Clean win; unwanted help? - 4 Possible finishes to Adam Cole vs. Buddy Matthews on AEW Fright Night Dynamite

AEW has built a reputation for presenting unexpected yet undeniably exciting matches on its television programming. To that end, the Tony Khan-led promotion has loaded up the card for this week's Fright Night Dynamite with several blockbuster matches, including a first-time-ever bout between Adam Cole and Buddy Matthews.

The matchup came about after The House of Black member called out The Panama City Playboy following the stable's dominant trios victory last week on the Wednesday-night show. Cole and Matthews later had a tense face-off backstage, and the latter revealed his motivation behind challenging the former - to prove that Cole is "fragile."

With fans undoubtedly keen to find out which of the two stars will win this Wednesday, let's explore four possible finishes to Adam Cole vs. Buddy Matthews on Fright Night Dynamite.

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#1. Adam Cole could beat Buddy Matthews clean

Adam Cole has been missing from in-ring action for over a year owing to a severe ankle injury he sustained in 2023. Following multiple surgical procedures and months of rehabilitation, the 35-year-old star is ready to step back into the squared circle and prove himself against one of the most intense in-ring workers in AEW right now - Buddy Matthews.

Cole looks to not only prove to the former AEW World Trios Champion that he is the same world-class athlete as the Adam Cole "of old" but also to pick up the first of three straight wins he needs to score for a match against his nemesis MJF at Full Gear 2024.

The ending of his match against Matthews could thus see the former NXT Champion defeat the House of Black star clean after a hard-fought battle, which would greatly legitimize Cole's in-ring return.

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#2. Adam Cole could win with interference from Roderick Strong

Adam Cole is not the only one who wants a crack at MJF - so does his long-time ally Roderick Strong, who fired off against The Salt of the Earth last week on Dynamite during his reunion with his Undisputed Kingdom stablemate. The faction left the ring together after hearing Friedman's terms for facing either Strong or Cole next month, seemingly indicating that the group is, for now, still together.

The Messiah of The Backbreaker could thus factor into the outcome of Cole's match with Buddy Matthews. He could show up at ringside to accompany and support Cole, especially if Matthews is accompanied by The House of Black. Strong could possibly even interfere in the bout to help Cole secure the win.

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#3. Adam Cole could lose to Buddy Matthews due to interference from Roderick Strong or MJF

MJF is well-known in AEW lore for forcing his opponents to compete in grueling matches against tough opponents to be able to face him in the ring. He is also notorious for using all kinds of unfair tactics to try and sabotage his rivals from achieving their goals.

Even without appearing on AEW Dynamite this week, The Wolf of Wrestling could still end up involved in Adam Cole's match against Buddy Matthews. Friedman could employ someone to cost the former ROH World Champion the victory or possibly even manipulate Roderick Strong into inadvertently doing the same.

Alternatively, Strong's accidental intervention could backfire on Cole without MJF's involvement, which could, in turn, serve as foreshadowing for The Undisputed Kingdom turning on Cole.

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#4. Time-limit draw setting up long-term AEW rivalry between Adam Cole and Buddy Matthews

AEW is known for its share of surprising match finishes, including several time-limit draws. Generally, they seem to be reserved for situations in which both competitors could feasibly suffer from taking a loss, although more often than not, they serve storyline purposes as well while also setting up the possibility of a long-term feud built over time—consider Hangman Page vs. Bryan Danielson, for example, or more pertinently, Adam Cole vs. MJF from June 2023.

The Jacksonville-based promotion could attempt something similar with Cole and Buddy Matthews by booking their match to end in a draw. Such a finish would leave the door open for the two stars to revisit their rivalry at some point down the road, especially if Matthews ever splits from The House of Black to focus on his singles career.

While such a conclusion is unlikely, it is not beyond the realm of possibility, as it would also act as a storyline bump on the road for Cole on his path to locking in a match against MJF at AEW Full Gear.