Adam Cole has finally returned to AEW after spending more than a year on the shelf due to an ankle injury.
The WrestleDream PPV on October 12 featured a TNT Championship match between Jack Perry and Katsuyori Shibata. After Perry retained his title, he decided to teach Shibata a lesson and started attacking the Japanese star. Daniel Garcia came out to make the save
MJF then made a surprise appearance. He confronted Garcia after the latter’s post-match attack at All Out and the distraction allowed Perry to hit Daniel from behind. As Perry left the ring, Maxwell revealed that he had found his lost Dynamite Diamond Ring.
The former World Champion looked to hit Garcia with the ring but Adam Cole’s music hit. The Undisputed Kingdom leader finally made his return to AEW after his long hiatus and MJF retreated. The segment ended with Cole helping Garcia back up, indicating a face turn.
Cole had been involved in a long-running storyline with MJF prior to his injury. The two rivals had turned friends and won the ROH Tag Team Championships together.
Adam Cole ended up suffering a serious ankle injury mid-way through this storyline during the September 20, 2023 episode of Dynamite. AEW continued with the story despite Cole’s injury however, and the former WWE star turned on MJF and cost him the AEW World Championship at Worlds End PPV in December. He had been taken off TV after that.
AEW can finally proceed with the long-anticipated rivalry now that Cole has returned. Though it will have to wait a few weeks still as MJF is in the middle of filming Netflix’s Happy Gilmore 2. He will be staying away from in-ring action until the shooting is completed.
