10 Best Storytellers In Wrestling Right Now

8. Adam Cole

Daniel Bryan The Fiend Royal Rumble 2020
WWE.com

It's easy to see why Adam Cole unites Vince McMahon and Triple H, where recently their vision for an Ace has differed.

He intersects their core values. Vince is reportedly keen on moving Cole to RAW or SmackDown because he carries and projects himself as a star. His handsome, expressive face was made for capture by WWE's cameras. He can tell a story using that vehicle alone; the smugness highlights his heat spots, the panicked, hair-tugging desperation sells the insurmountable threat of his opponent's comebacks. He's so creative that he can elevate a worn trope to something dramatic - see his low-blow to Finn Bálor, capitalising on Johnny Gargano's distraction on December 18 - and that match itself, a challenging heel vs. heel dynamic, was another triumph.

Much was made of the physical toll imposed on Cole throughout the latter part of 2019, but his mental strengths were arguably more impressive; he also had to work Pete Dunne 24 hours after taking the wildest bump witnessed in an age, but his superb work never cheapened his opponent's loss.

Triple H, meanwhile, recognises the value of Cole's stunning content-on-top-of-content approach, and how much it works for NXT's audience, without losing sight of the core of the story he is selling.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!