Adam Cole had been out of action for more than a year before making his return at the AEW WrestleDream pay-per-view event at the Tacoma Dome in Tacoma, WA. This is where he confronted MJF before he fled through the crowd.
Cole had been out of action since breaking his ankle at the AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam 2023 special. It happened as he was running to the ring during MJF’s World Title match against Samoa Joe. He jumped from the entrance ramp to the ringside floor and began limping.
Months later, Cole was revealed as The Devil at Worlds End, having laid out MJF after losing the World Heavyweight Championship. However, MJF exacted his revenge at Double Or Nothing by laying out his former tag team partner.
Cole told Sports Illustrated that he needed bone from a deceased person for surgery after his ankle completely disintegrated. Rather than using a metal plate, Cole’s second surgery involved placing the bone in place.
“Not only did I have to get double the amount of screws in my ankle, but also, I had to get someone else’s bone put into my ankle because the bone piece within my ankle just completely disintegrated. Incredibly thankful to [the donor] and the family.”
