Adam Cole Ruled Out of All In London; TNT Championship Forfeited

LONDON, UK — All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has been dealt a significant blow just weeks before its marquee international event, as top star and reigning TNT Champion Adam Cole has not been medically cleared to compete at All In at Wembley Stadium. The announcement, made by AEW President and CEO Tony Khan, has resulted in the immediate vacating of the TNT Championship and thrown a major championship match into disarray.

In a statement released via social media on Saturday evening, Khan confirmed the news that had been reported by sources including Fightful. "AEW's medical team and I have made the difficult decision that Adam Cole is not cleared to compete at AEW All In," Khan wrote. "Our top priority is the long-term health of our talent. As a result, the TNT Championship has been vacated. We will provide an update on the title's future this Wednesday on Dynamite."

The decision casts a shadow over what was set to be a cornerstone match for the August event. While the specific nature of the medical issue has not been disclosed, it comes after Cole's well-documented history with serious injuries, including a severe concussion that kept him out of action for nine months in 2022-2023 and a subsequent ankle fracture that required multiple surgeries. This latest setback raises concerns about the 36-year-old's future in the ring.

A Major Setback for a Marquee Event

The absence of Adam Cole fundamentally alters the landscape of All In, AEW's largest annual show and one of the highest-attended professional wrestling events in history. Cole was scheduled to defend his TNT Championship against his long-time rival and former best friend, MJF, in what was being promoted as the emotional climax of a multi-year storyline.

The match was a critical component of the event's promotional strategy, tapping into a deeply personal narrative that has captivated audiences. With Cole now sidelined, AEW faces the challenge of not only crowning a new TNT Champion but also finding a new, high-profile opponent for MJF at Wembley Stadium.

The Future of the TNT Championship

With the TNT Championship now vacant for the first time since its inception in 2020, speculation has immediately turned to how a new champion will be determined. AEW has historically used tournaments to crown inaugural or new champions when a title is vacated, a likely path the company will take again.

Fans and pundits expect that an announcement regarding a tournament or a new championship match will be the focal point of the upcoming episode of AEW Dynamite. Potential contenders for the vacant title could include wrestlers who were already in the championship picture, such as Swerve Strickland, Will Ospreay, or even MJF himself, though his direction for All In remains the most pressing creative question.

Adam Cole won the TNT Championship from Christian Cage at the Double or Nothing pay-per-view in May, a triumphant moment that was seen as the culmination of his arduous recovery. His reign, lasting just 47 days, has been cut short, marking another difficult chapter in the star's recent career. AEW has yet to provide a timeline for Cole's potential return to the ring.