Britt Baker, Johnny Gargano, others react to Adam Cole’s announcement
Following Adam Cole’s announcement at AEW All In on Saturday, numerous people from around the wrestling world have posted tributes online.
Tony Khan revealed shortly before the show began that Cole was not cleared to perform and that the TNT Championship was vacated, though he didn’t specify what was preventing Cole from being cleared. Cole then came out before the TNT title match and told the fans he would be “gone for a while.” He also said he wasn’t in the right head space to think about retirement, leading to speculation that his in-ring career could be over.
After Cole’s announcement, Britt Baker, Johnny Gargano, Aleister Black, and several others reacted online:
Johnny Gargano wrote:
“I’ve known @adamcolepro for over 15 years at this point. We were already good friends from our time on the indies, but even more so during our time in NXT. You’d be hard pressed to find someone I spent more time with on a daily basis. We’d go to the Performance Center, sit and watch wrestling with Shawn, eat lunch, then work out with @fla_hayes, and drive to the local Florida coconut shows together on the weekends. We’d always talk about getting a chance to work together on a big stage on those drives. We got that chance when we main evented TakeOver: New York. To my knowledge.. one of the highest grossing NXT events of all time. That night was already incredibly special for me but the fact I got to share it with one of my best friends made that moment mean even more. Nothing but love and well wishes to not just one of my favorite opponents but favorite human beings.”
“Adam Cole Forever,” wrote Renee Paquette.
Christopher Daniels wrote, “ADAM COLE I can’t express how much I love and respect this man. I hope he recovers and returns to continue fulfilling his dream here at AEW.”
“Adam Cole is an incredible Professional wrestler and an inspiration to all Independent wrestlers everywhere. In 2021 AEW had a bus ride going from Kansas City to St. Louis and he talked to me for 2 hours straight. Giving me advice, and chatting with me about the business. I genuinely hope to see him in a wrestling ring again some day,” wrote Alan Angels.
“One of the highlights of my time at WWE was getting to work with Adam Cole on a weekly basis. For 3+ years, I got to see him flourish and excel in every facet of the pro wrestling game. And what a magnificent human being,” wrote Dewey Foley.
Britt Baker, Cole’s former longterm partner, posted an image of a broken heart.
Aleister Black also posted to his Instagram Stories about the news, writing:
“To one of my favorite opponents and people in wrestling @adamcolepro. Thank you, for all of what you did in and outside of the ring for me.”
