Tony Khan Reveals How Adam Cole’s Injury Affected Multiple AEW Plans

Adam Cole’s ankle injury during AEW Grand Slam last year, which resulted in fractures in three different places, has greatly disrupted his wrestling plans. Despite undergoing surgery last year, his in-ring return status has been delayed and Tony Khan has now revealed how Cole’s injury affected multiple plans in AEW.

While speaking to SportsGrid, Tony Khan talked about the impact of Adam Cole’s injury on AEW, acknowledging its significant effects on their programming and storyline plans. Cole, regarded as one of their top stars, played a crucial role in major narratives, including a high-profile main event at Wembley Stadium against MJF. His absence necessitated creative adjustments, particularly with John Moxley also sidelined on the same night, reshaping the trajectory of key storylines.

“He’s one of our top stars; we love Adam Cole in AEW. I think the injury really affected us in a number of ways. First of all, you’re losing a great star off the TV show, somebody the fans always want to see anytime they can be in AEW. Like you said, he was involved in one of the top stories in all of wrestling. For us, it was a main event at Wembley Stadium; it was huge—MJF versus Adam Cole and their partnership, their friendship. It was a must-see part of AEW’s show every week.

When Adam Cole got hurt, it really changed things for us. We had to go in a different direction with a lot of things on the show. It was compounded by the fact that, that same night, John Moxley was injured. Really, the top two programs, I think unquestionably at the time, had to be John Moxley versus Orange Cassidy and MJF versus Adam Cole. With MJF and Adam Cole in the World Championship match at Wembley and then their partnership and Samoa Joe getting involved, we had this fascinating dynamic with MJF, Samoa Joe, and Adam Cole. That was our main event story.”

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Despite these challenges, Khan expressed pride in how AEW managed the situation, citing the successful execution of WrestleDream shortly afterwards as a testament to their adaptability.

Khan emphasized Cole’s immense popularity and resilience, noting his previous successes despite encountering injuries in the past. Khan remained optimistic about Cole’s recovery and eagerly anticipated his return, underscoring the anticipation among fans and the potential for Cole to continue making significant contributions to AEW.

“To lose top people, top wrestlers like Adam Cole and John Moxley out of the World Championship match and the International Championship match at the same time, on the same night, that was really hard. We had to change a lot of things, and I was really proud of the pay-per-view we put on a couple of weeks later, WrestleDream, the first-ever WrestleDream. It was an amazing show, and it happened in the shadow of Mox getting hurt and, of course, Adam Cole having that injury.

With Adam Cole out, it changed a lot of things. He’s on the road to recovery; he will be back, and I’m really excited about that. I can’t wait to have Adam Cole back in AEW; he’s one of my favorite wrestlers. The fans love Adam Cole, and there’s a lot of history left to be written for Adam Cole in AEW. He’s had some great runs here, and unfortunately, injuries have slowed him down a couple of times now. It’s a real credit to him and I think to AEW because some people maybe thought Adam Cole would never get as hot as he was three years ago, and he came in last year, and he was hotter than he’s ever been in his entire career. It was a complete freak accident injury; he will be back, and we have great plans and a great future for Adam Cole.”

We have also reported that Adam Cole’s in-ring return faced a setback due to the complexity of his injury. We will have to wait and see what will become of Adam Cole in the end, as it will still be a while until his return.

Do you believe Adam Cole will be able to make his in-ring return this year? Let us know in the comments section below!

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