'A Number Of People' Reportedly Concerned For Adam Cole

It's been nearly five months since AEW star Adam Cole last competed in the ring, with no clear return date in sight. Cole reportedly suffered a severe concussion at AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door during a four-way match that also featured "Switchblade" Jay White, "Hangman" Adam Page, and Kazuchika Okada. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, there are "a number of people" concerned about Cole's current injury. While Meltzer doesn't elaborate on what exactly their concerns are, Cole's extended absence could potentially point to long-term complications, though the company could simply be providing extra time for Cole to rest and recover.

Cole was reportedly already banged up heading into the match, nursing a torn labrum suffered earlier this year. Prior to his concussion, the Men's Owen Hart Tournament winner was involved in a storyline that saw an alliance form between himself and Undisputed Era partners Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish with Matt and Nick Jackson of the Young Bucks. Cole briefly returned to AEW television on August 3 in a segment that saw him, Fish, and O'Reilly turn on the Bucks by attacking them in the ring, but there has been no follow-up on that story since, as O'Reilly has also been injured and Fish is now gone from AEW.

While he's been off TV, Cole has remained active on social media, with regular Twitch streams of games like "Halo: Infinite" and "Elden Ring." Additionally, numerous teases of a reunion between "Da Party" (an online gaming group consisting of Cole, Claudio Castagnoli, Xavier Woods, and Tyler Breeze) have led up to an official announcement of a return. The group is set to stream together this Sunday, November 20 on Twitch.