Adam Cole Picked Daniel Garcia For AEW Return Match Because He's 'One Of The Best'

Adam Cole will be competing in his much anticipated return match tonight on "AEW Dynamite," wrestling for the first time since June due to two concussions he suffered in 2022, against Jericho Appreciation Society member Daniel Garcia. With Garcia answering Cole's challenge, this puts Garcia in a prominent position with a big opportunity, even if it is likely Cole will win his first match back.

In an interview with TV Insider, former "NXT" Champion Cole addressed why he chose to face off against Garcia and how he feels heading into his match tonight. "I've wanted to wrestle Daniel Garcia for a long time," Cole said. "He is one of the bright young stars in AEW. There is no doubt in my mind someday he can be the guy running the show in AEW. I think he is that good. For me to come back, I wanted to test myself against one of the best. I'm excited and thrilled and honest to god, it's the first match back."

In his short time with AEW, Garcia has already captured Ring of Honor gold, as he defeated Wheeler Yuta for the ROH PURE Championship, before losing it back to Yuta months later. He still remains a key focus on "Dynamite" every week, with the company seemingly still teasing that he may break away from Jericho in the future and acknowledge that he is a pro wrestler, not a sports entertainer.

Garcia has yet to step into the limelight as a top player in AEW, but he recently picked up a major victory over the House of Black's Brody King on "Rampage," keeping JAS and HOB's AEW World Trios Championship feud alive.