Adam Cole… Bye Bye?
I like to keep things as positive as possible.
I like WWE.
I like AEW.
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Aleister Black. Bray Wyatt. And now, Adam Cole. Black was a release that baffled fans and was coupled with the mistake of not updating his no-compete clause, allowing him to make a major debut on WWE’s biggest “competition.” It didn’t appear to be a smart move. Bray Wyatt is a release that not only confused the fans but angered them. Unless Wyatt asked for it himself, it made absolutely no sense. A main event level character that moved merchandise at a high level and was universally loved by the fans and networks, as they have voiced their displeasure over the situation. This does not appear to be a smart move. Adam Cole is now working on borrowed time in NXT and after Summerslam, will no longer be under contract. If the company does not throw anything and everything his way to keep him around for the long haul and allow him to walk over to AEW, that will not be a smart move.
Adam Cole is 32 years old. He is a stud in the ring. He is gold on the microphone. He puts people over, sells better than most and has the kind of charisma that you look for in a top guy. He is the kind of guy you want in your main event scene. Is he small? Yeah. Shawn Michaels was small during the era of his rise to the main event level. Other names that didn’t have the size? Rey Mysterio Jr. Eddie Guerrero. Daniel Bryan. Guess what? Those are all names that the fans love to this very day. Size matters when you don’t have the skill to make up for it. Adam Cole exudes in ring talent and wrestling superstar. Size should not and will not hold him back.
From the moment Adam Cole arrived in NXT, he was a big deal. His debut was attacking the new NXT Champion, Drew McIntyre. He was the leader of one of the most successful factions in wrestling in the past 30 years. He was the first North American Champion and the longest reigning NXT Champion. You could make the argument that he is the best superstar in NXT’s history. During the invasion angle, he had a clean victory over Daniel Bryan and went the distance with Seth Rollins, showing that he could hang in the ring on the main roster. There is no reason to think he couldn’t work on the main roster. But for whatever reason, it hasn’t happened in the 4 years he has been there.
When they broke up the Undispted Era, I personally think it ended the best possible way of bringing him to the “main roster.” Having a posse behind him would have been more than enough to make up for his lack of size that everyone always mentions. Doesn’t really matter how big you’re opponent is when you have a 4 on 1 advantage all the time. The group was cool and full of pure talent. He could have debuted on Raw the exact same way he debuted in NXT, and it would have worked. They could have done the NEXUS angle again, only this time not bury the invaders and let Adam Cole and company get over like they did in NXT, and it would have worked. Even without the Undisputed Era, he could be a high draft pick during one of the drafts. That lets the fans watching know how highy touted he is, and they wouldn’t blink an eye when he’s an immediate player for the WWE Title. And it would have worked.
Where does he go from here:
Does he stay in NXT?
Rumor has it, he loves working in NXT. Even his girlfriend has mentioned how much he loves being there. He has a close bond with Shawn Michaels and Triple H and probably enjoys the freedom that comes with being down there. With the never ending revolving door of talent that comes through, he always has fresh competition so things don’t get stale for him in the ring. With only one title reign as the NXT Champion, he could get another run with that title and put him in the same conversation as other two time champs Shinsuke, Samoa Joe and Finn Balor. They could also switch him to a legitimate babyface and give him a run their that would be fresh and new for himself and the fans of NXT. Other than that, he doesn’t have much more to prove down there. NXT will not grow much bigger than what it is, so if he has plans of becoming a bigger star he will definitely need to move on from the black and gold brand.
Does he move up to the main roster?
The main consensus about NXT talent moving up to the main roster is that, they get a quick push, it ends, they get buried and then 2 years later they are at the unemployment line waiting just chomping at the bits to go talk shit about WWE on Talk is Jericho. This does happen, I will not deny that. I don’t think it happens nearly as much as people say though. There are plenty of guys and gals who have come from NXT and made something of themselves. Of the ones that have not made it through the ringer, how many can we actually look back on and say “that was a main event guy!” Not that many if you ask me. And in recent memory, it is much more likely to happen than it was years ago.
I think Adam, wait no… I know that Adam has what it takes to bust through. If Seth Rollins can do it, no reason to think Adam Cole can’t do the same. I would say Smackdown has a wider variety of guys he can mix it up with, which would lead to better opportunities for himself to rise through the ranks. Raw would need him more though. Adam Cole is not at the level of superstar at this moment in time, but the only thing holding him back is opportunity. Raw lacks a true star outside of Drew, but even he seems to be cooling off lately. If booked properly and viewed as a real deal superstar(by Vince) that he is, Adam Cole could flourish and bring a much needed boost to Monday nights. When you say it out loud, it just doesn’t seem very appetizing though. The main roster just doesn’t have that “feel” to it that makes it a prime destination. It’s going to take time and it’s going to take an influx of fresh faces to lead it back to what it could and should be. Will Adam Cole lead that charge? I hope so, but we’ll wait and see.
Does he become All Elite?
Cole has a beautiful girlfriend that is doing quite well for herself. In AEW. He also has a lot of friends that are in the midst of something huge in the wrestling world. In AEW. There are a lot of potential stories and matches that are very intriguing for Adam Cole. In AEW. If I was a betting man, and we were gambling on where Bay Bay is heading? I would be going all in on AEW. You have to think that his contract running out, without any kind of rumblings was no coincidence. Seeing that his current feud is coming to an end with one of his best friends, you would have to think that is the only thing that made him sign the short term extension. Finish the feud and put his buddy over before leaving town.
Does Adam Cole return from the dead to re-join his Elite buddies? Or does he return from the dead to take them on? Does he have a better chance at becoming a main event guy on Dynamite than he does on Raw and Smackdown? I think the majority would say yes. Not to mention, he would also have the same amount or maybe even more freedom for his matches, promos and stories over in AEW as well. NXT allows him some but that is not something he is going to get on Raw and Smackdown. Can they match the money that WWE will offer him? Does money even matter? Another rumor says that he has already turned down 4 contracts. All signs are pointing towards AEW being the future home of Adam Cole Bay Bay! And yes, I know that not everyone that leaves WWE needs to go to AEW. But this is one that makes sense for far too many reasons.
Takeover 36 is coming up fast, and that is when the contract officially ends. If we don’t hear anything between now and then, it will be very interesting to see how things transpire over the few weeks that follow. And much like Bray Wyatt, wherever Cole ends up, I will follow. He’s one of the top guys in the world right now in my opinion, and whoever ends up getting him to sign is going to be a very lucky company. And that is Undisputed… BAY BAY!
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