leaving Cole to possibly go after midcard gold or a teams’ title. With former friends Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks holding the AEW World Trios Championships at the moment, a Kingdom reunion with Matt Taven and Mike Bennett could be in Cole’s future.
Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for updates on Adam Cole’s next steps in AEW.
