Adam Cole

Panama City Playboy earned his kingdom on three ROH World Championship reigns and became the longest-reigning NXT Champion ever with a 403-day stretch crowned in 2019. Leader of The Undisputed Era alongside Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly, Cole amassed the NXT North American Championship, won the 2022 Owen Hart Cup in AEW, and captured the TNT Championship in 2025 before capturing hearts across Ring of Honor, New Japan, PWG, and WWE NXT through psychological storytelling and technical precision.

Cole was forced to vacate the TNT Championship at All In on July 12, 2025, due to undisclosed health issues and was unable to be medically cleared to compete, ending his reign at 97 days. The Young Bucks offered updates on his recovery process through Being The Elite, with Matt Jackson noting he’s having improvements which is good. Uncertainty remains regarding whether Cole will eventually return to the ring, though earlier reports suggested there were no active plans for him to wrestle, and retirement speculation intensified after rumors claimed he had considered announcing his retirement rather than simply vacating the TNT Championship.