10 Unexpected Origins Of Wrestling Characters

6. Adam Cole Draws Influence From...

Uncle Howdy
AEW

While it's a very good listen - when he doesn't platform ar*eholes or indulge the fantasies of the deranged - there's always a perversely funny and awkward moment on Talk Is Jericho when the host interviews an AEW recruit fresh off their debut.

"So why do you want to work with here?" Jericho asks, pitched somewhere between David Frost and Dee Reynolds.

"Well, you of course. And I'm not just blowing smoke up your ass. Beyond that..."

Pleased with the response, Jericho will then pursue a new line of enquiry.

This is almost verbatim how the conversation between Jericho and Adam Cole went when Cole hopped on the show in September last year, but they also covered other topics - like the inspiration behind Cole's wrestling character.

Now, you might think that Shawn Michaels was the primary influence behind Cole's act: Cole is a superkick devotee, is very melodramatic in the spaces between moves, and is effectively Shawn's doppelgänger.

However, Cole was so taken with Jericho's cry of "Baby!" when pinning his foes with one foot that he built his eternally popular call-and-response around his wildly over-the-top enunciation.

 
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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!