Adam Cole has reportedly opted not to have surgery to fix his torn labrum.
According to Dave to Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cole has decided to undergo physical therapy on his shoulder as opposed to going under the knife.
The timeframe for Cole’s in-ring return will be determined more by his recovery from the concussion he suffered at the Forbidden Door pay-per-view in June. On a positive note, Cole is “faring better in that regard,” per Meltzer.
Cole reportedly suffered “a very serious concussion” during his Four-Way Match for the IWGP World Heavyweight Title at the AEW x NJPW crossover event. The concussion led to a “rushed and awkward finish” to the match as Jay White pinned the leader of the Undisputed Elite to retain his title.
In the lead-up to the Forbidden Door event, there were question marks about Cole’s availability after a Fightful Select report revealed he had been wrestling with a torn labrum for months. The report added that Cole braved the injury during his match against Hangman Page at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view in March, and continued to avoid taking time off despite being hurt. It was also noted that Cole had been “banged up for quite a while” and was “battling a series of injuries” for longer than most realize.
In a recent interview with New York Post, AEW President Tony Khan explained why he allowed Cole to wrestle at Forbidden Door despite the litany of injuries.
“He had no contact between Double or Nothing and Forbidden Door,” Khan said. “He was on commentary. He had been cleared to wrestle. So now, I’m also gonna take some time [off] for him. We had already taken some time and I’ll take some more time to make sure he’s right and wouldn’t want him to wrestle until he’s feeling 100 percent. He was feeling 100 percent going into Forbidden Door. That’s how unpredictable these [injuries] are.”
