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Adam Cole hints at AEW retirement amid injury concerns; first details about health issues surface
AEW TNT Champion Adam Cole had to give away his title ahead of his title defense against Kyle Fletcher due to injury concerns
AEW TNT Champion Adam Cole had to give away his title ahead of his title defense against Kyle Fletcher due to injury concerns. In an emotional address to fans, the 36-year-old hinted at potential retirement. Cole was replaced for his pay-per-view match by Daniel Garcia, Dustin Rhodes, and Sammy Guevara, with the latter two also performing on the Zero Hour.
However, Cole did not reveal details about his injury and health issues. Hours before AEW All In: Texas at Globe Life Field, President Tony Khan announced via a livestream on X that Cole was not medically cleared to defend his TNT Championship against Fletcher. This will necessitate the title's vacancy.
Cole, who held the title for 97 days with three defenses since April 2025, cited ongoing “health issues” requiring an indefinite hiatus. The specific nature of the injury was not disclosed, but Khan’s statement that Cole needed “time away to make sure he’s clear” suggests a serious condition.
Before the four-way match, Cole appeared at Globe Life Field, placing the TNT title in the ring and addressing the crowd: “It’s really hard to put this into words… I have health issues going on that will not only not allow me to defend this championship tonight, but I am going to be gone for a while. I don’t want to think about retiring because I’m not in the headspace, but I wanted to address the fans if this is goodbye.”
Fighting tears, he thanked fans for their support since age nine and praised AEW, joined by Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong of Paragon for an emotional embrace. He shared a hug with Daniel Garcia and led a final “Adam Cole Bay Bay” chant.
Cole’s Injury History and Career
Adam Cole, whose real name is Austin Jenkins, has faced significant setbacks in AEW since joining in 2021. A severe concussion at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door in June 2022 sidelined him for nearly 10 months, followed by a devastating ankle injury in September 2023 after jumping off a ramp, requiring two surgeries and a year-long recovery until October 2024.
A Lancaster, Pennsylvania native, Cole began wrestling in 2007, becoming a three-time Ring of Honor champion and NXT Champion in WWE (2017–2021).
In AEW, he headlined All In 2023 against MJF and won the TNT title in 2025, per web:5,18. His charisma and technical skill earned him global acclaim.
