Adam Cole Wins In-Ring Return, Malakai Black Feud Teased
This week’s AEW Dynamite: Fright Night edition saw Adam Cole back in action, taking on Buddy Matthews in his first match since breaking his ankle last year. Cole turned on MJF at Worlds End before taking a hiatus, only to return at Double or Nothing, where an in-ring confrontation with MJF led to Cole being written off TV again. Most recently, Cole returned at WrestleDream, this time fully medically cleared.
Now, both Cole and Roderick Strong are competing to become the first man to win three consecutive matches, securing a shot at MJF at Full Gear. Cole emerged victorious in his match against Matthews, despite teasing that he might give up due to his ankle. After the match, he shook hands with Matthews, only for the lights to go out, revealing Malakai Black standing ominously in the ring.
In a backstage promo following the match, Cole acknowledged Matthews’s toughness as an opponent and hinted at Black’s interest in him. With humor, he commented that he’s being “thrown into the fire” — exactly how he likes it. Cole also addressed MJF directly, saying he doesn’t blame him for breaking his ankle or for being a poor friend who never checked on him. However, he does hold MJF responsible for pretending to be a friend in the first place, saying he always knew MJF would turn on him. Cole ran down MJF’s history of turning on allies, stating that MJF would be foolish to think he wouldn’t see it coming.
Cole made it clear that he cares about AEW and is determined to face MJF at Full Gear, vowing to teach him a lesson in the ring. This potential showdown brings new layers to Cole and Malakai Black’s shared history; the two were known for their fierce rivalry in WWE’s NXT, where Black, formerly Aleister Black, defeated Cole in an Extreme Rules match at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia on January 27, 2018. Both wrestlers were pivotal during NXT’s peak era.