10 Precise Moments Wrestlers Wanted To Jump Ship

4. Adam Cole

Dean Ambrose Gas Mask
AEW.com

Status In WWE:

The one true NXT needle-mover, Cole was a man who somehow conspired to shine as a star in the dank pit that was the Capitol Wrestling Center: the most depressing pro wrestling backdrop this side of Heroes Of Wrestling. Or your local leisure centre shindie. Every cynical thought indicates that he was you-know-it's-all-about-the-f*cking-doom on the main roster, but he was a wanted man. He was reportedly offered a stunning sum of money to cut his hair, manage Bearcat Lee for a month before he was fired, and take on the new name 'Adam Boom', which was to be subsequently shortened to simply 'Adam'.

Why And When They Wanted To Leave:

In a typically endearing story, Cole made the decision to jump to AEW days before his debut when the thought of shocking the world at All Out kept him up at night in a daydream. He told Chris Jericho on his podcast that the prospect made him feel like a "little kid".

He's too nice a guy to actually admit whether or not he did a jig when some dipsh*t administrator c*cked up his deal without ever considering a cursed run on SmackDown, so that's the official horse's-mouth story.

 
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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!