8 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About Adam Cole
The hottest free agent in wrestling today? Quite possibly...
Adam Cole is on his way out of Ring Of Honor. Nine years after debuting with the company, the three-time ROH World Champion was literally kicked out of Bullet Club by Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks this past weekend, and replaced by Marty Scurll. His contract expired on 1 May, and after working his last set of TV tapings on Sunday, 'The Panama City Playboy' is free to take his next big step.
His next move hasn't been confirmed yet. Cole has worked numerous matches for NJPW over the past year, and the promotion have reportedly expressed an interest in signing him to an exclusive deal. WWE is still his likeliest destination however, and after years of speculation, it's extremely likely that he'll finally sign for the Stamford promotion sooner or later.
At just 27 years old, Cole has become one of independent wrestling's hottest commodities over the past few years, so it's no surprise WWE have been tracking him. The man himself has recently expressed a desire to work in NXT.
But who is Adam Cole, and what kind of competitor will WWE acquire if they decide to pull the trigger?
8. Shawn Michaels & Chris Jericho Are Among His Influences
Cole has cited Shawn Michaels as his favourite wrestler in the past, and this influence shows in his performances. ‘The Panama City Playboy’ isn’t as flamboyant as HBK, but his cocky persona is clearly modeled after Michaels, and there are big similarities in their promo styles. Michaels was a slightly flashier wrestler than Cole too, but the latter has borrowed from HBK’s moveset from time to time, and has been compared to his hero on countless occasions.
Adam cites HBK’s first WrestleMania match with The Undertaker as an all-time favourite, and also counts Chris Jericho among his influences. Anyone who has ever seen Cole in action will have seen him turn to the crowd, point skywards, and shout “Adam Cole, baby!”, which came straight from Y2J - who always used to exaggerate the word “baby” to the point where it became “bay-bay” during his younger years.
While Michaels and Jericho are obvious influences for a showman of Cole’s calibre, the same can’t be said of Joey Mercury. Nonetheless, the former WWE Tag Team Champion was one of Cole’s biggest inspirations during his formative years, particularly through his ability to draw heat from crowds.