8 Things WWE Fans Need To Know About Adam Cole

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.