Tony Khan also lauded Adam Cole for the speech he delivered at All In, where an emotional Cole teased potential retirement due to his injuries. Khan disagreed with one particular point that Cole made, to highlight what a valuable asset he is for AEW.

“And I knew that it would be the right thing for Adam Cole, and it was what he wanted to do too, to go out and speak to the fans from his heart and explain that he wouldn’t be able to wrestle. The only thing I disagreed with [in his speech] is one of the first things he said. I don’t think at all that he let people down. While we’re all sad, I think that Adam Cole, everyone knows, does his best, and if he could have wrestled, he would have gone out there,” he added. 

Khan earnestly stated that Cole is a beloved figure with the fans and in the locker room, stressing how he has been one of the most popular stars in every promotion that he has been in.

“Adam Cole gave a great speech to the fans. They embraced him. He’s a great popular star, beloved by the wrestlers and by the fans. He’s not only been a top wrestler in every company he’s been in, but he’s been a leader in the locker room in every promotion that he’s ever wrestled in.”

Cole’s AEW TNT title reign lasted just under 100 days, and is his only title reign in AEW.