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Adam Cole Injury Prompts Last Minute Change to AEW All-In: Texas Card

AEW CEO Tony Khan announced Adam Cole vacated the TNT Championship due to injury minutes before All In: Texas, creating a 4-way match for the vacant title.

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Article Summary

  • Adam Cole vacates TNT Championship due to injury, prompting last-minute 4-way match at AEW All-In: Texas
  • Daniel Garcia, Dustin Rhodes, Kyle Fletcher, and Sammy Guevara to compete for vacant TNT title
  • AEW faces counter-programming from WWE, yet reports strong attendance at Globe Life Field
  • Cole's injury adds another unlucky chapter to his AEW tenure, with further details on his condition still unknown

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced an unprecedented modification to its premier pay-per-view extravaganza mere moments before the commencement of All In: Texas, as company president and chief executive officer Tony Khan announced the vacation of the TNT Championship due to medical circumstances surrounding titleholder Adam Cole.

A promotional graphic for the AEW All-In event featuring four wrestlers: Daniel Garcia, Dustin Rhodes, Kyle Fletcher, and Sammy Guevara. The background includes colorful fireworks and the TNT Championship logo prominently displayed, emphasizing the 4-way match format.
Promotional image for AEW All-In: Texas featuring competitors for the TNT Championship 4-way match.

The impromptu announcement, disseminated via social media and and AEW's website, revealed that Cole had failed to receive medical clearance for his scheduled championship defense against Kyle Fletcher at the promotion's flagship event. Consequently, the championship bout underwent a dramatic restructuring, evolving into a four-way confrontation featuring Daniel Garcia, Dustin Rhodes, Fletcher, and Sammy Guevara vying for the now-vacant championship.

This eleventh-hour alteration arrives as AEW presents one of its most ambitious productions to date at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The event, which commenced its main card at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, represents a pivotal moment for the organization as it navigates an increasingly competitive professional wrestling landscape.

The timing of Cole's injury-induced absence proves particularly inopportune for AEW, as the company faces unprecedented counter-programming efforts from industry titan World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). The Connecticut-based conglomerate, operating under parent company TKO Group Holdings, scheduled three premium live events during the same weekend as All In: Texas, a maneuver widely interpreted as a deliberate attempt to dilute AEW's audience share, despite WWE frequently signaling that it doesn't consider AEW competition.

Despite these anti-competitive headwinds, preliminary reports suggest robust attendance figures for All In: Texas, with reports from inside the venue indicating as many as 27,000 spectators have congregated at the baseball stadium. This impressive turnout underscores AEW's sustained momentum throughout 2025, a year characterized by critical acclaim for the promotion's creative direction and storytelling prowess.

The hastily reconfigured TNT Championship match introduces intriguing narrative possibilities, as four distinct competitors bring varying styles and career trajectories to the contest. Garcia, a technical wrestling prodigy, has garnered substantial fan support through his methodical in-ring approach. Rhodes, a second-generation performer and industry veteran, seeks to add championship gold to his storied legacy. Fletcher, originally slated for the singles encounter with Cole, must now adapt his strategy to accommodate multiple adversaries. Guevara, known for his high-flying arsenal and charismatic presence, represents the wild card in this impromptu championship scramble.

The circumstances surrounding Cole's medical situation remain nebulous, with Khan providing minimal elaboration beyond confirming the champion's inability to compete. This development marks another unlucky chapter in Cole's injury-plagued tenure with AEW, and any news on the fan-favorite wrestler's condition will no doubt be highly anticipated.

As the professional wrestling industry continues its evolution in 2025, incidents such as this underscore the unpredictable nature of live sports entertainment. AEW's ability to pivot swiftly in response to unforeseen circumstances demonstrates the organizational agility required to compete in today's marketplace.

The outcome of tonight's reconstituted championship match will undoubtedly reverberate throughout AEW's programming landscape, establishing new storylines and competitive hierarchies as the promotion advances through its competitive calendar. For the thousands in attendance and countless viewers purchasing the pay-per-view broadcast, All In: Texas promises to deliver memorable moments despite, and perhaps even because of, its last-minute alterations.

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Brad McMahonAbout Brad McMahon

Brad McMahon is an accomplished reporter known for his incisive and engaging coverage of the sports and entertainment industries at Bleeding Cool. A graduate of the masters program at the prestigious Al Isaacs School of Journalism at Harvard's Punxsutawney, PA satellite campus, McMahon finished at the top of his class, demonstrating an exceptional aptitude for storytelling and investigative journalism. His work is characterized by a deep passion for pop culture and a commitment to delivering accurate, timely news to his readers. With a keen eye for detail and a knack for uncovering the stories behind the headlines, McMahon has quickly established himself as a trusted voice in the field.
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