Released WWE NXT Talent Returns To AEW

After being whacked on NXT 2.0 TV, this star returned to the AEW fold.

Troy Donovan Cole Karter
WWE

Having been released by WWE last month, the former Troy 'Two Dimes' Donovan this weekend returned to AEW action.

As per JJ Williams of the Wrestling Observer, the one-time D'Angelo Family member appeared at the latest set of AEW Dark tapings. There, under his Cole Karter name, the 22-year-old picked up a win over Mike Orlando.

This marks Karter's first match since his WWE exit shortly after NXT: In Your House this past June. With the door reportedly left open for a return to the company down the line, Cole was let go due to a wellness policy violation. In terms of on NXT 2.0 programming, Two Dimes was written off TV after Tony D'Angelo and Channing 'Stacks' Lorenzo seemingly murdered(!) him.

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As alluded to, this wasn't Cole Karter's first appearance for AEW. Prior to signing with WWE, Karter actually competed in nine matches for All Elite Wrestling across Dark and Dark: Elevation. Those bouts saw him compete against names like Lance Archer, Death Triangle, Dark Order, the Factory, and the former Big Show, Paul Wight; bouts that Cole all lost.

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Whether Karter ends up becoming officially #AllElite remains to be seen, but the fact that this most recent AEW outing saw him pick up his first victory in the company is surely a positive step for the star.

Cole wasn't the only recently-released WWE name to wrestle for AEW this past weekend, for Parker Boudreaux, fka Harland, was unveiled as the latest member of Ariya Daivari's burgeoning Trust Busters faction.

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