Huge Update On Adam Cole's AEW Status

He's back bay-bay. On the January 11 "AEW Dynamite," Cole made his surprising return after six months out of action due to a serious concussion sustained at the AEW and New Japan Pro-Wrestling event Forbidden Door. Cole came down to the ring after a brief introduction by Tony Schiavone and promised the audience good news and bad news.

Cole spoke about how much the outpouring of support from fans over the past few months has meant to him, and the passion it invigorated him with for wrestling. And then the bad news, as Cole put it, was for the AEW locker room. The news was that he is back and ready to compete.

Heading into the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June, Cole was already working through a torn labrum. During the four-way match against "Hangman" Adam Page, Kazuchika Okada, and Jay White, Cole suffered a concussion that hastened the match's finish. Since then Cole had been undergoing physical therapy for his arm injury as opposed to getting surgery.

The major factor that has kept Cole out as long as he's been out has been the concussion. There was some fear that Cole may never compete again, stemming from speculation made on "Wrestling Observer Radio" in October.

After Forbidden Door, AEW CEO Tony Khan made clear that Cole would not be competing again until he was 100 percent. Before his injury, Cole had been heavily featured across AEW programming following his surprise debut at the All Out pay-per-view in September 2021.